Thread: Rear Crossmember rust - Warning ** A few 'Wood duck' questions ahead

Kf0qwhzYTMetKyIR7q4WWg.jpg

I know.... I know.... I forgot the picture in the original post

Some good quality photos of the rust problem might be the best place to start. You may not need the remove it at all. Give us a look at it. What year is it, and did it ever live where they salt the roads?
Don.

Originally Posted by Don 130

Some good quality photos of the rust problem might be the best place to start. You may not need the remove it at all. Give us a look at it. What year is it, and did it ever live where they salt the roads?
Don.

It appears to just be surface rust, nothing major or structural. I have seen a few other Defenders getting around with the same problem.

It is my 2004 Defender 90, I have had it since new. No, it has not been anywhere they salt the roads. I don't recall ever driving it on a beach or through salt water, the only sand it has been on is in central Australia.

Get some Penetrol. Paint it with neat Penetrol, then two coats of satin black enamel with 15% Penetrol mixed in it. You'll get a nice durable finish. Don't worry about what you can't get to. It won't disappear before you do.

The Flood Company Australia » Anti Corrosion Products » penetrol-anti_rust

Don.

The body is anchored to the chassis at a number of points. The rear crossmember, under the rear seat, at the firewall, and the front of the engine bay. However, since the body is not very rigid, you may be able to lift it a centimetre or so by undoing the rear, but no more than that. Any more would mean removing or loosening the other connections, and great care would be needed to avoid distorting the body.

You need to appreciate that the Defender (and Series before it) body is not lifted onto the chassis in one piece during assembly - it is assembled on the chassis from several major parts (tub, seat box, firewall, roof) and a large number of smaller parts that are bolted together and to the chassis.

Originally Posted by Don 130

Get some Penetrol. Paint it with neat Penetrol, then two coats of satin black enamel with 15% Penetrol mixed in it. You'll get a nice durable finish. Don't worry about what you can't get to. It won't disappear before you do.

The Flood Company Australia » Anti Corrosion Products » penetrol-anti_rust

Don.

Yes penetrol is good stuffs
I have used at least 10 cans on my defender.

I also just brush painted the cross member and chassis with rust guard. The bindings stuffs $120 for a big can

Just with a brush. It doesn't look "very" good but I think it will do the job aka "labour effective"....

You can just see the chassis in the photo attached

Originally Posted by defenda90

Kf0qwhzYTMetKyIR7q4WWg.jpg

I know.... I know.... I forgot the picture in the original post

Removes all the visible bolts and towbar will come out.

But I will suggest you to penetrol where you can paint into (gaps where metal stacks against each other

And just paint where you can paint

My suggestion for removing the towbar, from experience with the same one:

Remove the four rear bolts first, to relieve tension on the two bolts on the side arms underneath.

To re-attach, follow the reverse sequence. If you bolt up the back bolts first, you won't get the side arm bolts in. Once those side arm bolts are in and mostly tight, then bring up the rear bolts.

Originally Posted by martnH

Removes all the visible bolts and towbar will come out.

But I will suggest you to penetrol where you can paint into (gaps where metal stacks against each other

And just paint where you can paint