Defender How To Guides

Guide to Painting a Land Rover Defender

This is going to be the start of one of my most ambitious projects to date. My 1997 110 Defender is starting to look a bit tired with paint fading and blemishes starting to appear through the paint , the roof is dented, the panel sides are dented and overall it could do with a [...]

Guide to Defender Propshaft Removal

My Defender has been making some considerable noises in it’s day to day use and it was time to investigate just what was causing these noises. These noises varied from a clanging to a grinding noise with an added binding/vibrating when slowing down.

How to Strip Down/Service a PTO Driven Superwinch H14w

Includes Parts List as PDF for download, H14W Pro Winch Information Sheet & Superwinch Parts Lists

Guide to fitting Defender Rear Wheel Bearings

Wheel bearings are critical to the proper function of a vehicle’s hub, tyre and wheel assemblies. By allowing friction-free movement and rotation of a vehicle’s hub assemblies, wheel bearings promote smooth vehicle tyre and wheel motion.

Guide to Defender Glow Plug Renewal / Removal

Diesel engines, unlike petrol engines, do not use spark plugs to induce combustion. Instead, they rely solely on compression to raise the temperature of the air to a point where the diesel will combust spontaneously when introduced to the hot high pressure air.

Guide to Defender Headlight Removal / Renewal

For whatever reason you may find yourself in a position that means that your headlights need replacing. Whether its cracked lenses, cloudiness or condensation this nice easy guide will show you how to get the job done.

Defender Write Off / Chassis Rust

Not so much a guide but more an example of how easy it is to find yourself in a position that threatens huge costs and potentially a scrapped Defender. It’s a long article but a MUST Read.

Guide to Cleaning or removing Defender Intercooler

Maybe your here after reading the EGR removal guide and would like to have a go at removing and cleaning it or you just want to remove or replace your intercooler. Whatever the reason this is the guide for you.

Defender Buyers / Buying Guide

In many ways the Defender is rather simplistic. However that doesn’t mean we recommend you buy one on your own if you know nothing about vehicles. If at all possible try to take someone with you who at least knows about how a car works!

Guide to Defender Door Lock Barrel Replacement

At some point in your Defender ownership there will come a time that a) Your key breaks in the lock or b) Your lock gets broken because someones tried to have your Landy away.

Guide to Defender Swivel Ball Replacement

Front axle- 1.70 ltrs of EP 80 /90, Rear axle (salisbury) – 2.30 ltrs of EP 80 /90, Swivel housing (each) – 0.35 ltrs of EP 80/90 (or one shot swivel grease)

Guide to Defender CV Joint Replacement

The clicking/clunking sound is the most obvious symptom which will be heard first at Full-Lock wheel positions (extreme left/right) and while backing up or slowly moving forward. It will progress to a terrible clunking sound even when taking a normal turn.

Guide to Defender Door Repair (Internal Frame)

Defender doors frames are particularly susceptible to corrosion. Water pours on to them from above from the windows, collecting in the frame this all goes unnoticed because of the door trims covering the affected area.

Guide to Defender Propshaft UJ Replacement

The u in u-joint (UJ) stands for universal. A u-joint (UJ) is the coupling that connects two rotating shafts allowing freedom of movement in all directions “in motor vehicles a universal joint allows the driveshaft to move up and down as the vehicle passes over bumps”

Guide to Defender Alternator Replacement / Upgrade

A dead alternator can cause all kinds of headaches for you, but how can you tell if your alternator is going out before it is too late? When you turn your car over and you hear the clicking sound that signals your vehicle is dead you are left with several options as to why.

Guide to Fitting Defender Power Steering Pump

At sometime or another you will get bored of the leaks we all find on our Landrover’s. Here’s one that is easily resolved with a bit of time and effort removing at least one source of driveway stains.

Guide to Fitting or Changing Defender Track Rod Ends

Some obvious signs of a problem are the vehicle pulling to one side during braking, the steering wheel pulling to one side, or difficulty maintaining control over uneven road surfaces. These symptoms can signal potentially serious problems that should be addressed immediately. A common cause of these issues is worn Track Rod ends.

Guide to Defender Handbrake Shoe Renewal

Defender Handbrake
Most of us take our car brakes for granted. We use our brakes as much as any other piece of safety equipment in our car, and when something goes wrong with our brakes, most of us are dead in the water. Not literally dead in a body of water, but this is in the [...]

Guide to Fitting Defender A-Frame Balljoint

Defender A-Frame joint
One symptom of a worn A-Frame Balljoint is a distinctive “Clonk” from the rear as you apply drive or brake. Over time the balljoint wears and becomes loose meaning there is too much play in it leading to the “Clonk”.
Replacing the A-Frame balljoint is not a particularly easy task due to its [...]

Guide to Removing Defender Door Hinges From Bulkhead

 
Defender door hinges are well known for there ability to look tatty over time. They tend to rust and bleed so there general appearance can ruin even a well maintained defender. The problem is that there is metal to metal contact inside the hinge, and no matter how good you are with the [...]