Chassis swap

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Benji55

Member
Posts
51
Location
Berkshire
Hi. New member here about to start the replacement of my 1986 defender chassis. Just wondering if anyone can offer any advice from their experience. I’m especially worried about body removal. Should I try and remove as a whole, I’ve seen some very ingenious treads on how people achieved this without a 2 post lift, or would dismantling the sections be wiser. How difficult / time consuming is it to reassemble the body on rebuild.
Thanks
 
I've done it both ways, on my 90 I removed all the body panels so they could be repaired and painted. The bulkhead needed welding. Everything unbolted easy enough (some bolts snapped which is expected). 2 people needed to lift the rear tub and bulkhead off avery thing else I did on my own. Refitting was easy enough, I put the rear tub on first then the bulkhead, then everything else finishing with the roof/doors.
My brothers 110, removed engine/gearbox first then lifted the whole body up using a gantry type hoist I made with a strap on the top hinges on front doors. On the back we made up a scaffold frame and lifted it from the swing away wheel carrier. Once high enough we pulled the chassis out and dropped the body down on blocks.
Rebuilt the new chassis with suspension/axles then put the body back on and refit engine/gearbox.
 
Forgot to add, if your bodywork doesn't need anything doing to it (doubtful for that year lol), then I'd suggest lifting it up as a whole. Undoing all the panels and refitting is a bit more time consuming
 
Hi Steve and thank you for the reply, very informative and helpful. My hope is to do as much of the project alone using my engine hoist to lift any heavy parts. Hope I’m not being unrealistic.
thanks
 
Benji55 said:
Hi Steve and thank you for the reply, very informative and helpful. My hope is to do as much of the project alone using my engine hoist to lift any heavy parts. Hope I’m not being unrealistic.
thanks
Click to expand...
I did my Disco that way - not too difficult until I got to the point of lifting the body clear in order to wheel the old chassis out. The body has to go scary high to clear the wheel arches - and the supports have to be wide enough to allow the wheels to pass. And then of course, it always takes longer than you expect to swap the chassis and get the body back down - life has a habit of getting in the way just when you need to get things done.
Health and Safety would have had a fit!! But I got it done :eek:
 
Benji55 said:
Hi Steve and thank you for the reply, very informative and helpful. My hope is to do as much of the project alone using my engine hoist to lift any heavy parts. Hope I’m not being unrealistic.
thanks
Click to expand...

If you're on your own then it's probably best/safer to remove the panels, the rear tub isn't too heavy it's more awkward to lift, could probably do it with an engine hoist if it has enough reach to the balance point.
I lifted my disco 2 body up as a whole using bottle Jack's and resting it on box section bearers supported on builders stands. Did it all on my own and wasn't too bad. Can't think where the best place to put bearers on a 90/110, under rear tub above the back axle should be ok and under the bulkhead (where the bolts go through the outriggers) would be the best bet
 
Beneagles said:
I did my Disco that way - not too difficult until I got to the point of lifting the body clear in order to wheel the old chassis out. The body has to go scary high to clear the wheel arches - and the supports have to be wide enough to allow the wheels to pass. And then of course, it always takes longer than you expect to swap the chassis and get the body back down - life has a habit of getting in the way just when you need to get things done.
Health and Safety would have had a fit!! But I got it done :eek:
Click to expand...

Was a bit sketchy when I lifted my disco body up, ended up taking the rear springs out and resting the chassis down on the axle and letting the air out of the tyres, stands were at their max height
 
steve24v said:
Was a bit sketchy when I lifted my disco body up, ended up taking the rear springs out and resting the chassis down on the axle and letting the air out of the tyres, stands were at their max height
Click to expand...
Yeah...think if I did it again I would remove the wheels and use a dolly to move both the old and then new chassis out and in.
:)
 
Beneagles said:
Yeah...think if I did it again I would remove the wheels and use a dolly to move both the old and then new chassis out and in.
:)
Click to expand...

That's the best way, did think about getting them little 4 wheeled trollies that would have fitted under the wheel hubs once the wheels are removed. However I'm too tight to pay for 4 of them so did it the dodgy way lol
 
steve24v said:
That's the best way, did think about getting them little 4 wheeled trollies that would have fitted under the wheel hubs once the wheels are removed. However I'm too tight to pay for 4 of them so did it the dodgy way lol
Click to expand...
You can do it by just fitting rims without tyres as the wheels. Gives you a lot more clearance/ need to lift things a lot less. I did that when removing the axles from my series to rebuild. Jack up as high as possible and support on max reach stands. Then swap the wheels to rims And lower down. Had just enough clearance to remove it under the bumper and crosssmember. Same principal should mean you need to lift the body 6-8inches less.
 
