Isuzu MU Solid Axle Swap... onwards and upwards

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Mon Sep 12, 2005 11:17 pm

Well, got a few bits back from the engineers just before I went away so managed to sneak a couple of hours to muck about when I should have been packing...

Heres the new arm to go on the passengers side knuckle. Its the flipped arm to replace the Hilux one I was using. The main thing is that its shorter and should give me better steering lock.
I also had new studs machined since I fitted the first set to Conans truck when I used the original setup on his rig.

Here is the crossmember with the gearbox mount sitting beside it. I've had to trim some cooling fins from the gearbox beside the front output flange to get it to fit, and modify the two holes that the mount studs go through too... measure twice, drill once

I'll also need to get the holes milled down since the studs are designed to go through about 6mm of steel and I have a 16mm thick crossmember...

Wooo! My new headache solver arrived

One 4.8 ratio high-pinion prado diff for the front of the truck. Bolted into the new front axle I am building up for it (The one in the truck at the moment belongs to my old Hilux and needs to go back into it at some point)

So - I didn't get too far, but I sorted some things that had been waiting for a while to get sorted and I made some progress on Conans truck as well so all in all not a bad morning - and it got me out of packing

Steve

mumad · Post by **mumad** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 8:44 pm

Hey steve, could you please put up some details of that cross member as i'm gonna do something with my one and yours looks pretty good. Thanks.

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Wed Sep 14, 2005 9:59 pm

Hey, sorry I was going to do that for you a while back. I will measure it up and let you know the dimensions when I get back, but I think from memory its 80mm in from each edge to the first bends, then 100mm further in on the right to the next bend, whereas the other end is a much shallower angle. The reason is that the driveshaft needs to cross the crossmember on the steep side. The mount is dead centre. I think the floor to the top is about 150mm

It sits roughly flush with the chassis rails at the outer edges when in place, and the big hole is about 45mm. The two smaller are 10.5mm and the measurements can (and should) be measured carefully, since I thought I had, but was 5mm out when I actually tried to bolt the mount up

So I have slotted them to allow for adjustment. I'm also having the two M10 holes milled down as the studs are not long enough to pass through the 16mm plate and be fastened securely (original thickness was 6mm approx) so I can then use a hardened washer and nylock on each stud.

So, once all the stuffups and miscalculations are taken care of its become an expensive crossmember... note to self: Don't rush off and have something made just because you think you need it without thinking about it first

Anyway, I'll measure it up more accurately and take some finished photos of it when I get back

Cheers

Steve

mumad · Post by **mumad** » Thu Sep 15, 2005 6:22 pm

Thanks steve, i look forward to it, am changing jobs and the new place is more a heavy fab place so i'll have better gear to use, Have a good trip and i'll hear from you soon

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:10 pm

A heavy fab place huh? I'm envious of you guys with fully stocked engineering workshops to play in, but hey - I don't have a full time job working for someone else and my workshops not too badly fitted out (and getting better all the time much to my wifes disgust

) so I can't complain too much

Well, gave the crossmember back to my engineer while I was away and he did a little milling to tidy up my miscalculation. I managed to get the two pieces of angle fitted and welded to the chassis and fitted the crossmember to the mount ready for drilling. It will be attached with 2 3/4" HT bolts on either side

Once its all fitted up I'll pull it all apart, clean it up and paint it then re-assemble it. Oh, and Mulover - I'll measure it up when I can get back down there through the huge snow drifts

The crossmember in place

One side, ready to drill for the bolts

The milled stud-holes

Steve

hosehustler · Post by **hosehustler** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 9:20 pm

Looking good Steve,
hope it's ready for the Waimak trip 8th-9th, oh and Conan's trick too.........
:wink:

mumad · Post by **mumad** » Mon Sep 19, 2005 11:32 pm

Yeah well you know, 3.1meter gillotine that cuts up to 10mm, brake press, puncher/cropping machine, 2 lathes, radial arm drill press, 2 mills, welders, etc, its a hard life, but from what ive seen of your work you can't have that bad a set-up!!, the cross member looks really good, deffenately the go, will look forward to the measurements.

Just pulled my front hubs to bits and one of my 6 month old superwinch hubs is nearly worn out, so i'll have to get that sorted now!!!

MATT4U · Post by **MATT4U** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 8:09 am

just a quick question, are you just goint to spray the cross member or powder coat it, just thinking as it's in a place thats going to recive lots of scrapes powdercoating will last longer.

Matt.

wjw · Post by **wjw** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 8:49 am

mumad wrote:Just pulled my front hubs to bits and one of my 6 month old superwinch hubs is nearly worn out, so i'll have to get that sorted now!!!

Don't they have lifetime warranties?

