ALWVSN

Consider the LS swap route. They have kits available that allows you to use your stock electronics making it a very smooth swap. Plus it should be able to be smogged assuming you can get past the visual. There are several companies out there. I am somewhat familiar with Trailhead 4x4’s kit. Definitely worth looking into. Benefits would be more power, better mpg’s, and much more reliable. Basically a huge upgrade
 
 
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Ahhh sounds fun - let me see if I can gather a few things for the requirements...

Ahhh sounds fun - let me see if I can gather a few things for the requirements...

Also - I don't think 18" wheels fit with SC brembo brakes without some caliper modification. The only way to tell if you have locking diff is to see if there is an electrical cable plugged into the diff on the passenger rear underside ... (there may be a way to tell from the info screen but I'm not sure) 

I have the '06 - I did get a set of 18" wheels and AT tires - which would maybe make it even better on the trails - but I didn't;t get a chance to try that yet ! Our of the box with stock 19" Pirelli's it was already pretty good - Brenton only had to pull me out of the sand once ! Locking diff would be nice - but hard to find - and the electronic brake locker works pretty well. And, yes Ac blows cold, Harman stereo is good -  and you can drive ant 85MPH+ to the events in comfort. Johnson rods are available for these also to give you 2" extra lift - and remove the front spoiler lip for offloading - gives you more clearance. 
 
I would get the 4.4ltr 06-09 - model however - 300HP is more than enough. SC engine has more issues , and the early 5.0l engine '10-'12 also had major timing chain issues which is expensive to repair. Budget to replace the air shocks, rebuild compressor, and lower control arms (front) at around 100K miles - and you will have a good and pretty reliable rig ... 
 
You can see some pretty nice looking '07-'09's for under $10K these days ... 

@RobertDingli has done a bit of mods & custom armors to his L322 (pre-10). He's prob good person to chat on 1st hand experience on taking a L322 on bumpier side of the dirt.

After doing much research, I got myself a 2†lift.
 
Fox Shocks with ARB HD springs all around. I added a 1†spacer on the back and opted out on the front because I had a feeling that the front might be higher with all the weight on the back...
I know they’re twice more than TF kit but I just read way too many issues that people are having with it...
That was a tough install job. Doable but very tough.
 
One thing I can say that the ride is night and day difference.. can corner better and just able to handle the weight I have on the truck. I don’t know what the difference between medium and HD springs but these feels a bit soft. I thought it was gonna be a rough heavy duty but it isn’t.

I may have spent extra $700 on the Fox Shocks and OME springs... but I have been super happy with them with all my trips so far. 
 
Where do you guys recommend to buy the shafts? 
 
After the suspension, I haven't really spent much on anything else because we will be replacing our truck soon... The D2 is just horrible going up hill, did a Death Valley trip recently and the truck was struggling on 395 up hill.
 

 
 
 

I finally have a bit of downtime and after The Annual and Trail - I was hitting everywhere so I am now looking for a lift kit.
 
So far I only found a TerraFirma - I was wondering if you guys have any suggestion - I don't want it super high, if anything 2" all I want.
 
https://www.roverparts.com/Parts/TFD2SUSPKITHD
 
We almost never off road but we want to be capable to get thru trails and camping spots if needed.
We have 4 people and a RTT.
 
I was wondering if you guys have any suggestion and maybe a shop locally in San Jose that can install it.
(if I get a bit of downtime from work, I will install it myself)
 
Thanks
Al

I’m 50/50, won’t know until after Xmas since we’re heading to Baja.

After doing much research, I got myself a 2†lift.
 
Fox Shocks with ARB HD springs all around. I added a 1†spacer on the back and opted out on the front because I had a feeling that the front might be higher with all the weight on the back...
I know they’re twice more than TF kit but I just read way too many issues that people are having with it...
That was a tough install job. Doable but very tough.
 
One thing I can say that the ride is night and day difference.. can corner better and just able to handle the weight I have on the truck. I don’t know what the difference between medium and HD springs but these feels a bit soft. I thought it was gonna be a rough heavy duty but it isn’t.

Pulled the trigger, it was a bit more than the TF HD but I think base on my research, I will be more happy with these - I will keep you guys updated on this set up while traveling to BAJA next month.
 
Also ordered diff guards and a driveshaft.
 
 

After doing much research, I got myself a 2†lift.
 
