SOUTHDOWN
Off Road Protection
by Tony Cordell
Guide for Fitting Southdown Jackable Sills To A Defender 90
Firstly start by spraying the bulkhead lower fixing bolts where they meet the chassis out riggers with wd40 or similar a few days before you intend starting these are 19mm bolts, Also the original sill bolts(10mm)x6 plus two plastic type rivets inside the wheel arches all will be covered in crud etc due their location
The Southdown sills come in 4 pieces per side: one sill one tubular piece of steel (rear sill mounting point)all power coated in black and two rubber/plastic deflectors
On the day remove the original sill section then the lower bulkhead fixing nut, Tap the bolt back into the bulkhead section but (not out)The tubular Southdown pieces fit inside the jacking points either side on the Defender chassis. Insert the plastic deflectors at this stage into the main sill section, offer up the new long sill, the bulkhead bolt will now needs to be tapped back through the front fixing on the sill section, This may or may not meet up, don't worry if it doesn't there is some leeway. The rear fixings can now be fitted there are four bolts per side for the rear fixing, Once all are in place you can tighten all the bolts, it may help to have an assistant lift the sill via the jacking point holes to get a close fit, lastly you will need to drill the original tube jacking point in order to fit the last bolt per side which retains the tubular sill mounting
Nearly there, you may find the deflectors are a snug fit with the wheel arch eye brows if not the will need pulling out slightly to meet, I put some sikaflex(silicon type stuff) on the plastic piece that goes inside the box section to hold them in place, you will also need to add self taping with large washers inside each wheel arch to fix the eye brow to the deflectors (x2 per arch)otherwise there is a tendency for them to be ripped off or damaged in use
Once all fitted you will notice a gap between the top inside edge of the sill and the body of the Defender, This can be filled easily with a door edge sill (I got mine from the scrap yard mk4 escort estate) these need to be trimmed to fit underneath around a couple of pies of the original sill fixings, mine is held in place by sikaflex and squeezing the rubber strip between the new sill and body by undoing the tubular section bolt pulling the sill away slightly then fitting the rubber strip and replacing the bolt which in turn squeezed the strip tightly. This was done after the fitting at a later date on my vehicle, But best done when first installing
This may sound longwinded but it is the complete job.
 
Guide For Installing A Southdown Tank Guard On A Defender 90
This is a simple installation procedure. The guard itself is a single piece item that comes supplied with two 17mm nuts and bolts which are the front fixings and two exhaust type clamps which are used to locate the rear of the guard, these fit around the tubular rear body mount on the Defender 90’s, you’ll need to purchase one other bolt that is not supplied the bolt required will needs to be 120mm long.
The rear mounting is around the afore mentioned tubular outrigger there are two pieces of steel that need filing flat in order for the guard to be a snug fit against the tubular piece and painted over afterwards, galvanized chassis owners need not bother with the filing.
Start by removing the existing Gearbox mounting bolt that goes through the chassis this is the bolt that you will later replace with the new longer one you purchased. At this stage it helps to have another pair of hands just to make the task a bit easier, Other wise lay on your back with the guard on your chest/knees then lift it roughly into place the front bolts use existing holes on most Defenders in the front chassis outrigger if these holes are not already there they will need to be marked and drilled before progressing. Mine were already there so no drilling was required.
The Guard was lifted into place and the two 17mm supplied bolts inserted through the chassis and the front mounting holes on the guard, The nuts were loosely attached at this stage, The guard can be propped on something if need be whilst you shuffle to the rear fixing area. The two exhaust type clamps are used to hold the rear of the guard in place the last fixing is the gearbox mount through the chassis and guard, Once all are in and loosely fitted start the tightening at the front end whilst hold the guard tight against the outrigger then the middle fixing finally the rear clamps.
A simple fit that should take approx 30-45mins.
 
A Guide For Fitting A Southdown Steering Guard To A Land Rover Defender
The Southdown steering guards come in a few guises including one/three piece steel or aluminium.
I chose the three piece steel type it comes of course with all the required fixings needed parts inc:
X1-Main guard plate
X1 side plate flat
X1 side plate formed to go around panhard rod mounting
The job should take approx 45-60mins, there is one existing mounting on the panhard rod this will require spaying with WD40 or similar before you attempt to undo it, mine was tight and a friends has snapped theirs whilst attempting to undo it BEWARE.
The side plates of the steering guard are easily fitted to existing holes on the chassis two per side.
Do not tighten them up before you have fitted the guard plate itself once assembled loosely you can then begin by tightening the side plate mountings then finish with the eight guard plate bolts themselves. Use the torque settings as for the panhard mounting 65ft/lbs
Guide For Fitting A Southdown Front Axle Guard To A Land Rover Defender
The Southdown front axle guard is as it says a complete axle guard not just a diff pan cover, the guard protects all of the front axle between the radius arms also covering the vulnerable rear steering bar, The guard being bolted to the radius arm to axle fittings both sides benefits from moving with the axle offering comprehensive protection.It can also be fitted to vehicles with anti roll bars.
The guard comes in three pieces:
X2 side plates
X1 axle guard
The Side plates have to be fitted to the radius arm mountings onto the front axle, Two each side, These fit on the inside of the radius arms with the formed lower sections facing inwards these are the mounting for the guard itself,
The existing radius arm bolts need to be removed one at a time and turned around, This will leave the bolt head inside the radius arm and the nut of course the outside, Firstly remove both nuts on one side tap one bolt out and the other bolt into the radius arm so that the first side mounting plate can be offered up into position, Re install the bolt you have removed completely through the side plate/radius arm and axle mounting the radius arm may have moved slightly making the bolt a tight fit, use a lever to assist moving the radius arm
(a pry bar may be required) till you can push/tap the bolt home, Once in you can remove the second bolt and install it the same way as the first. This will need to be repeated for the other side mounting plate, when both side plates are installed the guard plate itself can be fitted in place with the supplied nuts and bolts.
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