"bulletproofs" hilux specs and Videos

[DaveM]

Geez, I woulda pooped myself if I were in the gold Surf
Anyone spot the odd one out in the group?


Oh, and nothing wrong with any of the vids, in fact, it will be a shame if you can't find another way to keep posting them

[Petemcc]

you had better sort something out, your vids are one of the best parts of this sight these days!

Pete

[new2zukes]

by Petemcc on Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:05 pm

you had better sort something out, your vids are one of the best parts of this sight these days!

Pete

i agree with that im always waiting for the next vid to come up. awsome vids

[Bubbles]

by Petemcc on Mon Nov 03, 2008 8:05 pm

you had better sort something out, your vids are one of the best parts of this sight these days!

Pete

i agree with that im always waiting for the next vid to come up. awsome vids

x3 and PR will x4

[andrew007]

i agree also,really look forward to your videos.the 1st thing i look for when logging in

[oldblue]

Your digging up a lot of old footage, this was when we all had 40series , now its all Hilux hibrids.

[Shane]

Vid of Mike driving out of Bulletproof Chasm in v8 hilux





Shane

[H2OLOVA]

bet he didn't drive out of the next bit though

[Bulletproof]

Vid of Mike driving out of Bulletproof Chasm in v8 hilux





Shane

Good one Shane . That sets the benchmark for all of us to equal because that is a first. I tryed driving it with a broken shock, bounced sideways on the boulder and the nearly missed the ramp. Paul delis and myself thought of digging it out last trip because it is a bit dangerous if you missed and dropped down the vertical face.

I saw Mike, Glen and John on the tailings track the next day and said to Mike T to try and drive back up the hill out of little Totara but he didn't have a go .

Cheers Richard

[Shane]

bet he didn't drive out of the next bit though

didnt drive next section but did get the front wheels a good way up...........then slid back

[Bulletproof]

The angle that Glen took the video from makes it look like a little bank that anyone could drive . But believe me it is a lot harder than appears and most people dont even attempt it and winch all the way and a number even lower themselves down it on a winch.
When we first built the ramp there was a vertical face 8 foot high and it took us a whole day work to winch enough trees to form the ramp
The bank is loose river gravel with big boulders and it is the boulders that stop forward momentum so what Mike is awesome. On his first go he was stopped by a boulder.
On the last trip I drove to where the video started up against a boulder .I didn't have second go so maybe next time because I can't have mike being ahead .

Here is a small clip showing it is a lot higher than appears in Glens Video.



Cheers Richard

[hosehustler]

On sat morning we did a track on left side going into charming C(mowerbones side)drive short distance then drop in creek wear steel beam/concrete slab are in water drive up stream then out again,trees down across the track every wear,had up to 4 chain saw's going at once,only driving 3-400 meters then out with the saws again.took 4 hrs to clear approx 2.2km.we come to a make shift log bridge that had slumped to one side so couldnt go any further.well put some pics up tomorro

Sounds like loop track that flag, Steve and myself cut two years ago. Ist on left past Mt Glasgow Rd . Bridge gone ,drive down a steep bank to the right and acroo a small creek and into a boggy section and then climb back onto the old forestry rd. After some distance turn right into forestry and drive between th pine trees. Should see an old rusty sluice pipe. You then come to a deep creek we filled with trees and then up the hill where you join another forestry rd and out to the Charming rd again.

Tim Evans went in there about 18 months ago and had a breakdown and didn't get out until the early hours of the morning.

Tonight I will dig out some footage.

Sounds like you guys did a good job. We will have to get together sometime

Cheers Richard

Yes I did do that track (and back), it was 3AM by the ime we got back to the campground
The kids had a ball anyhow, my eldest still talks about the night in the bush, how exciting it was, especially the glow worms on the upturned roots of the wind blown trees.
My wife wasn't quite so happy though, it was her 29th birthday.....in the bush.....broken and winching for "hours"

[cool__bananas]

hey richard, you going to go watch the nelson trial? 8th of march
i can see your lux

[Bulletproof]

hey richard, you going to go watch the nelson trial? 8th of march
i can see your lux

At this time I will say yes. I will see Sav or Lurch and maybe be able to Marshall.

