Getting a few more years out of an end of life chassis?

[julianf]

Defender chasiss -

I welded it up prior to the mot. The tester found one small hole that I'd missed (wasn't a hole before he hammered it, which is fair enough)


The chasiss is not long for this world, I know that. At present it's had problem areas (previous owner welded up the front outrigger drains so they just collected mud and rusted through the chassis wall) and the rear bump stops etc.

Ie isolated areas but it's all going to be on its way out.

I can't justify £2600 on a new chassis right now, so what's my best plan for getting as long as I can out of it, in full knowledge that I'm just delaying the inevitable?

I slapped epoxy primer on the fresh welds, but there's bits of old bitchumen underseal in places. Not much but bits and pieces.

I was considereding epoxying the lot, but I had cause to pressure wash around some of the freshly welded areas. The pressure washer didn't damage the epoxy onto the fresh steel but where I'd strayed onto the old steel, the pressure washer would take off the epoxy.

So I don't think it's worth just slapping epoxy over it all, if the pressure washer can take it off again.

I (really) hate those oil based black slime things on cars you know you'll have to weld again, but maybe that's my best plan?

Or a DIY lanolin brew.

The epoxy I used was lechler. Maybe an epoxy mastic would be better?

I have one of those Sealy pressure pot things for the insides of the chasiss.

I know it's good money after bad. What I'm hoping for is that it will last long enough for me to find someones abandoned project on eBay for less than the £2600 a replacement chasiss would cost me today!

Thank you.

 

[james butler]

i have heard a few peeps say using raw linseed oil works well for preserving steel and even rusting steel
but its one of those if it works it works and if not well you tried

 

[sako243]

To be honest the chassis doesn't suffer (unless it's sat around doing nothing) from external rust. Mine had some treatment about 8 years ago but is in use daily and is still very solid (rear cross member was replaced about 6 years ago).

They suffer rusting from the inside out, drill out all the holes that are meant to be there, clean the inside as thoroughly as you can and focus on treating the inside rather than outside. Washing the muck, grime and most importantly salt or cow manure off the outside will do more than any preventative.

Honestly most of my chassis is just covered (partially) by the original 1994 paint, bits have been touched up but not held up to the abuse it gets. But because it regularly gets dunked through water and used regularly it's holding up amazingly well.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

Would a treatment with Bilt Hamber products be a worthwhile stopgap?

https://bilthamber.com/product-category/anti-corrosion/

 

[Burdekin]

Would a treatment with Bilt Hamber products be a worthwhile stopgap?

https://bilthamber.com/product-category/anti-corrosion/

Yep Dynax S50 inside and out and then over coat the outside with Dinitrol original chassis black if it's still sold.

 

[Ruffian]

Weld it up, get it retested then,

Re drill some drain holes.
If they are round they could be "factory"

Done similar with micra a while back, drilled a rust spot out with a cone cutter and put a rubber grommet in it.

Then spray with waxoil.
(Maybe even raptor the outside to give it a solid coating)

 

[galooph]

Yep Dynax S50 inside and out and then over coat the outside with Dinitrol original chassis black if it's still sold.

If you decide on the Dynax S50, I spotted that Opie Oils stock Bilt Hamber products, and are a bit cheaper. Even better, they've got a 15% off offer running at the moment using the code 'SALE' – I got an order in earlier today

 

[bricol]

But because it regularly gets dunked through water and used regularly .

That's the key - the regular dunking washing through and clears the slilt and muck that holds damp material against the steel for ages. Including salt in winter time.

Used regularly means regular movement to shake the water out, the air flow then drying the steel.

 

[reb78]

I think the cheapest thing is what uou dont want to do. Clean with a pressure washer, let dry and the cover in waxoyl inside and out. Its not so bad to weld once the white spirit has evaporated.

 

[julianf]

I think the cheapest thing is what uou dont want to do. Clean with a pressure washer, let dry and the cover in waxoyl inside and out. Its not so bad to weld once the white spirit has evaporated.

It would be especially cheap, as ive got a load of tins of "somthing" purchased years ago.

