machining would not produce an overall 'stronger' part. the material used to machine is most likely nucleated from its mfg process (stock) but it depends on what you mean by 'stronger' as that is a function of the material. for instance, if you made it from bronze it would be stronger in its shear value than aluminum is, but if you cast it in nickel silver its shear value would be greater than aluminum but less than 316 stainless, or ductile iron. if these are made on a machine that takes longer and uses more material. the cost is relative to the volume produced. for a one off it makes sense to machine, but will always cost more in time. i may make a pattern up myself if its just a matchplate and a core box. the price difference is due to the tooling that is needed to make a casting. the castings are almost always far cheaper to produce than starting from billet.

 

@outcast thanks for the education. I misread your original post. I see now that you said a casted part would cost about 75-85 while a machined one would be a few hundred. I got confused by the upfront tool/die costs you listed...

That aside, you lost me a bit on the strength topic. Do you think a cast part in the right metal is "better" than the OEM part or a machined part? If money were no object (not saying it isnt, but hypothetically) would a cast part be preferred over a machined? Ifn order to incent people to go through the effort to replace an unbroken OEM part, the new part must be significantly superior in both Initial and long-term durability.

 

Thanks @wcc18999

I submitted a report using the link. Much appreciated for the help.

 

I have been thinking about ladders and right now I have the portable expandable ladder but been thinking about the side ladder. I like the solid non folding ladder design from before and this does help push me that way. The rear one takes up the space I put a backup light into but I did see a nice side ladder on new defender dot com that goes where the OEM ladder goes and has more of the old landrover look. No moving parts. I was just wondering if it would whistle. I have been getting some funny noises from my rack already at about 45-50 mph.

Now that I have an off-road trailer the need to go up on the roof might not be worth the hassle. I have been very disappointed with the OEM rack so not surprised that the ladder might also have an issue. For me the OEM rack just not as utilitarian as I would like. Frontrunner or anyone else makes them with easier accessories and attachments.

All that said I still love my Defender, and I love my LR3 enough that I kept it when “upgrading”. It is actually a much more rugged and larger vehicle inside. Also the turning radius is a lot better. There is this constant need to appease the people who take their landrovers to Costco, I long for a more durable vehicle, but this is the price of making a truck that performs so well “on road” and meets all these safety standards. I was hoping the Ineos was the answer but reviews have been mixed.

 

I had both racks, Front Runner and factory. Trade offs with both. The Front Runner lost out because it takes too long to mount it. I take mine off seasonally. They both make plenty of noise (I even made a custom wind deflector for the Front Runner). Fairly impossible for them not to, they do stick up in the lifted air from the windshield. I gave up on installed ladders back with my Series III. Noise was not a factor on them, since at freeway speeds (which took a while to achieve) you needed to wear earplugs. I thought I could replace my 97 Defender and Range Rover combo with one vehicle. Well the Defender comes close, but the thing with the electrical system being, how to put it, lets say inadequate for all the tech installed is the big issue. So much so I started looking for alternatives this week. I am not finding a vehicle out there so far that, both works well off the road and on the road. Coming away from the Land Rover dealership yesterday. I told my wife, I may commit hearsay and check out the new Landcruiser. She looked at me in horror. She knows how many times the previous versions those POS's have left me walking out of not so fun places in Africa and SE Asia. Who knows they may have finally made a transmission that can avoid blowing up in low, 3rd gear.

At a loss, I am just tired of the equivalent of 'Range Anxiety' in the Defender, except being afraid of opening the door and heaven forbid, leaving it open in the field. I am fairly sure that nearly every vehicle today has a bad electrical capacity/installed tech ratio that truly works out. I just feel badly for Gavin to have the ladder break so easily. Again, why I opted for an extendable, with the Front Runner ladder points.

 

i would urge caution with any newly release vehicle, even from Toyota. Let’s just say Toyota isn’t designing them for ruggedness and durability anymore. They, like everyone else is after cafe mileage standards and going all in on immature software defined vehicle. All manufacturers are finding the software a weak point in reliability and owner satisfaction. Toyotas Tundra has had a ton of problems, including blowing engines. I’ve lost any assumed longevity advantage from 22+ Toyotas. While not perfect, the 24 defender I bought has been shown to be mechanically reliable. I don’t overland with it so I have a different set of expectations and I am very pleased with the ride, handling, and current state of the electronics.

 

Also, you should note that every 2024 Land Cruiser within 500 miles of me has a $20,000 markup.

 

Not to worry, I am looking to replace the Defender perhaps next year. I am shopping to see what might actually work. I tend to order mine, always have. I rarely walk up to the dealer and go; "that's the ticket, where is my checkbook." I was chucking to myself looking at the dealer's tough example of an overland equipped, all dressed up to go to market day in Hemasillo, just needs the overlanding chicken cage. It had a matte finish! Which is totally comical. There is no way you would ever take that off road as there is no fixing, buffing out scratches! You have to replace the wrap, which at $5K a pop I find a bit too pricey for my wallet to afford to go into the field daily, and I have airplanes, the epitimany of stupid expensive, eclipsing even boats.

Stupid lengths to have a stealth look

 

I’m the opposite, I’ve always been able to find pretty close to my ideal, but I take my time shopping. I always find better pricing by picking up from dealer inventory vs ordering. I completely agree with the “overlanding” look vs 98% of actual usage. I can’t imagine the mpg hit to that shovel across the hood, tent on the roof and other nonsense. I even thought I wanted a rear electronic locker and then had a smackhead moment as i realized I’d never use it.

 

Unless there is a huge market for replacement hinges (maybe if Gavin's complaint with the NHTSA is effective, LRNA :-p ), I'd think the easiest way to solve this is with a couple of laser cut pieces and a welder. For a one-off, a competent fab shop should be able to bang something out that doesn't look too rustic in a couple of hours (and is much stronger than cast aluminum). I can imagine the cost not being more than the cost of a replacement aftermarket ladder, if that.

Or maybe pique Simon's interest (Powerful UK) :-))