Snap

[Rob Cowell]

Changing the oil in the back diff and noticed this. The bracket that holds the top suspension arm on to the round crossmember has sheared. Oddly did 500 miles on Friday at a respectable average speed and the handling was fine. Could have gone this morning I suppose when I was trundling round the farm warming up the engine oil. That's my sunny bank holiday weekend taken care of then. 11 years old. 140k miles, probably 20 miles a week on rough tracks. Gets jet washed underneath every week or two.

 

[Rob Cowell]

Bit of a mess.

 

[Sag]

When mine went on my 95 series they made new plates for both sides which went round my axel and welded them all the way round they will never brake again.

 

[Rob Cowell]

The axle bracket is fine. This end connects to a round cross member which would be a pig to get a welding torch on the top of. The complications are it will need the fuel tank dropping to weld part of this on. And it mounts diagonally across the rounded section of the cross member making fabrication fiddly. And the mounting holes have been ovalised, the nut has come a little loose. Probably my fault when I replaced the snapped top arm about 50K miles ago. So not certain how I'd measure where to drill the holes to put a new mounting bolt through.

If anyone has a recommendation of someone in South Wales who might be able to tackle this I think I'd go against my no outside maintenance rule and let someone else do it!

 

[Shayne]

Fabmec in Barry is the only place i have found willing to do me a favour now and then , a friendly bunch family run but its not their thing they would rather be at Dow Corning under contract . It's usually a case of leave it there and i will call you but it might not be until next week , but if there's someone in your area they will likely pass on the details so worth a call maybe .

 

[Rob Cowell]

Tank out. Would have been a bit easier with a lot less diesel in it! Cross member looks a bit tatty. Have ordered some Dinitrol.

 

[Rob Cowell]

Couple of hours with a grinder and I have something I think I can weld to. Made a cardboard template. Off to get some steel and a couple of flapwheels tomorrow.

 

[Rob Cowell]

Bit of progress today. I had a local fab shop make me a bracket based on a cardboard template. In hindsight I should have made the template from 1mm sheet. Cardboard is too flexy and the angles aren't right. Still fettling but I think it will be OK. And isn't 4mm plate hard to bend?!

 

[Shayne]

Jack a car up on it should bend it or cut a groove where you want the bend to be and fill it with weld when your happy with it .

 

[Rob Cowell]

Jack a car up on it should bend it or cut a groove where you want the bend to be and fill it with weld when your happy with it .

Ta. Yes the cut a slot is a trick I have used. Got some 0.8mm cutting discs from Screwfix. Very impressed with those.

 

[Pat]

Ta. Yes the cut a slot is a trick I have used. Got some 0.8mm cutting discs from Screwfix. Very impressed with those.

You are not stuffing about,good progress.I use cutting discs a lot and am extra careful with them.I try not to use them anywhere near my chest or face.Always use goggles and sometimes a welding helmet.There has been one death recently in NZ and a few injuries.An engineering mate had to have plastic surgery on his nose.It has improved his looks though.The death occurred when the disc disintegrated and a bit penetrated his chest.

 

[Chas]

Julian Voelcker had an accident a while back with a cutting disc shattering and severing a tendon in his arm.

 

[Rob Cowell]

You are not stuffing about,good progress.I use cutting discs a lot and am extra careful with them.I try not to use them anywhere near my chest or face.Always use goggles and sometimes a welding helmet.There has been one death recently in NZ and a few injuries.An engineering mate had to have plastic surgery on his nose.It has improved his looks though.The death occurred when the disc disintegrated and a bit penetrated his chest.

Thanks Pat, good advice. I'm pretty good with eye / face protection these days, but I adjusted my standing position when I was making more adjustments this afternoon. I'm so slow at this because the weather is good and playing with the kids seems like time better spent. Makes you think even more that keeping your body out of line with the disc is a good idea too.

 

[Sag]

And watch your fingers as they soon go through them as I well know lol even with big thick rubber gloves

 

[Rob Cowell]

Slowly, slowly. So welded on my bracket and all seems to fit. Forgot to snap my bare welding which is probably just as well. Stupidly nicked one of the brake flexis onto the axle with the flap wheel, so will need to replace that now. Also thought I'd take the opportunity to remove a clean the fuel filler which I've now found has s hole in the breather tube and has rotted the retaining strap to nothing. Looks like Milners do OEM replacements.

 

[Rob Cowell]

A question. There are two thin brackets that hold on the plastic cover over the fuel filler pipe. They are up near the filler hole and are rotten - surprise surprise. The one on the inner wing I might be able to get a welding torch to. The one on the body I will not. Are the epoxy glues / JDWeld stuff any good for this? Its only holding a light plastic panel, but the little square clips take a bit of force to get them in, or I could possible use a different fitting?

 

[Rob Cowell]

Nearly done. Fitted the fuel tank then realised I couldn't get at the nut that holds the top arm in place!

Out with the cutting disk again. This time trying not to cut the tank as well as the brake hoses!

Got to weld up the slot I made, but dare I say it. Nearly there!

 

[Pat]

Nearly done. Fitted the fuel tank then realised I couldn't get at the nut that holds the top arm in place!

View attachment 102016

Out with the cutting disk again. This time trying not to cut the tank as well as the brake hoses!

View attachment 102017 Got to weld up the slot I made, but dare I say it. Nearly there!

looks like you are doing a good job. What amazes me is the amount of underbody rust you get.Is it because they use salt on the roads over there?

 

[Rob Cowell]

looks like you are doing a good job. What amazes me is the amount of underbody rust you get.Is it because they use salt on the roads over there?

I guess it must be. Certainly see the gritters out before any night the temperature is predicted to be close to 0C round here. Had to chuckle when readin PradoPoint the other day and someone describing a noisy engine when they start on cold mornings; cold mornings being 10C or less!

I live on a farm accesses from an unmade road so I do get a load of dust and mud sticking to crevices. I do wash under the car a lot, but there are areas you won't get at unless the car is on ramps and you can stand underneath it. I've always concentrated on the suspension mounts though, so that hasn't helped loads! Noticed yesterday I have a small hole in the sill too! There's no external corrosion around that.

 

[Pat]

I guess it must be. Certainly see the gritters out before any night the temperature is predicted to be close to 0C round here. Had to chuckle when readin PradoPoint the other day and someone describing a noisy engine when they start on cold mornings; cold mornings being 10C or less!

I live on a farm accesses from an unmade road so I do get a load of dust and mud sticking to crevices. I do wash under the car a lot, but there are areas you won't get at unless the car is on ramps and you can stand underneath it. I've always concentrated on the suspension mounts though, so that hasn't helped loads! Noticed yesterday I have a small hole in the sill too! There's no external corrosion around that.

I guess it must be. Certainly see the gritters out before any night the temperature is predicted to be close to 0C round here. Had to chuckle when readin PradoPoint the other day and someone describing a noisy engine when they start on cold mornings; cold mornings being 10C or less!

I live on a farm accesses from an unmade road so I do get a load of dust and mud sticking to crevices. I do wash under the car a lot, but there are areas you won't get at unless the car is on ramps and you can stand underneath it. I've always concentrated on the suspension mounts though, so that hasn't helped loads! Noticed yesterday I have a small hole in the sill too! There's no external corrosion around that.

I have some long time friends who are long time land rover enthusiasists.
they have over the years done a lot of off road and ocean beach driving.
their rust prevention was to pump waste oil into all the box sections and cavities in the wagon and if they had been out for a long stay,a water blast when home and more waste oil pumped in.They were transport operators so the oil wasn't a problem. It gave good results.