 | Home > For Sale & Wanted > [Wanted] X-Deflex 30mm spacers |
 
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| Bps Member Since: 14 Feb 2016 Location: Lancashire Posts: 825  
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I’ve just fitted arb spacers to my wolf from dds. Might be easier to use them, solid alloy block. I’ll get a measurement on what mine are when/if it stops raining
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23rd Jul 2023 7:22pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17364 
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Just to follow up and close this, I've just ordered a pair of 30mm spacers from Foundry 4x4 at a very reasonable cost, so hopefully the parts will arrive soon.
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24th Jul 2023 1:31pm |
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| mwestcrew Member Since: 09 Dec 2019 Location: South Warwickshire Posts: 251 
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Please let me know what you think of the X-Deflex once fitted. I’ve pondering one for months. 2011 130 Utility Body
2005 110 Van |
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25th Jul 2023 2:20am |
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| rustandoil Member Since: 08 Sep 2012 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 738  
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I quite like mine 🙂
 Click image to enlarge |
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25th Jul 2023 6:02am |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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Ditto to that  Miffy has had one fitted for many many years now and it is fabulous, especially when you have a full SD roll cage. The ability to disconnect it gets so many
The only thing I have had to do was to strengthen the spacers as they were not strong enough for the weight of a fully laden Miffy  All it took was a small plate welded in position and they have been excellent for 8 years or so.
Just remember that the locking hub needs maintaining from time to time and during winter it is worth smearing a little grease over the locking ring gap as I have had it freeze in position. Talking of grease, make sure the small cap head Allen bolts of the hub are properly greased for future servicing ease
In fact I have just finished refurbing the X-Deflex as it desperately needed a little love Click image to enlarge Yuk... But credit to the kit it still worked in this state. Now however it has been Raptored... Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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25th Jul 2023 7:57am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17364
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Of course. To set the background, my Defender is a 2007 County-spec double-cab 110 and as such had neither front nor rear ARBs when it left the factory. Not long after buying it I fitted a Patriot full-length rack, which is a fairly heavy thing when unladen. I also tend occasionally to carry on the rack stuff with sufficient mass to make the fun police choke on their cappuccino, and it must be said that at times the body roll was both spectacular and quite disconcerting. For this reason, many years ago now, I fitted standard take-off front and rear ARBs sourced from forum members. These made a huge difference and reduced the body roll in normal driving to wholly acceptable and generally very good limits. Any fixed ARB is a compromise between stiffness and articulation and I have always been attracted to the X-Deflex product due to it being stiffer when active but also completely disconnectable when articulation is needed. It is also a neater solution than most of the US "sway bar" disconnect systems. The fact that the rubber ball-joint gaiters on my rear ARB drop links needed replacing gave me the justification (if any was needed) to upgrade, after all why pay £10 for a couple of rubber boots when you can pay hundreds for a shiny upgrade? 
I fitted the X-Delfex last Saturday, in the rain, getting very wet in the process. Despite the conditions it was incredibly easy to fit, it only took about an hour including the time needed to take the old ARB off, and was all possible working with the vehicle on the ground, no jacking required. It is a very close fit to the rear brake lines however it does fit without fouling them. The geometry is interesting compared to the Land-Rover ARB but evidently works. There is a couple of design features of the X-Deflex which surprise me and give me minor concern, specifically there is nothing (other than the plastic cap) stopping the drive flange at the n /s of the bar sliding inboard along the bar, and there is only a soft aluminium ring secured by an M6 setscrew stopping the free-wheeling hub sliding off the bar on the o/s. This is probably not how I would have designed the system, but I have never heard of a single problem arising from this so I don't suppose it is an issue, I guess time will tell. I had ordered the kit with 60mm spacers since my measurements suggested that 30mm spacers would be a bit borderline for fit with my non-standard tank guard, but after fitting it became apparent that 30mm spacers will be better and will put the bar closer to the tank guard. As noted above, I have now ordered a pair of the 30mm spacers and will fit them when they arrive. At the moment mine looks very like Rustandoil's in the photo above, there is a significant gap between the bar and the tank guard and I would like to see this reduced. The first drive with the X-Deflex fitted was interesting and surprising. I was not really expecting a huge difference given that there was a standard ARB on the vehicle before, however the rear end feels much firmer, and also mysteriously smoother, there is a very definite and noticeable improvement in the on-road manners of the vehicle. It is also an interesting reminder on how much difference a decent ARB makes if you unlock the bar and go for a drive, the contrast is startling. Overall I feel that the X-Deflex provides a significant improvement on the road over the standard ARB. My overall summary therefore is as follows:
Does it make a difference? Yes, absolutely. Is it well-engineered? Yes, appears to be. Am I pleased with it? Yes, certainly am. Would I recommend it? Yes, without hesitation if you want good road manners AND articulation. I should add that when I spoke n the phone to Foundry 4x4 to order a pair of the 30mm spacers, the chap I spoke to was very helpful. Assuming the parts arrive promptly the after-sales service gets the thumbs-up as well. |
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25th Jul 2023 8:38am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17364
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As a follow-up to my last sentence in the post above, I ordered a the 30mm spacers at lunchtime on Monday and they were delivered at lunchtime on Wednesday. Hard to beat that level of service, so public credit to the team at Foundry 4x4.
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26th Jul 2023 5:55pm |
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| rustandoil Member Since: 08 Sep 2012 Location: Cotswolds Posts: 738
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Interesting comments and good to hear a positive customer experience 👍🏻
It would be great if you post a picture of your X Deflex install with the 30mm spacers. I have considered machining up some aluminum blocks to get the bar a little higher. |
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26th Jul 2023 6:15pm |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17364
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Happy to. I'll take some pics as it is with the 60s and again with the 30s. The 30s were £25 plus £8 p&p (Inc the VAT) which is less than it would have cost me to fabricobble a set. Also they're shiny too!
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26th Jul 2023 6:39pm |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2092 
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Great report and recommendation - didn’t realise they had four times the torsional rigidity (if that’s the correct term?) in ‘locked’ mode compared to std ARB so that explains the improved on-road manners 👍
Looking forward to the photos. |
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27th Jul 2023 7:34am |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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I am going to post this up as it may be useful to those of you that regularly carry heavy loads. Miffy does with her roll cage and internal fitments.
What I noticed is that the raised flat that the bush sits on began to bend inwards on both mounts. It is not a good design. Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge So I contacted Foundry and they sent out a replacement pair of identical brackets. I then strengthened the rear of the bush mounting portion by welding in some plate. It has been like this for over 8 years or so and it has not moved a bit and you all know Miffy doesn't spend her time in a garage. IMHO it is a worthwhile modification to the bracket.
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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27th Jul 2023 8:40am |
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| excossack Member Since: 22 Feb 2012 Location: North West Posts: 5843 
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Would box section be better? 1999 Defender TD5 110
Regards John M0VAZ Econet Station 48 no clock |
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27th Jul 2023 10:09am |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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The original X-Deflex spacers were box section. This is the "new and improved" design.
Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge The other interesting modification to this kit that I have seen is courtesy of our Australian cousins;
They apparently had problems with the curved arms bending out of shape after going bush: https://www.aulro.com/afvb/the-modified-zo...kit-4.html |
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27th Jul 2023 11:10am |
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| geobloke Member Since: 06 Nov 2012 Location: Nottinghamshire Posts: 4410
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EDIT: Double post
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27th Jul 2023 11:10am |
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