Disco 2 Chassis crack near steering box

Howdy

I've spotted a crack on my chassis behind the driver side front wheel below the steering box. Looks like a previous owner did a home repair as there is a weld, but the chassis is cracking along the weld and along the bottom + other side too. Hasn't reached the top yet.

I've read this is a common fault when the car is fitted with a bull bar, and apparently LR used to manufacture patch repair parts under number KVZ000120.

I haven't been able to locate one, but a friend of mine is an expert structural welder, and willing to fabricate one and do the repairs. I am looking for information about how the part is fitted, preferably photos of one in position. The shape of the part is a bit puzzling.

Has anyone out there had to get this done, or happens to have one of these under their D2?

For reference, here is the only post I've found online so far referring to this issue:
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/technical-chatter/23110-discovery-2-chassis-cracking-3.html
Photos of the part at post #24, and my post at #29. Have pasted images below but not sure if they're uploading correctly.

Photo of the part:


Photos of the crack on my car:



Much appreciated!

is it possible they are left and right handed, and your crack is opposite the photo your showing

That has been cracked for a very long time.

Its difficult to see its exact location , but as excoded welder /fab welder I would say it repairable, and I would probably chop out the rot and put in an insert, not plate over it as you can see whats going on under a plate, using 3mm plate and a section of 3mm pipe to get the radius corner

frostythor said:

chop out the rot and put in an insert, not plate over it

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Always. I have just done a chassis repair where it was rather awkward to chop the crap out, and it weakened the structure significantly to do so - in fact I had to make a couple of brackets to hold the rotten member in relative position whilst new material was welded in place.. Took longer to work out what to do, make the brackets and fasten it all together, than it did to weld it !

yes it can take longer but its normally worth it, Im half way through a 'Flintstone' Morris Minor1000 bucket of rust

frostythor said:

yes it can take longer but its normally worth it

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Amen - IME, rot is easier to deal with than Prince of Darkness electronics

frostythor said:

Im half way through a 'Flintstone' Morris Minor1000 bucket of rust

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My first real memory is of my Fathers Minor Traveller having that issue ... when it fell in half (!), he took the running gear off, and rolled it onto a mattress he had acquired, and repaired it ..