Am I mad thinking about buying this Defender?!

[DanielS82]

Hi,
Thanks for reading.
I went to look at a 2010 defender today and it is a lovely car. Mostly in perfect condition but bit of surface rust underneath. There was liquid on the back of the brakes too but I am not sure how concerned I should be about the surface rust and the brake issue. The thing stopped ok but the leak will need fixing but not sure how big a deal/expense that would be! Help or advice would be appreciated. I live on a farm so it will be used in a mix of on and off road settings. Thank you!

[RazerSauber]

Mostly perfect condition but has surface rust and leaking brakes? And you're not sure how concerned to be over leaking brakes??

If you're adamant you want this one, ask to take it to a garage for a diagnosis. Get a quote on the repair and an inspection of your surface rust then factor that into your offer on the vehicle. Or swerve it and go out into the sea of Defenders and get a better one.

[DanielS82]

Haha thanks for your reply. I basically want someone to tell me not to buy it and I’m mad 😂

[Turn7]

Wheres the steering arm gone ?

[Rushjob]

Turn7 said:

Wheres the steering arm gone ?

T'other end of the axle!

[SlimJim16v]

Is that brake fluid, or oil?

[andrewcliffe]

DanielS82 said:

Haha thanks for your reply. I basically want someone to tell me not to buy it and I’m mad ??

Don't buy it.

You're mad.

[Trevor555]

SlimJim16v said:

Is that brake fluid, or oil?

Looks like oil coming out of the swivel?

Aren't they mostly like that at 10 years old?

Unless they've recently been replaced of course.

Put the steering on full lock and see how much pitting is in the ball.

[eliot]

looks like a weeping swivel housing - not even dripping!
I fully rebuilt my front axles in the summer, new swivels, seals, swivel bearings, wheel bearings, brake disks - £500 in parts.

I can’t see any leaking brakes.

[Blackpuddin]

RazerSauber said:

Mostly perfect condition but has surface rust and leaking brakes?

I'd be more suspicious about a Defender without surface rust tbh.

[Turn7]

Rushjob said:

Turn7 said:

Wheres the steering arm gone ?

T'other end of the axle!

Ok, surely there should be a tie rod on that or similar ?

[Rushjob]

Turn7 said:

Ok, surely there should be a tie rod on that or similar ?

Nope. Later front axles are ambidextrous - either lhd or rhd so you connect to the relevant one

[Turn7]

Rushjob said:

Turn7 said:

Ok, surely there should be a tie rod on that or similar ?

Nope. Later front axles are ambidextrous - either lhd or rhd so you connect to the relevant one

Ah, gotcha!

Cheers

[OverSteery]

If it's a good 'un buy it.

This is the sort of maintenance that will be required regularly - learn to embrace it. Not a big enough issue to reject a good one.

Is the chassis sound?

[blueST]

That axle rust is just normal and not too serious. It’s more important to look at the state of the chassis, bulkhead etc.

The swivel is leaking a bit but not badly and it’s very common.

That tyre is a General Grabber TR which were factory fit and last forever, so they could well be the original set and need changing on age grounds if nothing else.

Leaking brakes are not normal so you’ll need to get that checked out before you go anywhere, but it could be a cheap fix.

[C350Akra]

With my basic mechanical thoughts, if the brakes were leaking it is likely the pedal would be spongy?

[Turn7]

The leak is just the swivel seal leaking oil.

Dont bother replacing the oil or seal, just buy the special grease LR now sell and the problem is solved.

[rxe]

By the standards of most swivels, it’s barely leaking. If you buy it, check it actually has grease in it. General condition looks OK.

[lost in espace]

Get checking the chassis for rust in particular the rear quarter, and the back door also. Swivels can be fixed, corrosion can't. It might have a one piece door that is stronger and more corrosion resistant.

[camel_landy]

Don't worry about the axle, it all looks OK to me and the 'moist' nature of the swivel just shows there's grease in there.

As for the rust... That is nothing to be concerned about and frankly, it just shows it has been cleaned.

Not sure what you meant by the liquid on the back of the brakes, was that in the picture?

M

Edited by camel_landy on Tuesday 2nd March 15:54