Chassis repair, civilian to military

[tdi200]

Hi all, this is my repair saga of the front chassis spring hangers after a bash against a wall. The rust discovered lead me to replacing the front legs, whilst at it i converted the front legs to military spec.

Enjoy

Grem

[R0Y]

Looking good so far, how long's it taken you to get it to that stage?

[tdi200]

From start to finish,I drove it the garage on a friday evening and was out and running the week after on sunday, including paint, stripdown and reassembly. Thats about 10 days of very hard labour! Used to spend a minimum of 6 to 7 hours a day, including saturdays and sundays, the whole day. That was last week, i still have a few niggling bits to finish off like reinstalling the bumper and the spotlights. Hopefully i will do them this week.

Grem

[R0Y]

any piccies of you putting the front end back together?

[tdi200]

No, as i forgot my camera elsewhere and i was in a hurry to get it finished, but i will take a couple tonight of the landy on the road if you want.

Grem

[tdi200]

Just got the bumper yesterday and finished it up.

Grem

[challisc]

well done, given me a boost to get my LWB finished!

[TheGurkha]

Now that is sweet! Good job!

[challisc]

I often get the pi$$ed taken from tommy for even thinking of a LWB looking good and being able to pull its weight when off road! Now after seing that i know why i argued! Once more well done on building such a stunning 109. also the tdi convertion, what mods did you have to do?

[tdi200]

also the tdi convertion, what mods did you have to do?

Oh dear from where shall i start! Well it basically evolved over the years, the engine went in first, mated to the series box. Engine mounts where moved an inch back, front rad panel hacked to make way for intercooler and rad, electric fan, loads of pipework and plumbing.

Then the trouble started, the gearbox was not up to the job and in a matter of a year i blew 1 box, to cut a long story short in 3 years it ate a box a year and one overdrive! :( So i went to a upgrade of an lt77 mated to a series transfer case, all home made. This setup lasted for about 3 1/2 years then the mating splines at the transfercase failed (my fault :rolleyes: for backyard engineering).

I have finally resorted to an lt77 with lt230 and stage1 v8 front axle, i still run 4.7diffs but my TC is 1.003 ratio. In the meantime the structural changes involved where, losing 2 cross members, one under the box and another behind, new props (2nd time), 90/110 G/box mounts welded and modified, scalloped main x/member for prop clearance, 90/110 tunnel and floor, new exhaust (3rd time), relocated handbrake brakets, and a bunch of other fiddley bits as i went along.

Its been a long learning curve and also a pretty expensive one but the final product is great. It a series with a tdi attitude :D . Let me know if you need more specific details about something i mentioned, as these where the highlights i could recall.

Grem

[challisc]

Is an lt77 box mounts same as lt89? as i am faced with puttting an lt85 with v8 in to a SWB S3, getting the mounts right and handbrake could be a real headache!

[tdi200]

I doubt they match but i can assure you that you will have to chop the handbrake brackets off and fabricate some sort cable pull setup. I had once fitted a v8 with the lt95, and i had to build a custom setup as it was easier.

Grem

[Snagger]

You're very brave; this amount of work is why I'm sticking to a 1-ton chassis with a 2.5TD and standard transmission (with OD). It,s not as torquey or fast as your Tdi, but it's a damn sight easier to fit!

I prefer to think of this not as laziness, but as "economy of effort".:D

Looks very impressive, but the work involved is even more so. I hope the chassis is still stiff enough for the torque with those x-members removed - did you replace them with some fabricated section?

[tdi200]

No i did not add any back on, in fact the intention was there but i never bothered, it seems to have held up well till now, its been over a year without them.

I know what you mean in fact i should have sold the whole vehicle when it was still with the 2.3 and got myself a 200tdi 110! but it was too late until then the modification bug had set in, and getting out of it is not easy!

Grem

[Snagger]

it was too late until then the modification bug had set in, and getting out of it is not easy!

Grem

Don't I know it. I'm now modding my previous mods so that I can incorporate further mods: mods cubed!:banghead2 Satisfying though, and you end up with a totally unique vehicle too.

I have gone (partialy) the same route as you - I have gone to the 1-ton raised suspension mounts and shackles to get extra lift. Had a bit easier time of it though; I needed a replacement chassis anyway, so I got Marsland to make me a 1-ton chassis with fixings for 3 tanks, 2.5 nad or TD engines and a removeable gearbox x-member. You'd understand why if you ever saw my welding!

[9H1AA]

Hi tdi200

impressive job mate, and I liked the finished look, excellent, a really nice truck.
rgds

cheers

[alex]

It`s a fact that if our project time and effort were tranferred into our profesion we could all buy defenders even though they`re not worth the money. Snagger I don`t beleive a man of your culpability cannot weld. You`re right enough about the uniqueness of the vehicle. I`ve taken an even easier way out than you. I use my nicely sorted 109 sw and if I want to get quicker I use my Patrol. Now that is a cop out!!

[Snagger]

It`s a fact that if our project time and effort were tranferred into our profesion we could all buy defenders even though they`re not worth the money. Snagger I don`t beleive a man of your culpability cannot weld. You`re right enough about the uniqueness of the vehicle. I`ve taken an even easier way out than you. I use my nicely sorted 109 sw and if I want to get quicker I use my Patrol. Now that is a cop out!!

Culpability; yes. Capability; no!:D