The old boy - 2007 R51

[mjotrainbrain]

That red Defender in the last pic is sweet! Your rig is coming along really nicely too, do you have other skidplate protection under the vehicle too?

[KiwiTerrano]

On 12/3/2020 at 7:39 AM, mjotrainbrain said:

That red Defender in the last pic is sweet! Your rig is coming along really nicely too, do you have other skidplate protection under the vehicle too?

Thanks, there's some unique vehicles in the land rover club that's for sure! One day hopefully I'll have enough cash for one. They're not cheap to buy (or run lol).

I've got a 6 mm steel treadplate skidplate under the sump. Have also got a fair bit more lying around to make a trans/transfer skid with. I just needed a better front plate to protect the radiator and trans cooler as the factory one is crap.

Edited December 6, 2020 by KiwiTerrano

[KiwiTerrano]

Well, vehicle has been performing well. Went into the St James conservation area with the club to marshal the multisport event held there annually. Developed a bit of a clunk halfway through the weekend that then went away again. Didn't think much of it at the time.

 

Went to install my new sliders today and my mate mentioned that the rear sway bar looked a bit off. Turned out that I had completely destroyed the right rear endlink and snapped one of the bolts holding the right swaybar bracket on, allowing the bracket to bend and the bar to move about. Thankfully no collateral damage. The right swaybar endlink had completely lost the middle section leaving me with just two ball headed bolts sticking out of the mounts!

 

Was a right PITA to get the swaybar out though. I needed every Nm of my impact wrench to get the endlinks off on both sides. Not to mention getting an open ended wrench in behind the mounts is bloody tight. 13 years of coastal Otago salt (when it lived in Dunedin with my old man) were not kind to the endlinks. I have real sympathy for those who live in the US with road salt as mine wasn't bad by comparison.

 

Needless to say, it's not going back on unless the WOF guy pulls me up on it (and even then, I'll be throwing the swaybar and some new endlinks at him and telling him to fit it himself).

Took it for a spin and can't notice the difference to be honest. My old terrano with 11" shocks, now that was quite different with no RSB...

 

Sometimes I feel that the r51 just wasn't as well engineered as the earlier Nissans.

Edited January 24, 2021 by KiwiTerrano

[mjotrainbrain]

If you don't notice much difference in road manners with it off, I'd say maybe try again with more load (passengers and maybe a trailer?) and then some off-road testing then make a final decision on if you went to repair or leave it off.

 

When working on any car older than 10 here in salty Michigan USA I fully expect to cut, torch, or drill out at least 1 bolt for every job. Now I'm pretty fanatical about keeping corrosion away from anything that hasn't been ruined yet. Had to cut the front lower control arms off my 2003 4Runner, and my dad's 5 year old Tacoma isn't much better off.

[KiwiTerrano]

Well, truck is ticking along nicely. Have fitted a set of rock sliders and extended upper ball joints. Front flex is better and no more bangs from the upper arm hitting the tower. Have left out he rear sway bar, honestly can't tell the difference onroad but it's much better off. Have done a few more trips with the club, she's pretty good.

Next mods will be PSR rear subframe spacer kit and a rear locker.

[KiwiTerrano]

 

 

 

[Tiny]

Hi, like the look of that Bull bar. I am looking at fitting an Opposite Lock bar to my 2007 R51but I am bloody confused as to which one fits! The instructions with the bar supplied to me says D40 Navara 2010 on and Pathfinder R51 but I don't know whether that means all R51's or just 2010 on. Did you come across this when you installed your bar?