Hilux trailer queen

[Bulletproof]

Hi Tim
I am not just picking on your new truck but if you want my honest opinion my main concern would be its height .

I personally would lack confidence on steep stuff because the centre of gravity is quite high compared to mine.

What are they gaining with that height because the diff clearance is the important thing.

Looking forward to seeing it

Richard

[hosehustler]

Hi Richard, thanks for your input, I want to see how it goes before I start altering it, but one plan is possibly to lower it a bit and put it on 35's, gotta wait till I see how much room to lower is available due to hi steer etc, May not be enough gained to worry about it, altough hydraulic steering could be on the plans for lowering.
Can tell you it's not too high, there are rigs out there doing the rounds taller than this one......the lux's always sit lower than tall bodied counterparts such as Prado's, Safari's, and Cruisers.....and they all go pretty damn good (when well set up) as well

I guess the formula in most cases is pretty similar unless you're building a trials buggy, the bigger the feet the higher the rest of the shite sits, and the more diff clearance you'll get

[J_Dub]

Richards references to hilux,s and the ass end debate surely is only relevant to a Hilux with leaf springs... cause leafs need weight and leverage to make them work..
Yours is a hilux from factory but is it a hilux now????
it has virtually no relevance now to a typical hilux and I wouldnt think Richards views on what makes a Hilux work best is relevant to your rig...
and im picking it works and handles completly different to your typical leaf sprung lux...

just my thoughts

[rokhound]

Richards references to hilux,s and the ass end debate surely is only relevant to a Hilux with leaf springs... cause leafs need weight and leverage to make them work..
Yours is a hilux from factory but is it a hilux now????
it has virtually no relevance now to a typical hilux and I wouldnt think Richards views on what makes a Hilux work best is relevant to your rig...
and im picking it works and handles completly different to your typical leaf sprung lux...

just my thoughts

Now there is a sensible input.

[Bulletproof]

If you read the thread JDUB I am not talking about the rear end being cut off and I have already said because the engine and everything is between the axles it will most likely be OK

All I was doing was raising the issue of height. It appears in the picture to be about 3-4 inches higher than mine on the same size tyre which in my opinion could make it unstable.

John Cowper is one of the best trial truck designers in NZ and he can still maintain a low centre of gravity with the same size tyre.

A lot of 4 wheel driving is in the confidence of the operator and as Tim knows from past trips that on many occasions I have had to lower people down a steep bank on a winch where I will drive.

That is my final comment

I'm not picking on you Tim just making a comment that I don't think a body needs to be that high to run 36inch tyres

Cheers Richard

[albundy]

Leave ya missus at home Tim, I'm coming home for xmas, I bags the passenger seat.
Al

[Steve_t647]

I chose to make my winch removable as it is a dd, but when I looked at mid mount (back under te tray) I was going to mount it backwards to go around a pulley and back forward but could not get a straight line without getting too close to the exhaust.

How often do you winch backwards where you are not with someone that will drag you back? Or are you thinking of going on solo trips?

I had a bracket made up for the back of the ute to move the winch, the reason I decided to change was maintanance is easier after cleaning my old winch twice to pull stumps out of the garden it was never used in anger and mud and water got into it.

Under the ute would be worse I would think.

Just my 2c and withrounding it means nothing

[shortylux]

I like having my winch on the back, mainly for never having to worry about spooling the rope. It just works. I have used it to winch backwards a couple of times, but its not the main reason you would do it.

You obviously have heaps of space in front, but if you can be bothered, I would put it on the back.

Arron.

[hosehustler]

well this poor truck is getting lonely
Since pick up it's sat in the garage at Dads (miles away) as it doesn't fit in mine , it's been taken off trailer and parked up....started once , that's my big effort at driving it so far
I've been busy working and trying to buy another house....this time with plenty of garaging hope the Canterbury fault lines don't take this one ......AMI say they'll demolish our house 2-4wks after we move out
We've got an outing planned for next friday

[red-devil]

well this poor truck is getting lonely
Since pick up it's sat in the garage at Dads (miles away) as it doesn't fit in mine , it's been taken off trailer and parked up....started once , that's my big effort at driving it so far
I've been busy working and trying to buy another house....this time with plenty of garaging hope the Canterbury fault lines don't take this one ......AMI say they'll demolish our house 2-4wks after we move out
We've got an outing planned for next friday

Tim that sounds like a bbq send off for the house, or are u planning some training for urself an the local fire boys.

[hosehustler]

no, the house is safe in the hands of AMI demo crews

The outing planned next friday involves a bunch of Canterbury trailer queen 4x4's , a full day off, and hopefully plenty of fun....pics to come

[hosehustler]

Hi Tim
I am not just picking on your new truck but if you want my honest opinion my main concern would be its height .

I personally would lack confidence on steep stuff because the centre of gravity is quite high compared to mine.

What are they gaining with that height because the diff clearance is the important thing.

