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Home > General & Technical (L663) > Aluminum and Steel - galvanic corrosion issues?

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H1Tad

Member Since: 20 Jul 2024
Location: Maine
Posts: 110

Aluminum and Steel - galvanic corrosion issues?

Hello There

I just had a PDR guy come and try to take out a dent that my wife managed to acquire in the first two weeks of ownership. It was right at the seam between the passenger rear quarter panel and the plastic tail light cover. He was only able to pull it out so much because he said that the dent was right over a folded over seam on the inside.

I was not aware that the Defender had aluminum body panels in the first place - but then it has steel doors and I believe a steel hood. I have another vehicle that has 6061-T6 aluminum body pieces that mesh up to steel body pieces and over time, despite being a thick rubber gasket between them, the steel rusts due to dissimilar metals - resulting in a new roof needing to be installed.

Is this an issue on the Defenders? I live in a very corrosive environment where the roads are heavily salted and my house is 300 yards from the ocean. If it is an issue, is there anything I can do preventively to stall the onset of it?

Thanks in advance! 2022 Defender 110 SE P400 Tasman Blue Expedition and Cold weather package
2003 Hummer H1 P400 Firehouse Red
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser

1st Aug 2024 2:46pm

LR Nuts

Member Since: 10 Aug 2022
Location: UK
Posts: 1087

all you say is very familiar.

I do remember LR having a problem with the Discovery 2.

1st Aug 2024 3:12pm

stingray

Member Since: 22 Apr 2012
Location: North Wales
Posts: 98

My nephew, Mark Beaumont, has developed an excellent product which should help tremendously with corrosion issues of the type that you have mentioned. It is called 'Lanoguard'. If you google that name, you will soon see what I mean.

Not sure if it is available in the US though.

Hope that helps.

Ray

1st Aug 2024 8:13pm

H1Tad

Member Since: 20 Jul 2024
Location: Maine
Posts: 110

Thanks for the recommendation - we have a plethora of available corrosion inhibitors here. I get my rigs treated with something called "NH oil" which is a sticky thick black oil that essentially encapsulates metal and protects it against the elements. Makes working on the underside a terrible mess however.

Unfortunately corrosion inhibitors don't do much do stop galvanic corrosion as the chemical differences between dissimilar metals causes a reduction (or oxidation, I can't remember which) with the mere presence of moisture. 2022 Defender 110 SE P400 Tasman Blue Expedition and Cold weather package
2003 Hummer H1 P400 Firehouse Red
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser

2nd Aug 2024 9:39pm

BadgerWaz

Member Since: 15 Jul 2024
Location: Linconshire
Posts: 57

For galvanic corrosion to take place you are correct in stating that you need a liquid for the chemical reaction to take place with any real severity.
I'd have thought if you undersealed all of the vehicle to protect it from moisture you'd certianly delay the process.

It may be something LR have prepared for and used non-conductive materials as insulators, or that it'll take decades to take hold so they don't really care

I think Audi have issues like this, but on 20 year old cars so we're safe for now. I'd worry more about the road salt......

2nd Aug 2024 10:12pm

H1Tad

Member Since: 20 Jul 2024
Location: Maine
Posts: 110

Quote:
It may be something LR have prepared for and used non-conductive materials as insulators, or that it'll take decades to take hold so they don't really care

That's indeed what I was hoping for. I was just curious if anyone has experienced it yet.

And yes, encapsulating the metal is a way to slow it down, but it can never be completely eliminated. Water displacement (using oils) is about as good as you can get. 2022 Defender 110 SE P400 Tasman Blue Expedition and Cold weather package
2003 Hummer H1 P400 Firehouse Red
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser

3rd Aug 2024 1:44pm

Bluest

Member Since: 23 Apr 2016
Location: Lancashire
Posts: 4196

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 XS CSW Java Black

Out of interest, which bits of the L663 are aluminium? 2007 110 TDCi Station Wagon XS

3rd Aug 2024 2:14pm

J77

Member Since: 04 Nov 2019
Location: Fife
Posts: 3387

I thought most of it was aluminium. The body structure definitely is, the roof is, I always thought doors were also aluminium. Need to get the magnet out. 24MY 90 D250 HSE, Tasman Blue

3rd Aug 2024 2:45pm

Philm

Member Since: 19 Jun 2020
Location: Manchester
Posts: 168

all doors and wings are steel

3rd Aug 2024 3:30pm

BrickBox

Member Since: 05 Oct 2021
Location: Wales
Posts: 802

2008 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Zermatt Silver

This is madness, if true..!

I thought this was just posted in the wrong section for the classic defender..! I did not expect to be reading this about the new one..! 2008 2.4 110 Utility Station Wagon XS.

3rd Aug 2024 3:35pm

nebc100

Member Since: 07 Nov 2023
Location: Altlinster
Posts: 88

Tested… Philm is correct… wings and doors are steel

4th Aug 2024 8:27am

lightning

Member Since: 23 Apr 2009
Location: High Peak, Derbyshire
Posts: 2707

Corrosion isn't the issue that it used to be.
l visited the factory in Liverpool where they make the Evoque and Discovery Sport.
Watching the robots assemble the doors was captivating and l was left behind by the tour group! Eventually someone came back to find me.
l would have had no idea where to go as the factory was huge.

Anyhow, there was a robot that applied a sealant between the door skin and frame before they were put together, presumably to inhibit the corrosion mentioned above.

When did you last see a modern Land Rover product with rust coming through at the bottom of the doors?

8th Aug 2024 8:33am

stevemfr

Member Since: 18 Sep 2022
Location: Strasbpurg
Posts: 137

Exactly this ^^^

Galvanic corrosion is an issue where dissimilar metals are fastened to one another - especially if water can creep into these joints. Examples were an aluminum door skin folded over a steel door frame at the edges. Or a long, flat flange where steel and aluminum were riveted or bolted together. The mounting flanges the wings on a classic RR spring to mind as I still have 2 of these (RRs, not flanges ;-p).

Simply having a steel door or bonnet on an aluminum body will hardly caused galvanic corrosion. With the door seals or bonnet bumpers, there are practically no points of contact between these bits and the body. Hinges, catches and for that matter all manner of parts bolted to the aluminum structure are theoretically a different story. But materials and paints have improved so much over the last years. I seriously would NOT worry.

Aside from all of that, people are acting completely surprised by all of this; Land Rover never stopped using aluminum (save, possibly, for the lower end models such as the Freelander though I'd have to check). My L322 RRs are more or less exactly the opposite of the L663: aluminum doors, wings and bonnet on a steel unibody.

RRC 2Dr, RRC 4Dr,
P38, and 2 L322s,
2 FL1s and a L663 on the way

8th Aug 2024 10:30am

H1Tad

Member Since: 20 Jul 2024
Location: Maine
Posts: 110

Quote:
When did you last see a modern Land Rover product with rust coming through at the bottom of the doors?

This is the first LR I've ever owned, and I haven't made it a point to crawl up under other peoples' cars

But it sounds like they were prudent when using the two materials together. 2022 Defender 110 SE P400 Tasman Blue Expedition and Cold weather package
2003 Hummer H1 P400 Firehouse Red
2008 Toyota FJ Cruiser

8th Aug 2024 11:41am

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