I suspect thats probably the best option. Just dont try to get too much life out of it afterwards (as in more welding)

Weld it up, get it retested then,

It got its pass sheet a few weeks back. Its mud free currently as theres no mud about. I guess i should pressure wash it now, and it will soon dry off, and then cover it in gunk.

 

[Kayos]

Last Disco mot had a note

"Chassis is coated in underseal"

Thank goodness for underseal

 

[sako243]

That's the key - the regular dunking washing through and clears the slilt and muck that holds damp material against the steel for ages. Including salt in winter time.

Shows the difference, Dad's Shogun(s) don't have big drain holes nor in the lowest points of the chassis. He's gone through two Shoguns which have succumbed to rust, my 110 goes through 110x more crap and abuse yet the chassis is still solid.

 

[steveo3002]

i wouldnt waxoyl over existing rust it just forms a layer and the rust carries on

if its end of life ,patch it up , jet wash it all out best you can and spray some old engine oil in there ..since it doesnt dry it keeps on working , can add a few % waxoyl to make it a bit clingy if need be

 

[8ob]

The secret to landy chassis longevity is not to fix the oil leaks

Bob

 

[tom2207]

no waxol ever ,, it WILL come back to haunt you ,,,

ACF50 all the way , Ive just welded the sill on a 2014 toyota pick up this afternoon , I usually patch with 1.2 today I used an old filing cabinet drawer , I have never welded anything so light , it must have been down to 0.6 I dont think it could have started at much over 0.8 , I had a piece to bring home to measure , but I think the wind blew it away when I opened the door ,, suddenly land rover chassis are looking super strong.

 

[tom2207]

i wouldnt waxoyl over existing rust it just forms a layer and the rust carries on

if its end of life ,patch it up , jet wash it all out best you can and spray some old engine oil in there ..since it doesnt dry it keeps on working , can add a few % waxoyl to make it a bit clingy if need be

Used engine oil can be tragic too ,, invest in acf 50 ,,, it wont catch fire when you go back to do any other welding thats a huge bonus , a chassis full of rust and waxol is a scary thing to be welding [ dont ask me how I know].

 

[Tinbasherdan]

From what you describe I imagine it’ll be rotten internally in all the wrong places. 2600 doesn’t seem a lot when the other option is a trailing arm mount tearing off the chassis and you suddenly developing rear wheel steering at 60

 

[reb78]

i wouldnt waxoyl over existing rust it just forms a layer and the rust carries on

if its end of life ,patch it up , jet wash it all out best you can and spray some old engine oil in there ..since it doesnt dry it keeps on working , can add a few % waxoyl to make it a bit clingy if need be

I did 50:50 waxoyl engine oil on mine. I started thinking about replacing it over ten years ago. This mix definitely slowed the rot.

 

[reb78]

From what you describe I imagine it’ll be rotten internally in all the wrong places. 2600 doesn’t seem a lot when the other option is a trailing arm mount tearing off the chassis and you suddenly developing rear wheel steering at 60

I took my 110 off the road in Jan 21 for this reason. Inside the rear a frame crossmember was wrecked with rust. This was apparent as I cut out rust on the outside rail.

New chassis is waiting for time for me to get to it.

 

[julianf]

From what you describe I imagine it’ll be rotten internally in all the wrong places. 2600 doesn’t seem a lot when the other option is a trailing arm mount tearing off the chassis and you suddenly developing rear wheel steering at 60

There's always someone who says something like this, whatever the situation.

Realistically, if you want ultimate safety, don't drive around in somthing made of tin foil.

The trailing arm is unlikely to rip out at 60mph as you're way more likely to put strain on it at a low speed. I managed to snap one once going over a speed bump...

The MOT tester that I use has their own landrovers (plural) and knows where they fail. That's a lot of the reason you have an MOT - someone else's eyes over the job.

Trailing arm mounts are pretty easy to have a look around also.


Again, your comment is pretty s#itty if you ask me. You're basically saying "if you don't spend a whole load of money tomorrow, you will die"

And it's probably not out of care for anyone else either but more to make yourself look important.