Getting my defender into the garage

[Leyland1980]

I have recently bought a new house and obviously one of the requirements was that it had a garage high enough to allow my 110 with roof rack to fit. The garage is high enough, however the slope of the drive (down to the garage) means that due to the approach angle I cannot get in with the roof rack on. With it off it fits fine.

The sticking point, for want of a better word is the RSJ that runs across the garage opening. If the beam height (as in the beam itself) was perhaps 50mm lower and therefore the garage opening 50mm higher I would be able to get in.

Has any one got any experience with modifying domestic structures or can any one recommend a firm or engineer who could advise on this.

Regards

John

[Tombie]

Any decent builder should be able to assist.
It's essentially the Lintel...

Only a cash situation to rectify :)

[Leyland1980]

I guess I should have mentioned that the garage is underhouse and therefore the RSJ is holding the house up.

[mekon76]

Driveway material? Is it possible to change the slope? If paved or poured I don't imagine that would be a cheap option

[Blknight.aus]

50mm you say...

the house is not the problem, the vehicle is.

central tyre inflation should easily get you an on demand 50mm droop.

[Pocket Rocket]

How much space do you have in front of the house? Is there enough room to put a standalone carport in?

[Leyland1980]

Driveway material? Is it possible to change the slope? If paved or poured I don't imagine that would be a cheap option

Drive is poured and actually part of the road reserve so outside my lot and it has a whacking great storm drain beneath it which will prevent any re contouring.

[Leyland1980]

50mm you say... the house is not the problem, the vehicle is. central tyre inflation should easily get you an on demand 50mm droop.

This would be a PITA every day!

[Leyland1980]

How much space do you have in front of the house? Is there enough room to put a standalone carport in?

Unfortunately not an option.

[jimr1]

As you have said , the lintel " RSJ " is holding the house up , the drive can't be lowered , so that only leaves the vehicle . now that will fit without the roof rack , would a different rack be an option , on that is 50mm lower ? Jim..

[mojo]

I have the same problem at the house we have just bought. The missus's solution would be to sell the Deefer and buy a small car.




My solution will be to build a carport! :D

Cheers
Sean

[999]

A Photo would be better than words, from insidethe garage out side and under and also the suports.

[alien]

Double post with wrong link in it.

[alien]

Would you have the height if the door itself was gone?

Under House :: Garage, Roller, Camco and Tilt Doors Sydney and Melbourne (http://www.sideroll.com.au/photo-gallery/under-house/)

[roverrescue]

rear airsprings - the system is pretty well sorted for 110s
have a solenoid to dump all pressure as you approach the drive
drive in on the rear bump stops

or just lost the roof rack

s

[Blknight.aus]

This would be a PITA every day!

not sure why, as you drive into your road, hit the low pressure setting and slow down to allow the tyres time to deflate, this also has the benefit of allowing your engine gearbox and diffs to dump heat.

park the car.

as you take off in the morning hit the road pressure button and the tyres come up to road pressure as you begin to warm up and work the vehicle

[Leyland1980]

not sure why, as you drive into your road, hit the low pressure setting and slow down to allow the tyres time to deflate, this also has the benefit of allowing your engine gearbox and diffs to dump heat. park the car. as you take off in the morning hit the road pressure button and the tyres come up to road pressure as you begin to warm up and work the vehicle

That sounds like more of a PITA than changing a beam once which was the original question.

For some reason I though that given the breadth of defender ownership on here and the wisdom I have seen imparted elsewhere I thought perhaps someone would be able to answer the OP.

I do not need air suspension or to deflate my tyres, nor do I wish to build a car port, change my garage door (it is not an overhead door) or buy a Daewoo Matiz!

I will follow the one reply that was of any use and consult "any builder".

Cheers

John

[Basil135]

not sure why, as you drive into your road, hit the low pressure setting and slow down to allow the tyres time to deflate, this also has the benefit of allowing your engine gearbox and diffs to dump heat.

park the car.

as you take off in the morning hit the road pressure button and the tyres come up to road pressure as you begin to warm up and work the vehicle

Sounds good to me. :D

Especially considering we only put our cars away once a day, even thou we might be in & out all day.

Know which is going to be the cheaper option.

