No sure if this is the right place or forum for this but I recently got yet another Freelander 1 Kalahari, bought second hand rear dog guard and rear window guard.
Fitting the dog GUARD WAS A SIMPLE TASK BUT THE REAR WINDOW GUARD CAME WITH no BRACKETS TO FIT IT AND NO INSTRUCTIONS.
This seems to be pretty typical and no one (well ,I can not find anyone) sells just the fixing kit. Was offered one on flea bay but the seller wanted £35 for the brackets and instructions.
I managed to find the fitting instructions on-line and a picture of the brackets, so I set to work on making some up.
This took me all of 30 mins to do.
First get some 20mm x 20mm square section tube, best use 2mm wall as it is stronger and I am a bit club handed.
Cut two pieces 10.5cm long (pics attached I hope or not as it happens), dress the ends as the sharp edges can be nasty as I found out, 1 band-aide later.
At one end of each piece, cut a 45 degree angle so it exposes the back part of the tube (this will be fixing point 1).
At the opposite end of the piece to the 45 degree, cut down the tube so as to reveal the back wall of the tube and trim the U shaped piece off leaving just the back wall showing. The length exposed needs to be around 35mm. Make sure you cut this part out to reveal the same section of the back wall that is revealed by the first cut that gave you a 45 degree edge.
Again, dress all the sharp edges off.
drill a 10mm hole in the center of the newly exposed back plate and drill a 10mm hole in the center of the back plate exposed by the 45 degree cut.
So as you look at the bracket, you hold it up and the 45 degree should be facing the bottom with a 10mm hole drilled in it and the top back plate portion should also have a 10mm hole drilled in it.
Now we are getting close. Lay the brackets flat with the newly drilled holes at the back, measure the remaining distance of the tube between the two cuts and find the centre point, mark this and drill all the way through the tube with your 10mm drill. Then get a 12mm drill and follow through this hole again with the 12mm.
Take and M8 nut and bolt, place the bolt through the new hole in the center of the bracket so it feeds through from the back to the front (back being the part the is still 10.5cm long, front being the part all the cutting has been done from).
Thread the nut down the bolt until it nips hand tight, mount bracket in a vice or similar item, now you need to have a welder, mig, stick, gas, don't matter. Simply tack the nut to the bracket at 3 or more points so it is completely secure.
Repeat with second bracket.
When cool, dress any sharp edges again.
Place newly fabricated bracket in a vice and bend the 35mm exposed back plate backwards about 30 degree, repeat with second bracket.
Paint if desired (quick coat from a rattle can will do it) and there you have the brackets.
Now you will need 2 x 8mm bolts about 50mm long and 4 x 10mm bolts complete with nuts and washers around 12mm long.
That's your brackets done, all you need to do now is to remove the inner trim from the rear gate of the freelander, drop the rear window and slide the guard in to place. Hold and mark on the inner potion of the door.
Open the tail gate, hold each bracket up to the marks made on the door and mark your 2 drill points on each side. Drill with the 10mm drill and bolt the brackets in place.
From there I will let you mark and cut the slots in the tailgate trim because I made a bit of a ballsup with mine. Just need to always double check your measurements before you cut into the plastic trim and don't let anyone distract you while doing it and you will be ok.
If the 8mm bolts are not to your taste and you want something a little more pleasing to look at, do what I did, I when't to the local hardware shop and bought two office table leg adjusting bolts, they have nice plastic round covers on the heads like wheels and are easier to lock the guard in place with.
Now,
If someone can tell me how to upload the pictures we can have a proper tut done.
Fitting the dog GUARD WAS A SIMPLE TASK BUT THE REAR WINDOW GUARD CAME WITH no BRACKETS TO FIT IT AND NO INSTRUCTIONS.
This seems to be pretty typical and no one (well ,I can not find anyone) sells just the fixing kit. Was offered one on flea bay but the seller wanted £35 for the brackets and instructions.
I managed to find the fitting instructions on-line and a picture of the brackets, so I set to work on making some up.
This took me all of 30 mins to do.
First get some 20mm x 20mm square section tube, best use 2mm wall as it is stronger and I am a bit club handed.
Cut two pieces 10.5cm long (pics attached I hope or not as it happens), dress the ends as the sharp edges can be nasty as I found out, 1 band-aide later.
At one end of each piece, cut a 45 degree angle so it exposes the back part of the tube (this will be fixing point 1).
At the opposite end of the piece to the 45 degree, cut down the tube so as to reveal the back wall of the tube and trim the U shaped piece off leaving just the back wall showing. The length exposed needs to be around 35mm. Make sure you cut this part out to reveal the same section of the back wall that is revealed by the first cut that gave you a 45 degree edge.
Again, dress all the sharp edges off.
drill a 10mm hole in the center of the newly exposed back plate and drill a 10mm hole in the center of the back plate exposed by the 45 degree cut.
So as you look at the bracket, you hold it up and the 45 degree should be facing the bottom with a 10mm hole drilled in it and the top back plate portion should also have a 10mm hole drilled in it.
Now we are getting close. Lay the brackets flat with the newly drilled holes at the back, measure the remaining distance of the tube between the two cuts and find the centre point, mark this and drill all the way through the tube with your 10mm drill. Then get a 12mm drill and follow through this hole again with the 12mm.
Take and M8 nut and bolt, place the bolt through the new hole in the center of the bracket so it feeds through from the back to the front (back being the part the is still 10.5cm long, front being the part all the cutting has been done from).
Thread the nut down the bolt until it nips hand tight, mount bracket in a vice or similar item, now you need to have a welder, mig, stick, gas, don't matter. Simply tack the nut to the bracket at 3 or more points so it is completely secure.
Repeat with second bracket.
When cool, dress any sharp edges again.
Place newly fabricated bracket in a vice and bend the 35mm exposed back plate backwards about 30 degree, repeat with second bracket.
Paint if desired (quick coat from a rattle can will do it) and there you have the brackets.
Now you will need 2 x 8mm bolts about 50mm long and 4 x 10mm bolts complete with nuts and washers around 12mm long.
That's your brackets done, all you need to do now is to remove the inner trim from the rear gate of the freelander, drop the rear window and slide the guard in to place. Hold and mark on the inner potion of the door.
Open the tail gate, hold each bracket up to the marks made on the door and mark your 2 drill points on each side. Drill with the 10mm drill and bolt the brackets in place.
From there I will let you mark and cut the slots in the tailgate trim because I made a bit of a ballsup with mine. Just need to always double check your measurements before you cut into the plastic trim and don't let anyone distract you while doing it and you will be ok.
If the 8mm bolts are not to your taste and you want something a little more pleasing to look at, do what I did, I when't to the local hardware shop and bought two office table leg adjusting bolts, they have nice plastic round covers on the heads like wheels and are easier to lock the guard in place with.
Now,
If someone can tell me how to upload the pictures we can have a proper tut done.
