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blackwolf

Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: South West England
Posts: 17452

2007 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 DCPU Stornoway Grey

Cupboard wrote:
Is there any limitation to what you're allowed to to bolt on to the back of a Defender?
I've seen things like roof boxes that go on a tow ball (the chap that delivers semen has one to keep the liquid nitrogen out of his car) but with a DB slider you could easily fit all sorts on there. I could turn my hard top in to a small pickup

Yes, there are several considerations.

1) There is a legal maximum for rear projections from a vehicle (I'd have to look up what it is, though I have posted it elsewhere on the forum beforehand). There are also requirements for marking projections. Provided that whatever you have attached to the rear has the necessary markings, lights and number plate etc, you are unlikely to have problems. Do remember though that you must still have a legal visibily number plate, and your rear lights must be legal. This means that the lights must be "E"-marked, in matched pairs, and legally positioned. You see many halfwits who seem to think that lights and numberplates are visible through bikes - they are breaking the law!

2) There will be a limit to the anount of weight that you can carry bolted to the rear crossmember. This will probably be greater that the maximum trailer nose-weight that LR publishes since the dynamics of a fixed load are more predictable, however you must not overload the rear axle, you must not exceed the permittwed gross maximum weight of the vehicle, and you must not operate the vehicle in an unsafe condition. If you have a heavy thing bolted on the rear crossmember to the extent that the rear axle is loaded to its max, chances are that your steering and braking will be adversely affected since the front axle will be very lightly loaded.

In all reality, the rear crossmember isn't a good place to carry much weight and you are much better off moving it to a point between the axles if you can.

19th Nov 2015 3:48pm

simon67

Member Since: 18 Jun 2015
Location: west sussex
Posts: 569

Need some advice on this
Have a Naka wheel carrier and 16" wheels on Sawtooth

Trying to fit the Thule bike rack but it won't clear the wheel
If I get a Disco 2 longer tow bar will it clear the wheel?

Have read the thread but just need a definite before I buy one

6th May 2017 3:29pm

simon67

Member Since: 18 Jun 2015
Location: west sussex
Posts: 569

Nobody responded on the Disco 2 bar, so thought sod it, and bought one
If anybody is reading this post and does know, please tell me?

If I fit the new Disco 2 bar, would I still need the 4x4 adaptor?
Will post the results regardless next week when everything turns up

8th May 2017 2:41pm

kmac

Member Since: 07 Oct 2009
Location: Middlesex
Posts: 1309

2009 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Santorini Black

I didn't respond as I don't know for your specific tyre. For a boost alloy with General Grabber AT will be fine. No other connectors needed. I have a Nak wheel carrier also ( non-stainless).

10th May 2017 11:39am

simon67

Member Since: 18 Jun 2015
Location: west sussex
Posts: 569

Thanks Kmac

Fitted the Thule and with the Disco 2 tow bar, I can get away without the adaptor
However have left the old Pendle block in place and added a spacer

Post picture later

Simon

10th May 2017 1:30pm

Blakey007

Member Since: 13 Aug 2017
Location: Winchester
Posts: 37

Where did you buy the Disco 2 extended tow ball from?

looking to purchase one so I can use my bike rack without removing spare wheel

13th Aug 2017 4:24pm

simon67

Member Since: 18 Jun 2015
Location: west sussex
Posts: 569

Hi Blake

Got mine off eBay - £65 I think but don't quote me
Still doesn't clear my tyre but I have a Naka wheel carrier and Saw tooths

Does work if I put the Thule adaptor on afterwards, but I think I am going for a Fiamma bike rack

Simon

14th Aug 2017 9:07am

B4Lamb

Member Since: 21 Mar 2015
Location: Abergavenny, Wales
Posts: 233

2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Galway Green

This is an old thread with lots of suggestions that go back a few years but I thought I would add an input for those with a Dixon Bate tow bracket fitted. I designed mine along the same lines as the Dixon Bate but also use a second set of holes further up to reduce the cantilever loads. It gives me two height positions but with a bike carrier it doesn't really matter what height it is. I found I needed to use the Al-Ko extended tow ball rather then the standard for my Thule Euro 3 bike rack. The attached pictures are with the standard ball so with the Al Ko it will move the ball further back.I post some pictures with the correct tow ball and the rack fitted. It's certainly strong and really easy to refit the original Dixon Bate tow ball plate. I had to make another clevis pin for the upper support as the 3/4" pin with the Dixon Bate is extra long and seems non standard when I looked in my local farm machinery suppliers.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge "You are never to old to learn something new"