Fox Shocks with ARB HD springs all around. I added a 1†spacer on the back and opted out on the front because I had a feeling that the front might be higher with all the weight on the back...
I know they’re twice more than TF kit but I just read way too many issues that people are having with it...
That was a tough install job. Doable but very tough.
 
One thing I can say that the ride is night and day difference.. can corner better and just able to handle the weight I have on the truck. I don’t know what the difference between medium and HD springs but these feels a bit soft. I thought it was gonna be a rough heavy duty but it isn’t.

After doing much research, I got myself a 2†lift.
 
Fox Shocks with ARB HD springs all around. I added a 1†spacer on the back and opted out on the front because I had a feeling that the front might be higher with all the weight on the back...
I know they’re twice more than TF kit but I just read way too many issues that people are having with it...
That was a tough install job. Doable but very tough.
 
One thing I can say that the ride is night and day difference.. can corner better and just able to handle the weight I have on the truck. I don’t know what the difference between medium and HD springs but these feels a bit soft. I thought it was gonna be a rough heavy duty but it isn’t.

Pulled the trigger, it was a bit more than the TF HD but I think base on my research, I will be more happy with these - I will keep you guys updated on this set up while traveling to BAJA next month.
 
Also ordered diff guards and a driveshaft.
 
 

Are you just adding a second battery for winches or is it a deep cycle battery?
 
Started with mine today but it’ll be in the trunk.

Are you just adding a second battery for winches or is it a deep cycle battery?
 
Started with mine today but it’ll be in the trunk.

common valving for d2's
 
Fox 2.0 
Front 85/90
Rear 95/100
 
 
Bilstein 7100
 
front 360/80
Rear 400/100

I've been wanting to install mine. I actually bought everything already except the battery. 
 
But after seeing Goal Zero  or Jackery etc, I may go that route since it's easier and less headache but I've already bought these that I would be willing to sell if you need them.
 
VSR KIT
DUAL US with SWITCHES
FUSE BOX
 
but pls put a photos together if you do your set up. I want to see how people does it on their D2.
 
Thanks

Btw, if you’re going to buy your shocks and springs separate, don’t bother with Terrafirma shocks. They are junk. Take the time to measure your distance from eyelet to eyelet on your shock mounts at full bump with your new stops and order some decent shocks from Accutune or something. Buying shocks based on what seems like more travel is not the way to do it. Shock compression and extended lengths are listed, so there is no reason to guess. Figure out your compressed length and buy a shock the is like 1/2” or so less compressed. That will usually ensure max travel for your shock. If you’re concerned about performance of your shocks, look to remote reservoir or IFP (internal floating piston) shocks. Those will perform a lot better than your standard shock. IFP shocks are common nowadays and are as easy to fit as normal shocks. You will probably want to get your measurements and just call a place like Accutune and have them figure out the proper shock to buy. Those guys are good
 
 
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The ride will be relatively rough. The OME springs are basically the same as stock, just thicker. So they will look like the same height as stock out of the box, they will just compress less under weight. The result is a taller truck under weight, but also a more rigid ride. A progressive rate spring will give you a softer ride, but I’m not sure what options you have at just a couple inches of lift. Terrafirma springs that come with a 2” lift are softer feeling than the OME. I have run the OME lift and Terrafirma on 2 different D2’s, so this is first hand experience. I did not like the OME springs. Very little travel and a harsh ride. The Terrafirma stuff is generally lower quality stuff. Not a brand I would consider for serious off-road stuff, but I think it would suit your needs better if you’re mainly on pavement. It will feel close to stock. You will need longer bump stops regardless of your lift if you are rubbing with your current tire size.
 
 
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The real question is how much tire do you want to run?  
 
A lift in and of itself does little to give more clearance.  It's main job is to give room for taller tires.  The tires are what gets your differentials and axles higher off the ground.  So let's start with what size tires you have now and what size you think you'd like to run, then you can decide what size lift you would need.
 
I'm not sure what you have now, but a 2" kit should give you room to run 31-32" tires which will certainly help on the trail.  This is a bit bigger than stock while still being very streetalbe and though you will be able to feel a bit of a change in acceleration you won't need to re-gear.  
 
