Hilux Surf Modifications

[penetrator]

Hey guys just new here and have a few questions. I bought a 1992 3.0l V6 surf. I got it mainly for my hunting so am not needing anything to flash done to it but what i am wanting to do (and over a period of time as im still a poor part time student from lincoln!) Is

1) Get a snorkel fitted - have been quoted $500 installed for an airflow snorkel at 4WD upgrades in Christchurch

2) Suspension upgrade - possibly more height but really just something a bit beefier for travelling around on rocky river beds

3) It has a limited slip diff in the rear would it be worth my while in the future looking at a diff lock here? do you need to get a whole new rear axle assembly or do they just make a diff to slip in slip out kind of thing? (This one is further in the future than the rest!)

4) As most of my hunting is by myself or with one vehicle have been looking at winches too. Can you recomend a good pulling weight Ie 8000lb and do you know if you can purchase a bull bar to fit my truck that can mount a winch or is it best to get a winch mount purpose built? Have looked at the trifor type winches but think for the price an electric is worth having instead.

Any comments or bits of advice on any of these questions would be much appreciated guys.
Cheers

[SupraSurf]

Best value for money is to go to Auto Bend in CHCH and buy one of their steel snorkles, paint and fit it your self... you\'ll probably save about $400

You could do a 30-40mm body lift. Get the blocks and bolts yourself and you\'ll only spend about $100 - $150. An afternoons work to fit. Then you can slot some 31\'s ( or 33\'s if your keen ) under the toy.

You can get auto lockers for around $650 ( I have some for sale ) or spend about $1800 on an ARB. You should try some off-roading with the new feet first and see if you are happy before spending xtra $$ on lockers.

You can get quite good winches for around $1000, try SupraLux on here or Kent Distributors

Good luck
Mike

[DieselBoy]

After market springs and shocks.
Do not use the TJM XJS shocks, the mounting pin on the top of the rear shocks break very easily.
Try Munroe for value for money.

Depends what you want to spend, there\\\'s heaps of options, just start making phone calls.

EFS shocks are cheap ($75ea)and good, Lovells 50mm lift Springs are also cheap ($130 for the rear) and quite good.
Rancho RS5000 shocks would also work, ($95ea).
New springs in the rear, and crank the front torsion bars up to match.

8000lb winch would just about be adequate. Maybe 9 or 10,000lb

Make your own winch mount and bar can be alot cheaper.
TJM or ARB make one for a Surf, but they are in the $1500 region i beleive.

Just get a cradle made for the winch for the mean time, to get the winch mounted nice and high, and then you can add to that cradle with bars out around the bumpers, or inplace of the bumpers at a later date.
You don\\\'t need a heavy duty knock down trees, push into banks $15000 bull bar for river bed driving!!!

$299 for a Airflow snorkel from genie4x4.com, plus a bit of shagging around to adapt it to the V6.
My 2c,
Cheers,
Pete.

[penetrator]

Cheers for the info suprasurf if i was to get a snorkel made up at auto bend can you tell me what exactly is involved in nstalling it myself? IE: do i just have to connect the air intake hose to the snorkel were it comes through the guard and remove the old filter and intake etc? Im guessing there is probabally a bit more to it but rekon i could manage it with a bit of guidance from you buggers!

[wopass]

what they said

lift it a bit,snorkle, tyres and a winch you be rockin

[penetrator]

Thanks for the info dieselboy - i am looking at spending as little as possible but on something that will last obviously. The EFS shocks and Lovells springs sound pretty reasonable - Were the springs $130 each or for the pair? Can you buy these from repco etc or do you order from smewhere? Im guessing there isnt a hell of a lot of work n istalling myself but have one other question - The truck has a switch to change the standard shocks from soft to hard. If i put these new ones in do i just disregard this wiring and take it out?
Cheers Pal

[DieselBoy]

I\'m pretty sure it was per spring. Ring any suspension specialist. Don\'t go through Rip-co.
Just start ringing places outa the phone book.
I personally havn\'t tried the EFS shocks, but was very close to geting a set.
Turned out they didn\'t have any the right length, so i had to flag that idea and get $$$ ones.
They sound good, Gas charged, multi stage valving etc etc
Cheap version of a munroe i expect.
They have a 20,000K warranty, so they can\'t be that bad.

[toyking]

flag the elec winch they are cheap ,elec winches, well the guys didnt tell ya about the extra battery ya need cos youle flatten the orig in no time.dirt water and elecs dont go down well.and what happens when ya batt dies?????

value for money get tirfor (sell ya vehicle youve still got ya tirfor),they are awesome and will never let you down and get you out of anywhere.as for reliability thats an under statement!!!

i think weve all been burnt with elec winches

[SupraLux]

Welcome to the wonderful world of Toyota. They are great, cheap, and easy to mod.

The autobend snorkle will cost you $147 for the pipe and about $70 for the hat, then you need to buy flexible hose, clamps, etc and have it mounted to the truck. Its not a simple or quick operation, and if you have no access to welders, grinders, drills etc you're probably better off going with a plastic fantastic. I can supply and fit one for around $420, or better still you can come down the the workshop with some speights and do it yourself (I'll help) and it will just cost you the price of the snorkle which will be around $290ish if you shop around.

Coils, Maxitrac, Dobinsons, etc... they are all around 50mm lift, and all around the same price which should be about $180-200 for the pair. I can price/supply these and same goes for fitting - pay beer and I'll help or about $100 to fit them and shocks (expect to pay around $150-200 for a pair of 'offroad' shocks). The front can be lifted by tweaking the existing torsion bars - just make sure you take the weight off the front first.

Leave the LSD in it for now, but as the LSD diffs are 4-pinion they are a prime candidate for a locker - SupraSurf (Mike) sells these for around $650 and they just fit into your existing setup - nothing needs to be relpaced other than the oil when you are done

Winches, I have some 12000lb China specials coming through (yes, honest - they ARE coming... god I wish they would get here ) for about $850, but for total out-and-out reliability a hand winch will keep going after the battery isn't any more A cheap tirfor style hand winch should set you back around $350-450

If you want to have a look at some ideas, or get some pricing locally then give me a shout on 021 637 600 or email me at steve@4wdstuff.co.nz or just PM me here (is that still working Mike?)

Cheers

Steve

[surflover]

Hi,

I Have got a snorkel from ACE 4WD in christchurch for $285 + GST brand new, so that will be your best bet, which by the way is installed.

Andrew

[SupraLux]

Holy Moly! $285 fitted for an Airflow snorkle? Go get one now before they figure out what they have done wrong!

Steve

[penetrator]

Hey guys managed to get a snorkel second hand from a toyota wrecker in aranui christchurch with the bendy tube and modified air intake box for $160. Managed to install it myself although i need to do a little bit of touch up work were i cut the hole through the outer guard.
Used an expoxy resin and hose clamps to attach the tube to the intake and snorkel with a layer of silicone over the top so now just need to test her out i guess!!

After speaking with steve i got some good ideas and think when i have the money will still go for the electric winch option and some tube style bumbers and when i finish uni in oct and start working full time will put a locker in the rear diff. One question i do have is - i was reading another forum here about the auto hubs - mine has auto hubs and from what i read it sounded like i should get them out as quick as possible and replace with some manuals. Is this really the case and if so can anyone tell me a cost and how do you put them in is this difficult?

Cheers guys