Wheel carriers for Defenders

[rmp]

Although the '02 onwards Defenders have improved rear doors, I think the strength is suspect. So a rear wheel carrier is on the cards. Didn't want to buy one, but I'd rather not break the door.

Any recommendatins, ones to avoid? Would like a rear light whilst I'm at it.

thanks

[Bushie]

Robert,

I have the Kaymar one on mine and no problems with it. Its independant of the rear door so you cant open from inside the rear, never found that to be a problem though as nobody travels in the back section.

Picked it up second hand (~$270) so price wasnt an issue either. Do some searches of trading post etc see if you can turn anything up.

Rear Wheel Carrier

Bushie

[lewy110]

i had mate make mine and it only cost $50.

The greame cooper ones are good though they open with the door and lock in place once fully open.

Have a look at their website for prices

[Defender200Tdi]

The Kaymar one, although superbly made, is the best part of $900 new. That's a LOT of money for something that doesn't even open with the door! I've not had any luck finding a second hand jobbie, so I bit the bullet a while ago and ordered a Bearmach carrier through Karcraft in Sydney. They've quoted me $432 + GST plus delivery, which seems like a pretty good price. I asked around on the UK forums and the consensus is that the Bearmach carrier is very well made. The only problem is delivery time. Karcraft don't carry them as a stock item so they order it in from the UK. Delivery time is estimated to be about 6 - 8 weeks, but I ordered mine on 4/2/04 and haven't heard from them yet.

They did make mention that they may be ordering a few extra in since they were becoming popular so it might be worth giving them a call. The blokes name is Mark (02) 97379178.

Troutbeck Sales in Victoria also have the Bearmach carrier listed, but at $690 plus delivery and didn't have any stock the last time I spoke to them.


Paul [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

[KEV0044]

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[Defender200Tdi]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'>I installed the Kaymar myself for $ 700 purchase price new . [/b][/quote]

Hey Kev

That's a good price for a Kaymar carrier, may I ask where/when you got it?

Both ARB & TJM quoted me almost $900 plus fitting earlier this year.


Paul [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

[aloa9061]

hey gurs i put the graham cooper on mine and it works well. it is an absolute pain in the ass to install though. due to defedners not all being the same it comes with lots of thin washer plates and you need to experiment with it to get it right. around 500 new or 700 ish installed. you can open the rear from theinside whichj is an advantage. if i did it again i would biite the bullet annde get it installed. works a treat now. (make sure you measure numerous times and really check leveling befor drilling into the door. my rear demister cable had an arguement with the drill!!!!!!

[KEV0044]

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[Defender200Tdi]

At last, my Bearmach wheel carrier finally arrived. There apparently was some holdup with customs and such, so my order back in Feb took until last week to arrive. 8O

I fitted the carrier yesterday and initial impressions are that it is well made and good looking. It took me about 3 hours to fit, but I was in no hurry. It was relatively straightforward, but would be easier with an assistant since the carrier is quite heavy to hold in place and fit bolts at the same time. Four holes need to be drilled through the bodywork above the rear taillight and four more through the rear door. The lower hinge mounts through three existing holes in the rear crossmember, but the handle/bumper thingy must be removed on that side.

The carrier includes a door frame strengthening kit, since it is still bolted to/through the door. However, my 1992 built Defender already had the strengthening kit fitted (by Landrover?) so I didn't need to do that bit.

The carrier opens with the rear door and also holds the door open much better than the existing spring thingy. The door also closes better, now having the weight taken off it, and the carrier locks up quite tight when closed. It also positions the spare wheel very slightly to the right, which makes acces to the door handle better. Also, because of the way the mechanism holds the wheel away from the bodywork as it opens, my 255/85 M/T's don't stop the door opening fully like they did when mounted on the door.

I didn't have access to a camera over the weekend, so here's an image from a UK site:




If anyone wants further info or photos, just shout.

Best part of the whole thing was the price. From Karcraft in Sydney $465 including GST and including shipping to me in Adelaide. [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif[/img]


Paul [img]style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif[/img]

[rar110]

I can recommend the wheel carrier sold by Graeme Cooper.

It is a bit of a pain to install but a very smart design. Like said earlier it holds the door open, which is good for earlier 110's as the mechanism by landrover for holding open the door in the open position is a joke. Importantly the carrier is connected to the door so opens with the cargo door. It also places the tyre a little further to the right so allows slightly improved vision. The carrier is also a very good means of getting onto the roof.