RossO

Perfect!  Thank you for the fast response. Much appreciated 

So, here I am trying to install a wiper kit on my Defender Xmr and came to a screeching halt when I went to mount the wiper fluid reservoir.  Apparently Xmr’s we’re not meant to have one because the snorkel kit could not be more in the way if they tried. Anyone have a solution and possibly some pics to go with their solution.  Thanks

I did the JBL Charge 3. I mounted it to the roll cage with some conduit straps. All my music is on my phone so no need for CD capabilities, but pretty loud, it’s waterproof and shock proof. No problems so far.  

In my experience these machines are pretty dummy proof.  If it doesn't like what you're doing to it, it will give you a warning for the most part.  In a normal operating circumstance, with nothing obstructing the radiator I would feel very comfortable going 45mph for at least several miles, but I do believe the manufacturer says to alter speeds up and down while going farther distances to avoid wearing a particular spot in the cvt system that could affect how your machine will shift.

It sounds like either the switch could be bad or the coil in the solenoid is bad.  You could test the switch by checking the terminals on the solenoid that come from the switch to make sure they have 12v when the switch is pressed.  The coil in the solenoid is basically just a magnet.  When the switch is pressed it activates the magnet, sucks it tight to the contacts within the solenoid and closes the circuit that feeds the winch from the battery.  This can go bad and not be "shorted shut".  

I am by no means a professional when it comes to side by sides and winches haha.  This is just what makes sense in my head.  Hopefully this was more helpful than confusing.  Good luck.

I'm not sure where mine is in actual temp, but I did notice it does fluctuate a bit just like you're saying.  Haven't had any issues so far, going on my fourth year of ownership.  

I found mine on amazon.  They look pretty close to factory.  Can't remember the exact brand I ordered though.

No.  The only reason people do the spacer is to make the rear tires track with the front tires.  From the factory a defender rear wheel base is about 2in narrower that the front wheel base.

Did it fit?

I would think the easiest lift would be the bracket lift.  That'll give you around 2-3in of lift.  I did the pucks in the springs, but if you don't have a safe way to compress the springs on the shocks that is uber dangerous.

If you are only wanting the lift to clear 28-29in tires, I don't think you need a lift for that tire size... pretty sure I've heard of others on this forum going to 30's without a lift by just adjusting their shocks to the tightest setting.

This is what I did until I can install an actual heater.  And honestly, its kind of nice.  It heats even when the machine isn't running so it's nice and warm when I get back into it after letting it sit for a bit.  Might leave this set up in it even after I install an actual heater.

The specs on BRP's website say the machine length is 12.78ft.  Gonna be tight.

I just bought a random light bar from amazon.  I think the brand was NiLight or something.  It is a straight, 50in, single row.  I'm thinking I want to switch it out to a curved one for appearance reasons though.  I think the curved ones follow the roof line better.  For mounting it, I drilled through the roof and bolted it to the roll cage.  If you go this route you will need to put washers between the roof and the roll cage so you can tighten everything up without distorting/bending the roof.  I used 1/4x1in fender washers and just taped them together to make one big spacer so it'd be easier to hold them in place while I put the bolt through.

Good luck with your build!  Sounds like its going to be quite the work horse for ya.

I completely agree.  Very sad how things have changed.  No matter how loyal you are to a dealer it seems like you are almost a nuisance when you ask questions about spending your money with them.

Well, from my experience I've only had one issue since I took delivery in February 2019 and that happened within the first 10 miles so it was covered under the factory warranty.  I have yet to have any other issues since then, granted I bought the Xmr so it might be less susceptible to issues since it was not a limited model.  I only have about 1,500 miles on it so far, but those miles were not babied.  It has been in deep water, plenty of mud and extremely dusty trails with out any issues.  

As far as making the right choice, I would have to ask, what else is out there that you are thinking will be better?

My only experience is with Polaris Rangers and Arctic Cat Prowlers.  Both are decent machines, but it seems like the Defender is still the best one I've been in.  A few of my friends have Rangers still and it seems like there was always an issue with them, especially in the winter.

Anyways, hope this helps.  Good luck.

I'm running an Xmr, so a lot of stuff I added yours already came with haha, but:

I went with a 50in single row LED light bar above the windshield and a little 6in LED light bar in the back of the cab for a work light.  Both lights work very well and I have yet to wish for more light.