Looking forward to seeing it

Richard

I took a pic tonight for you Richard, before I dragged it out of the garage, compared to Dads double cab which has a 2 inch spring lift, 2 inch body lift and running 33 inch tyres.......It was 2 inches higher (not incl the EXO).... pretty much right on for 36inch tyres.
Tomorrows job now I finally have a chance to get a look at it, give it the big once over

[hosehustler]

A few more pics for the "pic junkies"

[rokhound]

How well captivated are the springs Tim? I realise the fronts won't be an issue if you go coil over, but those back puppies look like they will pop right out with a longer shock on there.

Is there an access area for the distributor? I know how much of a bitch it is to get to this when these engines are put in, well, just about anything

Looking forward to seeing this beast in action soon.

[MNC]

I took a pic tonight for you Richard, before I dragged it out of the garage, compared to Dads double cab which has a 2 inch spring lift, 2 inch body lift and running 33 inch tyres.......It was 2 inches higher (not incl the EXO).... pretty much right on for 36inch tyres.
Tomorrows job now I finally have a chance to get a look at it, give it the big once over

Truck looks mint!!! I'm sure this wagon will be awesome offroad.

Are the doors welded shut? Noticed how close you parked to the garage wall - must get back in Dukes of Hazzard style

[hosehustler]

How well captivated are the springs Tim? I realise the fronts won't be an issue if you go coil over, but those back puppies look like they will pop right out with a longer shock on there.

Is there an access area for the distributor? I know how much of a bitch it is to get to this when these engines are put in, well, just about anything

Looking forward to seeing this beast in action soon.

The springs are retained with hose clamps at this stage
One of the jobs today was have a go at getting to the dizzy, as I know next time it'll probably be pitch black in the bush he's done a mint job and made up a box which holds a small heater core, heater tap, and a 12v fan which all swings easily out of the way with hoses still attached by undoing 2 screws, then remove a plexiglass panel and you're in

[rokhound]

Cool. He has put some thought into that

[niblik]

thought you were workin today?

thats a tidy solution to access.. nice..

lookin forward to a 'seating in' session comin up soon..

[hosehustler]

1st outing today, went up Worsleys with a buch of top fella's.
The plan was to take it easy and get used to the new sled, that was on the way up
had some fun on the way down
still grinning from ear to ear.....
What a hoot, was more fun than a rattlesnake down ya trouser leg
couple of pics of the day, but can't shoot and drive at the same time






I've also decided I like V8's, (a lot)
and now hate B&M shifters with a vengeance

[niblik]

hate B&M shifters with a vengeance

amen to that..

was good to get out there with ya again fella.. ya toy went well.. sounded grouse and knows how to throw up a rooster tail or two!

[ClassicCruiserSpares]

Great to meet ya Tim, And awesome truck you got mate, It looks to be built well and loving the v8 at full noise
Was a great day out with the boys.

[turoa]

Hell yea awesome day!!

[rokhound]

Na Bugger that, you guys are a load of muppets



Awesome play time.
Tim that beast has all the right sounds and the thought that has gone into the build (with exception to pos shifter) is bloody great.
I had a ball and once I have all these bloody work cars out of the way, I promise to spend some time on the mutt (and I 'll look for that shifter for you as well )

[rob-mu]

Why was the shifter so crap?
Rob

[rokhound]

When you are playing at pulling ugly angles etc you invariably need low selected (not drive), with a B&M shifter to then grab reverse you have to click up through the selectors to drive (or neutral) and then lift and click up again to hit reverse. Now with a normal shifter this is a fairly quick action, but with the B & M it takes forever, and if if you are teetering on 3 or 2 (or sometimes less ) wheels, hooking the reverse is not something you want to take so long. Apart from that, if you have a retro fitted power plant and auto with out selector lights, you have no idea which gear you are in.

[hosehustler]

What Rok said
just takes too long pissing around with shifting gears while on ugly angles, offroading all you need is the basics nothing complicated
Hey Rob do you still have the seats and harnesses for sale?

[red-devil]

tim i would have loved running up the track again with the camera.

if u go again let me know an ill bring the camera for more pics..

last time i was up there with mike i dropped off 200+ pics

i left mike to sort them out as i was on dail up then
So sorry mike

jono

[DMcCready]

Looks like an awsome day you guys had fellas. Nice lineup of vehicles

There is an article on Pirate4x4 on how to modify the shift gates on the B&M so you can slam it into reverse. There is a couple of options depending on the setup you want

Link

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/shifter/

BillaVista is the man!

[rob-mu]

They should be sold.But I still havn't seen any money
Will keep you posted though Tim
Rob

[hosehustler]

http://www.pirate4x4.com/tech/billavista/shifter/

Thanks for the very useful link, muchly appreciated, I had done a seach on Pirate and didn't find the article

Also think when I finish buggering around with the shifter I should give the trans one of these
http://www.compperformancegroupstores.com/store/merchant.mvc?Store_Code=TC&Screen=PROD&Product_Code=221201&Category_Code=FullManual
Not going to bother with the valve bady straight away as we're shifting house and the inevitable redecorating will have to be attended to first, also have a winch to fit, which will be first job in the new shed

And cheers Rob for the seats/harness reply, keep me posted.