Self fitment of Ridjidi rear wheel carrier

[noyakfat]

Hi fellow Aulrovians,

I am expecting delivery of my 110 wagon in two weeks (finally) and am experiencing uber-excitement as you would expect.

I am very keen to fit a Ridjidij single wheel carrier, and was wondering about the ease (or otherwise) of fitting it myself. I'd be keen to hear from anybody who may have DIY fitted one of these to their truck.

Not sure if I should take it on, or try and purchase one with fitment included.

Thoughts???

Cheers,
Nige

[Quigley]

Nige,
The instructions with them are clear and easy to follow. No drilling or cutting, just locating and doing up bolts from memory.
And they really are a well designed and built unit and you'll fit it yourself with some satisfaction.
Have a great time with your Puma. I've had mine four and a half years now and while I've done only 55000 kms, it has been a dream. No trouble whatever and not even even oil leaks or flat tyres.
Not many sleeps to go!

[Homestar]

Rijidij's kits - as mentioned - are very well designed and a few spanners is all you should need to make it fit I believe. It is designed to bolt up to existing mounting points to make life easy. :)

If in doubt, send Murray a PM - he will be more than happy to fill you in on what is required.

[RVR110]

Nige,
The instructions with them are clear and easy to follow. No drilling or cutting, just locating and doing up bolts from memory.
And they really are a well designed and built unit and you'll fit it yourself with some satisfaction.
Have a great time with your Puma. I've had mine four and a half years now and while I've done only 55000 kms, it has been a dream. No trouble whatever and not even even oil leaks or flat tyres.
Not many sleeps to go!
Actually (unless the design has changed) you do need to cut a slot, just under the door and there's a little bit of fiddling as with most accessories. As mentioned by others, it's a good product with clear, step by step instructions. I had one on my previous car and I'm about to buy one for my new car.

P.S. You'll get lots of amusement watching people try to figure out how to close your back door after it clicks open!

[rijidij]

G'day Nige,
You can view the fitting instructions online at the following link.
If you have any questions at all, please ask, I'm happy to help.

Rijidij 110/90 Single Wheel Carrier Fitting Instructions (https://app.box.com/s/9w0r8srz0qrglygwyqtw)

Cheers, Murray

[specwarop]

Cant seem to access those instructions Rijidij...

[rijidij]

Cant seem to access those instructions Rijidij...

Thanks........give it another go, I think I've fixed the link.

Cheers, Murray

[noyakfat]

Thanks for the replies, and thank-you Murray for the link to the fitting instructions.

As I don't have the vehicle in front of me, it's a little hard to imagine "cutting" a piece out of it... Not sure I'd be that keen to try that :(

Will think on it some more. Still have a couple of weeks.

Cheers!

[rijidij]

Thanks for the replies, and thank-you Murray for the link to the fitting instructions.

As I don't have the vehicle in front of me, it's a little hard to imagine "cutting" a piece out of it... Not sure I'd be that keen to try that :(

Will think on it some more. Still have a couple of weeks.

Cheers!

Regarding the slot, the close up picture in the instructions probably makes it look bigger than it is. Even if the carrier is removed, the slot is not very obvious.

I know how you feel about drilling or cutting into a new car. I've drilled into the guards and bonnets of new Pumas and other nice Defenders to install various items.........it never feels right, but most accessories that Defender owners add to their cars are practical items that serve a purpose, so you soon get over it.

Cheers, Murray

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2014/03/879.jpg (http://s204.photobucket.com/user/rijidij/media/Wheel%20Carriers/Puma%20Wheel%20Carrier/Slot1.jpg.html)

[specwarop]

For those with limited experience, what tools would you recommend to cut the slot?
Just drill multiple holes in a row then file it out?

[rijidij]

For those with limited experience, what tools would you recommend to cut the slot?
Just drill multiple holes in a row then file it out?

There are various ways of cutting the slot depending what tools you have. The way I do it is, drill an 8mm hole at each end, then very carefully cut the top and bottom using a super thin 1mm cutting disk on an angle grinder, punch the middle out with a hammer and punch, clean up the slot with an 8mm rotary burr in a die grinder and touch it up with some black paint.

If you have minimum tools available, I would drill an 8mm hole at each end, then a series of small holes along the top and bottom as close to each other as possible, then some more 8mm holes along the centre, then punch it out and clean it up with a file. The infill is reasonably thick so the small holes have to be close to weaken it enough to punch out.

Cheers, Murray

[n plus one]

I used the second method recommended above - worked fine, no dramas at all.

[AndyG]

Is that filler panel aluminum or steel?

[n plus one]

Is that filler panel aluminum or steel?

Mild steel - it's easy to cut/drill.

[noyakfat]

Well the vehicle has been delivered and I made my decision... for now, I have removed the spare and bracket from the rear door and I have the spare ratchet-strapped into the load space. I will get around to building a platform over it.

If it stops raining, I'll get a couple of photos and bung em into "Show us your defers".

PS - can't get the stupid grin off my face :D