Centre support for exhaust

Is there meant to be one?

I took my Freelander to Broxhead for the New Year AWDC drive round and every time I went near a rut I could hear something scraping. When I got home I found that the back box had pulled off one of its rubber mountings but the thing that surprised me was how low the centre section of the exhaust was. It was fairly obvious that it was the source of the scraping because it was considerably lower than anything else under the car.

Hi,

I get grounding quite a lot when I'm off-road too- which is most days, due to my work and where I live.

There should be a total of 6 rubber 'dough-nuts' for the whole system - at least that what mine has - a 2004 TD4. I check them every couple of months, the back box ones, as you've found out, are particularly vulnerable.

The rubbers perish and can get tired with age and not all replacement exhausts are properly and fully skidded.

Some have got the necessary skid plates welded on only at the front end - useless if you have to reverse out of a problem.

I would check the skids on all your boxes (get extra ones welded on if they need it) and carry spare rubbers - they are quite cheap on eBay - about half the price of the LR part - the only difference I can find is the colour, as the 'real' LR ones aren't made of any harder rubber.

It's just a fact of life as a Freelander owner - but no real problem - just don't enter the deeper ruts, following a bigger LR.

I've never felt any real need for a lift kit or higher profile tyres - I just avoid the ruts - if possible.

Have fun - get off-road as often as possible.

Singvogel.