Aussie Offroader

I, we reckon the Tacoma looks tuffer but the hilux is a better package overall.

What we do wish we could do is some of the mods that you guys do that we cant.

we cant fit front tube bars legally because of airbags issues with the Road Traffic Authorities.

I shouldnt even be running 33 inch tyres because they are technically illegal....our modifications laws suck, you guys get all the good aftermarket bits too.

Our market is just too small in comparison to what you have there.

wish the hilux was sold in the US, then all pro and bud built and the like could make parts for me to buy rather than me having to make my own custom stuff.

 

Cool pics and truck! Welcome to TW!

 

Fella's,
I deleted the video's I linked earlier and have finally got some better vids from the same weekend of my hilux crawling up the rocky tracks, breaking in that sweet little locker.

Like all videos they never do justice to the steepness or the ruggedness of the track.

Driving over Dirt Mound

Driving up Rocky Track - Part A

Driving up Rocky Track - Part B (Steep Section)

 

Man that is a fantastic looking/performing Hilux!
Welcome from the the other Oz (Kansas) Wizard of Oz! haha

 

Guys,

Went on a newhilux.net forum trip to tallarook last weekend with a bunch of new hilux's ...unfortunately alot of the good tracks were closed but we managed to have a little bit of fun non the less. Nothing too extreme, no rock crawling but we enjoyed exploring some bush tracks.

Unfortunately alot of the tracks were closed (they close the good ones over winter to recover and not get too destroyed) but we did find a couple that were open to have some fun on.

We met at Freeman's Camp Ground where some of us camped the night.


Yes, we had an imposter Patrol come along too.......


My attemp at manourvering between a big tree and boulder on the side of a hill-


And out the other side-


Poser shot on a rock -


One of the blokes decided to check the depth of this one big mud hole so he backed into it only to get stuck -


The following pic was a very sad one of a patrol recovering a toyota


We did this one hill climb that was abit more challenging than the expected....not only slippery but there were alot of exposed tree roots running across the tracks that kept dragging the vehicle to one side.....




One of the blokes thought he'd explore a track he saw on the out skirts of one clearing we passed...it didn't take him long to get back to us on the CB that he had bitten slightly more than he expected to chew.....the track was very narrow, had high sides to it, loose and wet and at the point it got really steep there was also a tree that had fallen across the track.....





Right beneath that tree going across the track there was a steep drop off to the right hand side and a deep rut on the left with an exposed sharp tree root hanging out.


After cutting the tree going across in half aswell as the exposed tree root we packed the deep rut on the left hand side to keep the hilux up abit higher as he didnt have sliders and ran the risk of damaging his sills-




Once that was taken care of, Jeff began his decent very slowly down the track, with me guiding him.....the ruts were trying to drag the hilux into the side of the embankment and he got to the bottom with only some scrathces on his mirror.



I didn't want to let him go down by himself so I followed behind him with the other blokes guiding me -



Once me and Jeff got to the bottom, could you only then realise how bad the track really was......(pictures never do it justice)



After that, we sat for 15 minutes with a refresher and watched a couple of bikes try and go back up that hill.....with success...they kept getting 50metres up hill and the ruts would throw them into the side of the embankment, throwing them off their bikes.


And of course we need the usual mud-splash photo's to boot -







And we end it all with a big group poser shot -



Forgot to mention the damage report.....

I clipped a tree on one track.....smashed the RHR Tail-light, the lense is barely holding together, the panel in front of the lense has ripples and decent scratches in it, one of the light mounts inside the panel has pushed outwards and cracked the paint from inside out, and one of the buttons that was pop riveted for the tonneau cover got ripped out -



and my drivers side mirror is loose after collecting another tree climbing a steep track that wasnt in the pics above.

So I ordered a set of smoked LED tail-lights the next day and fitted them up.....


Now, I have to work out what design for a rear bar I want to make.....will cut the lower rear quarter panels and need to make a high clearance rear bar with a tow hitch.....any idea's/design to help me out fella's...?????

Custom tray will come later on but for now I want to make the rear bar.

Here's a couple of vid's showing the boys doing their hill climbs...some did it first go, some took 2.....

Jeff giving it a crack-


Steve nailing the mountain -


Johnny's MQ on 35" silverstones going up-


Brad's first attempt -


Brad's second attempt -


Just a couple more pics from my last trip to tallarook I just got of a mate.....







The next one is the track draggin me sideways coming down the hill......I had to drive into it otherwise she would have gone over I reckon.....pulling up was another effort...... :shock:




And me going over the ledge on that steep track -




Not a Taco, not US, something different for ya's.....

 

Kickass pics. Looks like lots of fun. My parents were over there in May for a month or so. They saw & did many things but this kinda action wasn't one of them. Thanks for sharing, always cool to check out fun stuff from around the globe.

