Thread: Phil's 82 Range Rover Classic

Had all new bushes pressed into the suspension arms and then painted it all ready for installation.
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All was was going well until I got to the trailing arm bushes where they bolt to the chassis.
The original bushes have the mounting holes at 87 mm centres.
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But the new ones are 89 mm centres.
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Yes I could file them to fit but I shouldn’t have to.
I have contacted the supplier and I’ll see what they respond with.

Regards
Phil

Well, I received the following response.
”The suppliers have confirmed that your findings are correct, but sadly we do not have any alternative available as all of the stock available including OEM, polybush type and standard aftermarket are all made to the same size that you have received.

Despite the very original bushes being 2mm smaller we have never experienced any issues with this product and neither has our supplier with the thousands that have been sold over the years.”
So it looks like everyone before me has just filed the holes a bit to make them fit.
While I was tempted to do this originally, I believed that it should not be necessary if the parts were made correctly.
Clearly, they haven’t been!
I wonder if the manufacturer will adjust their tooling to make them correctly in the future?

Regards
Phil

The supplier has informed me to modify the bushes and they will still honour the warranty.
So I have now reinstalled the rear suspension.
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Now that all of the rust in the left hand body side has been repaired and painted with RustSeal I have refitted it as well.
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The next step is to turn the car around so that I can remove the RH body side and repair the rust in the floor of it and the fire wall. At least it’s not as bad as the one I have just completed.

Regards
Phil

Before I turn the RRC around to remove the other body side, I reinstalled the door seal mounting on the A pillar and the dust shield and front guard mounting.
Attachment 190183
As the bottom door seal strip had rusted away, I bought a new seal mounting strip and then fabricated the front and rear curved corner sections.
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I’m going to paint the sill and A pillar before I install the door seal sections with sealant behind them. Then paint them as well.
Then finally the drivers side body side restoration can begin.

Phil

Did the seal strip come mounted on the sheet, or just as the channel? Having that sheet would make mounting easier?

I bought some quite a few years ago but it was just the channel. I haven't got around to attaching it to the sills yet because (partly) I'm still trying to work out the best way to do it! Riveting through the middle of the channel will most likely impede the seal from sliding through the channel, I don't have a grinder small enough to spot/weld through the middle, and to weld along the edges would look rubbish......

Stu, for all the reasons you outlined above is the reason why I used the sheet strip. The channel came as a single part and I bought the gal sheet from Bunnings and cut it to width with an angle grinder and cutting disc.
I drilled holes about 100 mm apart in the sheet and soldered through them to the channel.
To make the corner section I drew a template and then cut the channel into a “lobster back” and then soldered it to a mounting plate the same shape as the original (very rusty one that I removed).
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Regards
Phil

This is what I had to cut out of the footwell and the side panel.
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Then fabricated the replacements.
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Fitted in position.
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Once I tack these in place I can remove the body side to cut the rust out of the top of the sill.
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Regards
Phil

This is what the sill panel looked like before the PO covered the holes with bog. Some of the bog is still in place.
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I cut the offending pieces out and the structure underneath is in pretty good shape so fortunately I will only have to replace part of the top of the sill.
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As it was only the top surface that was corroded it was clearly from water trapped under the mats/carpet that caused the issue.
Now to make a new piece and weld it in.

Phil