Defender Rear Step fitting

The bolts on my 110 were 3/8" Whitworth - it's possible that the later defenders had metric and that's in the kit (in which case I'd try to get some of the Whitworth bolts), or that someone has drilled and retapped for metric (or AF) in which case I'd try and get the re-tapped bolts. Your local fastener place might have someone like Apex fasteners where there's a lass who can recognise a thread from 40 paces and isn't afraid to grovel round the back of your Landy to identify a thread (how I know that mine were

3/8" Whit!).

On or around Sat, 24 Jan 2004 18:29:18 +0000, Zen enlightened us thusly:

My 110, 1983/4 build, seems to have M10 bolts doing that job.

not impossible that there were some with 3/8", though I seriously doubt you'd find whitworth on a 110, especially one that new. measure the bolts in the kit as a first step.

The rear folding step part no is MTC3084 up to to WA138479, and KVI100030 for WA138480 on - however both superceed to STC7632, so nothing has changed. The fixings to the rear crossmember are 2 x SH110201 M10 x 20 bolts.

Richard

On or around Mon, 26 Jan 2004 08:01:44 +0000, richard.watson enlightened us thusly:

that's about what mine has. Mind, I've instituted a policy that anything that gets unbolted off mine gets put back with stainless bolts and nuts where appropriate.

Screwfix do stainless bolts at reasonable sorts of prices, if you want metric ones.

Bearing in mind that the step carries a, possibly quite significant, load and allowing for it hitting things I'm not convinced stainless is strong enough for this application. These bolts are high tensile - just a thought.

Richard

On or around Mon, 26 Jan 2004 10:24:09 +0000, richard.watson enlightened us thusly:

it folds up when you hit it though. unless you leave it down and reverse across a ditch, oops. then it folded up rather more permanently, and I had to unbolt it and straighten the brackets.

the stainless ones seem pretty strong. They're marked things like A2-70, no idea what that means, but consider that there are stainless steels good enough to make decent knives now.

aha:

is interesting. ditto

for high-tensile though it's not completely clear - tensile strength must either be specific (force unit/dimension) or vary according to the diameter.

I wish...... mines now at 45% to where our Our Lord Wilkes intended - but it still works, so there it is staying! (went down a step a bit quick near Mam Torr)

Richard

Tensile strength is force per unit area (i.e.. N/mm^2 or MegaPascal) It's the same units as pressure, but in the opposite direction :-)

Andrew

Just found this straight after my last post :

Apparently stainless steel A2-70 is about 85% as strong as high-tensile steel.

Andrew

Just remember that tensile strength is not the whole story. Though if you're bolting together the body panels on a Defender, the strength of the bolts is probably far more than needed.

On or around Tue, 27 Jan 2004 11:57:56 -0000, "Andrew" enlightened us thusly:

which is about what I found, I think. A2-80 if you can find 'em would be about the same as 8.8 high tensile, and by the opposite argument, if A2-70 isn't strong enough, then you'd really want to be using more than 8.8

and to whoever thought that captive 6mm nuts inside the outrigger to mount the mudflaps on were a good idea, I can only say thanks very much, pal.

Naturally, one of the sods came loose on the inside.

Oh yeah, I completely agree. Tensile strength is only one factor, although fairly high on the list of priorities. Interestingly, although stainless steel has about 85% the tensile strength of high tensile steel, it has equivalent, or slightly higher, shear strength. This would suggest that for something like a rear step (and don't forget the generous safety factor that would have been designed in), stainless would be a good choice - given the fact that it won't corrode and weaken over time.

Andrew

Correct. You want A2-80 to be equal to normal UNF high tensile.

Gordon

On or around Tue, 27 Jan 2004 15:36:23 -0000, "Andrew" enlightened us thusly:

high tensile bolts are not that good in shear - apparently, they can work-harden and shear more easily. Or so I read somewhere. The big pin that holds the dixon-bate sliding hitch to the bit on the vehicle is apparently mild steel - which may be relevant - no tensile load at all on that, only shear - you'd want it not to fail by breaking suddenly too.

On or around 27 Jan 2004 08:44:50 -0800, snipped-for-privacy@drytecltd.com (Gordon) enlightened us thusly:

but I suspect that A2-70 is good enough for most applications, unless summat like 10.8 or 12.9 bolts are fitted originally, which are pretty rare.

except on the ends of your front axle tubes, those are 10.8 ( and will break all too readily if replaced by 8.8 propshaft bolts as is quite commonly done).

Richard

On or around Tue, 27 Jan 2004 23:12:53 +0000, richard.watson enlightened us thusly:

summat to watch out for. Are these the ones that hold the swivels on? On mine, the propshaft bolts are 3/8" UNF, while the ones holding the swivels are M10, ISTR. Thats on a 110.

Series have nuts and bolts, coilers have bolts only.

Richard

Thanks all,

It definitely is not M10.

It is just that gnats too big.

Have ordered up a couple of 3/8 stainless.

Fingers crossed

Thanks

Zen