Offroad-Express

being a daily driver you will want to keep your shocks as verticle as possible to help with body roll

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

I have a 4 link with nissan rear lower arms as uppers as some custom long lower arms with bighorn coils. Seems to work great. Springs are retained so the shocks arent maxxing out (they do with springs disconnected though) but it gives a nice even balance of flex front - rear and also helps with stability. It provides great ride aswell. Shocks are on about 80 deg angle mainly so they connect up nicely with my shock hoop. Very happy with the setup.

Here is another track to have a go at. This is the road into the Alexander that was blocked by a big slip in 1999 . It is off the snowy river rd.There is an old power station at the end.

I went across it while it was still soup and I dont think anyone has been in there since .It took 3 hours to cut a route through the fallen trees.

This clip is xmas 1999 with Higgie



Cheers Richard

Bulletproof wrote:

Hi Richard, where did you get the calliper mounts from, or do you know anyone with that pattern on CAD drawing at an engineers rather than me shagging around getting that done?
MR2 callipers look to be the go as well, keeps it all in the family, but I have access to some free Subaru callipers, cables, and handbrake, which tends to make economic sense

Tim, if Richard doesn't have a pattern , I'm sure his rear wheel bearings need checking , and while it is in pieces if he carefully places them on a sheet of white paper or cardboard and draws around the brackets with a fine black marker, marks the centre of the holes, gives the thickness of plate and hole sizes, posts the pattern to me , i think he still has my address, I will profile cut you a set, .

GOT TO KEEP THE COSTS DOWN,

FITZY.
PS; as Richard now has plenty of gigs on his computer , he could scan the pattern and email it to me.

hosehustler wrote:

Bulletproof wrote:

Hi Richard, where did you get the calliper mounts from, or do you know anyone with that pattern on CAD drawing at an engineers rather than me shagging around getting that done?
MR2 callipers look to be the go as well, keeps it all in the family, but I have access to some free Subaru callipers, cables, and handbrake, which tends to make economic sense

Hi Tim
Greg Knight in the CLROC was going to fit them to Petes Van den Ende's Hilux so I think he had them made up . He couldn't get the handbrake to work properly so gave up on the idea so give him a ring .

Nigel Harris also had some on his hilux so he may know who makes them in Christchurch.

If you have no luck Tim ,I will do as Fitzy said and take a pattern off mine for you.

Let me know

Cheers Richard

A few years back I was makeing Disc brake conversions for Landrovers, and Bulletproofs BKT looks much the same size.
Ill check this out with Richard.
My old patterns are for a Magnetic Type profile machine.

oldblue wrote:A few years back I was makeing Disc brake conversions for Landrovers, and Bulletproofs BKT looks much the same size.
Ill check this out with Richard.
My old patterns are for a Magnetic Type profile machine.

As long as there's a good line where you've used the magnetic marker, most profile cutting shops have edge finders that can still follow it.

Failing that, as long as you've got it traced out it's childs play to redraw it in a CAD program so it can be emailled anywhere.

For anyone wanting to replace the rear bearings on a surf or a hilux it is easy to make a puller.

All you need is the end off an old diff housing ( you can get one for nothing ) .Weld it on to a piece of 60mm pipe about 550mm long and then weld a sleeve over that for the pullers to grab. I used an old bearing shell.

saves damage to the axle with angle grinder or gas.



Cheers Richard

Ive got 4 of these left over If the measurement works out you can have them,( Pay freight )Thickness is 6mm Plate

Cheers Oldlue
I'l have a measure up tomorrow
Sorry about the thread hijack Richard

This is what I consider to be the ultimate 4x4 trip

At the top of the Hope valley in the Lewis Pass area with CLROC. Camping out with a bomb fire celebrating Lynn Sibley's birthday and then exploring a valley the next day to some hot pools where no truck had been before.



Cheers Richard

Manuka Island bogs of the Wairau Valley would have to be on a par with Copper Creek at Haast .

They are about 700 metres long with nothing much to winch off apart from a little manuka sitting in bog .If you don't walk it first you can get stuck in one hole that is bonnet deep.

This is a Nelson Club trip I ran in 1999. We then washed in the Goulter River.



Cheers Richard

This is a track off Craigieburn Rd on the Westcoast that we have never conquered. Tried twice but the deep spagnum moss has had the last say both time.

Here is the first time with Mark Coleman and higgie in the



Cheers Richard

Just Googled your West Coast Craigieburn Rd as I have not heard of it before. The Craigieburns east of the divide are my stomping ground so I am interested Richard.
Is your Vid on the Craigieburn road nr Takaka?
If not whereabouts please?

Thanks for keeping on putting your wifes videos up, we all enjoy them.