Call a builder, but be prepared. You, or they, will need to involve engineers, architects, council etc. This will probably qualify as a structural change, so will need to be done to any new regulations that have come in since the original work was done.



Still like the party trick of CTS ;)

[jimr1]

I have recently bought a new house and obviously one of the requirements was that it had a garage high enough to allow my 110 with roof rack to fit. The garage is high enough, however the slope of the drive (down to the garage) means that due to the approach angle I cannot get in with the roof rack on. With it off it fits fine.

The sticking point, for want of a better word is the RSJ that runs across the garage opening. If the beam height (as in the beam itself) was perhaps 50mm lower and therefore the garage opening 50mm higher I would be able to get in.

Has any one got any experience with modifying domestic structures or can any one recommend a firm or engineer who could advise on this.

Regards

John
Hi john I reread my post , as you say if the beam was 50mm lower , therefore the garage opening 50mm higher .What your asking is , could you put an RSJ in that doesn't have the same Depth as the one you have ? It is possible , Some times builders put beams in that are over engineered , only because that's what was available , It may well be that a smaller RSJ could carry the weight , but you need talk someone that knows a thing or two about this sort of stuff !!.. Jim

[AndyG]

As you have said , the lintel " RSJ " is holding the house up , the drive can't be lowered , so that only leaves the vehicle . now that will fit without the roof rack , would a different rack be an option , on that is 50mm lower ? Jim..

Umm, second hand roof rack coming up cheap, and I live in Bne :)

[mick110]

hi mate have you had a look at putting another roller door on the the back then you can drive into the yard and park in the shed this way its not that expensive to do as this is non load bearing and with some mates you could do it over the weekend:)

[clive22]

I would ring a garage door in the first instance that would probably be cheapest.
I see nor reason why the existing beam could not be lowered with some carful calculations
The concept would be to bolt on to the web of the existing beam two steel angles to each side that
Are 50mm above the e jting bottom flange. This is a shear connection so you would expect to end up with m16 bolts at 150mm centres. You may need to weld extra plates to the bottom each flange to give sufficient strength
You will need to epoxy glue the, and torque the bolts up to as4100.
Once the angles are on you.could plasma cut and grind the web off the rsj and lower to ground.

You will need a mobile scaffold, building permit engineers comps, hire of some lifting gear
It looks like a steel erectors job not a builders job to me.
It is do able but will be several days work for 2 or 3 men.

You will avoid needle and props to prop your house while replacing a beam unsettling your brickwork heavy cranes.


Clive

[loneranger]

That sounds like more of a PITA than changing a beam once which was the original question.

For some reason I though that given the breadth of defender ownership on here and the wisdom I have seen imparted elsewhere I thought perhaps someone would be able to answer the OP.

I do not need air suspension or to deflate my tyres, nor do I wish to build a car port, change my garage door (it is not an overhead door) or buy a Daewoo Matiz!

I will follow the one reply that was of any use and consult "any builder".

Cheers

John

And here was I going to suggest buying a new house:tease::tease::tease:

[AndyG]

Better than my suggestion, 1st gear, lock the diff, close your eyes and charge :twisted:

[BilboBoggles]

A full air suspension for a Defender - will be cheaper than modding the house. I'd put a height detection bar (PVC pipe) before the entrance to remind you to air down.

[frantic]

Have you thought of option c?
Instead of changing the house, which will cost 5-10 thousand, or fitting air suspension, maybe look at new wheels and tyres.
You could get a second set of highway/ town tyres on your original rims.To reduce your height by 50mm you need to go from 235/85 r16 which are about 32.5 inch to about 27-28 inch total or 245/60 r16 roughly you could then get bigger muddies for trips as your "saving money" by using road tyres during the week. ;) with the savings from not modding the house get a ARB double pump comp and a rattle gun to change the tyres quicker in the driveway, and maybe a x-brake. You could for your trip tyres look at either original size, 255/85(33.3in) or 315/75 with either standard rims for first 2 ( zero offset is better for 255's) or a -25mm for 315's.
New wheels would cost $100-130 in 16x8 in zero to -25 offsetting. Road tyres are eBay so from 120 up and 255 bighorn or bfg are about 280-320.