Rear door need strengthening?

Hi
My 2001 Defender 90 has a new rear door, with no holes drilled for a rear wheel carrier.

Can I buy a bracket with the rear plate and fit it - or does the door need strengthening too?

It seems the plate just fixes each side of the aluminium skin - which surely can't take the weight?

I'dadvise going down the swing away carrier route if plates not already there.

Yes you could remove the inner linining a strengthen - ideally would need to weld to steel braces, but a swing away is easy to fit and avoids all sorts of problems

The rear door is adequate, a plate with 3 prongs protruding from the rear door fixed from inner to outer is sufficient to hold the weight. Although the metal is thin, it has box section all around the area, so the strength lies within it being supported by said box sections, i've never seen a spare wheel buckle a rear door before and when the door is shut, all strength is given by the door, frame and corresponding hinges & lock, the only real weakness is when the door is open and some berk wants to hang off it :lol:

If you take the inner card off you'll see, but a swing away is another way of doing it

where are you runningman? I recently stripped a door of the wheel carrier and the brackets from the inside because the door was sha**ed yours for £15.00

:welcome2: Runningman.

The rear doors have three hinges, although many only use the top and bottom for some reason!

The strength of the steel frame is adequate to hold the wheeel and it's mountings.

However, if you have the option, I would recommend the swing away mounting.

OSD

You could also mount it on the bonnet like they always used to. Personally I think they look much better there.

runningman said:

Hi
My 2001 Defender 90 has a new rear door, with no holes drilled for a rear wheel carrier.

Can I buy a bracket with the rear plate and fit it - or does the door need strengthening too?

It seems the plate just fixes each side of the aluminium skin - which surely can't take the weight?

Click to expand...

In addition to the inner plate with the wheel mounting studs (callout #1) and the outer plate (callout #2), you need the door frame stiffeners, callouts #10 and #11 in this diagram -




Click here for the part numbers - Landrover Parts Catalog

Select Microcat in English, click on the picture of a Defender 1987-2006, then 'drill down' to -

Q STOWAGE -You'll need the parts applicable to later vehicles, from (V)JA906583 (V)1A622423

.

I removed mine from the rear door & mounted it on the bonnet using the original bracket, write up n piccies can be found here:

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/1184945-post46.html

&

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/1187706-post64.html

I've not had any issues with it at all and it's been on there some time now, greenlaning, motorways, P&P etc and it uses the original bracket like posted above in Paulmc's post

Thanks Paul for taking the time to provide that information- you have saved the day (and my door)

I'll order the strengtheners and take up Ormondstreet on his offer

What a great forum!