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Rogeo1983



Member Since: 18 Nov 2015
Location: Horsham
Posts: 30

2010 Defender 90 Puma 2.4 CSW Zambezi Silver
Chassis and underbody wash
Hi folks,

I am just wondering if anybody knows any companies in West Sussex near Horsham, that can put a defender on a ramp and wash and degrease the underbody including the chassis?

I am having trouble getting my power washer to all of the correct areas with the length of the rigid wash pipe.

Many thanks
Post #521456 6th Apr 2016 10:04am
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andydef90



Member Since: 09 Feb 2015
Location: yorkshire
Posts: 617

United Kingdom 2014 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Corris Grey
I just get under mine and wash it no need for ramps Thumbs Up
Post #521507 6th Apr 2016 1:19pm
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spudfan



Member Since: 10 Sep 2007
Location: Co Donegal
Posts: 4703

Ireland 
I just use a garden hose with a nozzle on it. To my mind a powerwasher would remove any corrosion protection on the chassis/outriggers. I do it regularly and the nether regions stay clean. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali
2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu
2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai
Post #521689 6th Apr 2016 8:20pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20441

United Kingdom 
^^^^ Same as me, pressure washer will drive water inside the chassis too.
Post #521707 6th Apr 2016 8:50pm
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spudfan



Member Since: 10 Sep 2007
Location: Co Donegal
Posts: 4703

Ireland 
I taped over the holes with black tape. I didn't tape over the bottom drain holes. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali
2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu
2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai
Post #521736 6th Apr 2016 9:23pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20441

United Kingdom 
Only ones I taped was one each side under the rear arch, large ones.
They were a massive dirt trap, all the little ones aren't so bad and allow air through to dry out.
Post #521755 6th Apr 2016 10:01pm
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spudfan



Member Since: 10 Sep 2007
Location: Co Donegal
Posts: 4703

Ireland 
Yeah, the place where the cable trunking enters the chassis rail behind the rear wheel took some amount of tape!!I left some of the holes on the inner faces open to allow air into the chassis like you have done. It's amazing how much cleaner and drier the inner faces of the chassis rails stay compared to the outer faces. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali
2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu
2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai
Post #521757 6th Apr 2016 10:11pm
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custom90



Member Since: 21 Jan 2010
Location: South West, England.
Posts: 20441

United Kingdom 
A lot of it is water splashing, most dirt and wet is just behind front wheels, not so much mid way and around rear wheels.
Front chassis section stays clean mainly.
I try and avoid wading loads of water if I can, especially going into it at speed.
Post #521759 6th Apr 2016 10:14pm
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jimbob7



Member Since: 06 Jul 2013
Location: uk
Posts: 2055

Google, truck wash/MOT,your area.Cost is about £30 for a truck.HGV's can fail an MOT if the underside is excessively dirty so it's normal to have them jet washed beforehand.

As others have done, I did mine on the drive using a combination of ramps, pressure washer AND hose pipe.Paying extra attention to the rear and the large holes where the loom exits.
If you off road your truck you probably need to have quite a few sessions underneath as you'll miss nearly all the mud traps.Took me months to thoroughly clean mine,which was fine because I learn't where all the mud traps are and made sure they got an extra dose of paint/Dinitrol.

And don't worry about water inside the chassis,you get dirty,gritty,salty water inside everytime it rains (@60mph a tyre will easily shift a gallon of water PER SECOND,compared to a typical diy pressure washer of 1.5 gallons PER MINUTE) which is the real killer,so needs to flushed out,it will quickly dry when it stops raining (also dirty paint takes longer to dry and the longer it stays wet the quicker the paint deteriorates).
imho,regular cleaning the underside is the best way to keep corrosion away,only takes a quick,light going over when done regularly.

