SLROC Forum

Hi folks, hoping someone can help me with the following:

I have just received the above to fit my towball, and offered it up to my rear cross member, and found the middle body support tab is a plate welded onto the surface of the cross member.  The result is the dropplate does not fit flush to the cross member and is standing off at the top by the thickness of the body mount plate.

Any suggestions? 

As far as I can tell my options are:

1: Fit it and not worry that it is not fully seated on the cross member?
2: Just pack it out at the 4 fixings with plates or washers?
3: Notch/cut out a recess in the dropplate to fit around the body mount plate, like this:  http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT3YMoTneDMYkinlHD7Ng6m1E33GBcYa3U1I6_zfyTS5pQwhjN3Rg
4: Grind the body mount plate down where it is under the dropplate, which is bit drastic and I am reluctant to do since its a galvy chassis?

Photo's (hopefully) at 

http://s1250.photobucket.com/user/cbrcbrcbr/library/Clunky?sort=3&page=1

Cheers, Clive

I would pack it out with washers myself - as you say it would be a shame to take of the galv in that area.

I have encountered this before as I had a drop plate made to allow for a NATO hitch.

I Notched the drop plate as per your picture and then welded a strap of 5mm plate across the top of the drop plate and the drilled it to fit the holes in the drop plate. A couple of longer bolts were needed to make the fixing but a good solid job and no space between drop plate and chassis to prevent any 'rock' between the two.

Probably overkill but never came adrift.

coop

Drop Plate Distance Piece (packing plate)

There's a packing plate made same thickness as central body support tab LR part no 531448 . John Craddocks had them.
See attached pic:-

Mine was for a 4 bolt Nato Hitch.

Alternatively you could just cut a piece of 3 to 4mm steel plate 126mm (wide) *120mm (high), take a notch 98mmW*56mmH out of top & drill holes lower down to achieve exactly the same thing without cutting the drop plate.

Mingdiesel

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My memory is that the original chassis had tubed holes, and the tubes extended out far enough that the plate cleared the body-mount support.

I think your kit is for a Defender - the central mounting tab is an angle on top of the cross-member rather than a straight plate welded to the rear face.

Too late to send it back ?