Why have Land Rover only made minor changes to the DEFENDER over the years??

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Originally Posted by jakeslouw

Not sure I agree. The crumple zones are all in front of the bulkhead.
The bulkhead would be the last area damaged in a frontal impact.

The Puma was a bulkhead change: the whole dash area was changed as well as the footwell profile.

The real reason why no bulkhead changes have been made, IMHO, is because LR refuses to spend the money on retooling for a vehicle they have had earmarked for redundancy for at least 10 years already.

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No the dash was changed the bulkhead might have a hole here and there but the overall size and dimensions of the bulkhead stayed the same

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Originally Posted by Reads90

No the dash was changed the bulkhead might have a hole here and there but the overall size and dimensions of the bulkhead stayed the same

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Still doesn't explain why the bulkhead is critical to crash tests.

And FFS, it's just a piece of mild steel welded in a jig. It's not rocket science.

Changing the bulkhead, assuming the basic mount points and general profile for the front wings and doors are retained, wouldn't affect the production line much at all. Considering that the thing is built by hand, it would take a few days training to get the factory fitter's heads around the new process.

Your missing the point - the Defender has NO forward crumple zones.
The firewall is considered the safety barrier - as legislated at the time and is certified to that standard.
To change that component requires complete recertification.

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Originally Posted by Tombie

Your missing the point - the Defender has NO forward crumple zones.
The firewall is considered the safety barrier - as legislated at the time and is certified to that standard.
To change that component requires complete recertification.

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That right, that is what I was trying to get across.

As said this is what I was told by land rover 15 years ago at the factory.

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Originally Posted by Reads90

That right, that is what I was trying to get across.

As said this is what I was told by land rover 15 years ago at the factory.

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So if LR had been alert in 1999, they could have done the design changes and recertification back then and averted the problem? Or am I missing something?

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Originally Posted by jakeslouw

So if LR had been alert in 1999, they could have done the design changes and recertification back then and averted the problem? Or am I missing something?

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No your right but Land Rover mentality " If it ain't broke don't fix it " :-)

But they did try something's :-)

I knew a bloke who worked at one of the biggest airbag manufactures in the Uk and he told me in the 90's Land Rover talked them with putting an airbag ina. Defender. They were all up for it until Land Rover Handed them the steering wheel and then they laughed and handed it back. Land Rover weren't willing to change anything around the steering wheel they wanted them to just fit an airbag into the existing steering wheel. End of test.

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Originally Posted by Reads90

No your right but Land Rover mentality " If it ain't broke don't fix it " :-)

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Disagree. Their mentality is "Throw the baby out with the bathwater".

They've gone ballistic on upgrading softroaders and Chelsea tractors but they won't touch the Defender? :mad:

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Originally Posted by jakeslouw

Disagree. Their mentality is "Throw the baby out with the bathwater".

They've gone ballistic on upgrading softroaders and Chelsea tractors but they won't touch the Defender? :mad:

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They just out it into the too hard basket and left it as a job for later on

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Originally Posted by jakeslouw

Disagree. Their mentality is "Throw the baby out with the bathwater".

They've gone ballistic on upgrading softroaders and Chelsea tractors but they won't touch the Defender? :mad:

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Because they sell every single softroader and Chelsea tractor they make which earns them money which they spend designing new vehicles like the replacement defender ;). Pat