Gas Tank Skid Plate Repair and Armoring
Whilst (I threw in a little "brit" for ya) the Land Rover Defender 90 is one of the best engineered and built 4-wheel drive vehicles around, the Land Rover engineers did make a few critical design errors. One of these errors was in the gas tank skid plate reinforcement plate that spans the width of the skid plate. It was only welded in several places and not sealed, allowing water penetration and eventually, rust. Also, the skid plate is satisfactory for daily driving, but is too thin for off-road. My '94 D90 is virtually rust-free, with zero rust in the rear crossmember, floors, bulkhead, or doors, which proves just how vulnerable the skid plate is to rust. In this project I will replace the skid plate reinforcement plate and up-armor the bottom of the skid plate.
 Here is my skid plate. It's hard to see in the photo, but there is serious rust! |
 Here is the skid plate with most of the rust scale scrapped off. There is about 1lb of rusted steel on the floor! |
 Using my plasma cutter I cut through the welds holding the reinforcing plate on. Underneath is solid steel. Thankfully the reinforcement plate (in red) is what took most of the rust abuse. |
 Using 1/8" steel plate I wrap the skid and weld all the edges so it is completely sealed. |
 A little grinding and voila! |
 Here is the underside after cleaning, a new reinforcement plate welded in, and two new capture nuts for the sway bar welded in. All the seams are completely welded. |
 Holes drilled and ready for paint, |
 And final install ready for the trail. |