Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)
  • Chassis ( defender ) repair advice
  • orangeboy
    Free Member

    It’s been sunny so thought I’d start tidying up the chassis on my defender and found a hole
    A mate has offered to weld it up for me but he does not Normaly do car stuff

    Just after any advice

    Was thinking 4mm plate for patch and unplug bat and ecu

    Anything else ?

    conkers
    Free Member

    2.5mm is what the chassis is originally made from, I use 3mm as that’s what I have lurking in the shed. They rot from the inside out so the thickness may vary where the weld is laid and your mate may find he’s blowing holes as he hits a thin spot that he can’t see but that doesn’t look too bad and should be an easy repair. Disconnect the alternator as well or you’ll blow the rectifier diodes.

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    Thanks not thought about that

    There is far more crap inside the rail than I was exspeting
    I’ve just ordered a load of dintrol wax

    matthewjb
    Free Member

    Ask Stoner. Or search for his rebuilding the Defender thread.

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    Stoners rebuild makes me very envious but his was a galv chassis I think , which why given the cost a defender they don’t so is stupid

    Speshpaul
    Full Member

    I would cut the bad metal out and weld in new rather than plating over, that creates a trap for more rust.

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    Those pics are after the first hit with grinder I was thinking I would take the edges back with the die grinder and have my mate fit a flush fitting plate or is that a little over the top

    globalti
    Free Member

    Mud has collected and dried at the bottom of the curve. If the rust is only at the bottom, it’s easy enough to cut out a section of the “floor” then replace it with a plate welded in. Make sure you clean out all the crap, which is a tricky job thanks to the bracing reinforcements inside the rails. I had some success with a thin probe on a jetwash, which you can wriggle past some of the braces. Cut a couple of decent-sized drain holes in the new plate and be sure to prime, paint then Waxoyle the whole thing. The other rail is probably just as bad. Check all drain holes are clear especially after a very wet muddy day out and always jetwash the underneath of your Landy if you want it to last.

    Our ex-MOD 90 had a chassis that was choked solid with compacted sand, it took me two days to clean it all out and some interesting plants grew on our gravel drive after that.

    Stoner
    Free Member

    Sorry – Id be sod all use to you for this. I took the easy route and bought mine with a galv chassis.

    Get yourself over to one of the landy forums, theyre always wittering about rust and holes and stuff in there. They know what theyre talking about. Mostly. 😉

    mattsccm
    Free Member

    That’s not a hole. Just clean it up properly, cut out the rubbish and add a tidy patch. Using the weld there and two bits of plate will be tidier and that ridge of weld will be easier to stick to. If its at the bottom of a curve leave a drain hole.

    mattsccm
    Free Member

    Its only a Landrover. Some form of agricultural blacksmith or bridge builder would be well qualified to patch it. 😉
    I use the former.

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    mines went there.

    easy patch . first bit of welding i did….

    unfortunantly it has since holed round the grommet for the loom.

    just bought a new rear cross member from MIB components – comes back 18 inches and removes just about all the rot from my 27 year old chassis.

    maxtorque
    Full Member

    Indeed, a complete rear cross member isn’t expensive, although it’s a lot more work to fit it (less of a problem if you can leverage “mates rates”)

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    I did grind on the other rail at the same point but no hole (yet)
    But seems the foot well needs a patch to

    Think there is more rot on this 15 year old one than the 1966 IIa I learned to drive in

    I should learn to weld , maybe somthing for winter evenings

    Thanks all

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    its alot easier with your tub/seatbox/loom/anything else off….

    i have a chassis with engine sitting in the garden atm….

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    if the foot well has gone how are the top and front faces of the outriggers ?

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    Footwell looks to have gone where the throttle pedal is bolted to it rather than at the bottom edge

    trail_rat
    Free Member

    thats an odd place to need a patch.

    How is the bulkhead to wheel arch bracket – that bolts on in about that position……

    they usually go where the floor bends into the 45 degree piece.

    Just placing an order with YRM now for rebuilding my tub 😀

    orangeboy
    Free Member

    Think it’s just where the water that leaks in was trapped behind the rubber / floor mat

Viewing 19 posts - 1 through 19 (of 19 total)

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