Thread: Defender Rear Door Repair or Replace?

I've seen worse. I'd take it to a couple of panel beaters if it was mine.
The wheel carrier is a good idea.

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I had one that was worse than your's and I repaired it, as described below and continued to carry the spare wheel on it and had no further dramas.

With respect to yours, I'd engage a good welder to reweld where it's cracked, then put extra rivits in where the black panels are on the frame. Panels/gussets with multiple, closely spaced rivets are very strong - just look at any repair or rivited panel on a helicopter, they don't just have a rivit in each corner!

Checker plating the outside, with sufficient rivits into the door frame, would certainly add a lot of strength but is probably unnecessary as you have aleady made moves to remove the weight of the spare from the door.

Much cheaper than the replacement door option and, as all defender rear doors are not the same,.you'll avoid the painting, fitting and alignment problems.

HTH

I could possibly help you manufacture a checkerplate door card if you wanted to go that way.
I've got the tools, just need to work on my skills.

That door looks ok to me, hard to tell from photo . They are not heavy without the spare. If you are fitting a spare wheel carrier that shifts weight to chassis your door will last even if the door frames integrity is slightly compromised. It will be holding a small fraction of its previous load.

Unless there are serious cracks in the frame I would treat rust, paint and run a spray nozzle into the frame to inject some rust preventing wax/oil.

As for skin dent, if you can't see it when spare is on and the spare weight is now on chassis, I'd leave it.

Originally Posted by manic

That door looks ok to me, hard to tell from photo . They are not heavy without the spare. If you are fitting a spare wheel carrier that shifts weight to chassis your door will last even if the door frames integrity is slightly compromised. It will be holding a small fraction of its previous load.

Unless there are serious cracks in the frame I would treat rust, paint and run a spray nozzle into the frame to inject some rust preventing wax/oil.

As for skin dent, if you can't see it when spare is on and the spare weight is now on chassis, I'd leave it.

Manic - thanks for that - sounds like good advice. I might try this option first, and monitor post fitting of wheel carrier.

Originally Posted by jboot51

I could possibly help you manufacture a checkerplate door card if you wanted to go that way.
I've got the tools, just need to work on my skills.

Mate that is a very generous offer, let me see how I go with the easy option mentioned by Manic and let you know if I need to take you up on that offer. Cheers

Id be in the "repair it" camp also.
Once the supports are welded it will be fine.
As far as the dent and paint goes, you can always have a go yourself and learn a new skill.

I had a similar problem with my 300Tdi nearly 20 years ago.
Stripped the rear door, removed glass (the mastic was cracking from all the flexing of the door) and the Father-in-law welded up a total of 13 separate cracks.
Re-fitted the glass and fitted a swing out wheel carrier (Kaymar).
The Kaymar came with a small piece of chequer plate to cover the holes where the original carrier bolted (got some paint matched in a rattle can) and haven't had an issue since.
Always meant to tidy up the door card but just re-fitted it 'temporarily' all those years ago.

You just need to find someone who can weld the cracks up for you......


Colin