109 drop plate

T-C · Jun 12, 2021

My 109 doesn't have a drop plate. I think I will need an extended one due to the height of the crossmember. I found this one below bit it looks like the mounting point as in the middle, so half of the drop plate will go above the crossmember and block the tailgate?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324251552128?epid=1638064477&hash=item4b7ee60980:g:S4QAAOSwt4VfKsjk

I would prefer an adjustable one but having trouble finding one with the mounting holes at the top rather than the middle that also is not really expensive. Can anyone recomend any?
Do I need to make support brackets? I've been told conflicting advice.

dag019 · Jun 15, 2021

I would say to fit something of the style you have linked you would need support brackets, and unfortunately the easiest way is likely to be buying the kit (plenty s/h) specific for land rover. But the mounting holes are not at the top because it does not mount directly to the cross member, there should be an piece of angle iron bolted below the cross member that it mounts to which lowers the mounting point meaning it does not foul on the tail gate. (If you go down this route i am sure I have the angle iron piece required in my garage but I moved house at the weekend and have not yet unpacked everything!).
pics from google:

land-rover-defender-90-adjustable-tow-bar-kit-1998-onwards-ba-192a.-1056-p.jpg

Have you looked at the original series style fixed drop plate? I know it is not adjustable but unless you regularly radically tow different trailers you do not really need it and even an adjustable one is likely to spend its whole life in the same position. These also do bolt directly to the cross member and you do not need to worry about the additional angle iron part.

T-C · Jun 15, 2021

Thanks for your help. That makes sense now. I have started looking at the normal drop plate but not sure if I need a normal one or military one. The holes I have are in the picture below. It’s an ex military vehicle but I think I need the normal drop plate?

Wildefalcon · Jun 15, 2021

Ex mil crossmembers are different. The standard Dixon bate drop plate doesn't fit, there are no holes for the angle section steel that braces the drop plate.

I made a shorter drop plate for my lightweight, with defender style brace bars to custom brackets welded on the chassis.

Your chassis is galvanised, so that option is a lot more difficult for you.

I can get photos if that would help.

dag019 · Jun 16, 2021

T-C said:
Thanks for your help. That makes sense now. I have started looking at the normal drop plate but not sure if I need a normal one or military one. The holes I have are in the picture below. It’s an ex military vehicle but I think I need the normal drop plate?

View attachment 240548

Do you know what corssmemebr is fitter, as it has had a new chassis it might not still be sat on a military version, that bolt pattern looks to be the same as the defender has on the cross memeber, and you may/may not have the mounting point for the angle iron as it it is not original.

T-C · Jun 16, 2021

dag019 said:
Do you know what corssmemebr is fitter, as it has had a new chassis it might not still be sat on a military version, that bolt pattern looks to be the same as the defender has on the cross memeber, and you may/may not have the mounting point for the angle iron as it it is not original.

It was on that chassis when I got it so I don’t know unfortunately.

T-C · Jun 16, 2021

This is the full crossmember. A quick google hints that it is a military one as it is rectangular rather than the bottom edge sweeping upwards towards the ends.

Wildefalcon · Jun 16, 2021

This is the civvy arrangement. It's considerably deeper than the mil spec, allowing for more strength to resist sideways force at the bottom of the drop plate.

T-C · Jun 16, 2021

It looks like I need a military one then. I think I’ll go with a non adjusting one as it sounds like it will be more work and as mentioned above will probably rarely need adjusting.

T-C · Jun 16, 2021

I sent the picture to paddocks and they say I should need the military drop plate but the holes don’t quite match what I have. Not sure what it had on in the past but I think I’ll just try the military drop plate and adjust it to fit.

T-C · Jun 23, 2021

Just to follow this up I got the military drop plate and it does fit. Someones enlarged two of the holes in the past but they do line up. Now just need to figure out where to mount some support brackets onto the chassis.

109 drop plate

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