 

Those are some cool pictures.
Thanks for posting them. It is always nice to see some other Toyota's having a good time. I can't wait to come visit down under, hoping to see some country side while there. Keep up the good work of recording your outings and posting them. As for the bumper for the rear. There is a good article in Toyota FWD magazine Like March/April that shows the cutting of the rear sheet metal and installation of a bumper. If you don't have access to Toyota Magazine send me an email and I will down load the article and send it to you so you can see how it was done.

Don

 

Thought Id update here for those of you that are interested.

Have helped a friend develope a 2" bodylift kit for the current shape hilux so that is complete and at my place....awaiting to be fitted straight after xmas -



And I have sold my ARB front winch bar, brush bars and sidesteps and after the bodylift is installed will be getting made up some rock sliders and a front winchbar similar in style to the one below -


Except the lower outer bars will be changed for more clearance.

 

Some small updates.....

I have changed my mind on the bodylift....am not going to go through with it so have sent the kit back.

Ive decided to keep the vehicles COG low and see what I can do with stuffing bigger tyres in the guards with the 3 inch lift.

Also the tube front bar, rock sliders, rear quarter chop will be starting next week....so I should have far better approach and departure angles.....

The ARB Bar and side steps have gone......





Whilst the bar was off I also got stuck into the washer bottle....I removed it completely and will be relocating it into the engine and replacing it with an aftermarket ford or holden bottle that I saw at an atuo store on the weekend...will be abit smaller but will do the job.....and will allow more room for side supports for the front bar aswell as more room for bigger tyres later on.

Before -


After -




I got a hi-lift jack for xmas and was thinking bout where to mount it.......i dont have a roofrack so couldnt mount it there or a spare wheel carrier.....wasnt too sure how to mount it on the inner side of the tub so decided to mount it on the head board of the tub.

Being a tight-arse decided to make my own mounts plus because it was a custom fit.

I had some angle iron, a shitload of bolts to go through and set about it.....i cut the head off two bolts that just fit through the holes of the jack and welded them to the angle brackets....i also made a backing plate to help hold it and spread the load a little on the heads board upright supports.

Heres the bunch of parts for one side -


I found out that a 22mm landcruiser wheel nut fits perfectly onto the bolts thread so i will use that to mount it up

And here is how it would mount up with the headboard fitting between the 2 lower plates. I also used some rubber to help dampen vibrations -


And here it is all fitted up, good thing is i can still use my tonneau cover -




I'll only be mounting it for offroad trips, no need to have it there for daily duties.....i have a landcruiser 78 series bottle jack that works for my height in case i need to change tyres around town in case of a flat.

Will get some quick fist clamps and mount a shovel above the hi-lift at some stage....also might get a small toolbox to sit on the RHS wheel arch in the bed to hold snatch strap and recovery gear.....the LHS wheel arch Im hoping to mount a 2ns battery on later on for a winch as I dont have under bonnet room for it due to the ARB compressor being mounted where the 2nd battery normally goes.(no I wont move the compressor....)

 

I like it!! Looks beefy

 

This morning I went and got me self an Aftermarket Washer Bottle Kit from the local Auto Accessory Shop.

Its a 1 litre bottle with an external pump on it (Toyota ones are internal in that they directly suck from a hole in the bottom of the washer bottle) thats mounted to the bottle underside.

The kit comes with everything you need to mount it to any vehicle....switch, wiring, clamps etc for 29bux and its a 1 litre bottle.



I pulled the factory plug back up to the engine bay and scotch locked the 2 new wires in....I didnt want to cut any wires or solder as I may change the setup down the track.....for now I needed something that works.

I mounted it to the side of the engine bay as you can see in the pics below. I pulled the hose back under the guard and through a hole into the engine bay...I looped it around a couple times as I said before I may need the length later on for a different custom setup.



The pump is abit noisier....and a little bit weaker but it does work adequately for my needs.....One question thou....with the hilux washer nozzles...how do I adjust them?

I tried moving the tip but nothing was happening, Just want to adjust them abit higher to make up for the less power the new motor has.

Down the track Ill get a stainless washer bottle made up thats abit larger and fits in that location better and will use the factory Hilux washer motor aswell....but for now I'm happy with it and I have more room under the guards.

Also cleaned everything up under the grille and headlights that had "body colour" on the metal and I spray painted it all a gloss black finish so when the tube bar goes on it wont look so dicky.....

 

Awesome Hilux! Welcome to TW!

 

Wow!!!! Your truck is amazing.

 

Dude Amazing truck.....i freaking love it!!

 

omg syc truck!
welcome to TW

 

DAAAAMMNNNN!!! I envy you for able to get Hilux's, I see them all the time in Iraq and Afghanistan. Wish Toyota would have them in North America

 

Thanks mate. this is my very old thread...I have a current build thread going in the 2nd gen builds section if you'd like to catch up from 2010-now...