300TDi 90 replacement chassis

"Deeeeep breath...………………………………...and relax!"

Thanks, good advice that I should have taken on Saturday.
Trouble is that you know you should just walk away but you also know that you won't be able to switch off and relax until you have beaten it!

You are doing great pal. Big pat on the back!

One job I did manage to make good headway on at the weekend despite the weather was prepping the rear axle A-frame and shock mounts ready for painting. Attacked them with a selection of wire wheels in a drill and got everything down to bare metal ready for etch priming next weekend before a couple of coats of Frosts Extreme Chassis Black.
While I have it all apart I thought it was about time I replaced the two bushes, these are most likely the original ones (I have owned the vehicle since 1999 and never changed them) and I have some Superpro ones sitting on the shelf from when I did the rest of the vehicle a couple of years ago.

Removing & fitting bushes always generates a few comments with some declaring that you must use a press while other say that burning is the way, personally I have always use the holesaw / hacksaw method and found it simple, quick and reliable.
Drill through the rubber with a holesaw and remove the centre, use a hacksaw to cut through the outer sleeve and then tap it out with a punch. Easy!
You don't even need to drill all the way through the rubber (which is very smelly), cut one third of the way through the rubber from each side and then holding the centre tube in a vice just rip the remaining portion by rotating the arm.

Having done the first bush I thought I would time myself removing the second and it took barely 5-minutes.
Won't fit the Superpro bushes until I have finished cleaning and painting but I know that they go in without problems.

Another decent couple of days although looking at the vehicle it doesn't look like I made any real progress.

Eventually I got the bulkhead aligned and did a trial fit of the doors, lots of adjustment required but everything now closes ok and the gaps are good. That done I removed the passenger door as it restricts working space too much (drivers door may come off again soon as well).
With the bulkhead & windscreen frame in the final position I could re-fit the soft-top and tension it correctly (it had been loosely fitted up until now).
Fitted new brake-pipes throughout using an Automec kit.
Pressed the SuperPro A-frame bushes into the newly painted arms (took all of 5-minutes!).

Decided that while there was no passenger door (or floor, sill & tunnel) it was the ideal time to get in and replace the old glass type fuses for blade type.
Carefully snipping the wires I was pleased to see the main harness still in excellent condition and the new spade connectors were crimped & soldered. The new fuseboxes are an excellent fit so only a tiny amount of fettling required to make it look almost factory finish.
Will post some photos later for anyone else thinking of doing it but there are already several threads out there using the same fuseboxes and it seems to be a very popular conversion.







When it came to fitting (and removing) the doors I found it impossible to do the passenger one as with only around 18-inches between the side of the vehicle and the house wall I couldn't get in to hold the door and fit the hinge-screws (these are fully built up all steel doors and I am doing everything singlehanded) so I needed to come up with a solution. An added complication is that the doors are fitted with security hinge-plates so the door has to practically touch the wall (protected with a sheet of ply) before you can move it into position to fit the hinge-screws.
In the end I designed the Defender Door Cradle Mark-2 (Mark-1 was a couple of plastic crates which weren't up to the job!) and it made an impossible job into one that took only minutes to complete. The DDCMk2 consists of my cross-beam adaptor with packing pieces and all covered in a non-scratch surface (old blanket to you & me). Took only minutes to construct and proved to be remarkably effective, I can rest the door on the cradle before pushing it into the gap using just one hand to steady it and can make small adjustments before fitting the hinge-screws.

One thing that is very important about the DDCMk2 is the choice of non-scratch surface.
As you can see I went for purple with tassels but it is completely up to you and if you want a floral material then feel free to do so, also tassels are an option!





Roll on next weekend when maybe it will look like I have actually done something!

Don't know what happened to the photos of the fusebox conversion as all I managed to find was a photo of the finished job.

Excuse the cheap & nasty fuses, these will be replaced with decent ones (of the correct rating) in due course but I wanted to get something in there and this was all I could find.
Doesn't really matter as there is no power connected at the moment!

this is ace nice one!

Your old chassis looks great though, whats wrong with it??

"Your old chassis looks great though, what's wrong with it?"

If i'm honest, not a lot! I am really just doing it to future-proof the vehicle.
I had been meaning to do it for the past couple of years but family issues meant I didn't get around to it so last year I decided that if I didn't do it soon I probably wouldn't feel like doing it (years are creeping up on me) so I placed the order for a new chassis to force me into taking action.