Cheers Richard

[Bulletproof]

Here is one for fitzy , I dipped into my nest egg and here is another video from the 90s showing Higgy in his younger days that you will remember from the Day night enduros

Notice the big Kumho's 31x10.5



Cheers Richard

[SMOKEY]

Thanks Richard, I enjoyed those Enduros ( good event , good people and good fun. ) as much as I enjoy your VIDEOS. One Saturday night of the Nite Day Enduro brother John and myself stayed at the Brightwater Pub, we got back to the Pub just before midnight there was a bit of noise coming from the bar so John said he was going to have a drink before going to bed, I was buggard after a big day and night so went to bed. About half an hour latter I was woken by John to say the bar was rocking and there was a Karaoke playing. I got dressed and went over to join John, well after a few handles John and myself took over the Karaoke, the locals wouldn't let us sit down or pay for a beer, John Boy is pretty good with his singing and I can do the harmonizing. Well at four am; I suddenly remembered that we had to be back at the Gun Club for the Sunday start at eight o'clock which meant a six am; wake up, what a long day by the time we got back to CHCH at about 11.30pm Sunday night.

I USED TO BE YOUNG AND SILLY, NOW I'M OLD AND SILLY,

FITZY.

[Bulletproof]

I find going where no truck has been before and challenging nature is the most satisfying form of 4 Wheeling. It is character building as well.
Xmas 2006 with Andi ,Paul ,John ,Glen and Jim

Building track on the 1st washout at the Clark end of Bulletproof Chasm track and then looking at options to exit the Chasm.



Cheers Richard

[rokhound]

Now correct me if I'm wrong here Richard (cos it has happened once before ), Bulletproof chasm is at one end of the old staircase track by the Clarke river that was washed away about 5 years ago isn't it?
It looks like there could be a power of fun just driving up the chasm. The rocks look like a good size etc, how far have you walked it?

[Bulletproof]

Now correct me if I'm wrong here Richard (cos it has happened once before ), Bulletproof chasm is at one end of the old staircase track by the Clarke river that was washed away about 5 years ago isn't it?
It looks like there could be a power of fun just driving up the chasm. The rocks look like a good size etc, how far have you walked it?

Here is map showing the Chasm. I have driven down to the Grey and removed all the trees and is fairly easy going but have never gone up. I should imagine it would get interesting. Something for the future .




Cheers Richard

[Bulletproof]

Rokhound mentioned said it looked interesting to drive Bulletproof Chasm. We cut a track down it in Feb 2007 which is a reasonably easy drive.

This Video shows the chasm from Brian Prendergast's farm where the washout that formed the chasm blocked the grey for 2 hours. The grey rose 22 ft above normal flood level before it broke through. You can also see how high up the mountain the washout started.

This Video was Xmas 2005 as we were looking at all options to get from Waipuna to Snowy River. The bottom end of the chasm is littered with smashed beech trees between the boulders.

If you ford the grey in this direction be very careful as the channel on the other side has a soft bottom and a strong current and a few metres down there is a very deep hole on the corner. I was staring to be spun around and had to go on to full lock and power to save myself . It is easy going in the other direction. There is a better crossing up river a couple of hundred metres if the river is up.



Cheers Richard

[hosehustler]

hi Richard,
Al, John, Glen nd I drove down the chasm last Xmas, we drove along the bank where you are walking and then crossed further upstream, it's relatively straight forward, however there are plenty of large boulders to avoid or climb over

[Bulletproof]

I want to dedicate this video to Kerry Smith from Nelson because without his help I probably would never have opened up the bulletproof chasm track. I showed the route to many so called tough 4 wheel drivers and they basically laughted. Kerry is in his 50s and does not belong to any club and he alone had the confidence to drop into the chasm without knowing there was a way out.
On this day in feb 2007 we drove from Waipuna to Snowy River Rd via the chasm and Prendergasts farm for the very first time.



Cheers Richard

[Bulletproof]

Here is another for Fitzy .

This is the harder crossing of the Grey through the rapids and boulders that you will remember when Alistair McDonald got washed down river.
This the same crossing that spun me around on another trip and stuffed my rear drive shaft.



Cheers Richard

[Bulletproof]

Here is a Clip from 1999 with Higgie for Flag , Mark ,Steve and Nuts.

This is the Mai Mai end of the Stony Trip through Giles River to where they removed the Bridge.



