Thread: Cable routing floor pan channel in 2008+ D90

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

I'm hoping to find info on this interior panel in a puma defender 90:



I'm considering cable routing options from the rear of an Ex Box back to the battery compartment (without going thru the bottom of the ex box). My initial plan was to route cables along the C channel that runs directly behind the seats and holds the bracing bar, but wondering if its feasible to route cables thru this panel?

Is this something that can be Drilled into for cable routing?
Is there anything to be worried about underneath (existing wiring, fuel lines etc)?
Any advice if it's a single thickness, a box section or something that is easily removed?

Why not just go out the bottom of the exbox and into the battery compartment the holes are already in both......

Hrm so you'd rather drill a hole in that panel instead of going through the bottom of the ex box? Did you know beneath the cubby box is a removable panel, and drilling into that would be less painful/permanent? There are additional holes in the battery box that would make connection quite simple.


As for myself I laid the cable on top and snaked into the battery box by just lifting the very top bit of the panel underneath the seat. I then paneled over the top with carpeted ply to hide the cable.


Note I don't have an exbox, but have accessed the same areas.

Originally Posted by chook73

Why not just go out the bottom of the exbox and into the battery compartment the holes are already in both......

Reasons why not:
1) I have an air compressor on the PS rear wheel arch. Need to get power and signal wires there, and want to avoid having the cabling visible if at all possible.
2) The ex box is currently rather full. I'm looking to avoid water / dust / mud entry points on the bottom of the ex box if at all possible.
3) Looking for other options and thinking outside of the box (stupid questions are those not asked)

Originally Posted by defender_i_hardly_know_er

Hrm so you'd rather drill a hole in that panel instead of going through the bottom of the ex box? Did you know beneath the cubby box is a removable panel, and drilling into that would be less painful/permanent? There are additional holes in the battery box that would make connection quite simple.

This is the whole reason for this post. If the the section I circled above is not a structural part, then it's fair game. I'm unsure what's under it, or what I need to be careful of if I decide to go this way... let alone whether this is even a viable option.
Yes I'm aware of the panel below the cubby box. I have an ex box installed, which means this panel is redundant.

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

Reasons why not:
1) I have an air compressor on the PS rear wheel arch. Need to get power and signal wires there, and want to avoid having the cabling visible if at all possible.

So why would you not go out of the bottom of the ex-box and up through the rear arch grommet behind the speaker panel?

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

2) The ex box is currently rather full. I'm looking to avoid water / dust / mud entry points on the bottom of the ex box if at all possible.

I have a hell of a lot of stuff in my ex-box, probably more than most and the truck spends a lot of its life in dusty/muddy/wet conditions and I have never had egress into either there or the seat box despite all of the cables etc. going into both....

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

3) Looking for other options and thinking outside of the box (stupid questions are those not asked)

there is a gap between the battery compartment and that panel (at least in the 110 there is) that would need double grommiting and mucking around, I would not recommend this route..... there are much better and easier options available to you as I mentioned above....

Originally Posted by Toxic_Avenger

This is the whole reason for this post. If the the section I circled above is not a structural part, then it's fair game.

I am not 100% however I would suggest its structural

I realise that I am not answering your direct question, but...

Since the exbox was installed, have you found yourself occasionally smashing your elbow into the corner of the cubby? If so, have you considered raising the seats just enough so that no longer happens? If you did happen to raise the seat (it just requires a bit of packing on each of the seat mounting bolts) then you could run a neat little cable here:



You'd need to drill an appropriate hole in the exbox, plus another hole into the battery box just beside the removable cover plate and use grommets to suit. Raising the seats has given me additional storage. I store my air hose under the drivers seat and a water hose under the passenger seat.

Personally, my cable just uses an existing hole in the bottom of the exbox then into a hole in the side of the battery box.