Big red beast passed its MoT today with an advisory about replacing a distorted CV joint gaiter on offside.

Internet search says Britpart, Allmakes, GKN and Land Rover themselves all supply gaiters. Ruling out OEM as silly expensive what breed of replacement is of decent quality and likely to last? Word on the street is that many modern gaiters are sadly short lived due to material deficiencies. I suspect mine are original so they have had a decent innings.

The buggeration factor is such that it makes sense to do both side this year. If one has gone the other is unlikely to be far behind.

Also got an advisory calling for replacement of rear brake mudshield plate. Britpart are around £80 a pop and OEM twice that, which seems expensive for a simple plate. Is this something a breaker could supply economically, bearing in mind that a used part will almost certainly need sand blasting and painting or is breaking out the welder and sheet metal stocks the only feasible method of doing an inexpensive repair.

Clive

GKN should be fine but, as you say, modern materials mean they won't last as long as original, so you may as well get the cheapest and expect it to last half as long as OE.

My rear mudshields were both falling off as the bracket had rotted away and the shields weren't brilliant either, so before the MoT, I spent ages getting them secure. My MoT man looked at it and said that he would have just taken them off and binned them. It's not like I do any serious mud plugging so they aren't really needed.

Thanks. About what I was thinking. Avoid the cheapest and expect mid range to last half as long sounds about right. Which ought to be about 12 years by which time I'll be 84 and most likely past worrying.

I can't really let my mud shields go. Got a decent relationship with MoT man but he does expect things to be attended to after second notification.

Clive

The following is not much help but I'll put it out there anyway. I'm 99.9% sure that mudsheilds are not required BUT they must be secure. Perhaps yours are in danger of dropping off and that's the testers concern?
Also, I've seen a post somewhere that an owner used 2 IKEA pie dishes, stainless steel too, that just needed a cut out for a perfect fit, iirc around £10 each? I can't remember if the dishes mod was only suitable for the fronts or the rears but I'm pretty sure it was for the rears only.
I read that after I had sandblasted and welded mine during the restoration otherwise I would have gone that route. A friend with a p38 has removed his, no issues at mot time.
A Google search should bring the pie dish mod up.

Just had a quick Google and the post is on landyzone.

I found that pie dish option some time ago and as mine were secure but looked like something had been nibbling at them, was going to do it. I even printed out the full size template so I could cut them in the right place. Then, while helping Marty clear out his workshop, we found a pair that weren't rotten, so they went in the boot of my car rather than in the skip. Not fitted them yet but intend giving them a coat of Hammerite before doing it.....

Thanks. Pie dish idea sounds interesting.

Hafta get it up and have look at things once the official unofficial kid sister has gone home after her annual visitation. Which brings everything to a shuddering halt for a month!

Clive