Cheers Richard

[J_Dub]

bulletproof, been reading last few posts in the "show us your flex", since your a man who seems to have bin around trucks for awhile and you own a hilux, thought ide ask your opinion on leaf springs. I want to improve the travel on my old beam axle surf. Whats the best/easiest/cost effective way to improve travel front and rear, without drastic mods/fabrication.
Surely with the long travel shocks and just finding a combo that raises my truck a little and softens it a lot has to improve my flex, its a daily driver so has to keep w.o.f man happy, maybe getting my original springs re-tensionsed, loseing a leaf or two, extended shackles and loseing the ties be a start?

[Bulletproof]

bulletproof, been reading last few posts in the "show us your flex", since your a man who seems to have bin around trucks for awhile and you own a hilux, thought ide ask your opinion on leaf springs. I want to improve the travel on my old beam axle surf. Whats the best/easiest/cost effective way to improve travel front and rear, without drastic mods/fabrication.
Surely with the long travel shocks and just finding a combo that raises my truck a little and softens it a lot has to improve my flex, its a daily driver so has to keep w.o.f man happy, maybe getting my original springs re-tensionsed, loseing a leaf or two, extended shackles and loseing the ties be a start?

It is not an easy one to answer. If your leaf springs are the original toyota ones they have probably sagged so that you ony have 30mm travel up to the bump stop.

An after market 50mm lift kit would probably do a lot for it but make sure the leaves are not made from heavy plate. My OME have 6.5 mm leaves where a lot of others are 7-8mm. Even though that doesn't sound much it makes a huge difference to the softness and flex.
Removing the rear ties definately allows more flex.
I personally would not have springs reset because they never last very long before they sag again. Taking leaves out will cause sag as well . I have a centre coil to help take weight . If you remove the overloads, the springs will bend in front of diff ,once again causing sag unless you build an anti tramp rod.

You will also need longer shocks to suit the 50mm raise. For off roading the best shocks are one that do most of the shocking on the down stroke so when the wheel come up against a boulder or something it climbs straight over and then takes the bounce out on the down stroke. I have Monroe magnum 4x4.

Going beyond any of this by altering the shock or spring mounts to lenghten the springs requires certification.

Sorry I can't be more helpful

Richard

[Moriarty]

Why use long travel shocks?
If you can find a mount point close to the centre line of yr truck, and low(ish) down, you wont NEED long travel shocks.
You WILL need to have stiffer ones, with more resilience or resistance, but the travel will be reduced in proportion to the angle away from vertical.

[turoa]

Why use long travel shocks?
If you can find a mount point close to the centre line of yr truck, and low(ish) down, you wont NEED long travel shocks.
You WILL need to have stiffer ones, with more resilience or resistance, but the travel will be reduced in proportion to the angle away from vertical.

but why not just buy the correct travel shocks in the first place? I doubt about 90% of 4x4s in NZ are able to use more than 12" of travel, and 12" is readily availible length. I only run 12's on the back of my lux and have much more travel than most other people have and it wont even use all the shock length (because of the way I want my springs set up).

[Bulletproof]

Why use long travel shocks?
If you can find a mount point close to the centre line of yr truck, and low(ish) down, you wont NEED long travel shocks.
You WILL need to have stiffer ones, with more resilience or resistance, but the travel will be reduced in proportion to the angle away from vertical.

but why not just buy the correct travel shocks in the first place? I doubt about 90% of 4x4s in NZ are able to use more than 12" of travel, and 12" is readily availible length. I only run 12's on the back of my lux and have much more travel than most other people have and it wont even use all the shock length (because of the way I want my springs set up).

Thats exactly the point I was trying to make. All you need is readily available ones to suit the lift.

Cheers Richard

[J_Dub]

Why use long travel shocks?
If you can find a mount point close to the centre line of yr truck, and low(ish) down, you wont NEED long travel shocks.
You WILL need to have stiffer ones, with more resilience or resistance, but the travel will be reduced in proportion to the angle away from vertical.

but why not just buy the correct travel shocks in the first place? I doubt about 90% of 4x4s in NZ are able to use more than 12" of travel, and 12" is readily availible length. I only run 12's on the back of my lux and have much more travel than most other people have and it wont even use all the shock length (because of the way I want my springs set up).

Cheers for reply richard, good to get difrent opinions
What setup have you got in yours Turoa??