Fake edit:Almost 2 years after I jet washed,primed,painted and Dinitrolled my underside I dropped the fuel tank on it to swap a leaky pipe,the area around the pump/pipes was still full of mud,as I said, it took me MONTHS to jet wash my truck and I still didn't get rid of it all,lol. Pov.spec,ftw. 2006, 110,TD5.
Post #521827 7th Apr 2016 9:30am
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spudfan



Member Since: 10 Sep 2007
Location: Co Donegal
Posts: 4703

Ireland 
I find the biggest mudtraps are on top of the front outriggers which sit below the driver's and passenger's feet. The mud lodges between the top of the outrigger and the body. Next big trap is the inside of the rear crossmember behind the rear wheels. I hose these out with a garden hose and an adjustable spay nozzle everytime I wash the vehicle. The space between the tank and crossmember is also hosed out but as I can't see in, it's hard to know just how much crud gets left in there.
I'd say for a vehicle not subjected to regular off roading a garden hose with a spraing nozzle should be sufficient. I've never had a vehicle turned down at the test owing to dirty nether regions and I live in a rural area where we get lots of mud on the roads.. 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali
2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu
2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai
Post #521918 7th Apr 2016 3:46pm
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Joe the Plumber



Member Since: 18 Dec 2013
Location: Midlands
Posts: 907

2014 Defender 110 Puma 2.2 HT Fuji White
I made my own rear wheel arch liners for my 110 van, and at the front fitted some of Gwyn Lewis's liners, but with my own additions, to keep the mud off the front outriggers and out of the front bumper.

Gwyn Lewis's website is here:

http://www.gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/product-category/mudshields/

There's some pictures of my rear arches at the bottom of this page (I can't find the photos of the front, but I'm sure they're on here somewhere):

http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic32129.html

I ended up removing the original rear mudflaps altogether as they caught the spray my liners threw up and swirled it around in front of them. I then added some short flexible mudflaps onto the bottom edges of the rear of the liners which have since kept the rear crossmember and chassis very clean.

Obviously, my liners would be a liability off tarmac, but apart from the odd trip up a verge, the van never goes 'off road'.
Post #521971 7th Apr 2016 7:01pm
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spudfan



Member Since: 10 Sep 2007
Location: Co Donegal
Posts: 4703

Ireland 
Interesting Very Happy 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali
2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu
2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai
Post #521974 7th Apr 2016 7:07pm
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RichLech



Member Since: 09 Nov 2015
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 115

United Kingdom 2012 Defender 90 Puma 2.2 HT Keswick Green
I recently spent many hours cleaning mine in preparation for Dinitrol. The number of places you can find caked mud is amazing. When you are certain you have found it all, look again - you will find more!

I have a basic Defender commercial (van) which is my dog carrier and it has no wiring loom running through the chassis. This allowed me to use the 2" diameter holes in the chassis rails (one behind the front wheel and one at the back) to feed a hosepipe into the chassis and flush it out with clean water. It took a long, long time for the water to run clean.

I then left it to dry for about three weeks while I was away.

One I had put Rust Convertor and Cavity Wax inside the chassis I used 2" grommets to block the large holes as they seem designed to let water and salt into the chassis, especially the front ones which are in direct line of the front wheels when turning.

I used underbody wax over the outside of the chassis and under the bodywork, then finished off with a complete set of Gwyn Lewis mud shields/liners.
Post #522002 7th Apr 2016 7:54pm
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spudfan



Member Since: 10 Sep 2007
Location: Co Donegal
Posts: 4703

Ireland 
If a job is worth doing ....etc etc Thumbs Up 1982 88" 2.25 diesel
1992 110 200tdi csw -Zikali
2008 110 2.4 tdci csw-Zulu
2011 110 2.4 tdci csw-Masai
Post #522037 7th Apr 2016 9:02pm
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srod



Member Since: 20 Mar 2015
Location: Argyll
Posts: 190

Hire or borrow a hot water pressure washer if you want to get it properly clean, then you can just get right under it, no need for a ramp or waterproofs as it's like lying in the bath Very Happy Cold water pressure washer just doesn't cut it, no better than a garden hose although maybe a bit quicker, both about 10% as effective as hot water.

I point the nozzle everywhere it'll go - inside all the holes in the chassis, get all the crap out. Take it for a drive after, up and down a few steep hills to drain the water out. Then go round with a air-line/blow-gun and to blow the rest of the moisture out to properly get it all nice and dry (and remove a load more muck that you missed with the power washer!).
Post #522053 7th Apr 2016 9:43pm
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