defender 110 body refitting woes

Hi all

I'm having trouble refitting the body on my defender 110 hardtop. i have had the body off to weld up the chassis/fit new outriggers and paint the bodywork.
Reading everything I can find on this I should sit the rear tub on the chassis so the rear bolt holes line up then adjust the bulkhead using shims etc to get the A-B pillar gap at around 880mm then tighten everything up.

My problem was that I had a 880mm gap at the bottom and about an 855mm gap at the top hinge. Loosened everything around the front wings off including the top UJ on the steering column and used a ratchet strap and a tree to pull the top of the bulkhead forward. It is now in the right place but a couple of things are giving me a headache:
1) the UJ bolt grooves won't line up so I can't put a bolt back through the UJ to secure it. Is there enough play in the steering column or bottom UJ to compensate for this?
2) the bolt holes for the top of the front wing where it meets the radiator mounting frame are now too far forward with no apparent gap back to the bulkhead to sort this out. The tub is butted up against the mounting points on the rear crossmember so I can't just move everything 10mm back.

Anyone who has any experience with this and could give me some pointers, I would be forever in your debt.

Ta muchly

are you and your family safe and well?
is the vehicle secure?

Yes I see your point but it was fine when I took it apart and I haven't crashed while its been in the garage

oli82 said:

Hi all

I'm having trouble refitting the body on my defender 110 hardtop. i have had the body off to weld up the chassis/fit new outriggers and paint the bodywork.
Reading everything I can find on this I should sit the rear tub on the chassis so the rear bolt holes line up then adjust the bulkhead using shims etc to get the A-B pillar gap at around 880mm then tighten everything up.

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What do you mean by shims? Do you mean putting washers on the bulkhead to outrigger bolts?

I very much doubt you've welded the outriggers 30mm out from where they are supposed to be.
Your door pillar should be vertical (pretty much) so has pulling it over, with the ratchet strap and tree, pulled it out of vertical?
Did you take your bulkhead/clocks/steering off all in one? The column is held in place relative to the bulkhead by a flat bar behind the instrument binnacle, which is adjustable. (would help with the UJ) Having said that, I think I would be sorting the body position out first and then the steering UJ probably won't be a problem.
I've only done this with a 90. Does the second row of doors unbolt from the rear tub? If so, it would be worth loosening those bolts. It''ll create a lot of wriggle room.
You want the bulkhead right, cos that throws the wings out, then the rad surround etc doesn't fit and the bonnet shut line on top of the wing looks sh@t.

880mm gaps don't sound right, as that's the door bottoms missing as farvas the hinges, and an 855mm gap st the top gives you an opening of not a lot with a standard hard top, or am I missing something?

Oldseadog said:

880mm gaps don't sound right, as that's the door bottoms missing as farvas the hinges, and an 855mm gap st the top gives you an opening of not a lot with a standard hard top, or am I missing something?

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A divvent understand that. Are ye pished, marra? Cos, I am.

Al2O3 said:

A divvent understand that. Are ye pished, marra? Cos, I am.

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I certainly must have been, coz I wuz talklin shyte, thinking that it was gaps at the top and bottom of the doors!
Me mostest umblestest apolologeticals for henny confushiasness wot mightest possibillily haved bin coarsed!