IcedJohnno wrote:Just Googled your West Coast Craigieburn Rd as I have not heard of it before. The Craigieburns east of the divide are my stomping ground so I am interested Richard.
Is your Vid on the Craigieburn road nr Takaka?
If not whereabouts please?

Thanks for keeping on putting your wifes videos up, we all enjoy them.

The Track wasn't very easy to find, Marks Colemans brother was hunting and came across it.

Craigieburn rd is the 2nd or 3rd rd to the right heading heading from Ikamatua to Blackball

Looking at Google is 42 degrees 15' 34 S and 171 degrees 34' 45 E . Looking at Google it looks like the pines may have been fallen now which could make more interesting tracks . I might have a look a new year.

Cheers Richard

Kerry Smith crossing the Grey River when it is at the upper limit of safety. We did this trip at the staircase Oct 2007.



Cheers Richard

In the South Island we have lots of big valley's running into the Southern Alps. This is the head of the Rakaia which goes for 80k from the Gorge. At the head of the valley is the Ramsey Glacier that we now drive to.

On this trip in 1999 we hadn't found a route but went looking.

This is only scenic video but for ones who have never done these trips it is well worth putting them on the list.

A word of warning. Don't light an LPG gas bottle unless you know what you are doing and have firemans gear.



Cheers Richard

Bulletproof wrote:


Cheers Richard

Once again another very good video, thanks richard.

..something tells me thats not the first time he has lit a gas bottle??

It's an old party trick Kaney. Paul is a typical Fireman, A pyromaniac

Actually the burning gas bottle is a lot more spectacular in sub zero temperatures.

Here is part 2 of the Rakaia trip from 2004 when we went right to the end of the valley. Just short of the Ramsey Glacier.

I will Dedicate this to a good friend of mine "Linda Simpson" who died tragically two and a half years ago on a 4 wheel drive trip in Otago. Linda would go where many so called tough blokes wouldn't.



Cheers Richard

Here are some old photos from the 90s when the hilux still had paint and no dents.

At cable bay



In the Red hills looking up the Rainbow



Near the top of Mt Greenland



Mother bog at the head of Glenroy valley. Smurf was driving Leo's Jeep and got through the bog



Thompson Flat



Wairau


Aorere Gold fields



Going in to Chasm track from the Clark for the 1st time with part of the bridge still across the Clark




Tophouse



Wairoa river-waiting to fill up with water to gain traction and drive out



Tophouse



On top of ridge above Island Pass on the Rainbow Rd



Old tram line on private property off Thompson Rd -West Coast. We did 50 metre in 5 hrs. BLOODY CRUISERS




Confluence of Tutaekuri and Trent rivers at the head of the Ahaura Valley



This why it is not a good idea to cross an unfamilar river thats up and coloured .I went out tied to two cruisers until it got about 1200mm deep. It was getting glassy swirles on the surface so backed out



Two day's later at the same crossing. We didn't realize how big the rocks were under water.



Cheers Richard

they are some awsome pics there, id love to have a go at those tracks:)

Jeez Richard, the ole girl was nice and straight back then, flash paint as well

Here is another Scenic Video of a Nelson 4x4 trip through the rainbow in 2004 which runs from Nelson lakes to Hanmer.

This was a very wet day and we had to cross a scree that was on the move. Very spooky indeed.



cheers Richard

Bulletproof wrote:Here is another Scenic Video of a Nelson 4x4 trip through the rainbow in 2004 which runs from Nelson lakes to Hanmer.

This was a very wet day and we had to cross a scree that was on the move. Very spooky indeed.

cheers Richard

My aunt drove the rainbow in her Ford focus a few years ago...

Started a new project today. I have decided to fit an engine oil cooler. Oldblue ( kevin Page ) had one in his shed that he used on a cruiser.
Have taken the filter adapter to Brightwater engineers to modify for the hilux and will have it back tomorrow. In the meantime I have decided to mount the radiatori on top of the intercooler scoop.



I will update when more progress is made.

Cheers Richard

Bulletproof wrote:Started a new project today.... In the meantime I have decided to mount the radiator on top of the intercooler scoop.

Wouldn't you be better to stand it upright to get better air flow through it??

dp down here has 2 or 3 radiators fitted like this under his bonnet, makes for a heavy bonnet, just put in extra scoops

swampa wrote:dp down here has 2 or 3 radiators fitted like this under his bonnet, makes for a heavy bonnet, just put in extra scoops

I have no room at all under the bonnet and have explored all possibilities and I don't want it at the front because of shit.

The 5L motor already has a water cooled internal oil cooler so I dont need to drop the temperature that much. The oil cooler is quite light so I dont think it will cause any problems on the bonnet and I will make another scoop to go on top of the intercooler scoop.

Thanks for your thoughts

Richard