My existing chassis has never been welded (1986 manufacture and I have owned it since it was cast in 1999) but there is some corrosion on the bottom edges of the rear cross-member and in other places you can see that it is forming. Obviously I won't know exactly how dep the corrosion is until I cut up the old chassis so that will be very interesting, when I bought the vehicle I Waxoyled the chassis inside & out plus I top it up from time so I think it has proved worthwhile. There is a kink in the off-side front chassis leg (obviously it was involved in either an accident or a hard landing while in service) but tracking is dead straight and it has never caused any issues other than making it sit slightly lop-sided.
I had always said that I would never weld this chassis and if repairs were necessary then I would just replace it but they have not yet proved necessary and it is my age & enthusiasm that are the driver for replacement.

Litch said:

"Your old chassis looks great though, what's wrong with it?"

If i'm honest, not a lot! I am really just doing it to future-proof the vehicle.
I had been meaning to do it for the past couple of years but family issues meant I didn't get around to it so last year I decided that if I didn't do it soon I probably wouldn't feel like doing it (years are creeping up on me) so I placed the order for a new chassis to force me into taking action.

My existing chassis has never been welded (1986 manufacture and I have owned it since it was cast in 1999) but there is some corrosion on the bottom edges of the rear cross-member and in other places you can see that it is forming. Obviously I won't know exactly how dep the corrosion is until I cut up the old chassis so that will be very interesting, when I bought the vehicle I Waxoyled the chassis inside & out plus I top it up from time so I think it has proved worthwhile. There is a kink in the off-side front chassis leg (obviously it was involved in either an accident or a hard landing while in service) but tracking is dead straight and it has never caused any issues other than making it sit slightly lop-sided.
I had always said that I would never weld this chassis and if repairs were necessary then I would just replace it but they have not yet proved necessary and it is my age & enthusiasm that are the driver for replacement.

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Nice. I will be very interested to see the insides of the chassis when you chop
It up, my ex-mod looks very similar to yours chassis externally but I wonder about the inside. I have squeezed 5l of dinitrol into my chassis and bulkhead twice over the last 7 years and often wonder!

Had a good couple of days despite the wind and horizontal rain yesterday!
Got both axles fitted although I still have to fit the shocks, props and connect the pipework at least it is resting on its wheels and can be rolled around as necessary. The wheels will be removed / fitted several times over the next couple of weeks but it gives it a more complete look.





Disappointed with the condition of my Koni HeavyTrack shocks, especially the rear ones.
They aren't particularly old and their action is still perfect but where the shroud rubs on the tube it has removed the paint down to bare metal and allowed a lot of rust to form. I suppose if the vehicle was still in regular use then maybe the action of the shroud would prevent rust forming but as it has now been parked up for 6-weeks they have deteriorated significantly.
I attacked them with my wire-wheel and got the tubes down to bare metal however it took some time to get through the areas of rust. Have etch primed them and applied a good top coat so will see how that holds up, don't want to ditch them as they were quite expensive so let's hope the re-paint gives them a few extra years?

Ordered some Gwyn Lewis mud shields Thursday evening and was extremely pleased & surprised when they turned up 9AM Saturday morning meaning I could get them fitted before the rear axle went into position. I have had the Front Outrigger Inner Wing Mud Shields for years now and really rate them as they prevent anything hitting the bottom of the footwell so expect the rear ones to be just as effective.
Fitting wasn't a problem and while the Rear X-Member Mud Shields are installed in a matter of minutes the Front of Rear Wheel Mud Shields are a far more comprehensive kit and take a little longer. They provide lots of protection but still allow you to get in with a hose to clean behind when necessary. The brackets are galvanised and made of decent thickness steel.
Excuse the photos but had to use a flash and it shows up all the grease smears and fingermarks!








Unfortunately I ordered these after I had bought alloy front & rear wing stays from YRM and the Gwyn Lewis kit now makes the rear ones redundant.
To add insult to injury, the front ones are not required either as I had forgotten that I fitted galvanised stays when I had my bulkhead galvanised!
YRM alloy wing stays anyone?

Major bummer!!!
After working hard on the 90 every weekend for the past couple of months (as an essential worker I am still working full-time and don't work on the LR in the evenings) I thought I would take the bank holiday Monday off and spend some time with my wife. Helping with some DIY I managed to put my back out reaching up to lift a (tiny) tin of varnish off the shelf!
Not feeling much better today so don't know how much (if any) work I will get done this weekend, shame as I was looking to fit the props, shocks, seatbox and start connecting things up.

Well, the bad back finally subdued and I managed to get some serious work done last weekend, prior to that over the previous couple of weekends I had been forced to doing little more than just pottering about. That said, it did give me plenty of time to ponder and I came up with a few solutions to things that had been making me think (more of that later).

So the seatbox went in, props, inner & outer arches plus radiator / intercooler so it is really starting to look like something now. Wanting to do "just one more job" before it got too late on Saturday I even managed to bleed the brakes using my faithful Sealey VS820 (even better than the Eezibleed which is saying something!).




