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churchy

Member Since: 28 Jul 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 236

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black

Cracked back door

Hi all,

Have recently been getting a very annoying rattle from rear door so did the usual like checking the tightness of the spare (which has come loose before) but on inspection noticed two cracks in the side of the door running in behind the door card at lock level and also the lower weld on one of the vertical reinforcing bars has failed.

Have put a level up the door and there is a very slight bow in it and I have never been happy with the way it has shut.

Have ordered a swing say wheel carrier today and am kicking myself because I meant to do it months ago but I am pretty shocked (and I know this is not a new topic!) about the quality and also the idea of having such weight on a back door which clearly is not made man enough for the job. After all these are supposed to be robust wagons.

07 plate so assume LR would be completely uninterested if I contact them? Am spending day with mechanic Monday to fix the door, service it and fit a new front door hinge which is knackered also.

MIFFED!

17th Nov 2015 7:14pm

custom90

Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 19677

Have you always owned it?

If not maybe the spare wheel took an impact somehow giving the rear door the damage you have via the bracket.

It would account for the slight bow in it and the shock may have caused the weld to go.

If you've always owned it though it can't be.

17th Nov 2015 7:46pm

RRUK
Site Supporter

Member Since: 31 Mar 2010
Location: Leicestershire
Posts: 2017

This certainly isn't a new topic, I also asked about this a few weeks back.

OK, so there's always a gadget like the spare wheel carrier to buy, but WHY would Land Rover fit the spare on the back door the way it is if it was bound to fail?

Surely it has to be partly due to the type of use the vehicle gets, how many times the door is open and shut, how hard it is slammed, how heavy the wheel and tyre combo, if the car is off road a lot and banging and crashing about etc etc??

Otherwise, every single 90,110,130 and Defender every made would have a broken back door - they must be able to cope for the majority of us right? 2016 D4 HSE

1998 110 TUM HS FFR Hard Top XD WOLF

1982 Series 3 SWB Petrol

17th Nov 2015 7:54pm

churchy

Member Since: 28 Jul 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 236

Thanks folks

No not always owned it but have done so for 6ish years. Definitely only in the last week that the cracks have appeared. Methinks it's just a VERY VERY poor design!

Door gets daily use dog, tools etc and is not slammed hard, standard wheel on the standard bracket and off road use is light on gravel tracks. Gravel tracks in fact that are often in better condition than the main roads!!! Maybe the army should build all our roads.

After all doors are meant to be used and the defender was not designed with smooth motorways in mind...........

17th Nov 2015 8:03pm

ericvv

Member Since: 02 Jun 2011
Location: Near the Jet d'Eau
Posts: 5816

2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 SVX Station Wagon Santorini Black

Re: Cracked back door

churchy wrote:
After all these are supposed to be robust wagons.

Really, are they? Have you heard the sound when you close any of the 3, respectively 5 doors? Have you seen one which has been in an accident? Myth broken. They are just a bunch of light alu and steel panels without any engineered inherent total body strength screwed onto a steel chassis. I treat mine with gloves, and that includes installing very quickly what is probably the strongest rear wheel carrier (Kaymar) in the world. Love the machine and its 67 year history, but you should not compare it with a Marauder.
Eric You never actually own a Defender. You merely look after it for the next generation.
http://youtu.be/yVRlSsJwD0o
https://youtu.be/vmPr3oTHndg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_GtzTT9Pdl0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABqKPz28e6A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLZ49Jce_n0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvAsz_ilQYU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8tMHiX9lSw
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dxwjPuHIV7I
https://vimeo.com/201482507
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSixqL0iyHw

17th Nov 2015 8:04pm

churchy

Member Since: 28 Jul 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 236

Don't get me wrong I love the wagon just find that more thought could have been applied in certain areas no more than that. Eric we spend quite a bit of time in your neck of the woods and you are lucky to be able to enjoy the generally smooth roads of the area!

17th Nov 2015 9:07pm

leeds

Member Since: 28 Dec 2009
Location: West Yorkshire
Posts: 8578

custom90steve wrote:
Have you always owned it?

If not maybe the spare wheel took an impact somehow giving the rear door the damage you have via the bracket.

It would account for the slight bow in it and the shock may have caused the weld to go.

If you've always owned it though it can't be.

Yes it could be Steve

Reverse the vehicle too much into a wall and rear door can be damaged.

Park your Defender up and someone reverses into it, no apparent damage but undue stress on the welds can cause failure later.

One forum member had rear door damaged when a 7 tonne(?) lorry backed into it

It can happen.

Brendan

17th Nov 2015 10:32pm

Mo Murphy

Member Since: 01 Jun 2008
Location: Letchworth Garden City, Herts
Posts: 2094

1984 Defender 90 200 Tdi HT Pennine Grey

Rear doors have been cracking since 1953. Its not a new problem. They never really resolved it.
Mo The Land Rover 90 - Many are called, few are chosen.

18th Nov 2015 12:29am

dave18

Member Since: 11 Jul 2015
Location: Gorleston, Great Yarmouth
Posts: 497

1984 Defender 110 300 Tdi CSW Portofino Red

I had the rear door on my 90 damaged at least 4 times when Vans had backed into it. Bloody annoying having to keep on welding it up!

18th Nov 2015 1:03am

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