Ripped the Band Aid off! Build Thread and Advice Sought.

[PH4]

Gad, those wings have me drooling even with the effed up looking diamond tread stuff on them. You just cannot get them any where.

Just buy a new galvanized chassis. Fooling with the old one, no matter what you do to it, you'll always wonder if it is bad inside.
I went with new on mine for this exact reason. Originality is of absolutely no consequence as far as value is concerned.

I agree about the diamond tread. PO did it. I am trying to figure out the best way to get rid of it and replace. Any suggestions?

[crankin]

Is it not just laying on top of the wing and riveted or screwed down?

[PH4]

Is it not just laying on top of the wing and riveted or screwed down?

You are right. It is riveted down but I do not believe what is underneath is in good condition. Maybe if I took the tread plates and had aluminum plates the same guage cut out using the diamond plate as a template. Any thoughts or advice?

[o2batsea]

I'd take the tread panels off and see what you got. way easier to fill a few rivet holes with JB Weld than finding another wing.
To fill the holes:
use a countersink to SLIGHTLY chamfer the outside of the hole. Sand to bare metal both sides. Apply clear packing tape outside over the hole. Now, working from inside apply the JB weld so it fills the hole and leave a bit proud and wide so that there is some bit of "backing" for the epoxy. After it kicks, pull off the tape. You should have a very smooth fill that needs very little finish sanding.

For large areas, get the powdered aluminum filler from Jamestown Distributors and mix it with West System resin.

[Alaskan Rover]

Replace the chassis??? Are you nuts?

One replaces the chassis when tje original is in fundememtally bad shape...everything in your photos show a chassis that is in good shape. In fact there are probably MANY Series owners here who WISH their chassis was in that shape!!

A 'soft' chassis and you'll know it...your screwdriver will go RIGHT through it. Doesn't look like that to me.

Soft spots at tbe rear spring monts are VERY common, RN sells new spring hanger chassis members that can be welded in. I used two on my rover and they're still strong now.

Wire brush the frame.
, then use Extend, then after ALL the rust is off, coat with US military grade red two-part EPOXY PRIMER.

When I was stripping the paint off my door hinges and rear tire carrier, I used a chemical stripper..that strpper stripped the paint off easily, but didn't do anything to the primer at all. I was using military-only 2-part epoxy primer...strongest, most rugged primer out there!

[o2batsea]

Replacement of the chassis far more cost effective than repair/refurb. Not nuts at all.

[yorker]

Replacement of the chassis far more cost effective than repair/refurb. Not nuts at all.

Cost effective IF IT REALLY NEEDS IT. In the last 15 years I've seen at least 5 perfectly good chassis cut up and scrapped by different people because they felt they needed a galvanized chassis. It has gotten to the point where a new galvanized chassis is de rigueur. Sure it is nice to have but come on, not every LR automatically needs a brand new chassis.

[thixon]

I can't believe I'm doing this, but I just couldn't stand it. I'm posting on the Rovers North board again after swearing I'd never come back.

Yorker, I just couldn't let you hang.

To everyone who has argued to the contrary on this thread, Yorker is right:

GALVANIZING A CHASSIS THAT'S IN GOOD CONDITION IS NOT MORE EXPENSIVE THAN BUYING A NEW GALVANIZED CHASSIS!

[thixon]

Hell,

I go even further. Why not right?

I'll wager that I could take a chassis that needed some repair work, buy a cheap wire welder, the metal needed for repair, do the work, have it dipped when I'm done, and still come out cheaper than buying a brand new galvy chassis.

[jopa]

On my project 109...I had to source a frame. Good used frame was $300. Needed some minor repairs- and I made some mods for power steering and engine conversion...$100. Sand blasting everything- chassis, bulkhead, door frames (yes I peeled the skins from the doors), radiator panel, Rims, etc. came to $150. Hot dipping galvanizing- totat was $400...so add it all up- $950 and I had a galv frame set up for power steering, galv bulkhead, galv door and hood frames, regalv cappings, galv radiator panel, etc. I actually did several vehicles worth of cappings and misc items that I sold on ebay and to friends that paid for the galvanizing. $950 is less then one third of what a new frame costs. It takes a little longer then simply buying a new frame and begining to reassemble...however no matter which way one goes it all has to come apart anyhow. Plan it out and the down time is not much different. I rebuilt my axles while the chassis was being dipped- so when I got it back I had a roller in a few days.
Dipping a used repaired chassis is no more risky then Marsland/Designa/Richards dipping a newly assembled one...make sure there are no trapped air spaces/that the liquid molten zinc can enter and leave all cavities. You will have a little work cleaning it up afterwards- retaping holes, clean up slag/drips, but no big deal. It gives you peace of mind for longterm use...its not going to rot out from under you any time soon. John