Nissan GQ Mwb ute conversion and roll cage.

[shortylux]

I spent Sunday helping my mate Benny get started on some mods.

His truck already has a lift with drop boxes, some bar work, pto winch and a turbo strapped on. Had a bit of a rough 4 point exo cage but we are chopping that off, doing a single cab conversion and making an ORANZ compliant 6 point exo. Will also be fitting FOA hydro bumps at each corner, moving the fuel tank and batteries, rear mounting an electric winch and removing the 75mm body lift.

Photos to come but for now here is 20 seconds showing our first afternoons work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LtCpawd ... tube_gdata

[Dirtydog]

well your dedicated now arnt ya.....

But looking good so far, will watch with interest.

[shortylux]

Well some how when I uploaded it the captions got all screwed up and some pics got their funny code name back, but you get the drift.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=booWmsvguNM

Arron.

[mudlva]

Nice nice nice
Not alot more can be said

[Dirtydog]

man you guys work fast lol,

looking good though, and nice music choice, havnt heard that for a while.

[shortylux]

Ok, some pics finally.

After we chopped the back off.



Cage started and being lifted off for more welding (fork lift makes life so much easier, might have to move my truck to Taupo and use this workshop)


Moved axle back 250mm.


Putting the rear skin on. (before it got warpped to hell, grr)


Reasonable rear flex


Front flex is non-existant


Cage on, fuel tank repositioned, hydro bumps installed (thanks 4wdbits) batterys moved to the (very) back.

[shortylux]

New sill bars and the old bush bars on the front being adapted to the new cage.


Another rear view.

[Madaz]

So im guessin yours will be done in time for the Taupo 1000 then????????

[shortylux]

mmm, about that... maybe Christmas...next year.

[shortylux]

Benny has been building a tray.




Still has 4" lift front springs and EFS extreme shocks for sale if any one is keen.

[andrew007]

how much for springs and shocks?

[shortylux]

how much for springs and shocks?

details are here mate. http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/ ... 15&t=35128

[muskie]

cool build up, what type of tube bender is he using? and what wall thickness??

[shortylux]

We used my bender, which is one of these. http://machineryhouse.co.nz/P064
and the pipe is 1 1/4 sch40 steam pipe. It's seamless and 42.2mm OD, 3.6mm wall (from memory). Steel and tube product code is 32SL.

That bender comes with dies to suit NZ steam pipe sizes. Seams to work good on this stuff. Tried to bend a piece of MANZ tube, not so good. No crimping or anything but the MANZ tube ovalised a lot (flattened on the out side of the bend).

Hope that helps.

[muskie]

We used my bender, which is one of these. http://machineryhouse.co.nz/P064
and the pipe is 1 1/4 sch40 steam pipe. It's seamless and 42.2mm OD, 3.6mm wall (from memory). Steel and tube product code is 32SL.

That bender comes with dies to suit NZ steam pipe sizes. Seams to work good on this stuff. Tried to bend a piece of MANZ tube, not so good. No crimping or anything but the MANZ tube ovalised a lot (flattened on the out side of the bend).

Hope that helps.

that is exactly what i wanted to know, thanks.

did moving the axle back 250mm lower the spring plates due to the shape of the chassis? what lift will be going in? after removing the 75mm bodylift what did you replace it with? and is that the bump stops in the middle of the rear springs??

did you sell the 10'' B/L rims... thanks

[shortylux]

moving the axle back did lower the spring plates a little. Not as much as the drop in the chassis, but it's down to how you mount them. We took a few measurements and figured we did want to lower them a touch (probably wrong in hindsight).

Don't know what springs will go in yet. Maybe the 4" lift he has, maybe std or maybe some new springs. We need to build it and see what the weight distribution is like now. Moving the axle, batteries, fuel tank, adding cage/tray and removing the body is all going to affect this hugely.

Body lift removed and body is back on chassis as per factory, we couldn't see the point in body lift seeing as we were changing so much other stuff, might as well cut the guards a bit, obviously the rear wheel arches are no longer an issue.

Yes, bumps inside springs at the rear, again in hindsight we could do it a little better next time but it works sweet as. Would still run them inside springs if I did it again.
Bead lock rims are still for sale (he hasn't even advertised them anywhere yet)

[Fakey]

[quote="shortylux"]The pipe is 1 1/4 sch40 steam pipe. It's seamless and 42.2mm OD, 3.6mm wall (from memory). Steel and tube product code is 32SL.

That bender comes with dies to suit NZ steam pipe sizes. Seams to work good on this stuff. Tried to bend a piece of MANZ tube, not so good. No crimping or anything but the MANZ tube ovalised a lot (flattened on the out side of the bend). [quote]

What was the outside diameter of the manz tubing? Was it 44mm? Or 1 3/4" OD tube? I take it the 1 1/4" seamless pipe will pass scrutineering for winch comps etc?
Ive got the same bender but the next size up. Theyre a pretty good bender for a press style bender.

[shortylux]

There are two sizes of MANZ tube. I tried bending the smaller one. 38.1 od 2.6 wall from memory.
Both this cage and mine are built to ORANZ rules which allow cages for this weight of vehicle to be built from either the 38 MANZ tube or the 1 1/4 sch 40 pipe.

Was surprised how well it bent considering its low price. I wouldn't have believed it except I saw a friends work with the same bender and bought it on his recommendation.

[Fakey]

Ah cool thanks thats good to know about the pipe.
I found with my bender it makes neater bends with heavier wall pipe, like 4mm.
I see someone on trademe is selling the same bender with an air over hydraullic pump on it now too

[shortylux]

how much for springs and shocks?

details are here mate. http://www.offroadexpress.co.nz/Forums/ ... 15&t=35128

Sorry, didn't realise I had not stated the price for springs.
$250 for springs
$400 for the shocks.
$600 if purchased together.

Arron.
027 278 2556

[shortylux]

He is making progress.

[muskie]

very nice colour, looks cool.

[shortylux]

About time I updated this.

So, it got to this point. Cert'd and ready to go for taupo 1000 with about two weeks to go.


Then the boys did some "tuning"


Bollocks. Melted pistons.
Aaron and Benny did pistons, rings and a head. It was running on Tuesday night. Racing on Friday.

War paint on and at the Taupo 1000.



Then did the qualifying race. All went ok.
Did two laps on Saturday morning and pitted with clutch problems.
Found a seized thrust bearing that was wearing the fork out. So Josh form Forest Aire raced into Repco to grab a clutch kit will the rest of us pretend to be mechanics and gearbox jacks. Turns out three guys lying on the ground can hold a safari box and transfer up on their knees, but it ain't fun.
We got back out on the track 12 minutes before they closed the track, so we got three laps that day.

Here we are on Sunday lined up next to Batfastards rover (before it rolled).


Sunday was much better. We did nine laps. Only problems were a puncture and a bent rear bump stop mount.

a wee vid of our weekend. Cheers to Aaron Elmiger for the vids.

[muskie]

really good write and vids... well done..

[skidmark]

i saw this crusing through frankton a few weeks ago.sure looked good