D2 chassis replacement

Introducing my 2002 Disco 2. Being a big, green, mean machine, the family naturally christened her “Hulk”. We have had her since 2012 and with only 112k miles, she is barely run in. She is, however, a D2…and as such has a few problems in the chassis department.


The fun began in 2014 when the MOT threw up a rot issue with one of the rear (n/s) suspension mounts. Got it welded…and moved on.

2015 MOT – another n/s suspension mount, same rot. Welded…and moved on.

2016 MOT rot moved to the offside. Thought about it….consulted the finances….got it welded….and moved on.

Note – there were also the usual other reasons for failure – corroded brake pipes, ball joints getting old, etc, but these were dealt with year on year.

And so we came to the test in Nov 2017 and that’s where it got serious.



· Nearside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

· Offside Front Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

· Nearside Rear Body or chassis has excessive corrosion, seriously affecting its strength within 30cm of the body mountings (6.1.B.2)

· Nearside Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded centre chassis (2.4.A.3)

· Nearside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded chassis (2.4.A.3)

· Offside Rear Suspension component mounting prescribed area is excessively corroded outrigger (2.4.A.3)

· Rear Brakes imbalanced across an axle (3.7.B.5b)

· Nearside rear brake excessively fluctuating (3.7.B.3)

· Nearside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

· Offside Headlamp insecure (1.7.3)

· Offside Headlamp aim too high (1.8)

· Service brake: efficiency below requirements (3.7.B.7)


Advisory notice item(s)

· Offside Front Seat belt damaged but webbing not significantly weakened (5.2.2a)

· Nearside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (2.4.G.2)

· Offside Front Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement rear bush (2.4.G.2)

· Nearside Rear Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement front bush (2.4.G.2)

· Offside Rear Radius arm rubber bush deteriorated but not resulting in excessive movement front bush (2.4.G.2)

· Central Exhaust has a minor leak of exhaust gases (7.1.2)

· Nearside Front floor corroded and holed

· Offside Front floor corroded and holed


Decision time – scrap her…or seriously invest and get a new chassis? The very fact of this thread shows that we (I) chose the new chassis route. Hulk was parked up in the corner of the garden, and a Honda CR-V bought to keep herself and the kids on the road. Once Hulk is finished, I will dispose of my little runaround (Peugeot 307) and she will become my daily drive. (fingers crossed!)

Now I have neither the skills or the facilities for carrying out a re-chassis job myself – but I do just happen to drive Recovery trucks for my local garage, so it is my intention to strip Hulk down as far as I can, obtain and paint the new chassis, and then transfer the whole kit and caboodle to the workshop for the heavy lifting part. Other work will also be undertaken on the : if I can I will, if I can’t then they will….basis. To that end, the rear discs, pads, calipers etc have already been replaced to clear the imbalance problem. The headlights will be sorted when the front end is reassembled, and obviously all brake pipes will be replaced.

Let battle commence!

Look forward to this thread developing! Been looking to buy a D2 for a while and have found a suitable project with the usual chassis rot...

I’m interested in this too! Looking forward to lots of pictures during the rebuild. I looked for ages for a solid D2 but nothing existed that would pas many mot’s!

OK Chassis has been ordered - so I now have 3-4 weeks to prepare for its arrival. Now working on a list of other parts to be replaced, such as the radius arm bushes, flexi brake pipes, clutch flexi etc.

Galvanised?

Yes - but I intend painting it (black) prior to fitting.

Beneagles said:

OK Chassis has been ordered - so I now have 3-4 weeks to prepare for its arrival. Now working on a list of other parts to be replaced, such as the radius arm bushes, flexi brake pipes, clutch flexi etc.

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Where did you order it from, I can see this being the beginning of a rise in rechassied D2's.

Cheers

I had mine done about 4 years ago and it is still looking 'as new'. As I have now done about 250,000 miles it looks as if the chassis is going to out live the engine!! It is going to really irk me to have to scrap it.

neilly said:

Where did you order it from, I can see this being the beginning of a rise in rechassied D2's. Cheers

Click to expand...

