Sill rails and Posts on a '83 OneTen

[Sigi_H]

Hi all.

Since my car is a MY83 OneTen new sill rails and C-Posts are more than necessary.
B-Posts are really in good condition and in original colour. I'd like to leave them.
There are some kits around, but I still have some questions.

One of my wishes is to have a better side impact protection. SP-4x4 offers galvanized 3 mm rails (instead of 2mm), which I like to fit. With Tree Sliders mounted it will even be better.
But why not replace the rails with Tree Sliders? Does anybody know of even better sill rails? I can imagine, that a rectangular tube instead of the U-shaped original is possible on this place.

Another question is, are the B-Posts spot welded? Then it would be easier to leave them in place and only do the rails and C-Posts.

What are the exact dimensions of the original Sill rails?

So my questions are:

• Are there possibly more massive Sill rails for side impact protection?
• Are there Sill rails combined with Tree Sliders?
• Are the B-Posts spot welded?
• What are the exact dimensions of the original Sill rails?

Any further idea is appreciated

Sigi

[FridgeFreezer]

I'd have thought the sill rails are academic in a side-impact if you're got rock sliders?

When I rebuilt the 109 you couldn't buy the B-pillar/sill piece so I re-made the sill in 25mm box section and bolted the remains of the B-pillar to it.

Then Dirtydiesel made me rock sliders which will outlive a nuclear apocalypse...

But if something hits you sideways in a Series/Defender your brain's going to be splattered round the hard pointy insides of the cabin anyway - there's no curtain airbags or anything after all.

[reb78]

I would have thought that fabricating the sill rail out of some decent RHS would provide a decent solution. 

2mm vs 3mm on the original design is probably neither here nor there in a side impact situation? I would imagine box would be better but it does introduce another rot point. Should be fairly simple as its just a straight piece from the A pillar to C pillar.

B pillars are spot welded I think - pretty sure I can see the spot welds through the paint a the bottom of mine. C pillars were so I think B will be the same.

I am considering the galv option from YRM for when i rebuild mine. 

[western]

Years ago a friend & myself replaced the sill channels on my 110CSW with 50x30x3mm rectangular box, we made access holes for the front bolts & sealed them with sealant & a grommet, rear we used dome plastic rectangular caps, B post is spot welded to the sill. 

[Sigi_H]

Thanks for the replays. There is not much left to measure exactly, but around 50x30 seems to be 😃

FridgeFreezer made it in 25. Does this mean, that there is space to make them bigger? Depending on the shoe, which connects to the bulkhead, are there bigger sizes possible?

I know that safety in a car like a OneTen is academic, but since I like to play around and will have to do it anyway .... why not a little better than original?

To bolt the pillars is a pretty nice solution as well, even with rivnuts in a box rail.

 

[Sigi_H]

I found a pretty good article in the LRM with a lot of self explaining pictures.

Part 1: https://www.landrovermonthly.co.uk/articles/how-to/defender-sills-b-posts-c-posts-removal/

Part 2: https://www.landrovermonthly.co.uk/articles/how-to/repair-defender-sills-and-posts/

Some pics tell me, that there needs to be an open profile to connect the sill to the bulkhead. How did you manage that with a box profile? This pic is from the LRM article, it points to the Adress of LRM

Edited September 5, 2023 by Sigi_H

[FridgeFreezer]

It's been a while, it's hard to see exactly - if I'm in the garage I'll try and remember to get a better photo!

 

Rock slider install:

[FridgeFreezer]

Looks like maybe just one bolt and done but I'm not 100% sure of that from the photos I have to hand.

[Sigi_H]

Thanks a lot for the pics

 

[FridgeFreezer]

I took better photos but the truck's a bit muddy

 

The far end under the back seat / tub:

[Sigi_H]

Thanks again. The pictures make the decission easier. One weak point seem to be the connection of the sill rail to the bulkhead if using a rectangular tube. But why not connect it as well to the main skrew of the bulkhead? This should make it a lot harder.

 

 

[FridgeFreezer]

48 minutes ago, Sigi_H said:

Thanks again. The pictures make the decission easier. One weak point seem to be the connection of the sill rail to the bulkhead if using a rectangular tube.

I'm not ruling out the possibility that I put a threaded hole in that end of the tube where it covers the hole - it was a long time ago! Also the sills haven't moved or fallen off in the last ~15 years .

[western]

On 9/5/2023 at 2:36 PM, Sigi_H said:

I found a pretty good article in the LRM with a lot of self explaining pictures.

Part 1: https://www.landrovermonthly.co.uk/articles/how-to/defender-sills-b-posts-c-posts-removal/

Part 2: https://www.landrovermonthly.co.uk/articles/how-to/repair-defender-sills-and-posts/

Some pics tell me, that there needs to be an open profile to connect the sill to the bulkhead. How did you manage that with a box profile? This pic is from the LRM article, it points to the Adress of LRM

On mine we made a hole large enough to get the 2 nuts on their bolts & get a ring end of a spanner on the nuts, then closed with a suitable sized grommet & sealant