Thanks everyone, this is so helpful and reassuring. I really want to do the swap myself and do all the little bits like brake pipes, bushes, clutch etc. However, as soon as I placed the order and paid for the chassis (the point of no return) I suddenly felt out of my depth and panicking.
The moving dollies are a really great idea. Removing the wheels would lower the whole thing making jacking and supporting the body much easier and safer. Axles would be lighter also so easier to line up and mount onto new chassis. I assume that’s what you were suggesting.
 
What is the bulkhead like?...and remember if removing body as 1 it's not going back on its original chassis and wont be so easy to line up also there will be more corrosion than you think on body panels...I would strip panels off clean and sort if the chassis is shot there will be more rot...
 
Being an 86, you will probably have to repair/ replace the bearers for the tub where they sit on the chassis rails. It really depends if your stopping at a chassis change or doing a complete rebuild. If you're building, it's so much easier and better to strip it completely and change rusty bolts and treat rot in panels that bolt to the steel chassis.
 
Shippers said:
What is the bulkhead like?...and remember if removing body as 1 it's not going back on its original chassis and wont be so easy to line up also there will be more corrosion than you think on body panels...I would strip panels off clean and sort if the chassis is shot there will be more rot...
Click to expand...
The bulkhead looks ok from what I can see. I was planning to remove the front wings first to see the bulkhead condition better and reduce the size of body. I’ve removed the floor panels and so far everything look suspiciously solid other than the chassis.
 
I ran a thread about my own 90 chassis swop (single-handed at home) a couple of years ago, it was a strip-down job rather than a straight body-swop but may still be of help?
The only problem about moving the body straight across is that you will be missing all sorts of issues that you will have to address later (when they are more difficult to get to). Taking it apart takes longer, is almost certainly more expensive but will lead to a better finished job.

300TDi 90 replacement chassis | LandyZone - Land Rover Forum
Code: 
https://www.landyzone.co.uk/land-rover/300tdi-90-replacement-chassis.359034/


Don't seem to be able to past a direct link but if you copy & past the wording from either of the above links it will take you straight to it.
 
Litch said:
Correction, the links DO work (they didn't on the preview page)!
Click to expand...
Thanks Litch I will read your thread later, I find other peoples accounts very interesting and informative.

I totally agree that to fully dismantle is a better and proper refurb. I’m not too worried about the additional either really as, like most people on here, my Landu is my pride and joy and whilst I’ve no intention of selling her I consider money spent as an investment. The opposite of my everyday car. My concern is how much extra time it will add to the chassis swap. I already worry I’ve bitten of more than I can manage, the less time needed the more confident I feel I will get it finished.
Thanks again for you advice, much appreciated.
 
Litch said:
Correction, the links DO work (they didn't on the preview page)!
Click to expand...
Hi. I just finished reading your thread, thank you for the link. Wow that was so impressive, not just the attention to detail but how quickly you progressed with the limited time, man power and facilities. I’ve never seen it carried out in the order that you chose, but understand how it reduced the space required moving the parts directly from old to new chassis.
Thanks for sharing it was very informative
 
Benji55 said:
Thanks everyone, this is so helpful and reassuring. I really want to do the swap myself and do all the little bits like brake pipes, bushes, clutch etc. However, as soon as I placed the order and paid for the chassis (the point of no return) I suddenly felt out of my depth and panicking.
The moving dollies are a really great idea. Removing the wheels would lower the whole thing making jacking and supporting the body much easier and safer. Axles would be lighter also so easier to line up and mount onto new chassis. I assume that’s what you were suggesting.
Click to expand...
Many of us on the forum have done rebuilds or chassis swaps, so there's no need to panic. You can get help with every nut and bolt if needed.
What's the hurry with getting it done? If you have the time (took me over two years, but that was only working on my drive when weather permitted) I'd take the panels off and make sure they're all repaired. I'd replace a lot of steel sections with galvanised steel. Otherwise, you might finish a very big job with a lot of regrets?
 
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