I somehow can't imagine ever hearing the following words from a dealer "Yes sir we will give you £x for the trade in of your FL2 oh, and an extra £y for the electric tailgate" 3 x FL1 2 manual + 1 auto
5 x FL2 4 manual + 1 auto
Now Discovery Sport P250 MHEV SE

I'm not sure a dealer/trader would ever touch an abomination of a car

As far as I know, all of the mods Stuart has done are reversible, but I imagine like me neither of us has any intention of selling the car any time soon.

Totally irrelevant as I don’t go through life thinking “what if”!
Besides, I payed cash for the vehicle, I’d never go near a dealer with my vehicle and probably why it’s been completely fault free! MY15
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Surround Camera System
InControl Apps soon to be replaced with CarPlay (WIP)
Meridian Premium Surround Sound
Digital Audio Broadcast
Timed Climate
Cruise ECO Data
Follow Me Home Reverse
Extra Features Menu
Picture In Motion
4x4i screen (WIP)
Digital Broadcast TV
Meridian Rear Media with WIFI
Factory Powered Tailgate
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Reverse Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Electrochromatic Wing Mirrors (WIP)

Ditto! Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Stuartc wrote:

I don’t go through life thinking “what if”

Today fitted the tailgate pivot point for the electric rams in their corrrect position, after a lot of exhaustive measurement and straight away was faced with the problem which now, for the short term, make this project an aftermarket kit installation.





The primary problem is that the steel material at this point of the tailgate fixing point is far too thin to withstand the forces the rams will assert on the area. For this reason, unless I can come up with some way to reinforce this area as is the current tailgate pivot point I can’t use the JLR rams.

So for now I have ordered the Electric Tailgate Kit, Smart LE5851LA and will fit.

The plan “B”’will be to see if I can use the electric rams from the kit with the JLR hardware as the rams use the standard Freelander 2 pivots points.

First problem is that the JLR rams/hardware uses HAL sensing in both rams whereas the aftermarket kit uses HAL sensing only in one ram whilst the other is a drive ram only.

So, kit should be here next week so will install shortly after and as I’ve done most the electrical connection to the vehicle already, shouldn’t take long. MY15
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Surround Camera System
InControl Apps soon to be replaced with CarPlay (WIP)
Meridian Premium Surround Sound
Digital Audio Broadcast
Timed Climate
Cruise ECO Data
Follow Me Home Reverse
Extra Features Menu
Picture In Motion
4x4i screen (WIP)
Digital Broadcast TV
Meridian Rear Media with WIFI
Factory Powered Tailgate
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Reverse Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Electrochromatic Wing Mirrors (WIP)

Can you get in behind & fill it up with JB Weld & drill & tap into that (shape it so condensation does not collect). Also I would want a large washer on the front to spread the load. It could be a bit of bar bent around the corner to the correct profile (cut to the precise size after bending). Shape & paint to look presentable & a very thin bit of packing between the body to protect the paint. I haven't used the epoxy weld myself, but my plumber used it & said it was very good stuff. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Vacuum & thoroughly clean up all steel swarf from drilling body so you do not get any rust stains. It gets everywhere you don't expect it.

I also use wide masking tape backwards as a sticky tray around the drilling area to collect crap. Good also for drilling into masonry walls, also have the vacuum going.

Not my best 3D work!

Make a template of the curve with a thin piece of metal, flashing etc. Then make a wood block of the profile of the corner of the car & fine tune the profile with your flashing template. Carbon paper between to find high spots. Use this block to bend the flat bar around. Then cut off to length.

You could go hi tech with scanning & 3d metal printing, but a block of wood will be cheaper.


Deburring tool, & also prime and paint exposed metal.
http://www.suttontools.com/product-categor...deburring/ Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

A good idea to procrastinate over these things!

