Lightning

Or buy a new lock mechanism, because you are going to need one anyway and they are not expensive Then with the new part in your hand you can work out how to open the door

Buy a new lock mechanism, as you are going to need one anyway and they are not expensive. Then with the new one in your hand you can work out what needs pulling/pushing to release the door.

Flippin’ Ford engines. Give me TD5 any time!

I would be asking why they burned out. Can you get a replacement panel from a breaker? It might be easier and less hassle.

Well the problem is that to be compliant on rough terrain needs the suspension to be the same, compliant and not too stiff. Where faster road use needs a firmer setup. If l adjust my dampers to the firm setting it’s a fair bit better but then it’s harsh on unmade roads or farm tracks taken at slow speed. l have just left them on the soft setting and l drive slower on the road.

Also there’s got to be a compromise somewhere. Do you want your Defender to ride well on dirt roads and tracks or would you rather it held it together on faster road driving without bouncing off line if (say) you hit a bump while cornering? With adjustable dampers l can account for both, although unless you spend £1,000 you have to get under the vehicle to turn the adjusters on the dampers.

All l can say is, that on my standard 110 SW TD5, l have fitted LR OE TDCi springs, LR OE anti roll bars, adjustable dampers and Discovery 2 front spring isolators. Tyre pressures are 33/44 F/R The ride is definitely a fair bit better over rough roads and unmade roads, with no detriment to handling/road holding. This applies only to a standard 110 TD5 SW lightly loaded. I’ve driven 1,000 miles in the vehicle this month and can say by experience that it’s a better ride quality than during the 50,000 miles l have previously driven it before changing the above parts.

Not correct in your handbook maybe, but correct in mine!

Well l found the same, 33/44 F/R on mine, standard vehicle lightly loaded

Well, Land Rover recommend 33psi/49psi F/R for a standard 110 SW under normal conditions. When loaded towards the limits LR recommend 33psi/65psi F/R All l can say is that on a standard TD5 110 SW considerable improvement in the ride/handling can be achieved by carrying out the modifications l recommended above.

Why then would Land Rover, who designed the vehicle, recommend 48psi. With softer rear dampers and standard LR springs you can inflate the tyres to 44-48 psi and the ride is much improved as the dampers are then working to cushion the ride. Otherwise, when you go over a bump, the suspension will compress and so will the tyre. Then the damper will resist bouncing, but the tyre will work against it, giving the well known bouncy ride quality

It will be with that weight in it, as the rear suspension is designed to work well loaded up. But l run mine with very little weight in it. With the adjustable dampers l can alter it as required, when we went on holiday l had my boat and motor in the back plus luggage bikes etc and l set them to firm.

LR recommendation is 48psi for the rear tyres on a 110 TD5 SW The idea is to get the suspension dampers doing the work and not the tyres, as that will result in a bouncy ride.

30,000 miles and still fine. Mainly road miles though.l would fit better ones if l could find any, but the only other adjustable ones l could find were remote ones at £1,000

It doesn’t Not with the parts l have fitted. Reducing tyre pressure just makes it bounce more on corners. Surely you want the dampers to be doing the work and not the tyres?

I have spent literally years experimenting with the ride quality on my Defender 110 TD5. Springs and shocks are a tricky one. Fitting softer springs will affect the ride height and changing dampers is a compromise between ride quality and road holding. So, the results l have come up with make my 110 TD5 ride a lot better than standard and can be done for around £400, without affecting ride height. TDCi Puma SW springs (new “take off” £110) Terrafirma 4-way adjustable dampers, set to the softest setting (£260) Discovery 2 front spring isolators (£30) Front and rear anti roll bars, LR OE if not already fitted. (an extra £200 if needed) Tyre pressure at 33 front 44 rear (running low pressures make matters worse, as the bouncing from the tyres conflicts with the suspension action) My 110 is considerably better on poor roads and can be driven faster on unmade tracks without anything like the pitching and bouncing l had before.

Replace the sky light seals, replace the sky light seals, replace the sky light seals

My missus’s 2003 90 SW leaked into the footwell on the N/S and O/S soaking the carpets, and after literally years of trying to sort it on and off including replacing vent flap seals, door seal, and numerous other efforts l eventually discovered that water was leaking in through the sky light seal, running along the inside of the roof rail, down the inside of the door seal at the front, across the plastic cover for the door check arm, behind the dash and on to the floor!! Two new sky light seals cured it.

I had this loose mud shield some years ago on the prop shaft, caused a rattling while driving along, l took it to my local LR Indy and it came back with the mud shield removed “you don’t need it” apparently And a bill for £100

I have a TD5 110 SW and do around 12,000 miles a year in it. MPG l get 26-28 in mixed mainly town driving. That’s just normal use, not excessively fast or slow. Mine is remapped with EGR delete but nothing else. l have the rev counter. On the motorway the best cruising speed is 65mph, at that speed it’s doing about 2700rpm. At 70mph it’s at close to 3,000 rpm which is still OK but l find it better to sit at 65. l find first gear to be fine, and always use it when starting. If yours seems very low l wonder if your gearing has been modified, not sure you can lower the overall gearing though? The clutch should be progressive, mine certainly isn’t on/off you may need a new clutch, but first check the hydraulics.

Yes l can see the roof where it’s dished in the middle, although l have to say It looks a very clean Defender from what can be seen on that picture!

Or you could try what l suggested!

Have you tried Land Rover for the part?

Might need to take it to a body shop to get that fixed properly. l guess you could brace the roof inside with a steel rod between the alpine windows bent at each end to sit flat on the inside of the roof and locate in the inside of the gutter channel. Done properly and sprayed black you’d hardly notice it.

Oh right l see why it’s needed then. l was looking to fit a Roamerdrive to my TD5 when l have the funds.