[Wheel spacers]

With regard to why I want them. I don't know if I do. That is one of the reasons for this post. The Land Rover blingeruppa I spoke to yesterday did recommend them sighting 2 reasons why. They will enhance the look of the vehicle as they will bring the wheels more in line with the plastic wheel arches and they will also enable the steering stops to be adjusted to provide a better turning circle. Some people have a thing about turning circles on 110's I know but I have known nowt else for the last 25 years so could say I have got used to it.

Litch - You are absolutely right about the insurance issue and I have made it quite clear that nothing must be done to the vehicle to compromise the insurance. I am awaiting the quote for the work which will be forwarded to the insurers for their decision. Last time I approached the insurers when I wanted to chip the engine they wanted 40% extra. The vehicle is not chipped!

I have just renewed my insurance for £259 fully comp including legal & breakdown and do not wish to pay any more. The insurance is always the deciding factor. OR perhaps the wife!

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Wheel spacers]

I am sure I read on a post somewhere that wheel spacers are illegal.

However I went to a Land Rover refurbisher yesterday to see what can be done to refresh my tired 110Ht and one suggestion he made was to fit wheel spacers. I said to him I thought they were illegal but he assures me they are not.

Advice please.

MINESAPINT

[Body Cappings]

In this thread the question was asked does anyone know where to buy GALVANISED BODY CAPPINGS?

Question was not answered as far as I can see.

So again............

Does anyone know where we can buy galvanised body cappings?

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[110 Td5]

Nic,

Thanks for that. The colour is Caledonian Blue and I have seen it for sale "off the peg" at a car accessory shop and am also aware of a paint distributor who will make aerosols up to order. Would you use spray on primer or would brush on be acceptable? I suppose however thorough I am in my preparation and painting any touching up will be a temporary measure. I suppose thinking about it so was the original Land Rover paint job!

MINESAPINT

[Sluggish TD5]

You need quite a lot of force to move it initially obviously depending whether it is seized. I note lubricating this part is not in the service schedule.

MINESAPINT

[110 Td5]

My 2000 model Td5 much to my dismay is in need of a touch up although a full re spray I feel would be unnecessary. There are upwards of a dozen small areas where paint is blistering which when chipped off reveals rusty steel or corroding aluminium underneath.

Clearly the procedure has to be to clean the metal, prime then paint but I have no previous experience and am looking for tips/advice.

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Sluggish TD5]

My money is on the turbo activator.

Just find it, give it a squirt of WD40 and waggle it about a bit.

Lubricate monthly in the future.

Hey presto!

MINESAPINT

[Sluggish TD5]

I had something very similar with my Td5 a couple of years ago. It turned out to be the Turbo activator not activating due to corrosion. A £25 squirt of WD40 did the trick. I now oil the shaft periodically and have had no further problems.

MINESAPINT

[Tyre sizes]

My insurance company are keen to ensure that when I change my tyres my speedo is unaffected. I have found a tyre size calculator on the net and have discovered 235 85 16 are within 1% of 265 75 16 with regards to vehicle speed. However I cannot find a comparison for american sized tyres.

ie 11.5 31 16 12.5 33 16 etc

Any ideas?

MINESAPINT

[Rusty headlight retaining rings]

Ref my post of yesterday. I am surprised no one has come up with an aftermarket solution although sadly not surprised to discover more vehicles have experienced this problem recently but apparently not on older vehicles. The parts must have been better quality in the "good old days". I have owned 7 Land Rover 109/110's over the last 25 years and although some improvements have been made to more recently built vehicles there are also a number of areas where the build quality has deteriorated.

Dissapointing features about my vehicle are:

Chrome rings as mentioned.

Rusty screw heads - rear/doors/bonnet etc. These were all replaced under warranty and rusted again within weeks. I then insisted they should be replaced with stainless steel and now have no problems with them. Would be better if vehicles were built using stainless in the first place - they would cost all of about £1 extra per vehicle! (Screwfix Direct)

Bumper & rear crossmember rusting - bumpers used to be galvanised.

Strips down the sides connecting the hard top to the body rusting badly - used to be galvanised.

Internal handle on rear door. Now very lightweight, hardly dare touch it in case it bends or breaks.

Rear door does not have a means by which it can be kept open for loading. I have to park vehicle according to the incline if I need the door to stay open. Also problem in wind.

General corrosion caused by dissimilar metals in contact.

Wheel mounted on read door. Rear door just about to collapse due to weight.

Door bottoms blistering.

Does anyone else wish to add to this tale of woe?

MINESAPINT

[Headlights]

There are some chrome rings round my headlights on my 2000 defender which have been replaced twice due to rusting. When they go rusty staining occurs below them on the black plastic surrounds. These chrome rings are due for replacing again but additionally one of the headlights is cracked presumably due to a stone impact off the road.

I thought I might take the opportunity to replace both headlights with a different arrangement providing it includes the removal of the chrome rings.

I am not aware of an alternate system.

Suggestions please.

MINESAPINT

[Boost or Deepdish?]

Thanks, thats got it sorted - mine are Deep Dish.

MINESAPINT

[Boost or Deepdish?]

Thanks for replies to my previous post re Boost damage. I will try to locate an alloy wheel refinisher in my area in due course. I would also be interested in purchasing some additional good used wheels to match mine. My 110 is 7 years old and will be fitted with the alloy wheels Land Rover were fitting at that time. I understand they will be Boost or Deepdish but how can I tell the difference?

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Boost Alloy Damage]

TUBE? They said the puncture was near to the edge of the tyre tread so would need a tube.