Next job is making up new battery cables (I made up the current set 20-years ago) this time incorporating a Megafuse on the main feed (which runs via an FIA switch) plus a similar type of fuse on the feed serving the perm live fusebox (alarm, radio, interior light etc).
Looking around for a Megafuse which connects directly to the battery terminal I was pleasantly surprised to find that LR fitted them to the Puma (and other models) so I immediately ordered one and a trial fit shows that it should do the job perfectly.



Making up new battery cables (using 50sq mm Hi-Flex) is no bother but after wondering what to do about fitting the lugs (in the past I used my works hydraulic crimper but nowadays I don't have access to anything like that and I didn't fancy one of the cheap Chinese hydraulic ones) went for a Draper 64335. Thoroughly recommend it as it makes excellent crimps while not costing much money, also unlike a cheap hydraulic one which could leak after a few weeks / months / years this one will always work.



I had been pondering where to mount a set of relays to save the headlights running through the switchgear (thought I had done this 20-years ago but it appears not!).
Space is at a premium and not wanting to have individual relays cluttering up the bonnet area I started to look for alternatives. In the end I went for an Ebay special which looked like it would fit the bill but if it didn't then it wasn't much money wasted (I didn't go for the full kit which includes cheap fuses & relays but just the bare box into which I shall fit my own Hella relays). When it arrived I was pleasantly surprised at how sturdy it is and I have now found a location between the PAS reservoir & washer bottle. Will post a photo of it in situ when done but here is the basic box.




One thing that has become apparent is that my Bearmach rock-sliders (which I have had for 20-years) are not going to fit without some serious fettling. I have always considered them some of the better ones available as they are a good size box section plus they have a pair of brackets that fit under the bulkhead (most only have one).




I noticed when fitting the rear tub that the tubular outriggers are back slightly compared to my original chassis (the only difference I have come across with my Richards chassis) and I had to use spacers to make up the difference of about 15-20mm. As the tube on my sliders is fixed this means that the forward bracket fouls the bulkhead outrigger so the only way to get them to fit is to remove one of the brackets which sort of defeats the object. Also with them being slightly further back I will have to trim the rear eyebrows while there will be a slight gap at the front.
Shame as I had them re-galvanised only a few years ago.

Looking at some Galvanised Terrafirma ones as these appear to have some adjustment where the tubular bracket mounts, may go for the TF801GAL which have the built in tree-bars which would help protect my new front doors!

Onwards to next weekend!

Well done. Fantastic progress.

Got all the electrics connected yesterday but left it until this morning before I fitted the battery and went through all the circuits to make sure everything worked.
With everything successfully checked I fitted the air intake and replenished the fluids before cranking over. Despite having been drained down 10-weeks ago it fired up immediately and and sounds as sweet as a nut. New Demand SS exhaust sounds ok, too close to the wall to get any real sense of noise level but if it is louder than stock it isn't noticeable at idle.

Hopefully I can spend next weekend getting the front-end finished and then set about the interior (tunnel, floor, seats etc) and if it is mobile (i.e. if I move the old chassis out of the way) I can fit the passenger door which up until now was only fitted to check alignment before being removed again.
Feels good to be on the home straight but I am sure something will find a way of biting me before I am finished to stop me being too self satisfied!




Managed to get a photo of my new underbonnet relay / fuse-box. Does the job perfectly and fits neatly between the washer bottle & PAS reservoir. If I need to remove the plastic cover to get at the shock it just unbolts and swings out of the way.
It also contains the relay (and hides) a pair of Fiamm AM80S horns which are tucked away under the N/S wing. These are OE quality but seriously loud, had them sitting around for over a year but was waiting until I had sorted out the relay location before fitting them.





Cut out a couple of small sections of my old chassis the other day (a visiting friend of my neighbour was showing just a little too much interest in it) so I made sure that I removed the section showing the chassis number and while I was at it the front crossmember and N/S chassis leg as well. These areas are multi-layer steel and so far there is no evidence whatsoever of any rust either inside or out, even behind the bumper mountings.

Keep going pal, you are getting there!

Looking good, your getting thru it quickly!

As I have gone through the work I have accumulated quite a few items which I no-longer have a need for but are still perfectly serviceable. In due course (when I have put together a comprehensive list) I will be posting them in the For Sale section so please direct queries through that but in the mean time if anyone is in the market for any of the following items and is on a budget then please bare me in mind. I won't be wanting much in the way of cash (for most of them at least) as when the time comes I will be more interested in just getting rid to save space.

