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dobe125

dobe125

New Member
Posts
5
Location
Ballyclare, Northern Ireland
Big Hello from sunny Northern Ireland. I've been in and out of the site for a while now and it's proved really helpful to a novice trying to rebuild a much loved 1989 90 2.5 TD. I've just got the rear tub off only to reveal the attched problems with the rear cross member and rear chasis. From what you can see in photos do you think it's worth trying to weld or should I look for a new chasis ? I'd really appreciate your views. Thanks Dave
 

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Do you know a welder?

If you're prepared to do the work yourself the price won't be too bad.

Don't send it to Land Rover heaven, you will only regret it.
 
If you were in gloucestershire, I'd tell you it was knackered, and that I'll get rid of it for you ;) Seeing as you're not, I'd say keep it :D
 
Thanks for thr replies guys. Think I'll get the wire brush etc out and go down the welding route. A mate has told me to get my hands on an old car bonnet and cut from that to patch in. Would this work ? I'm thinking the metal in a bonnet would be abit thin?
 
That doesn't look too bad, but as suggested, there could be a lot more than you think once you start trying to find it - which is something that you need to do regardless of whether or not you want to start finding problems. At the end of the day, it's the main structure of the vehicle, and if you suddenly find a lot of rot, it'd be worth swapping it for a new chassis and you're not far off having it stripped right down there. I suppose you could get away with welding on a patch of metal from a car bonnet, find the thickest one you can and make sure it hasn't rotten through. To be honest though, I'd sooner just go and get some fresh metal from somewhere. Is your friend a big recycler by any chance!? If you do decide to go down the chassis swap route, I don't see the big attraction with galvanised chassis. If you don't paint over it or waxoil it, it'll just start to flake off, and then you're left with a bare chassis. You could get yourself a non-galv'd chassis, prime it, paint it and then waxoil it and it'll last a life time. It all boils down to how much you want to spend, how long you want the job to take and how happy you'll feel driving it once it's done.

-Pos
 
I used 3mm plates on my chassis - perhaps a bit of an over kill but it was free and easy to weld. Followed by three coats of hammerite then a layer of waxoil both inside and out. It was a pain in the arse at the time but looks good now and should last another twenty years..........
 
tombardier said:
use the original thickness wherever it is!
Click to expand...

how would that help ?

how would you know what is the original thickness ?

measuring won't help as if it's rusted enough to have holes in it's have lost metal thickness in almost every other area of the chassis

3mm plates for chassis, 2.5mm infills on the rear xmember - can't go wrong
 
Sean said:
how would that help ?

how would you know what is the original thickness ?

measuring won't help as if it's rusted enough to have holes in it's have lost metal thickness in almost every other area of the chassis

3mm plates for chassis, 2.5mm infills on the rear xmember - can't go wrong
Click to expand...

If your cutting the old metal out and butt welding a new section in, its good practice to cut all the rust out (if possible) so that your welding to metal thats fairly uncorroded. Just whip the caliper out and measure up the thickness, which obviously on an older vehicle is going to be give or take a little because even bits that arent badly corrosed might show a little bit of surface rust, but it should give a reasonable indication to whether its, 2, 2.5 or 3mm for instance. Thats the tecnique I used when reparing my xmember anyway.

Ollie
 
quick question about chassi repair...

the welded patchs, should they be welded over the whole or as a tight fit so its flush (cut a square where the rust hole is) with the rest of the chassi?
 
[JP];1060314 said:
quick question about chassi repair...

the welded patchs, should they be welded over the whole or as a tight fit so its flush (cut a square where the rust hole is) with the rest of the chassi?
Click to expand...



depends which part of the chassis needs welding , if its on the straight parts just patch it over ,
 
2mm should be ok for patching most areas, and its even more important to make sure your welds are good, you need a good continuous seam all the way round the patch to get the strength in there
Consider getting yourself a second hand mig welder of fleabay, they are cheap (~£100) fairly easy to use and you're bound to need it again if you keep the motor. You'll never look back.
 
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