Iveco Massif compared to the Land Rover Defender?

Oshkosh-P

Observer
Hello,

well we all know the Iveco got a stronger engine and is fully leaf-sprung, but does anybody know if it's got the same axles and the same frame as the Defender? Or is that stronger too?

Greetings
 

J!m

Active member
I know the Defender all too well. I’m am not however, familiar with this Iveco. Do you have a link to the model you have in mind?

But if it’s leaf sprung, that’s a mark against it already...

If you have specific Defender questions, I’m happy to help as best I can.

There are three frame types:

Standard
Military
Special

Standard us fully boxed and pretty damn tough.
Military adds plating top and bottom and a few reinforcements to key suspension attachment points. Also has a different rear crossnember.
Special is the one I didn’t know existed until I got my truck. I think it may have been an “a la carte” style out of Special Vehicles, but in my case, it is basically a standard frame, fully plated like a military, front and rear sway bars, and more gussets and reinforcements than the military. Mine was made for a UK power company and also has The concentric rear springs (making it a 1-ton).
 

Oshkosh-P

Observer
Hello,

well i personally would not mind leaf springs, as they are tough&simple (even put less stress on the frame ;) ). But the biggest bonus of the Iveco is always the engine.

However i am always gratefull for any informations about frames, because to this day they is very little information out there. People compare engines and axles of various offroaders, cars and trucks alike, all the time, but the very backbone is always never compared.

And what you say is also very interesting, because i looked into this myself a while back and got mixed answers.

As far as i know the Defender frame is 185x70x2mm in the mid section, making it the second largest of its class. (after the Toyo J200 with 185x90x3.2). But the very thin metal compromises the strenght and is of course a problem with rust.

So i too was thinking, that the Wolf Defender might have a stronger frame, but this answer from richards chassis made me doubt that:

To our knowledge all Landrover Chassis were constructed using 2mm rails sides and top and bottom strips, I have seen a few wolf chassis and they
were 2mm. The series chassis used 2mm. 130chassis are also 2mm. I have never seen an original Landrover chassis of any other thickness.
All our replacement chassis use 2.5mm steel on the rails, 25% thicker than
Landrover.

This was always strange to me because i know there are Defender Version with a GWV of 4-4.5 tons and in that weight class frames are usually a LOT stronger.

Greetings
 

Oshkosh-P

Observer
Hm would have really loved some more Info on those special LR frames, also the (rear)axles seem to be different depending on the vehicle version:

Imgp3149.jpg
 

J!m

Active member
Defender frames are pretty narrow scope.

110 frames are all the same material thickness yes, but once you fully plate top and bottom, you not only double thickness over the length, you also reinforce the seam weld of the original frame which is two C sections welded together to make the box. Series trucks were four flat plates welded at the corners to make the box. Those welds are crack propagation points as well. I won’t bore everyone with the corrosion...

110’s convert to “one ton” with concentric coils in the rear. 110s and 127/130 share the same springs. That surprised me as well when I wanted to up rate my suspension...

Rear axles are Salisbury on 110 and 127/130. Fronts are all Rover and 90 rears are Rover.
 

Oshkosh-P

Observer
So the standart 130 has the same rear axles as the 110 military or civil? How do the LR axles compare to Mercedes G/Nissan Patrol? And how does the Wolf Chassis compare?

What do you mean by narros scope? 8non Native speaker)

I guess special frames like yours are most likely to be found under a 130 with some sort of special purpose like tow truck?
 

Oshkosh-P

Observer
The T-REX is of course much tougher in any way, much stronger frame/axles, much higher GVW etc. But also a completly different price range.
 

J!m

Active member
So the standart 130 has the same rear axles as the 110 military or civil? How do the LR axles compare to Mercedes G/Nissan Patrol? And how does the Wolf Chassis compare?

What do you mean by narros scope? 8non Native speaker)

I guess special frames like yours are most likely to be found under a 130 with some sort of special purpose like tow truck?

The 110 and 130 use the same rear axle, yes. Not much help if you are not from North America, but is is similar to a common axle here the DANA 60. Very strong design.

By “narrow scope” I meant not a lot of variety.
 

Oshkosh-P

Observer
Ah yeah i know the D60 as a front axle in the older heavy chassis cap trucks, pretty solid piece!

But the wolf version looks like it's got upgrades too, like there is something weldet on it below.

Maybe they let me keep this picture:

w%2027.jpg
 

J!m

Active member
Is that a Wolf 90? That’s a Rover rear axle with stiffeners added. Old 109 1-ton trucks had that.

I thought all Wolfs were 110’s and they would have SAilsbury axles out back.

Those “jate rings” on the frame look familiar... I have them on my 110 as well. Simple but effective. Of course, they are always buried in the mud when you need them... I put a strap on and throw it in the back before I go out.

I have a Dixon- Bates rear recovery point I switch with a class III receiver as needed.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
185,539
Messages
2,875,663
Members
224,922
Latest member
Randy Towles
Top