hawky666 · Dec 18, 2023

Hi folks.
Can anyone give some pointers as to if this is straight forward or not possible to do??
Not sure if I need to change axle but passenger side wheel took a heavy knock and being advised may be wise to change axle if I’m able to get back on road.
2.5yr re build.. 6wks back on road and now written off by insurance.
Totally gutted and lost as to what to do.
Last pic was before hit.

Anaconda · Dec 18, 2023

Whoever has it in for repair should do a wheel alignment as part of the damage assessment.
Needs to be a fair bit of damage to right off a Defender.

hawky666 · Dec 18, 2023

theyve already written it off.. stated couldnt align out of the red but have given very little (in fact no reason) as to why.
They simply adviced could be axle damage, and damaged suspension.. but nothing visible and they basically didnt want to go any further with it.
was a slam dunk none fault and the assessor garage was under staffed and stacked in work, so i feel just took an easier option.
pass front wheel if pointing very slightly outwards at front.

Anaconda · Dec 18, 2023

Ask them for the wheel alignment report. Steering arm might be bent, swivel pins might be bent. All depends what is actually out of spec. If it has been hit hard enough to bend the axle tube there should be some obvious damage elsewhere I would have thought.
That can't be the only damage.

Wimblowdriver · Dec 18, 2023

Avoid using a puma front axle. They are subject to a safety recall due to suspect welds at the flange end of the axle tubes. The wheels can collapse / fall off without warning. The recall fix doesn't fix the axle, it just stops the wheels falling off when they eventually fail. Search this forum for N706 for more info. (That's JLR's recall ref number).

hawky666 · Dec 18, 2023

Wimblowdriver said:
Avoid using a puma front axle. They are subject to a safety recall due to suspect welds at the flange end of the axle tubes. The wheels can collapse / fall off without warning. The recall fix doesn't fix the axle, it just stops the wheels falling off when they eventually fail. Search this forum for N706 for more info. (That's JLR's recall ref number).

Thats good to know, Thanks

Anaconda · Dec 18, 2023

The early axles had different width radius arms. You need to match radius arms with the axle.

hawky666 · Dec 18, 2023

Anaconda said:
The early axles had different width radius arms. You need to match radius arms with the axle.

yeh, been reading on that and appreciate the guidence.

Dr Strangeglove · Dec 20, 2023

I am not an expert on this, but I believe there were a couple of changes. Firstly as mentioned, the radius arms were changed to a wider version which were about 5mm wider - I think about the time of the switch from 200tdi to 300tdi. Mine is a 1993 90 and I needed to change radius arms when I changed my axle case.

I believe there was a further change to the panhard rod bracket, but I can't tell you when that was. I am sure someone else will be able to let you know when this was.

dag019 · Dec 22, 2023

Anaconda said:
Whoever has it in for repair should do a wheel alignment as part of the damage assessment.
Needs to be a fair bit of damage to right off a Defender.

No it doesn’t. A write off is about rebuild cost using new parts and labour and new parts cost very quickly become more than the vehicle is worth. There does not need to be much at all to write one off. No Land Rover would ever get a new chassis (galv replacement) on insurance company calculations they would all be “written off” but lots of people fit them because it is not just a computer calculation from A company trying to make a profit. If it is already written off take the money and buy back the vehicle and then you can use your own garage/do the work yourself rather than needing to use a terrible Insurmace work garage that will only Be familiar with modern plastic tat! I feel your pain I had a long argument with the Insurmace with mine before getting it back to rebuild (LINK)

As above although already written off I would Try taking it to another garage familiar or specialising in land rovers for a full alignment and inspection. As mentioned above there are lots of more fragile parts that would stop an alignment before the actual axle tube. Steering rods, swivel bearing/bushes, etc. I had a car drive into the side of my front tyre at low speed (didn’t go through insurance) but on first inspection it bent the steering bar. Replaced that and took it to the local specialist for an alignment and they couldn’t align it and diagnosed a collapsed swivel bush. Rebuilt the swivel took it back and it aligned with no issue.

Anaconda · Dec 22, 2023

dag019 said:
No it doesn’t. A write off is about rebuild cost using new parts and labour and new parts cost very quickly become more than the vehicle is worth. There does not need to be much at all to write one off. No Land Rover would ever get a new chassis (galv replacement) on insurance company calculations they would all be “written off” but lots of people fit them because it is not just a computer calculation from A company trying to make a profit. If it is already written off take the money and buy back the vehicle and then you can use your own garage/do the work yourself rather than needing to use a terrible Insurmace work garage that will only Be familiar with modern plastic tat! I feel your pain I had a long argument with the Insurmace with

I disgree, you have £40k Defenders out there a new chassis would not write it off, the fact there is no money in it for the repairer would encourage them to write it off.
Even a £15k Defender would take a bit of effort to write off with a new wing and some mechanical work.
There was no chassis damage listed in the estimate.

tottot · Dec 22, 2023

Motor manufactures and insurance companies encourage the writing off of damaged vehicles that are more than a few years old even if that damage is mostly cosmetic so they can sell more cars.
The words of a friend who ran a vehicle repair works for many years.

RustyDefender · Dec 22, 2023

What category did it get?

dag019 · Dec 22, 2023

Anaconda said:
I disgree, you have £40k Defenders out there a new chassis would not write it off, the fact there is no money in it for the repairer would encourage them to write it off.
Even a £15k Defender would take a bit of effort to write off with a new wing and some mechanical work.
There was no chassis damage listed in the estimate.

Most defenders are not 40k most are 10-20k. And a rechassis is regularly touted as 6-8k as a diy. By the time you put labour on top for a garage to do the work as an insurance company will you can easily get to the 12-15k mark which then will be a write off because I they write off at about 75% of value. Not full Value. There is also the liability of repairs etc. as @tottot says. The default position is to write it off, for most vehicles it is not a problem. It is only because of the nature of a defender we do not just want a new replacement.

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