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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 6005

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
Bonnet squeaks
While washing the car last night I think I found the source of a couple of squeaks and rattles

1. Bonnet hinge bush - drivers side
2. Bonnet rattle - passenger side (sounds like the bonnet is just touching the wing top)

Ideas on how to fix
1 - some form of lube? The bushes are relatively new (6-8months)
2 - maybe adjust the bonnet height when closed or add some rubber to the under side of the bonnet lip to stop the rattle? 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #1070730 3rd Jul 2025 8:17am
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Dinnu



Member Since: 24 Dec 2019
Location: Lija
Posts: 3578

Malta 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Santorini Black
Bonnets tend to rattle when the bonding between the skin and the frame fails. The earlier ones are however the worse. Td5 bonnets have rivets which can wear into the mudguard tops. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black
Post #1070733 3rd Jul 2025 9:55am
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 6005

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
Cheers Dinnu, In my case I think it is the rivets tapping on the top wing. I think a strip of rubber or raising of the bonnet rubber stop might help with the issue 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #1070734 3rd Jul 2025 10:03am
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MattBee



Member Since: 29 Oct 2023
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 11

 
I cut some lengths of old door seal and fitted them to the lip of the bonnet down each side on my 1986 110. I also cleaned up the area around the inner frame/skin joint as best as I could and worked some CT1 into the gap between them with my finger. That seemed to help quite a lot. Then under bonnet sound deadening which helped a lot more (although did very little to dampen engine noise).
Post #1070746 3rd Jul 2025 12:31pm
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Dinnu



Member Since: 24 Dec 2019
Location: Lija
Posts: 3578

Malta 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Santorini Black
Unfortunately with Td5 and later bonnets, door seal profiles cannot be used due to the design of the bonnet frame.

My tdci bonnet has worn a bit of the mudguards, about 2” from bulkhead. The bonnet bush slot is offset, so check that the thicker side is at the bottom, so the bonnet is at its highest possible position. I also tried ‘pulling’ upwards to ther bonnet at its corners, helped a bit more but not entirely solved.

So I ended up also sticking closed cell foam about 4 - 5” long at corners, bulkhead side, and they seem to be holding well.

Good idea to check the stops and the lock pin where they contact on the slam panel. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black
Post #1070802 3rd Jul 2025 9:23pm
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 6005

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
I am pretty sure the bonnet hinges bushes are the right way up - but I will check 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #1070817 4th Jul 2025 8:07am
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 6005

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
Just checked and my bonnet bushes are thick side up. 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #1070825 4th Jul 2025 10:01am
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Dinnu



Member Since: 24 Dec 2019
Location: Lija
Posts: 3578

Malta 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 CSW Santorini Black
According to the AI assistant:

The Land Rover Defender bonnet hinge bushes should be positioned with the slot facing upwards and slightly offset towards the rear of the vehicle. When installing the bonnet, it should be held vertically, and the hinges should be dropped into the slots, then lowered into the horizontal position.
Here's a more detailed breakdown:
Bush Orientation:
The bush should be positioned with the slot facing upwards. The slot should also be offset slightly towards the rear of the vehicle.
Installation:
The bonnet should be held vertically, and the hinges should be dropped into the slots. The bonnet can then be lowered to its horizontal position.
Assistance:
It's often recommended to have two people for this process, especially when reinstalling the bonnet. 1988 90 Hard Top, 19J Diesel Turbo, Shire Blue - Restoration ongoing
2012 90 CSW, 2.2TDCI, Santorini Black
Post #1070838 4th Jul 2025 2:36pm
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excossack



Member Since: 22 Feb 2012
Location: North West
Posts: 6005

United Kingdom 1999 Defender 110 Td5 SW Caledonian Blue
Cheers. Yeah certainly need two people to handle a bonnet on/off jobbie 1999 Defender TD5 110

Regards
John M0VAZ
Econet Station 48 no clock
Post #1070843 4th Jul 2025 4:05pm
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