Yes, there are a few more places doing D2 chassis's now - it is becoming more popular as the D2 seems to be the favoured version to keep.
This one is coming from Shielder Chassis - an Irish company, but the Discovery chassis's are made in Stratford.
£1950 + delivery + vat. 3-4 week delivery promised. Not sure how they will compare to Richards etc, but at that price I am willing to gamble for another 5-8 years use - as Derwendolly says, by that time the rest of the gubbins will probably fail anyway

Good on you for getting stuck in Deffo worth saving "Hulk".

Watching with interest

Beneagles said:

£1950 + delivery + vat. 3-4 week delivery

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That is a good price, £2400 + delivery.

Looking at a 4 week lead time means you've got time to get the body off and strip all the running gear off for a refurb, shot blasting and painting up the axles, get them all bushed out with genuine bushes and new hubs an seals.

Not envious as I am dreading anything big coming up until the dry weather comes, hate being out under it in the rain and cutting wind.

Keep us posted an lots of piccies.

dieseldog69 said:

Looking at a 4 week lead time means you've got time to get the body off and strip all the running gear off for a refurb, shot blasting and painting up the axles, get them all bushed out with genuine bushes and new hubs an seals.
.

Click to expand...

I wish I could - but the body off to body on time will be minimal as it will be done at the garage I work for, and ramp-time costs!
I have, however, started stripping off the bits that I can do on the driveway - and increasing my shopping list as I go!
Headlights are out - new mounting bolts required. Fog lights out - need replaced. Bumper off - growing list of screws, bolts, etc that will be needed....very few things undo easily after 15 years!
Anyone got a name or part number for the cross piece that drops down from the crush cans? Guess I need one of those....

Ok, so it is ABY100000 and costs an arm and both legs

Beneagles said:

Ok, so it is ABY100000 and costs an arm and both legs

Click to expand...

You dont need the bumper protection bar, most rot away over time

So, managed to remove the towbar this afternoon – but due to previous welding had to grind the bolts off….new ones on the list! Rear bumper was pretty straightforward – removed the light units – 2 spring clips, pull forward, undo wiring – and then just 2 bolts holding the bumper on. 19mm bolts into captive nuts – a little tightening pressure to break the rust seal, then undid pretty easily. Slight hiatus now as I have discovered that the beast has “lost” both keys and won’t start. Huff! EKA code sourced...will worry about the keys later.
Also put together a bogey for moving the chassis around on!

interesting, will follow this with interest

Its a bit snowy here for lying under Hulk at the moment, so have been researching part nos for the body mounting bolts, mounts, washers, nuts etc, and checking that I can access them as required from the inside. As usual, most will need grinding off....or the application of induced heat! Either way they will be replaced. More on this when I come to remove them.
Now - wiring.
I know that with the @fenders we have done at work it has been necessary to disconnect all rear-end electrics and feed the loom back along the old chassis, before reversing the procedure with the new one. A time consuming pita. Now I am hoping that someone will tell me that Landrover got clever - and installed multi-blocks at each end of the chassis section - or at least at the rear end? Can't find any definitive info on this at all. Plenty of wiring diagrams - but none that deal with the layout. Anyone got a few pointers??

Ok - wiring question answered in another thread - the loom runs along the top of the chassis - not through it. Result! Only need to cut the clips as the body is lifted, and no need to undo all the rear-end wiring.
Order placed for most of the parts that I know about so far:
Set of 4 flexi pipes : TF610
Front jump pipes : SHB101350
Jump pipes bracket : SHU100310
Brake pipe clips

Fuel lines : WJP108110

Mounting bolts : 12 x KYG101190 – M10 body mounting bolts
Mounting bolts : 2 x ANR5257 – M10 Body to chassis bolt
4 yellow mounts : KVF100070
8 blue mounts : KVF100090
4 Front-most mounts : KVF100080

2 Bobbin mounts : AWR5339

It seems the bracket for the jump pipes is discontinued, so I will probably need to drill out the rivets on the existing one and transfer it. No biggie - would just have been easier to finish the brake pipes on the new chassis before splitting the car.

Mordant solution and high build primer sitting waiting - just need the damn chassis to arrive now!

Hope the project goes well for you mate I helped my mate swap his D2 chassis, it didn't take us very long actually, but we cheated a bit and lifted the body off with a tractor and loader

Useful machine to have around the place mate!

It didn't damage the doors at all?