Aussie Offroader

Welcome to TW

 

Welcome to TW!

You need to ditch that hitch receiver... You GOTTA be dragging that thing all over the place when wheelin...

 

I'd love to visit Austrailia - someday.

No pictures? You gotta have some pictures!!

Same here - the terrain & terrain availability varies depending on where you live. Wheelin terrain is less available in northeast. Even less of that is considered LEGAL to wheel on.

From society's point of view - I think fourby enthusiasts already have a *redneck* reputation in the U.S. But there's sooo many groups, clubs, & associations trying to change that. It's a tough battle. The Greenies do the same here....

Vehicle regulations also vary by state. Some states are anal about stuff (cough PA cough), while others aren't.

Let's see some Aussie pictures!!
What other types of vehicles are out on the trails with ya? (other makes, models, etc)

 

Heres a couple of pics-

 

Nice pics!

 

Going Up....




And Goin Down.....62 degree drop at a Advanced 4x4 driving Day....absolutely shit meself






And Having a bit of fun in the mud-

 

Welcome to TW!

 

What kind of skids do you have on there?

 

They are TJM brand, from here in OZ...very strong, but Im going to make meself some custom made ones soon, those skids just dont give enough clearance and the bottom edge always collects on obstacles.

Im going to remove the brackets between the front two crossmembers that hang down, fromt the radiator crossmember to the engine crossmember seen here below-


That gains you 2 inches clearance by itself, and sets the closest point of contact under the front end further back to a point just behind the front edge of the tyres, so as your going over an obstacle, the tyres would be contacting first and lifting the vehicle up and over before the custom skid would touch.

Heres a of sketch of ideas Im thinking about for now-


I have 2 options in the pic above, and it depends on mainly if I decide to keep the sway bar on or off.

With the sway bar on, I can make it so it just misses the sway bar right across the front, still gain clearance, or like behind the sway like on the artic trucks Hilux they sent to the north pole on that Top Gear Episode as per pic below-


The problem here is if I remove it and have an accident, theres a risk insurance wont pay out because its not there, even thou offroad the hilux feels way better without it.

just ideas for now, have the steel at home to make it but am waiting to see if the vehicle engineer decides to approve a bodylift on the hilux which may change the shape of the bashplate.

 

Awesome picts!!

It's nice to see the different types of wheeling in other countries!!

Not that I'd visit Aussie anytime soon....but if I ever did get there, I'd wanna find me a rental rig and go wheelin for sure!!

 

i want to go to australia!!!

 

Welcome to TW, nice truck

 

What they said^^^^^^

And welcome to the 'World'........

edit: that was weird, nothing showed until I posted, heading back up now to check the pics out^^^^

 

I usually don't like Hilux's, but yours is definitely an exception!

 

I have finally got off my a$$ and continued my "Quest for Clearance", by making a start on my custom bashplate.
I have drawn up 2 or 3 different designs and contemplated heaps about whether to keep the sway bar on or off.....if keeping it on, whether to make a bashplate like the Artic Trucks with the lower portion of the swaybar exposed through the bashplate or to cover it completely.....well,.....I decided to keep the swaybar on and ended up with a fourth idea. You know, kind of progressing and modifying as you go along.
Artic Trucks Bashplate below-

This is what I ended up doing - My TJM FUG I decided to make use of, be a shame not to, so I used the rear portion of the front bashplate. The brackets that go between the engine crossmember to the radiator crossmember where removed and cut on an angle to not only provide a support for the bashplate on either side, but also for a mounting location for the rear portion of the TJM FUG which I had cut into 2 pieces.
Pic below is of the 2 brackets as they sit. as you can se they are the limiting factor for clearance under the front. The FJ and Tacoma in the USA do not have these fitted to their rigs.

In the pic below you can see one of the brackets that has been cut to suit the future profile of the new bashplate, and in the distance you can see the standard bracket as a comparison. Also, note, that the bottom of the swaybar will not stick out past the bashplate-

Another view of the cut bracket-

And both brackets cut and mounted up-

Before I cut the TJM FUG, I fitted it onto where it would go with the newly modified brackets behind it, and measured where I would need to cut it-

I had a long strip of 5mm thick steel plate lying around so I measured up bolthole locations where the brackets used to mount upon and fitted the plate to the radiator crossmember. This will be a mounting point that I will weld the bashplate to between it and the modified FUG.

Heres another view-

When I get round to it, I will weld that plate onto the TJM Guard, and the steel plate, then I will make another smaller plate to replace the ARB one which is weak as piss, to go from the steel plate forwards towards the ARB bar.
This bashplate design gives me 2" more clearance in height, and puts the first and lowest point of contact behind the front of the tyres, 4" further back then before...I think thats not a bad improvement in clearance.
I think Ill find Ill more than likely impact things at the front lower edge of the bullbar now before the actual bashplate.
One thing the newhilux's are reknowned for is clearance in this area, but this surely has improved it abit.

 

Ok, so the family's staying at the in laws tonight which gave me a couple "quality" hours after work tonight to get a little bit done on my bashplate and make some progress.
I wont get a chance to work on it tomorrow, only sunday, which is when I need all the metal work done, so during the week I can put a couple of coats of undercoat and then black spray can on it before going 4x4'ing to Lake Eildon next week saturday to test out not only the front locker finally, but also whether my high clearance design will benefit the hilux offroad and if so how much.
Well, heres some pics from tonights efforts....
Heres a pic of the side plates and front plate tacked in place before removing to finish the weld properly.Damn its hard to weld with one hand upside down when the other hand is holding the pieces in place!

Heres more of a side view. Its hard to tell because I cant get the camera exactly side on but the bottom corner of the bashplate is about 3 inches behind the front of the tyre....awesome!

And an aerial shot....still have to clean up the weld, grind them flat and smooth and complete the welds on the inside.

I tried using some metal filler to smooth out the corners, but it dont look like it went too good.
Completed pics hopefully sunday night.
:mrgreen:
Am also getting an add a leaf this week to stiffen up the rear slightly so when carrying camping gear she dont sagg so much. also finally getting greaseable shackles and nolathane bushes all round....
Edit: above was just cut and pasted off another forum. Bashplate is painted up now in black....wil fit to vehicle tomorrow night after I get her back from suspension workshop. will change the oil on her while bashplate is off her.
will post pics then.

 

jimminy christmas!

wicked wicked ride, man!

Welcome.

 

WOW AWESOME DUDE

how much power is that pushing?

 

Welcome Dude!!!! can i see some interrior pictures, im curious on what the Hilux looks like inside

 

Power?

At the moment it is stock other than a 3" straight through exhaust (no mufflers).

standard is 129kW and 343nM of torque...Ill let you guys work it out.

But that torque curve is flat from 1400rpm to 3200rpm.

There is alot of potential for power in these motors....there are heaps of power up chips, mostly boost the power via increase fuel pressure, fuel injection timing, boost pressure by 2 pounds or a combination of the three.

Torque levels of 430nM with an exhaust a easily achievable....with abit more work, close to 500nm can be achieved.

Getting this extra power of course cost money but by adding a diesel/gas injection kit that inject Liquified Petroleum Gas into the engine boost power and increases economy by working like an added intercooler.

Also, replacing the air feed intercooler with a water cooled intercooler works better as you do not need the airflow to gain the cooling effect through the intake....

then the skys the limit.....bigger turbo, bigger injectors etc etc etc.
I know of one guy in Thailand that claim 700nM out of his D4D 3 litre diesel engine and he has done whatever you can modification wise.....

I think last he said his Hilux was doing high ten second quarters.....not that you buy a hilux for drag racing but there is immense potential.