steveww
Member Since: 05 Jan 2022
Location: Uppingham
Posts: 571
 
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I recently installed a full set of TMD billet hinges on my 110 station wagon.
I'll start at the front with the bonnet hinges. As you may know removing the bonnet is easy, just open to 90 degrees and lift. The TMD hinges are attached to the body not the bonnet. The pins are held in place by grub screws, these are a bit of a pain to line up. It's a good idea to place some folded towels on the wing tops to protect them. Then lift the bonnet into place, this is a two person job. Now screw in the new security bolts, there's not too much play so it's easy to get everything lined up. The only negative here is that TMD do not supply washers for the new bolts. I fitted some stainless washers.
Next I did the rear door. First remove the spare wheel, a lot less weight to wrestle with. You may also need to remove some interior trim to get the the bolts. Do one hinge at a time, remove the original hinge and it the new one. On mine a couple of the holes on the body needed elongating slightly.
It's a similar approach for the passenger doors. Removing the door card makes it much easier. Do one hinge at a time and keep the door shut while you tighten everything up. Again the nyloc nuts provided do not come with washers. I swapped them out for flange nyloc nuts. The doors all lined up OK. There is a pin that goes in front of the pillar screws, it's secured by a tiny grub screw. This design could be better. Finally there a caps that screw over these to make access even harder and to make things look pretty.
I'm happy with the hinges although they are expensive, they're cheaper than a new set of doors. My Defender is a dark colour so the black hinges look OK and match in the the side steps and bumpers. My only negative is the supply of plain nyloc nuts rather than flanged ones. I swapped them out for https://www.accu.co.uk/en/953-flanged-nylon-locking-nuts
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1st Feb 2022 2:09pm |
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Race.it
Member Since: 27 Aug 2019
Location: Algeciras
Posts: 823
 
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Great write up, got to fit my optimill door hinges at some time. Although not the same hinges, I think your write up has assisted. Searching for my first Defender...and started just as Covid hit, so talk about timing.
5 months after starting the search I found it, and here is the details
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1st Feb 2022 2:36pm |
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