As Eric noted, a 2" kit would basically be springs and shocks.  There are several options to choose from such as OME and TerraFirma.  BTW, Lucky8 has that Terrafirma kit rather cheaper than AB  https://www.lucky8llc.com/collections/lift-kits-2/products/2-discovery-ii-lift-kit
 
You'll also want to consider if you have or plan to add any other items to the truck in the future such as steel bumpers, rock sliders, a winch, etc.  Do you run with the truck heavily loaded for long trips with a fridge and tons of gear, or do you usually run relatively light, for day trips?  Those sort of things will help you decided how strong the springs should be.  A truck that has steel bumpers at both ends and all the gear will need stronger springs to reach the same level of lift as a stock truck with lighter springs.  You'll see companies like OME (old man emu-basically ARB's suspension brand) will offer different springs for differently loaded trucks.  
 
It's best to consider this in a holistic manner - what is the end goal for the truck, and what will get me there?  That will help you keep from duplicating efforts.  For example, if you buy stock +2 front springs then next year add a bumper and winch you'll end up doing springs again.
 
From what you've mentioned above, I'm going to make some speculative suggestions.  
 
It sounds like you don't plan to run trails often but would like a little more clearance while still retaining nice street manners.  You probably plan to leave the truck mostly stock other than a bit of lift and tires.   
 
The TerraFirma kit linked above should do that fine paired with a moderate AT tire like the Cooper AT3 or for something a bit more aggressive perhaps the BFG KO2 or Cooper ST/Maxx.  We won't get into actual tire choice here too much as that's a whole seperate topic of discussion!  But I'd look at something in the 31-32" size.  Again, let me know what size tire you have now - I believe you have aftermarket wheels so I'm not even sure what diameter they are.
 
As Eric mentioned, even stock there are 2 big wear areas you should look at and address now in the driveline - the rear flex joint at the differential and the front driveshaft.  (you should check these even if staying stock).  The flex joint can simply be visually inspected, but the front driveshaft is harder to check.  It's a non-serviceable item from the factory and the proximity of the catalytic converter to the U-joints tends to cook the grease out of them over time leading to potentially catastrophic failure.  If you don't know the age of the unit, consider replacing it with a serviceable driveshaft that you can grease yourself.  
 
Aside from the lift and tires, I'd also strongly recommend a pair of dif guards.  They are inexpensive and won't affect the on-road driving of the truck but will give some peace of mind by protecting the low-hanging differentials from accidentally hitting a rock off-road.   There are lots of options here - in fact RoverWare actually donated a set in the raffle. I prefer the weld-on version for it's strength.  http://www.roverware.us/differential-guard/
 
The next thing I would consider would be rock sliders.  They are steel pieces that protect the bottom of the doors/body from hitting things when off road.  Again, they won't have any effect on the road manners of the truck but can come in very handy as this is a vulnerable area.  They are a bit more expensive though.  Companies like Tactical 4x4, RTE, and Terrafirma among others offer sliders for the D2.  I would recommend getting a version with nerf bars.  https://www.lucky8llc.com/collections/armor-2/t-discovery-ii+ac1-accessories+ac2-armor+ac3-sliders
 
I can't help with any shop recommendations as I don't spend much time in the south bay and tend to such things myself anyway.  Some members (myself included) will occasionally host wrenching days were we get together and help each other with things like this however I'm personally pretty backed up with projects both for home and work right now and don't expect I'll be opening the shop for a club day any time soon. 

For a 2” Lift, you really only need shocks and springs to be replaced, so it’s pretty easy to do. If you start going much bigger then you start needing things like castor corrected arms, extended brake lines, and lines, driveshafts, etc. So check out the above mentioned companies. Also examine your front and rear driveshafts when lifting. The front driveshaft tends to fail over time and the rear rotoflex joint also gets old and started to crack and fall apart. Both should be fine size wise with a 2” lift, but it can add extra stress on them with the new angles.
 
 
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I finally have a bit of downtime and after The Annual and Trail - I was hitting everywhere so I am now looking for a lift kit.
 
So far I only found a TerraFirma - I was wondering if you guys have any suggestion - I don't want it super high, if anything 2" all I want.
 
https://www.roverparts.com/Parts/TFD2SUSPKITHD
 
We almost never off road but we want to be capable to get thru trails and camping spots if needed.
We have 4 people and a RTT.
 
I was wondering if you guys have any suggestion and maybe a shop locally in San Jose that can install it.
(if I get a bit of downtime from work, I will install it myself)
 
Thanks
Al