what makes a defender 3500kg GVM?

[Shingleback]

Hi all, I'm have an 1984 Isuzu 120 tray that I'm about to get engineered as I've changed it to a six seater dual cab and it also has air suspension. It's current GVM is 3200kg, and since I'm getting it engineered anyway, I thought I'd get the GVM upgraded to 3500kg as per current 130's. I've spoken to the engineer and he says that if I can prove that mine has all the same up grades as the factory 3500 GVM defenders he will sign mine off. it has had a rear disc brake conversion.

So to convince my engineer, what do the 3500kg gvm defenders have that the others don't? Might need some official document to back it up also.

Cheers,
Andrew.

[Mick_Marsh]

I'm wanting to get the GCM rerated on one of mine.


The GVM is predominately based on axle weights. i.e. what the axle and suspension can be loaded to.

[Shingleback]

I'm wanting to get the GCM rerated on one of mine.


The GVM is predominately based on axle weights. i.e. what the axle and suspension can be loaded to.

Yeh your right about the axle weights, so why do defenders with the same axles have different GVM? Stiffer springs, coil in coil for 130's?

[MLD]

certainly in the Puma range the 130 has heavier duty coils to the 110 variety. The 110 fronts are 185 lbs/in (i think from memory) and the 110 rears are 330 lbs/in. The 130 fronts are 225 lbs/in and rear 270 progressive to 420 lbs/in + the inner helper at 140 lbs/in.

When I fitted HD coils to my 110 the engineer revised the GVM to 3500 kgs.

Not sure how you will go with air suspension, manufacturer's specs will be the answer I suspect.

MLD

[Shingleback]

certainly in the Puma range the 130 has heavier duty coils to the 110 variety. The 110 fronts are 185 lbs/in (i think from memory) and the 110 rears are 330 lbs/in. The 130 fronts are 225 lbs/in and rear 270 progressive to 420 lbs/in + the inner helper at 140 lbs/in.

When I fitted HD coils to my 110 the engineer revised the GVM to 3500 kgs.

Not sure how you will go with air suspension, manufacturer's specs will be the answer I suspect.

MLD

Thanks, was just thinking that, I'll have to see what the specs are for the air bags.

[isuzutoo-eh]

All hearsay...

130 sals are supposedly thicker walled or reinforced compared to 110 (and 120 I suspect) sals.
130 chassis (early on at least) were supposedly thicker than a 110 chassis as they used an extra layer of material somewhere.

130s came with HD rims that 110s didn't come with standard from the factory.

You may also note that the Puma era cab chassis, Hi-Cap and Hard Top 110s could be optioned with the HD pack, that's basically what you'll need to meet i'd reckon.

[Shingleback]

All hearsay...

130 sals are supposedly thicker walled or reinforced compared to 110 (and 120 I suspect) sals.
130 chassis (early on at least) were supposedly thicker than a 110 chassis as they used an extra layer of material somewhere.

130s came with HD rims that 110s didn't come with standard from the factory.

You may also note that the Puma era cab chassis, Hi-Cap and Hard Top 110s could be optioned with the HD pack, that's basically what you'll need to meet i'd reckon.

Ok, so anyone know what the HD pack consists of?

[isuzutoo-eh]

The 110 Hardtop, Single Cab Chassis and HCPU models have two options; the Boost pack of alloy rims, traction control and ABS, or the Heavy Duty pack of a reinforced chassis, steel rims, Michelin XZL tyres (very strong light-truck mud tyre designed for extremely heavy loads), coil-within-coil rear springs and a GVM increase of 450kg to 3500kg, same as all 130s.

from post 4 in this thread:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/90-110-130-defender-county/158349-reinforced-chassis.html

[Shingleback]

from post 4 in this thread:
http://www.aulro.com/afvb/90-110-130-defender-county/158349-reinforced-chassis.html

Thanks for the link to the old thread, had a look and nobody got to the bottom of the reinforced chassis upgrade, mine is a 130 chassis so should be ok. I do have the wolf rims and hopefully the airbags are rated high enough so should be ok. Not sure what Salisbury diff I have, will check for markings to see if it's the heavy duty type.

Do the so called HD Salisbury diffs actually have a higher load rating than the standard Salisbury diffs? 2200kg I'm pretty sure.

[wrinklearthur]

Is the factory, heavy duty, upgrade for the 110 recorded in the VIN for that vehicle?
.

[Cammo]

If you cant find any markings, pull the breather fitting out and measure the thickness of the metal. Don't ask me what the measurements are - I forget. 4mm vs 6mm maybe, at a guess?

[alanw]

In a similar vein, does anyone know what is the physical difference between a 130 defender rated at 4t towing vs one at 3.5t? Other than the compliance plate and a 4t. rated towbar of course. I have one rated at 4t. (130tdi single cab) and 2 at 3.5t. (td5 and puma - both 130 dual cabs).


And is it possible/feasible to get the rating increased from 3.5 to 4t.?
Thks
Alan

[Cammo]

I think its just a change in regs, preventing you from towing more than the vehicles GVM. Could be wrong on that too though.

[Mick_Marsh]

In a similar vein, does anyone know what is the physical difference between a 130 defender rated at 4t towing vs one at 3.5t? Other than the compliance plate and a 4t. rated towbar of course. I have one rated at 4t. (130tdi single cab) and 2 at 3.5t. (td5 and puma - both 130 dual cabs).


And is it possible/feasible to get the rating increased from 3.5 to 4t.?
Thks
AlanI thought the later model Defenders used thinner material to make the chassis.
Cost saving measures.
Could also just be rumour.

[Dopey]

Regulations for towing changed in 1998 Australia wide,
There is some info in the article that I have linked below, but it doesn't cover everything.
Regards,
Mike.

national australian towing regulations (http://www.campertrailers.org/towing_regulations.htm)

Your TDi would have been under the earlier regs, your TD5 & TDCi under the later?
I have a 90 (Private import) with factory heavy duty chassis and tow bar that is rated for 4000kg towing capacity, engineered and complied in NSW for this too.

[Dervish]

So to convince my engineer, what do the 3500kg gvm defenders have that the others don't? Might need some official document to back it up also.

Cheers,
Andrew.

My Defender is the one in the other thread posted above. Most of the information in this thread is spot on but to put it all in one place, the "HD" Defenders had 130 rims, 130 springs (with helper springs), a tubed (130) Sals axle and NO chassis modifications or thicker steel. Bush65 theorised that there could've been internal chassis mods - I can't confirm or deny that, but I think it unlikely. Too much hassle from a production point of view.

I can't help with any official documentation though.

[460cixy]

This is all very interesting my 95 110 ute came with a factory heavy duty upgrade I found this out when my mate at land rover did some research on my vin and printed it off for me I have it some place but there's no detail of what this heavy duty pack consisted of. I can post it up if anyone's intrested

[dazzler]

Anyone done a GVM upgrade recently?

Input much appreciated

pd

[fitzy]

I remember seeing a chassis that was plated with some flat bar top and bottom, I was told it was factory. Iirc a tdi series 130.
When I asked the bloke said it was a heavy duty chassis , with the plates being In tension and compression much like an I beam.

[dazzler]

Thank you! I am going to drop the idea :(