I need to do the springs / shocks on my 90 defender (200 TDi). There's an access panel on the inner wing above the shock turret: do I need to remove this? Or can I get away with leaving it in place?

remove them + you may have to move your header tank , also buy the turret retaining rings as the bolts will snap off ( there cheap anyway ) .

if you are replacing the shocks and springs, you might as well buy some turrets as well
(not too expensive on e-bay) because the top nuts will be well corroded and the turrets might be as well (the turret ring nuts might shear off too but with a bit of patience and lots of plus gas you should be ok) then once you have got the bottom nuts free you can lift the shocker and turret as one up through the engine compartment and chuck-em away, you can make up the new ones the same way and lower them into the spring and the lower mounting plate (watch how the bush/washer arrangement is and do the same with the new ones. Torque the fixings up to the book and all's done.

Cheers chaps. Just got them both off. The big problem was the bottom shock mount nut as it just turned the shock when I tried to undo it. Ended up cutting through the shock body with an angle grinder (sprayed shock oil everywhere!), to release the thing, off with the spring then hacked the shock bottom out. All ready for refitting after I get some new turrets. I'm fitting HD springs, so do you think the galv HD turrets are worth the extra cost?

bottom bolts always turn like that, get some big grips on the shock and get a mate to hold it! and unscrew the pannel that covers the turrets in the engine bay, i have a 2" lift with galvd turrets and the pannel just screwed back on...