Series IIa Land Rover Outrigger R/R

Introduction

There are a five (SWB) to seven (LWB) outriggers on a series chassis.

• Bulkhead
• Gas tank (leading edge of tank, tank side only)
• Gas tank rear (both sides)
• Additional LWB outrigger

The front outriggers and the leading gas tank outrigger seem to catch the most mud and will probably require replacing much sooner than the supports further back on the chassis.

The project vehicle for these photos is a NADA-spec 1969 88" Series IIa, and the work was done in May 1990. The welding was done by Bill Foshay, a professional in the auto repair business.

Note: clicking on one of the icons above will bring you to the section describing it. Clicking on one of the illustrations below will show a larger image of the same.

The Project

To replace both of the outriggers supporting the bulkhead. The two replacement pieces were welded heavy guage sheet metal, with flanges on the inside, (the frame end) which allows for a good amount of overlap from the new outrigger onto solid bits of frame to either side fo the old outrigger.

Equipment used in this project:

• Oxy-Acetylene Torch, for cutting
• 4" disc grinder
• MIG welder
• Normal shop hand tools
• Appropriate safety equipment for welding, cutting, grinding and other operations
• Work was done in a garage equipped with a vehicle lift.

Preparation

We drilled a number of holes in the flange to allow for tack-welding the outrigger onto the frame in a few places, before running a bead all about the perimeter of this flange. We also drilled two holes in the lowest point of the outriggers to allow for drainage. We then used these holes to pour in a two part self-etching zinc chromate primer, let is slosh around a bit, and then drained off the excess.

To allow convient access to the work area, the floor panels were removed.

Removal

The first step to repairing a rusted outrigger is to remove the old one. In this photograph, a cutting torch is used to remove the outter part of a support where a large very rusted bolt connects the support to the bulkhead and body.

Note: It should be noted here that Land Rover shop manuals discourage the use of oxy-fuel torches for the removal of bolts.

Preparation

The rusted outrigger is completely removed, as well as any nearby rust-damaged portion of the frame. Then the area surrounding the old outrigger is prepared for welding by grinding the surface smooth, and free of rust and other contaminants (paint, undercoating, etc.).

Welding

In this image a number of the tack welds (round weld dots in the flange), and the perimeter weld of the newly attached outrigger are clearly visible.

Frame Repair

Unfortunately, the frame had a rather large gap in it after we removed the rusted bit in the bottom of the frame rail between the old outrigger and the transmission mount.

A piece of cardboard is cut to size so that a patch piece can be cut which can easily be welded into place.

Frame Welding

After a heavy guage piece of sheet metal is cut to size, it is welded into place.

Bill Caloccia
Stephentown, NY
1990

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