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[Genem]

We regularly see people posting about drama with Landrover Chassis bushes so I thought you'd be interested to hear about the nonsense I'm working with on my wife's Toyota.  The last MOT "advised" the suspension bushes on both sides. The "wishbone" in the suspension is held in place by a TRE type thing at the wheel end and two 19mm headed bolts on the inner side, one through what looks at first glance like a "normal" bush...

The issue I'm working with is that the bolt is secured to a captive nut inside the subframe, rather than a nice obvious nut on the other side of a bracket/chassis member..... The bolt started moving OK, a little tight but coming undone with a ratchet....till it was about 3/8th in undone when it tightened up....then let go, rotating freely. It will spin but move neither in nor out. I discover from the internet that its not a threaded hole nor a nut welded inside, its a captive nut held in a cage... and the cage has collapsed. ( See Landrover Doors...)

The BIG problem is that its completely sealed, no access to the nut.... Todays game has been cutting a hole in the sub-frame with a Dremel to at least get sight of the problem. I can now see the nut rotating as I operate the spanner. The plan over the weekend is to make the hold big enough to get something in to grip the nut, get it off and replace with a new wishbone, then bolt the whole thing back up and get a plate welded over the hole. As its a 2006 vehicle ( and owes us nothing) I'm willing to suspect that it will not need another suspension bush before its scrapped... Sadly I suspect it'll need the same treatment on both sides.  What a spectacularly stupid bit of design though....

Pics below for illustration... The "bush" heads off to the left, the remains of the cage is the black bit and the rusty nut can be see above that, through the hole I've cut in the subframe. Further access is likely to require getting the anti-roll bar, at least, out of the way.     Wider angle pic of "before" to give a better idea of the geography...

[diffwhine]

Sounds like you've had a right bundle of laughs... And I thought only LR designed things badly... Seems like the world's largest automobile company isn't averse to cocking it up too!

Makes my battle with my Discovery 3 lower wishbone bolts seem like small fry.

[Peter Holden]

I had a similar problem last year with our Berlingo based Romahome, the anti rollbar bushes needed replacing.  The problem is the bar goes over the top of the subframe and the bolts that hold the clamps go in from the top which means you have to lower the subframe.  The subframe is held to the bodyshell with bolts that go into captive nuts in box sections.  Off course one let go.  To fix it was carpets out, measure and cut into the box section from the top then get in with a pair of mole grips on the offending nut which was a very strange shape.  Job done subframe bolted up with the existing captive nuts and then a flange nut in the box section held by a socket whilst the bolt was done up.  a patch on the floor then carpet back in.

Peter

[geoff]

Peter that sounds like the gear selector problem I had on a Marina Estate back in the day ....
Solution was to drill a hole in the firewall from inside the car followed by drilling another big hole in gearbox casting  via the first big hole to gain access to the selector pin that had failed !
Alternative was to remove the gearbox but as I needed the car the next day ingenuity saved the day.

Gene good luck and fingers crossed ..... also looks like major rust scaling away !

[Rog-from-Bix]

Looking at the pic it isn't only land rovers visited by the rust fairy, that said we have a 1999 colorado for towing a horse trailer and that is immaculate underneath.

[Bronze Green]

Land Cruisers do suffer badly from corrosion at the back of the chassis and rear axle, not too dissimilar to a Discovery 2, however they are usually very reliable which can’t be said too often of a D2. I was lucky with my 25 year old Colorado as it had spent many of its years travelling back to Portugal and living there for long periods, hence like Rog mine is immaculate underneath.

[GHOBHW]

of all times ive cursed land rovers for bad design or rust and fixability issues
compared to nearly every other vehicle, theyre a dream to work on and fix should they need it, at least the series and early defenders, i dont stray past those

[Peter Holden]

At least with Series land rover most things are easy to get at and also big enough not to break if you are careful

Peter

[Rog-from-Bix]

Land Cruisers do suffer badly from corrosion at the back of the chassis and rear axle, not too dissimilar to a Discovery 2, however they are usually very reliable which can’t be said too often of a D2. I was lucky with my 25 year old Colorado as it had spent many of its years travelling back to Portugal and living there for long periods, hence like Rog mine is immaculate underneath.

The po of mine had a place in Spain so until we got it 6 or 7 years ago it had hardly seen a uk winter so little salt exposure.

[Bronze Green]

The po of mine had a place in Spain so until we got it 6 or 7 years ago it had hardly seen a uk winter so little salt exposure.

The best LC’s to buy 👍

[diffwhine]

Corrosion can get them in the end... Even in Ethiopia and we have no salt where this one lives (lived)...