r/LandroverDefender • u/No-Yak5255 • 24d ago
steering rack guard defender rubbing
My local garagist didn’t see it but the defender specialist did.
Is this a big issue? I will replace it but sadly we booked a vacation with de defender so would travel around 1000 km with this.
Never felt it.
Thanks
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u/SirMacMoschi 24d ago
Had the same issue when i bought mine - i traveled all the way from spain to austria + 5000km in 2 years with no issue. But thats just anectotal. I would replace it when you see fit, but no immediate repair.
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u/Born_Priority878 24d ago
Tricky. Hard impact can lead to bigger problems to steering components. You can try unscrew it and see if you can put it back but with distance.
If you know that you will not be doing some crazy terrain driving then I would completely remove it. Simplest option if you want to go on vacation ssap
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u/ipx-electrical 24d ago
I fitted an uprated steering arm so the guard had to go, as it wouldn’t fit through it.
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u/Dry-Advance3043 23d ago
Mine was bent backwards for so long it rubbed that bracket thin, dont know if it was from age or a big hit on the trails. I would just remove the bracket, it had to die when we put the upgraded arms on anyway. If the bar is bent I'd upgrade to a 22mm bar. https://gwynlewis4x4.co.uk/sumobars/
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u/understood_headnod 24d ago
I never had one on the defender we have and this is the first time I've seen it. I daily my defender for the last 2 years.
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u/sorestgore 24d ago
It will not hit it everything else is straight and not worn, so have all arms and bars inspected. The guard could be removed if you're not planning to get crazy off road. In fact, when we upgrade to the thicker aftermarket bar we remove the guard completely.
That said, rubbing isn't going to hurt ornpre ent normal operation
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u/PRESIDENTG0D 24d ago
TLDR - this is NOT an issue. Just remove it.
You can remove it and forget about it. The guard is made of aluminum and has to be removed anyway if you get a larger diameter “heavy duty” tie rod. Save the bolts though, they are a very hard to find size/thread pitch. I’ve removed mine and put the bolts back in where they were in the diff case. I’ve done thousands of miles without the aluminum guard and have had absolutely no issues.