I installed the spring spacers in mine.  Gave it a 3in lift, allows more travel in the stock shocks and it doesn't allow the geometry of the a-arms and axles to travel past OEM dimensions since you are still using the stock shock and not adding length to either end of the shock.

I installed a rugged radios 60 watt VHF radio that might be a little over kill.  I've tested the distance of communication to about 19 miles in the woods, but that was me talking to the cabin that has a bigger fiberglass antenna.  Haven't tested the distance from machine to machine yet, but I have not had an issue communicating with other machines a few miles away.

I installed Koplin gun holders under the middle seat.  They work way better than the foam mounts that just get seat belted in.  I think they are Seizmik brand...  a friend has that in his ranger premium and they are a nuisance to use and store.

I installed the Corbin turn signal kit witch was a breeze.  Everything was plug and play just as they advertised.

For tires I'm running 31x10x14 with zero issues.

As far as tracks go, I've only had Camso tracks and have had zero issues with them.  I've heard from friends with the 360 tracks that hey also have had zero issues. 

And for fun I installed cheapo LED color changing rock lights from amazon.  I went with 6 lights and put 1 in each fender and 2 in the cab so the lights match when the doors are open, and its kind of nice have a little light in the cab while driving without having to turn on the dome light.

For height I would say you need at least 7ft, but 7.5ft would be about perfect.  I just measured my Xmr with tracks and a 3in lift and that comes up to about 85-86in, which is just over 7ft.  Also, door height and trailer heights are sometimes different so, make sure the door height is at least 7ft so you can actually drive it in without rubbing the top. 

As for the width, I would go with the 8.5ft wide trailer.  Otherwise you're constantly struggling to get in and out and even just trying to walk beside the machine once you do get out, especially in winter when you have all your cold weather gear on.  

For the length, 16ft is about perfect.  I usually haul mine on an open 16ft and it leaves a couple feet of room on the front and on the back of the trailer when the tracks are on.  When the tracks are off I can haul an ATV sideways on the front of the trailer and my defender all the way to the back.

Hope this helps.  

ps welcome to the forum.  There are a lot of members on here that know pretty much anything you need to know about a defender

A little late to the party, but wanted to give my two cents.  I installed the shock spacers and it raised my Xmr about 3 inches.  Axle angle changed a little, but I have yet to have a problem with angle or length.  

I did the spring spacers because I figured that the axles were designed to handle the full travel of the stock shock.  So if I never travel passed the full length of the OEM shocks I shouldn't have a problem...?

attached is a picture of the spacers installed with the OEM 30 inch cryptids standing over a 5 gallon bucket.  

Total of 18 inches of clearance

Just for fun I also attached a pic of the clearance with camso tracks and the lift.  

I have not found a solution to unlocking the rear diff on the 2018 Xmr yet.  I am currently on the fence about selling it and getting into a limited instead.  It is quite the hinderance to not be able to unlock the rear diff while driving down the road, around town and in the yard.   

Has anyone heard of an aftermarket locking/unlocking rear diff to put into a defender? 

I also prefer 91 clear when it comes to my "toys" only because some of them don't get used as often as they should.  It seems to be a lot better if anything sits for a period of time.  I believe when ethanol fuel evaporates it leaves a residue.  

I believe I installed .75" spacers on the back.  The front and rear wheel base is within .25" now

I went with the Corbin Custom as well.  VERY easy to install and so far everything works as it should.

What I did with my light bar is put it on the roof in the front of the machine, being careful to not protrude into the wiper when the windshield is up, and drilled a hole right through the plastic roof into the steel of the roll cage, stacked washers between the roof and the roll cage so I could snug it up with distorting the roof and then using bolts to tighten everything down. 
 

I guess that depends what year your defender is... I've heard the newer models have the forward A arms.  Not sure if the Xmr's had the new A arms though. 

On my 2018 Xmr I have 31" tires and had zero rubbing even with the shocks set in the softest setting.

I would have to believe you could go to a 32" tire and probably just adjust the preload on the shocks if they do rub.

Let me first begin by saying I have zero experience with adding both the spring spacer and the bracket spacer.  I am only chiming in because I too was thinkin about going this same route. 

After installing the spring spacer I feel like the higher angles of the axles might be putting the strength of the stock CV joints to the max, and the length of the stock axles might also be pushed to the limit. 

So, with all that craziness going on in my head, I convinced myself it probably was not the best idea for reliability reasons.

I also would like to hear any feedback from anyone else that has any knowledge or experience in doing this.