14th Aug 2017 5:42pm

kmac

Member Since: 07 Oct 2009
Location: Middlesex
Posts: 1309

That looks cool - well done

16th Aug 2017 6:26am

B4Lamb

Member Since: 21 Mar 2015
Location: Abergavenny, Wales
Posts: 233

Thanks kmac. The Al-Ko ball turns up today and I've primed and sprayed the extender in black to match the back area. I also decided to make two new clevis pins from A4 Stainless steel because pulling them in and out wears off the paint or nickel plating and they end up going rusty making it hard to pull them out next time. I'll post some more pics when it's all done with the bike rack fitted. My wife has a heavy electric bike so I wanted to make it really strong which it has turned out to be. Note: for anyone who makes a similar design the welds between the diagonal and the horizontal need to be full butt. I prepped and TIG welded mine initially in situ on the Dixon Bate to get it aligned then took it off to finish the welds on the bench. It's important to weld in the correct sequence and directions so you don't put in twist distortion. This bit takes a bit of thinking about. "You are never to old to learn something new"

16th Aug 2017 8:17am

B4Lamb

Member Since: 21 Mar 2015
Location: Abergavenny, Wales
Posts: 233

Below some pictures with the Al-ko ball fitted and with two bikes on the rack

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge "You are never to old to learn something new"

16th Aug 2017 2:08pm

B4Lamb

Member Since: 21 Mar 2015
Location: Abergavenny, Wales
Posts: 233

Here is some pictures of the finished article painted black with Al-Ko extended 50 mm ball and marine grade stainless Clevis pins and R clips.

Click image to enlarge

Click image to enlarge "You are never to old to learn something new"

18th Aug 2017 5:57pm

salar76

Member Since: 26 Jan 2018
Location: Scotland
Posts: 5

2015 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 SW Montalcino Red

Thanks to some of the ideas on this thread, I managed to crack the challenge I was having to get bikes onto the back of my 110. I went down the Disco 2 towball route - a lot cheaper than the other option I was considering in getting a NAS step and building out with a spacer. The biggest challenge was getting the towball off the seized up Disco 2 tow bar it came with...after a couple of hours and a now knackered Halfords Advanced socket wrench we got there...

First I tried without adding a spacer, it just about worked but was a bit tight - the carrier clicked into place but was hard to get space to take off as the handle caught on the spare tyre. Put in a 2â€ spacer and itâ€™s ideal...a smaller spacer would be fine too. With the 2â€ spacer the door opens fully too. Just need some Hammerite on the towball and itâ€™ll be job done.

Click image to enlarge

10th Feb 2018 8:57pm

1113562

Member Since: 17 Nov 2013
Location: Abergavenny, Wales
Posts: 6

2007 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 HT Keswick Green

Probably fine for a small bike rack but I'm not sure I would like to tow a caravan or horse box on such a set-up. I don't like using spacers and long bolts. Too much cantilever force especially with such a long neck tow ball that amplifies the cantilever forces. I tend to switch between my bike rack, various trailers and a caravan so I designed a tow bracket that is suitable for all uses. The Defender is rated to tow up to 3.5 Tonnes so the towing bracket really should be capable of meeting the resulting dynamic loads with an adequate factor of safety. Shoot me if I'm slowing you down!

10th Feb 2018 10:54pm

Blakey007

Member Since: 13 Aug 2017
Location: Winchester
Posts: 37

Where did you purchase the spacer from salar76?

Agree with 1113562 that it maybe not a good idea to use if towing a trailer or Horse box etc but if used only for a bike rack I think its ideal.

11th Feb 2018 12:29pm

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