How are defender panels and capping put together

**technophile** · 26th March 2015, 01:13 AM

How are the panels and capping attached on the Defender? Just rivets, or rivets and glue etc

On a 2006 td5

uploadfromtaptalk1427296328001.jpg

This is after it came back from the panel beaters, first they added rivets, so I asked them to remove them and they glued the panels together. You can see some of it towards the bottom. They tell me that is how it is from the factory. I am trying to ascertain whether their statement is true.

Is this workmanship acceptable?

**JDNSW** · 26th March 2015, 05:42 AM

I don't know about the Td5, but the previous fifty years were just riveted. The side and back panels are spot welded together. Dust leaks are not uncommon, so it would not surprise me if Td5s had some sealant as well.

John

**numpty** · 26th March 2015, 06:33 AM

I cant view the picture bigger than thumbnail, otherwise i might be able to check it against mine.

**technophile** · 26th March 2015, 11:17 AM

Is this better?

**manic** · 26th March 2015, 03:34 PM

cappings at the rear there are riveted on. You may have thought it looked odd because the rivets are painted to match out the factory, where as the replacements may not have been. There is no need for sealant/glue, although separation of the steel capping from the aluminium tub stops galvanic corrosion. When replacing mine I used a thin 3M wrap on the back of the capping's to insulate from the tub, rivets, no sealant.

If you asked for it to be 'glued' on, the job they have done isn't a bad one.

**technophile** · 27th March 2015, 12:49 AM

I did not ask for them to glue it on. They glue it because they couldn't get the two panels to sit flush against each other. Now they are claiming it is glued from the factory, so they wont fix it.

**isuzurover** · 27th March 2015, 12:52 AM

FFS, it is a defender. They come with factory leaks, surface rust and ripples in the panels.

The work of the panel shop looks good (this time around).

**technophile** · 27th March 2015, 01:09 AM

Originally Posted by isuzurover

FFS, it is a defender. They come with factory leaks, surface rust and ripples in the panels.

The work of the panel shop looks good (this time around).

Perhaps, but for a 2006 TD5 that is otherwise spotless i am not happy with the work. They are all high an mighty about doing the work to factory, and gluing the panel together just isnt "factory"

**AndyG** · 27th March 2015, 05:43 AM

Looks as good as my MY15 joining, if not better. Sticky tape blocking gaps everywhere

**manic** · 27th March 2015, 06:25 AM

Originally Posted by technophile

Perhaps, but for a 2006 TD5 that is otherwise spotless i am not happy with the work. They are all high an mighty about doing the work to factory, and gluing the panel together just isnt "factory"

'factory' methods for assembly are not the best. You now have a nice buffer between steel and aluminium, if it had just been riveted on as factory the steel capping would have continued to react with the aluminium tub. It can take any number years for the effects of the reaction to show up as paint bubbles or white powder around the edges of the capping. Without separation by sealant/gasket the aluminium behind the capping would have eventually turned to powder and left.

Looking at your close up pic it looks like a decent application of sikaflex, so you can be happy that your spotless td5 is unlikely to ever get cancer of the rear corner cappings.

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