Thread: Hinges on Puma rear door

The door on the Pumas seems to be stronger and has 3 hinges. I have done 42,000 km in my D90 without problem and I understand others on the forum have also not had a problem. With a new vehicle you have 3 years or 100,000 km to go before you need to worry about it. Spend the money more wisely.

Cheers
KarlB

Hey ando,

The rear door does seem to be quite strong and I haven't read about any problem on the forum.

However, I did notice on heavily corrugated roads the rear door would rattle and dust ingress was an issue.

I have since fitted a Kay-Mar rear wheel carrier. The rattle on rough roads is gone and dust ingress is much better.

So…..

Q. Does the rear wheel hanging on the door increase the stress on the door ?

A. Yes.

Q. Do you need to fit a wheel carrier ?

A. Up to you.

Cheers

Found the same as Drover I find my Puma, much improved with aftermarket wheel carrier re dust and rear door rattle.

Allan

Ando,
I've personally never heard of any Defender's rear door hinges failing. The pins do wear out a bit after many years' worth of use, but I suppose that is to be expected?

Older Defenders had the steel frame/aluminium combination rear doors that were prone to tearing the actual door skin due to constant vibration off the spare (after about 10 years of use). I've replaced rear doors on every second-hand 90 I've purchased in the past, mostly due to this and the fact that steel and aluminium don't realy like each other.

Td5's and Pumas have all steel doors (rear and sides) which are considerably stronger than earlier models and depending on your use, have the ability to last the life of the car. If you do plan to travel extensively on corrugated roads it might be an option to consider in the future, but you can rest assured that your rear door is in no imminent danger of failing.

thanks heaps for the info!....

Might look at other mods for the moment and let LR deal with it if any major issues arise.
Heres a quick pic of the 90..was taken on last weekends fishing trip up in the Vic high country.

thanks again!

My Puma has just hit 20,000. Going in for service tommorrow. The spare wheel is still attached. I have heard that earlier models only had 2 hinges. Mine has 3.

I like the idea of being able to carry a Jerry can on an after market spare wheel carrier.

I have fitted a Mulgo gas strut. It has made a huge difference. Getting the shopping out of the car is now a 1 person job.

Originally Posted by Beckford

I have fitted a Mulgo gas strut. It has made a huge difference. Getting the shopping out of the car is now a 1 person job.

Me too. Single best accesory I've ever fitted to a Defender.

Originally Posted by Loubrey

Me too. Single best accesory I've ever fitted to a Defender.

... and me too ...

KarlB