If anyone knows of any wheels or wheel/tyre combinations for sale in Yorkshire/North East please let me know.

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Boost Alloy Damage]

The damage is beyond the paint but I would be interested in learning more about repairing these wheels.

Presumably it is possible to have them repaired/refurbished professionally?

Alternatively I might try to purchase some replacements on e-bay but this raises another question. There are a few sets for sale at the moment but I wonder how many different patterns have been produced and will I need to ensure I choose the right one?

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Boost Alloy Damage]

My Land Rover is a 2000 110 HT Td5 factory fitted with what I believe to be Boost Alloy Wheels - optional extra at about £800. Vehicle & wheels are generally well looked after. I recently had a puncture and took it to be repaired and when returned noticed quite severe damage which had clearly been caused by the repairer.

What are my options?

Additionally I notice the tube size on the invoice does not match the tyre size and wonder whether this has any implications? The tube is smaller than the tyre.

I imagine nothing would be gained by remonstrating with the garage and although my house insurance includes £50,000 legal cover I don't think it is worth the bother.

What would you do?

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Parking Fine]

In the absence of coming across any definitive information in the next day or so I will pay the £30. Unfortunately I am one of the uninformed masses prepared to pay up for a quiet life. Pepipoo did direct me to a site containing all the regulations about road signs and markings but the document runs to 500 or 1000 pages or so!

I will re-visit the scene of the crime again soon in daylight and review the circumstances.

Thanks for replies

MINESAPINT

[Parking Fine]

I looked at pepipoo which states the laws on signage are very precise. If the signage does not comply precisely with the requirement of the law then the sign does not exist in law. Critically reference is made to signs on poles. In my case there are no signs on poles - the sign is attached to a shop wall at the other side of the footpath. Reference is also made to illumination of signs. It is likely the signs are not lawful but for £30 is it worth the hassle particularly as the fine goes up to £60 in 14 days!

MINESAPINT

[Parking Fine]

Thanks for replies,

Discoryan's interpretation of the situation is pretty accurate. Parking bays are marked out on the road, some of which are identified as being reserved for disabled drivers (I was not in one of these). After getting the notification of the offence I did spot the sign which was very close to where I parked but far from obvious fastened to the wall of a shop. Obviously I am now aware yellow lines are not the determining factor re parking restrictions.

MINESAPINT

[Parking Fine]

In Whitby (North Yorks) the other day and got a parking fine. It is the first one in my driving career which spans over 30 years. I do not feel I parked incorrectly as my understanding has always been (for 30 odd years) that if parking restrictions were in force there would be yellow lines on the road which would serve to draw your attention to that fact. You could then look for signs at the roadside which would give specific details. On the road in question there are NO YELLOW LINES whatsoever but after receiving the fixed penalty notice I had a look round and did indeed spot a notice which indicated parking limited to 40 minutes. I had parked there quite innocently for around 10 hours.

I admit I last read the highway code over 30 years ago prior to taking my test and wonder if anyone is more "up to speed"?

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Diff Lock woes?]

Thanks everyone who contributed to this thread. Diff Lock now working perfectly! Clearly the problem was due to the linkages being seized between the lever & the transfer box. A combination of lubricating, gaining better access and waggling the lever around a lot did the trick.

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Diff Lock woes?]

Cheers Callum,

Good thinking, will do and report in due course.

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Diff Lock woes?]

Something to report.

Been round to the farm today and conducted the definitive test on my Td5 and the farmers 300Tdi. To save anyone re-reading the thread my diff lock will not engage as far as I can tell ad the farmers is engaged permanently or so we thought. Simons definitive test has sorted it as follows:

Farmers 300Tdi - Diff lock working perfectly but light never goes out! Obviously electrical problem.

My Td5 - Diff lock does not engage. I did find the external linkages referred to previously in this thread, look like they have been constructed from a box of Mecano. Difficult to observe the movement at the top of the linkage but can clearly see a pivot point on a threaded stud on the side of the gear box. Can also observe clearly the movement of the lever on the top of the transfer box and note it moves laterally about half an inch. The linkages are held together with spring washers and such as it is seems to be in perfect working order.

I will take the opportunity to have a look at another Td5 if I get the chance but in the meantime comments/suggestions are very welcome.

Thanks

MINESAPINT

[Diff Lock woes?]

Ref my understanding of how a Diff Lock works. Shortly after buying my first Land Rover over 20 years ago I became stuck on my own front lawn! I had previously been unable to get my lawn mower stuck!

I contacted Land Rover who advised me everyone else was perfectly happy with the vehicles, learn to drive and buy some more appropriate tyres suitable for the terrain you expect to encounter. It was then I realised the vehicle was in fact 1 wheel drive when you most need it to be 4 wheel drive!

About 10 years later Land Rover started fitting Diff Locks and as has been indicated in this thread the diff lock does give 2 wheel drive providing it is working!

I am sure one day the vehicles will be genuine 4 wheel drive when it is most needed. Maybe the new ones are already?

MINESAPINT

[Diff Lock woes?]

Did not get chance to look at Diff Lock today so nothing to report. May have a go tomorrow. However spoke to local farmer who has 300Tdi 110 and his Diff Lock is engaged and it will not disengage! Been stuck in for a couple of weeks but he has not been on tarmac yet so no problems.

His vehicle spends most of its time up to its oxters in mud & cow s%*£. I suppose the external linkages might require some attention/lubricating.

Any ideas?

Thanks

MINESAPINT