Thread: What did you do on your Defender today ? (well, this week anyway)

Originally Posted by travelrover

Thanks Stan

Yeah I had levered it down with a length of timber against the fuel tank, and no washer at this point.

I just need to figure out how to get this ring back on the boot first. Am about to chop up a yoghurt container and make a sort of cone to try and get it on.

I did mine last week....put the ball joint on first..with the a frame mounted to the chassis losely, then jiggle leaver the a frame plate around and get one of the two Long bolts in then use a jack to line it up[I used a jack under axle] had the issue with the retainer and mine I wound down the boot a bit then back up into place....the bolts on a Salisbury feel to lightly slope towards the prop shaft side from memory....they were annoying and why I ended Placing the ball on before the a arms
Cheers mark

Originally Posted by mfc

I did mine last week....put the ball joint on first..with the a frame mounted to the chassis losely, then jiggle leaver the a frame plate around and get one of the two Long bolts in then use a jack to line it up[I used a jack under axle] had the issue with the retainer and mine I wound down the boot a bit then back up into place....the bolts on a Salisbury feel to lightly slope towards the prop shaft side from memory....they were annoying and why I ended Placing the ball on before the a arms
Cheers mark

Thanks Mark

Yeah I ended up pulling one of the long bolts out as I just couldn’t get lined up.

Once I get this dam ring back on I’ll try your method of connecting the castellated nut to the plate first. That is what the Haynes manual says too.. it just seemed easier to do it the other way!

Maybe not..

Cheers Simon

I managed to get the ring back on the boot on the A frame ball joint, and the balljoint thread inserted in the mounting plate on top of the axle using Marks method now. All the bolts In loosely except for one, the forward fulcrum bolt (29mm head) and no matter what I do I can’t get this one in now. After lying on grass under the vehicle looking at it I probably should have put in first but the other one lined up so I pushed it in!



I have run out of time again today as I am away for the week for work and need to prepare for that. I really want to finish this job and move the vehicle to a safer spot as we have fires around but it’s not going to happen today.

Any suggestions on how to get this last bolt in? Stan’s suggestion of jacking up the nose of the diff with the one bolt in moves it in the wrong direction. Do I now need to take the front bolts out of the suspension arms and try that way?

Cheers -Simon

Took the Defender out to the Vacy Country Fair. Just happens the owner of the pub is a Landy enthusiast.

Originally Posted by travelrover

.....

Any suggestions on how to get this last bolt in? Stan’s suggestion of jacking up the nose of the diff with the one bolt in moves it in the wrong direction. Do I now need to take the front bolts out of the suspension arms and try that way?

Cheers -Simon

Car back on the ground(incl the rear axle), A frame nuts all a bit loose, jack up the nose of the diff(ie. at the uni joint).
The axle needs to rotate backwards for that A frame bolt holes to line up.

Originally Posted by AK83

Car back on the ground(incl the rear axle), A frame nuts all a bit loose, jack up the nose of the diff(ie. at the uni joint).
The axle needs to rotate backwards for that A frame bolt holes to line up.

Thanks AK83

A job for next Saturday :-)

Another suggestion - a large G-clamp, with a steel bar across the top of the A-frame arms.

In preparation for a long road trip and to keep stuff off the roof the rear seats have come out and an extension to the drawer platform has been installed.

Gory details here:

Defender Outback storage drawer platform extension.