300TDi 90 exhaust system. Used SS down-pipe & recent SS straight through centre section, excellent condition. Mild steel tail-pipe but only 2-years old and should be good for another 3-years or so.
Fuel tank. Possibly not work re-painting(?) but sender & pick-up pipes are sound.
Rear chassis wiring harness (MOD spec). All appears to be good, not cut or bodged.
Galvanised bulkhead to front wing stays.
Galvanised fuel-tank front bracket.
Rear-tub to body stays (steel).
Chassis to seatbelt-stalk anchorage brackets.
Rear-tub to body stays (aluminium, brand new from YRM but painted before I realised that I didn't need them with my Gwyn Lewis splashguard kit).
300TDi radiator (brass / copper). Main structure is solid but some fins have started to corrode (I only noticed when I removed it and gave it a brush down). Still usable as it is or use as the basis for a re-core.
Bearmach Blue springs.
4L of T-Wash, bought 5L as I had no idea how much I would need and used little over 1L.
In time I will probably sell my SGS 2-ton engine hoist along with the load leveller, shackles & strops. I bought this a couple of years ago when I first thought about doing a chassis swop and it has proved a real boon, being the HD version it has better reach & height. Folds away but still takes up too much room in my (little) shed. Was perfect for single person lifting and manoeuvring of the rear tub, bulkhead and of course the engine / transmission as a single lump.

Photos will be posted when items are listed correctly in the For Sale section.

As is the case in a chassis swop, many other items have been replaced which normally would have been fine for many more years (PAS & brake pipes, door seals, numerous nuts & bolts etc) but it makes sense (and is nicer) to fit new when putting it all together so it will be with a heavy heart that otherwise serviceable items go for scrap.

Huddy84 said:

Looking good, your getting thru it quickly!

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Thanks.
Yes, it might seem like a long time but as I have stated (many times!) before I am working full time so only working on the 90 at weekends and have no help whatsoever so everything is done single-handed. Had set aside the summer to complete it so at the moment it is looking like being completed a bit earlier than expected. Of course the main advantage is that apart from a few modifications to the wiring (which I have detailed previously) everything has either just been swopped from one chassis to the other or replaced with new, very little has had to be re-furbished along the way which is a great time saver.
It also helped that I had done so much prep work beforehand. Rear tub was removed and painted last summer, likewise new front doors were painted, built-up & fitted last year so those just had to be moved across. Even getting the chassis delivered on time worked out well (i.e. just before lockdown) as the weather was good(ish) so I managed to prep & paint it before taking the 90 off the road at the beginning of April.

Despite the rain yesterday and the wind which never let up the whole weekend I managed to get it to a stage where finishing is just a few short(?) jobs away!!!

Bumper on and sport-lights re-wired. Floor, tunnel, centre-console and seats fitted - that was Saturday.
Bonnet fitted (that was fun in the wind today, kept trying to lift me away!) and with vehicle properly mobile (i.e. floor & seat) I got it away from the wall to give me plenty of room to fit the passenger door which because it had been trial-fitted a few weeks ago went straight on and aligned nicely. Finish off with the front eyebrows and it "looks" almost complete.
Still plenty of jobs to do but I really feel I am getting close to the finishing line.

Just ordered some new Terrafirma rock sliders (TF801GAL) to replace my faithful Bearmach ones.
Due to the difference in the location of the tubular outriggers on the Richards chassis my Bearmach ones won't fit unless I start hacking them about (which I don't want to do) whereas the Terrafirma ones look like they have some adjustment.
Hopefully they will be here for next weekend when I hope to have a final push to get the jobs done and then get it out on the road for a shakedown run.




Also took a few photos of the old chassis where I cut a couple of pieces off the other day. As you can see the multi layer construction at this point (front chassis leg) means there is a lot of steel in there and as yet I have not found any rust (surface rust has since formed on the cuts).

You have done a great job, very well done and a big pat on the back. The truck is looking fantastic and it has a piece of mind chassis under it. It does look like the existing chassis wasn't that bad - but job done now and many years in it!

Really enjoyed your reporting of the work you have done.

"Just ordered some new Terrafirma rock sliders (TF801GAL) to replace my faithful Bearmach ones.
Due to the difference in the location of the tubular outriggers on the Richards chassis my Bearmach ones won't fit unless I start hacking them about (which I don't want to do) whereas the Terrafirma ones look like they have some adjustment.
Hopefully they will be here for next weekend when I hope to have a final push to get the jobs done and then get it out on the road for a shakedown run."

Well that was a disappointment.
New rock sliders arrived at 8AM this morning (great prompt service) but when I unwrapped them this evening it appears I have been send the ones for a 110 (thought the parcel was a bit long). I checked my order (which was ok) but I can see how it happened as the part numbers are a bit close, TF801GAL for a 90 and TF810GAL for a 110.
Have asked the supplier (Maltings Offroad) to arrange collection when the correct ones are delivered, hope they arrive in time for the weekend!