 | Home > In Car Electronics > RAM mount dashboard ball |
 
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| steveww Member Since: 05 Jan 2022 Location: Uppingham Posts: 570   
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Has anybody used https://www.mudstuff.co.uk/collections/ram...oard-mount on their Defender Puma?
It says in the notes it can be used in the centre above the clock. I've looked and the screw is recessed, does the kit come with a long spacer to raise the ball above the dash? I've tried to contact Mud Stuff but no reply so far... |
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23rd Mar 2022 2:27pm |
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| Gasket Member Since: 30 May 2020 Location: Manchester Posts: 629 |
I have one here - still in its packet.
I've just tried it in the centre screw position at the back of the dash and it fits perfectly, in that it looks the part and fits very nicely into the recess in the dash. I would argue that it sits far too deeply into the hole - in the picture below I have sat the ball on top of the black factory screw, so its sitting a good 3/4mm higher than it would when the screw is replaced. In this position it would be too low to be of any use. However, I plan on making a sleeve on the lathe (though a piece of bar or tube would be just as effective) to raise the ball a good 8-10mm to put the equator of the ball well above the dashboard. I don't have a RAM arm to hand to check, but holding the ball in either the low position or in mid-air around the 8mm higher position and there does seem to be a surprising amount of space around the ball and I believe that the arm will connect quite comfortably to the ball without touching the glass - however, please don't take my word for it as Blackwolf may well be correct in that there might not be space between the ball and the glass. I am due to order an arm, so if its a deal breaker, I am happy to report back after I've got the thing fitted. If it does work, it'll be a very very neat solution. If not it'll be a pain. Either way, getting a screwdriver head onto the top of the screw, through the ball will be tricky.  Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge Click image to enlarge |
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23rd Mar 2022 4:00pm |
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| steveww Member Since: 05 Jan 2022 Location: Uppingham Posts: 570
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Thanks for a very detailed reply.
I thought it would sit too low without a spacer. Unfortunately I don't have access to a lathe, I have many tools but a lathe is not one of them. I'll go with a windscreen sticky thing to start with. |
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23rd Mar 2022 4:07pm |
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| Gasket Member Since: 30 May 2020 Location: Manchester Posts: 629 |
There are loads of options for getting a RAM ball into a defender.
MUDUK have a few options, but there are tonnes more on the RAM website: https://www.ram-mount.co.uk/components/ball-size/ball-size-b/ Just have to use your imagination a little and it depends on the age of your Defender - the dashboards have loads of different options depending on year. |
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23rd Mar 2022 4:16pm |
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| HardCharger Member Since: 03 Mar 2013 Location: Manila Posts: 740  
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I'm keen to see your set up as I'm planning my own mounting ball extravaganza!  |
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24th Mar 2022 3:38am |
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| Screbble Member Since: 26 Apr 2015 Location: Lancashire Posts: 2107 
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It’s good to talk balls…
I have the ‘sticky’ thing - genuine RAM mount and X-Grip from Brenda and Barbara (Leeds on here) and it’s great (as are they). Although I don’t do so generally, I have left it on the screen for weeks in direct sunlight and it stayed in place 
Click image to enlarge I use it for iPhone, Sat Nav and GoPro - but not all at the same time! I even have one on my Kayak
Click image to enlarge |
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24th Mar 2022 7:11am |
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| Dave T Member Since: 07 Jun 2013 Location: Glasgow Posts: 490 
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I use the RAM twin suction cup to hold an iPad for use when green laning, it really does hold it securely. it’s very well made and very sturdy equipment. 2015 RRS Autobiography SDV6
1994 Def 90 300tdi |
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24th Mar 2022 8:56am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17446 
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I'll see if I get some photos of my balls over the weekend and post them up for your enjoyment!  |
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24th Mar 2022 5:32pm |
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| leonvh Member Since: 31 Dec 2013 Location: Plombières Posts: 69  
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Here is a ball in the location you were interested in:
Click image to enlarge The mud stuff set comes with a spacer and different hardware to be able to mount the ball in different locations on the dashboard. |
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24th Mar 2022 5:40pm |
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| leonvh Member Since: 31 Dec 2013 Location: Plombières Posts: 69
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Here is another one:
Click image to enlarge |
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24th Mar 2022 5:52pm |
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| HardCharger Member Since: 03 Mar 2013 Location: Manila Posts: 740
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Nice to see this can be done. Can you send pictures of the ball on and off and how you put it on? Might do this set up for my Garmin 55LM Another option is to install one of the angled ball part on the screw holding the sun visor closest to the rear view mirror and mount the Garmin there to help free up the forward view while keeping the unit within your field of vision |
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25th Mar 2022 5:52am |
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| blackwolf Member Since: 03 Nov 2009 Location: South West England Posts: 17446
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It is interesting to see that it works, and I can't now remember why I - clearly incorrectly - concluded that it wouldn't work when I was looking at ball locations.
One thing that people might want to bear in mind is that (in the UK at least) it is, I understand, illegal to fit any windscreen- or dash-mounted equipment which obstructs the view through the swept area of the windscreen on any goods vehicle. Since later (proper) Defenders were type-approved as N1 Light Goods, this restriction technically applies to them. That being said I have never ever heard of a Defender driver being hauled over the coals for doing it. If enforced it makes things as fundamental as fitting a dashcam very difficult, especially since you really want a dashcam to "look" through the swept area. I fitted my dashcam behind the rear-view mirror on the theory that it didn't constitute an obstruction since there was already one there in the form of the mirror, but now I have done away with the mirror I am not sure how I would stand if it came to an argument. I hope common sense would prevail. It would be tricky to fit anything of any size to a lower-centre-mounted ball without it obstructing the swept area, and it may be it was this which made me conclude it wasn't an advisable thing to do. |
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25th Mar 2022 8:33am |
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| BogMonster Member Since: 05 Feb 2008 Location: Stanley Posts: 400  
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I put the RAM ball mounts on the dash of both my Puma and my 300Tdi.
In reality the ball is strong enough, but the dash that it is screwed on to is not, so it doesn't hold the item that firmly because the dash flexes, meaning it tends to bounce the phone around on rough roads (most of our roads are unsurfaced) or off-road. This is with a standard Samsung mobile and a short arm, I dread to think what it would be like with something heavy like a tablet on rough roads. The Puma is much worse in this respect than the 300Tdi. I also found the one on top of the dash in the Puma was not quite where I wanted it to be. It's a good idea in theory but doesn't work that well in practice. I have now stopped using it and put a RAM suction mount on the windscreen which is much better. I've now got a windscreen sucker in all my vehicles - it's in a different league to the cheap Halfords suction mounts that fall off every 5 minutes. --- 2006 Defender 110 SW 300Tdi • 2011 Ford Ranger XLT crewcab • 2015 Defender 110 Station Wagon Utility TDCi |
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30th Mar 2022 8:49am |
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