You could tap the stud into the bracket & drill two holes on the wings of the bracket & bolt this in place with washers & Nyloc nuts to spread the load. I think I prefer this method better than metal epoxy bog. If you can get in there (you may need to make a tool to hold nut & washer) (a bit masking tape works well holding nuts on the end of a spanner. ie my roof rack ARB custom awning brackets).

My 3D work is going from bad to worse!

I would use M5 counter sunk bolts. M4 is probably a bit light. M6 is a bit overkill since you would have 2 bolts per bracket. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

The cavity is basically a 30mm box section with no access path, so you'd be in to cutting and shutting the channel with all the associated redressing. What's really needed is shorter struts but they're proving elusive, and there is probably a reason for shorter ones not existing.

So it will have to be rivnuts. But I would do 3 to spread the load as much as possible. 2 for the bracket & a third for the stud, tapping the bracket as well for the stud, not ideal but beefs up the whole thing. Procrastination, mankind's greatest labour saving device!

Acoustic insulation ARB TPMS 3xARB air compressors After cooler Air tank On-board OCD pressure air/water cleaning Additional 50L fuel Carpet in doors ABE 2x1kg Waeco 28L modified fridge Battery 4x26ah Solar 120w Victron MPPT 100/20 DC-DC 18amps 175amp jumper plug Awning 6x255/60R18

Yes, that style of bracket was exactly what I had in mind. When I get some time to think about it and come up with a
Prototype the after market system will have to suffice. Frankly you’d never know it’s not OE as I’m using the JLR switches.
Yes, shorter rams would be easier solution but the Evoque ones are the shortest in the JLR parts bin. Again, when I get some time may try and find some smaller rams of same design with HAL sensing in both.
In the meantime I’ve fitted my tailgate switch ready for the rest of the hardware.

 MY15
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Surround Camera System
InControl Apps soon to be replaced with CarPlay (WIP)
Meridian Premium Surround Sound
Digital Audio Broadcast
Timed Climate
Cruise ECO Data
Follow Me Home Reverse
Extra Features Menu
Picture In Motion
4x4i screen (WIP)
Digital Broadcast TV
Meridian Rear Media with WIFI
Factory Powered Tailgate
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Reverse Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Electrochromatic Wing Mirrors (WIP)

Been running around with a powered tailgate for a week now and even though it’s not the factory system you’d never know it, infact you have more functionality’s than the OE system being able to open/close from key fob, tailgate and drivers seat. Overall I must say that the kit is very good, only time will tell if it remains so.

At this stage I’m going to stick with this system whilst I see what solution I can come up with for the factory system lower pivot point bracket. But I must say whilst researching for any problems noted with the kit I’ve fitted, which there isn’t I did come across many problems associated with JLR’s system, mainly Evoque & DS (funny that🙄). The internet is littered with unhappy owners and apart from a few which seemed to be simply owners not knowing the reset procedure were all software issues. So I may just stay with this system🤔

The only downside I can say atm, which is being a little knit picky and only because it’s faultless otherwise is that the tailgates open position is 186cm v’s 200cm for the gas strut height at it’s bottom tip so therefore it’s lowest point. As I’m 181cm tall I can live with that.

I’ve basically married the JLR system and kit together which means I can simply unplug the aftermarket kit via 1 plug located in the tailgates upper stop light access panel and simply plug in the JLR harness, it’s a simple as that. Power is as explained before directly from the RJB via fuse FB6.



 MY15
Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
Surround Camera System
InControl Apps soon to be replaced with CarPlay (WIP)
Meridian Premium Surround Sound
Digital Audio Broadcast
Timed Climate
Cruise ECO Data
Follow Me Home Reverse
Extra Features Menu
Picture In Motion
4x4i screen (WIP)
Digital Broadcast TV
Meridian Rear Media with WIFI
Factory Powered Tailgate
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Reverse Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)
Electrochromatic Wing Mirrors (WIP)

Absolutely stunning !!!

We need more owners like this ....... as opposed to the buy-it and bolt-it-on crew.

.