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FAT ‘FENDER

It’s high, wide and goes like the wind

Words by Mark Allen, photography by Robb Cox

Land Rover Defenders are a pretty damn capable 4WD straight out of the box - and they fit perfectly into boxes too, that’s why they’re the shape they are! Why waste valuable space with curves? While Corey Tuhaka was well aware of the Defender’s capabilities - he’s owned a few Landies previously - what he really wanted was a bit more of a weapon on- and off-road; something a little fatter!

The most obvious size increase is in the wheel-arch flares. Corey removed the standard, flexible plastic flares, knocked up a set of 6mm aluminium flares, lined them with conveyor-belt rubber and reattached the standard flares on the outside. The aluminium section has been securely bolted to the body and doubles as a step up to the roof-racks. Corey notes that they are the perfect width and height to rest your beer on while standin’ ‘round chin waggin’ with ya mates - thinkin’ outside the square (box) Corey! Filling the flared guards are a set of 35in Simex Centipedes, fitted to Mangles steel 15x8in rims with 3.5in of offset - a huge help on those cross-slopes.

But it’s the lift that really caught our eye here at 4WD Action HQ. No standard 2in kit here, this Landy is a full-blown 6in closer to its maker than a stocker. God does drive a Rover, doesn’t he? Just to make damn sure Corey’s ride doesn’t get anywhere close to fitting into the local Westfield shopping centre, he has fitted a set of ARB steel roof-racks. Fitting into shopping centres is not a real problem for Corey, as most of the Landie’s miles are put up while travelling the Aussie outback. Yep, even though this ‘Fender is bigger than most, it has racked up its fair share of touring destinations. Fat, wide, tall, colossal or flippin’ huge - call it what you want. We reckon Corey has succeeded in building one awesome 4WD - something not out of the box!

SUSPENSION
There has been a lot of R&D with the suspension on this ‘Fender; Corey has tried many brands of shocks and either had them fade on corrugations or has snapped them due to the massive amount of articulation he has. His favoured, current shocks are Bilsteins, which he has as singles up the front and twins at the rear. These are no ordinary Bilsteins, though, Corey has had them individually built to his requirements by Bilstein. Firstly, the valving has been tailor made to suit the weight of the ‘Fender and the length - all 970mm of it - made to match the massive suspension lift, giving 16in of vertical travel. Corey has fitted protection to the leading face of the shocks to prevent stone damage to the tubes. As they are a mono-tube shock, one dent and they’re stuffed.

On the rear, the twin shocks are mounted forward and aft of the axle, instead of a twin mounting point side-by-side. This slightly aids in the bump-steer effect both on- and off-road. Lifting the Landy is a set of 6in raised coils, which, while they obviously provide massive articulation and underbody clearance, have caused their fair share of problems. The rear A-frame, at the central pivot point, has been blocked with steel spacers to keep it in line with acceptable working angles and to prevent the ball joint from binding. Corey has future plans to turn this ball joint into something akin to an off-road trailer hitch to allow more flex and twist.

The front coils are courtesy of a lifted Range Rover rear end and the rears are a custom job - both sets are rated at 320lbs. The rear trailing arms have copped a hiding and several types have been tried. Most arms either bend, snap or fracture, and the latest set are a heavy-duty laminated item with gusseting at the angles to help prevent damage.

DRIVELINE
At the pointy end - not that there is one on a Landy - Corey has upped the ante in the power stakes, so much so that bagging the 35in rubber is all to easy. The BMW-sourced 2.5L five-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel has a computer upgrade and a custom-built over-size intercooler. A dyno run recorded 140kW of power and 480Nm of torque - a big step up from the factory figures of 90 and 300. The standard five-speed gearbox and transfer case seem to be holding up with the increased power.

To overcome the vibrations and excessive driveline angles caused by the big spring lift, double Cardan joints have been installed in the driveshafts. The front shaft wears a single double Cardan at the transfer-case end and the rear shaft has them at both ends.
Open diffs drive the constant 4WD Defender all day every day. When the going gets tough, Corey has the option of switching twin Maxi Drive diff locks on for maximum traction and drive. To cope with the added stresses of the increased power, large tyres, huge articulation and severe driveline angles, Corey has taken the precaution of replacing all the steering arms, axles, CVs and joints with hardened heavy-duty items.

BARWORK
Warding off roo and rock strikes is a full complement of steel and aluminium protection gear. A factory Land Rover steel winch bar also holds a Warn XD9000 electric winch and a pair of Land Rover driving lights. Custom steel side bars and sill bars keep the ‘Fender body-work straight and an ARB steel roof-rack holds plenty of gear while on longer holidays. Four Cibie spotties are also bolted to a bracket at the front of the racks.
To provide some protection to the steering arms, an 8mm alloy bash plate is bolted to the underside of the bullbar. Front and rear diffs have bolt-on guards to protect the cast casings from rock strike. What seems to be standard fare - and very useful I might add - is a set of alloy chequerplate panels on the top of the front guards - handy for standing on to access the roof racks without denting the panels. Rounding out the chequerplate treatment is the front lower guard, sill and rear guard cladding.

SELF-RELIANCE
Corey is a lover of getting away from it all. To do so, he makes sure he carries all the necessary gear to make his life both comfy and safe. A plastic case, in the rear luggage area, holds a good variety of recovery gear - ground anchor, drag chain, snatch straps, winch extension straps, hand winch, compressor and a handful of shackles. Up on the roof racks, a high-lift jack and long-handled shovel are easy to get at.

A dual-battery system, comprising of marine-grade 90A and 70A batteries, sits under the front passenger seat. The second battery powers a 50L Waeco fridge strapped in place of the rear seat. To keep in contact with the outside world, Corey has had four antennas fitted to the front bar, comprising of AM CB, CDMA phone, GSM and UHF CB radio. On excursions where a HF radio is needed, he simply hires a unit for the time away. For fuel and water storage, there is a 70L stainless water tank in the floor of the rear cargo area and a 140L stainless diesel tank to back the standard 75L main tank. This second fuel tank transfers fuel to the main, which in turn pumps it to the engine as required.

BRIEFLY:
Vehicle: 2000 Land Rover Defender
Engine: 2.5L intercooled turbo-diesel
Gearbox: Five-speed manual
4WD activation: Full-time
Suspension: Front - Rigid axles, 6in raised coil springs, Bilstein shocks, Rear - Rigid axles, 6in raised coil springs, twin Bilstein shocks
Brakes: Front - disc. Rear - disc
Wheels: Mangles steel 15x8in
Tyres: Simex Centipede 35x10.5x15in