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:16 am

I'll just spray it. Powder coating chips off and allows moisture to sit between the coat and the metal which can cause unseen corrosion. I'm not worried that my 16mm x 100mm plate is going to rust away anyway, so an undercoat and a topcoat of spray-bomb on this will be fine... as you can see from the photos its not a show truck (mmm... hey, I could get it polished and chromed tho...

)

Going to head down there later today and get the drilling/bolting up done then finish the shock brackets and finish building the front axle. Once thats done I can bolt the Simexes on and drive it back up the ramp

Jobs to do before the trip:

Steve

MATT4U · Post by **MATT4U** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 9:39 am

if its chrome you mite slide over things easier

lol, :roll:

mumad · Post by **mumad** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 5:59 pm

Hey wjw, i sure hope so, took them back and they sent them away so hopefully will know soon, its so strange how one side is good as and the other is screwed!! Has got me stuffed!! :?:

wjw · Post by **wjw** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:31 pm

mumad wrote:Hey wjw, i sure hope so, took them back and they sent them away so hopefully will know soon, its so strange how one side is good as and the other is screwed!! Has got me stuffed!!

Same as what happened to mine... only 3 month warranty on them grrr.... bloke said only way I could have done it, is have all 4 wheels stuck and the hub was the weakest link...

mumad · Post by **mumad** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 6:40 pm

I haven't broke anything, the piece that goes into the brass sleeve is worn really bad in one of them. I'll keep yous posted on the result.

cromcruiser · Post by **cromcruiser** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 7:01 pm

Bill you cruiser has not got that sort of power :oops:

wjw wrote:
mumad wrote:Hey wjw, i sure hope so, took them back and they sent them away so hopefully will know soon, its so strange how one side is good as and the other is screwed!! Has got me stuffed!!

Same as what happened to mine... only 3 month warranty on them grrr.... bloke said only way I could have done it, is have all 4 wheels stuck and the hub was the weakest link...

mumad · Post by **mumad** » Tue Sep 20, 2005 11:04 pm

Hehe, i blew a inner c.v, and the hub was still working fine, the good one came off that side. Shows how strong they are.

wjw · Post by **wjw** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 8:08 am

cromcruiser wrote:Bill you cruiser has not got that sort of power

[/quote]

Well thats what I was told

But back on topic.... truck looks good... hope its ready...

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 11:34 am

I've been thread-jacked! :lol:

Anyway, back to more important things... I got the new shocks mounted up to the front axle... due to me not thinking while working I made the shock mounts for the new shocks from 3mm, not 4mm plate as I had intended... didn't even notice until I went to weld them on and thought, "Crap, they look puny and weak..."

So, I did the only thing I could... threw them in the scrap bin and made some new ones from 5mm plate

They still need trimming on the corners, but they are on there pretty solidly. I will add a brace across the inside end to support everything and provide a bit more strength to them. But I'm not providing any close-ups of my welding to prove any of this

The shocks I am using are not my 9012's I've had sitting here waiting as they are just too long for this truck - I can't fit them in without a 3" body lift - and quite frankly the thing is too bloody high as it is :shock:

. Since I sell s**tloads of MaxiTrac gear I figured its only right to put MaxiTrac shocks in with the MaxiTrac springs I'm already using... so these are off a Mazda Bounty - believe it or not they are the longest travelling shock I can find in the range... off a Mazda Bounty! bloody hell... oh well, now they're off a MU

The rears will be off a GQ Poo-troll as they are the same fitment as a Hilux and a MU so I can mix'n'match existing mounts and get that end done quickly

Besides, they are the second longest shocks available in the range, and were on the shelf in the warehouse when I went looking:)

Here is one fully extended beside a standard Hilux front shock:

And heres the axle with the two shocks mounted - the compressed one still has quite a bit of compression left - I should be able to get nearly 40-odd degrees out of the front axle before running out of shock travel - probably more than the springs will allow...

Steve

Pajfan · Post by **Pajfan** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 4:30 pm

Those shock bushes look like they will clash with the black and white paint job! :lol:

Looks like you are getting closer

Are you workin on it this weekend? Do you want a hand?
I seem to have a large amount of spare time on my hands these days

T

SupraLux · Post by **SupraLux** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 5:01 pm

Shhh... don't give away my secrets

Yeah - I probably will be down there... and a hand is always good... And since it should be out of the shed and zippin' round this weekend you might even get a ride...

Steve

mumad · Post by **mumad** » Wed Sep 21, 2005 6:27 pm

Sorry, my bad, I'll start a new thread as it ouonds like its going to draw out a bit

LT1-62 · Post by **LT1-62** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 9:57 am

Hey Steve are you painting your truck white now?

eatenfuller · Post by **eatenfuller** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 10:07 am

hey lt162 ........................................i take it you own an lt1