Theft of Defender doors

This does happen from time to time around here (according to my local LR lndy)
The thieves seem to have no bones about parking up outside a property and stripping the Defender on your drive, by the look of it.

I was thinking of ways to make the doors more secure (from removal) On my bike ground anchor you hammered ball bearings into the allen bolt heads after fixing it to the floor.

Would it be feasable to hammer a ball bearing into the heads of the bolts in a Defender door hinge?

Obviously you'd then have a job removing the hinges yourself, but when do you ever do that anyway?

If you have sound doors, how about finding an artist who can paint them up so they look as if they are falling apart?

I read somewhere about putting silicon or weld into the heads. They are captive nuts so you can just drill them out apparently. Or you could just drill the pozidrive bit out I guess

james6546 said:

I read somewhere about putting silicon or weld into the heads. They are captive nuts so you can just drill them out apparently. Or you could just drill the pozidrive bit out I guess

Click to expand...

If you just drill the pozidrive keys out then a tealeaf could just continue to drill the head off as you have made a nice start for them. Ball bearing would be a better solution as it will be hardened and a drill will skid off it if you try drilling it.

I've been contemplating filling the heads with this stuff; http://www.screwfix.com/p/unibond-360767-repair-metal-for-good-280ml/59655

Or maybe the above plus a ball bearing

Another simple deterrent that might make them move along to the next defender (there are 3 within 500 yards of my house)

Anyone tried security bolts with snap off tops? The kind you get on Banham security grills.

I'm going for the long throw locks in this thread,
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/fitting-security-locks.238585/
And the the engagement pins for the other side of the door.

Yes Mick the Builder, I am looking at that. Not break off heads as may need to replace doors one day but there are many unique security headed bolts and id choose the most obscure, i.e. not Screwfix!

Fastenright.com have a good selection of unique heads which require unique adaptors, at least a deterrent. I'm thinking of maybe two different head bolts on each door! But they all seem to be different lengths between each door and hinge which means I need to remove before ordering?

If your Defender has pozidrive bolts in the door hinges then a 5mm ball bearing can be tapped into the pozidrive recess and l don't know of a way to remove it. You couldn't drill it out, and you can't flick or prise it out with a screwdriver.
Try it. But think first about whether you'd be wanting to remove the hinges in the future....
I put the idea to my local LR lndy but they showed no enthusiasm.

Ball bearings means no one can remove them, not even the owner to repair. Alt head screws is best, so long as not common varieties.

I know, but it's better than coming back to find no doors on your Defender.
You can buy security bit kits containing all the odd ball screw types for a fiver.

Frankly if you're thinking of working on Landy doors, it's my experience that by the time they need taking off for repair, the bolts/nuts are so corroded together it's easiest to use a grinder anyway ... Even if you've used stainless, they cold weld after enough time, or oxidise due to impurities, so it's a grinder again. I'd suggest, as said, the bearing method, or make the doors not look worth the effort.

I used to work for a company called CADO special fasteners, we developed many security fixings but there are NO commercially available 'unique' heads that are actually unique, and they'd be just as easy to grind off. If you did get a truly unique fixing it'll probably also be made from a hardened material that resists sawing, drilling and grinding, so you better not lose the key ... and they'd be bloody expensive, probably as much as the doors ... The last ones I recall manufacturing we made 20 Nut and Bolt sets, the sets cost £370 - £450 each, depending on size, and were made for a HMP.

As for commercial 'security' options, I have maybe five boxes of 'security' keys, very cheap to very expensive ... and none truly secure. However .. as an immediate deterrent they might make a thief pass on to another vehicle, or come back next week after a search of ebay ...

It's probably easier to make getting to the Landy in the first place harder than securing the actual Landy ...

No problem to me - my doors genuinely aren't worth the effort!

ill swap you a set of "anti theft doors" for your good ones.
They have been specially treated with rust and had significant parts of their frame removed (lightweight racing parts!) over the years. The Patina of corrosion will put off the common thief. The thick scum arent in the know about said special racing parts yet.

Would be a shame if you had a new tdci though!
Four rusty doors might not sit right on it lol

I just put a blob of hot glue in them, its tricky to dig out but folk cant in the dark and in a rush.