Steve F Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hi all, new to this forum so please be kind. Just bought a 95 reg 300Tdi defender 90 which on the face of it looks pretty solid (and sadly having to sell my trusty series III into the bargain) Anyway, I've been doing the usual, going over everthing with a fine tooth comb - suprise suprise, what i thought was just a bit of surface rust on the rear cross member, with a bit of poking around turns out to be a couple of 50p size holes, one in the centre of where the main left hand chassis joins on and the other about 2" to the left of the drivers side jacking point . After clearing all the crud out from inside, the back of the crossmember looks ok, few chunks of rust have come away but still all seems reasonably solid. Question is - do you think its best to ignore it and plaster in waxoil to try and get a couple more years out of it , or is it worth repairing / replacing at this stage (got through its MOT fine in FEB). Rest of chassis looks good, apart from rear nearside outrigger. By the way, this is a great forum - loads of useful stuff Cheers, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantd Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Firstly, welcome aboard! Enjoy the forum - loads of great support. Crossmember: It depends what you are going to be using it for. If you're doing any towing then definitely get it sorted - it'll obviously be taking all the strain. For general carting around, it might be worth patching it to minimise further damage and then treating the whole thing for a couple of years - especially if your budget is tight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hi I'd get it sorted asap, if you coat it in waxoyl you'll only have to put up with it being a messier and more flammable job when you eventually have to replace it, I'd get a replacement and spend some time reworking it to make it right, Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted May 13, 2008 Author Share Posted May 13, 2008 Hadn't thought about towing, but yes that would put a lot of strain on it. So looks like replacing it has got to be the best option. I guess i was just was hoping someone would say "mine was was like that 5 years ago - never caused any problems, just slap some waxoil on" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Les Henson Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 If the holes are very localised and the crossmember seems pretty solid, then a 2.5mm plate of a suitable size welded over them will be fine. The area you describe is a very common place for them to rot through due to the dirt trap on the inside. Les. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted May 13, 2008 Author Share Posted May 13, 2008 The two holes are very localised and about 1" diameter, in the middle of the crossmember, at least 1" away from the edges / welds. The rest of the crossmember does look solid enough and withstands a good poke with a screwdriver / hammer. Trouble is I don't weld (keep meening to learn) so may take it to my local LR garage and see what he thinks. Don't mind getting it replaced if it needs it, just trying to decide whether its worth trying to salvage. If I do get the crossmember replaced, are there any pitfalls I should know about eg poorly made replacements, weakening of chassis if not fitted correctly ? Cheers, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happyoldgit Posted May 13, 2008 Share Posted May 13, 2008 If there are holes already you can bet that there are going to be other areas where the metal is getting thin even if they do sound solid. Rather than patch if I were you I would get the X member replaced then you know it's all good. Spend a bit of time searching the forum as there is already a wealth of info about crossmember replacement and advice on which ones to avoid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike4444244 Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Where are you? You may be lucky and find someone near you who could do it for you? Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alantd Posted May 14, 2008 Share Posted May 14, 2008 Sounds like a replacement is the right option, then. The biggest pitfall to look out for is that once you start replacing bits it'll be difficult to stop. Worth deciding up front what your limit is (time, cash, perfection). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve F Posted May 14, 2008 Author Share Posted May 14, 2008 Mike - I'm in Sidmouth, Devon Alan - I know what you mean. My wife thought I was obsessed with the Series III and was looking forward to a more modern Land Rover that doesn't need as much TLC !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.