ULTIMATE LAND ROVER

[daddylonglegs]

Thanks for taking the time Nick and John. Interesting photos, but I am afraid I can be no help in identifying the origins of the axle assemblies. The swivel housings look a bit like International but with custom made steering arms, but the differential has got me stumped. Maybe if the photos were posted on the General discussion forum on Pirate someone would recognise them.
Bill.

[ISUZUROVER]

I have posted a thread on pirate and linked a couple of pics. Hope that is OK John.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=306487

[red90]

Fine wit me.

[Nick (in the Falklands!)]

....Bills remark about the swivels looking like Internationals reminded me I was going to take some shots of the GMC on our Roadless B-450 too was'nt I .....must do that....!

I went to the Yeovil Air Day whilst in UK, & when there , saw some pristinely restored WW2 trucks including GMCs, Dodges & A Studebaker...

(I was the only fool down at ground -level..... taking pics of axle units...!!) They're on film pics so will have to get the 3 relevant ones scanned up...

[ISUZUROVER]

Thanks Nick - would be great if we can get this solved...

[Nick (in the Falklands!)]

Hi again all...

Been one or two snags down this way..(not entirely resolved yet either..)

(don't take up farming...)

Anyone managed to build a replica yet...??


Regards
Nick

[ISUZUROVER]

Hi again Nick. Sorry to hear about your hassles, hope everything is right again soon.

On the replica issue, unfortunately, it looks like it would not be possible to build a replica and get it approved (for road use) in Australia. Or at least that is the advice I have received from a couple of engineers (people authorised to approve modifications of this type). It may be possible if it was registered as a tractor but then it wouldn't be permitted to drive on most public roads so it may as well stay unregistered.

On the diffs, I think Bill has come to the conclusion that they were made specially for the roadless. What do you think?

[Nick (in the Falklands!)]

... ...I was checking back on where we'd got to on Roadless issues;
...as to those axle pics I was going to do & all that..!

We had some horrendous computer problems a while back, & in the process of re-building, we overlooked saving our beloved Photoshop LE 4.0 pic editing programme ('Elements' does'nt do re-sizing as we know it, so we're a bit sunk for modifying pics quickly & easily for posting up until we find a fresh driver/programme..)

I did have the B450 out the other day...first time in over a year, & took pics but they have come out over-exposed & one close-up is over-size for putting up, so will try again.

..Bit of a bugger that you can't projects easily approved in Australia; now, would you not be able to get it certified under same regs as would apply to a spraying rig...?? (..Front up at the testing station with a wheelie bin in the back for a tank & your gran's watering can...be a breeze..)
They probably do come under some sort of agricultural ruling....but I suspect a genuine Forest Rover would too..

But would'nt it be just the dogs whatsits in Sydney traffic at rush -hour...?? ( You'd always be able to change lanes on that bridge...!!)

Seriously...they are such a workhorse, they are the kind of truck you would get the best out of using them for 'work' (& modifying accordingly) as opposed to recreational use....so you'd almost want to be in a rural environment fulltime.....we 'were' when it got used to full potential; 68 miles from nearest paved road, & it used to take 8 hours in summer & 14 in winter to do that journey in it...! ( If you did'nt get bogged..!)

These days we have a gravel road....apart from fact the old thing'd wander off it (..in search of some grass..)....you get there in 2 hrs in the Dodge..

( ....Well, it used to take 2 days (..& a sore arse..) on a horse..)

I will try again to see if anywhere down here is capable of scanning the axle drawings...they're quite interesting, especially if you're into engineering. (They're quite big you see..)

[Bush65]

Nick,

Download Irfanview from www.irfanview.com A highly recommended, small and free program that will make easy work of resizing etc. Can also be used with scanners.

I look forward to seeing your pics.

[ISUZUROVER]

..Bit of a bugger that you can't projects easily approved in Australia; now, would you not be able to get it certified under same regs as would apply to a spraying rig...?? (..Front up at the testing station with a wheelie bin in the back for a tank & your gran's watering can...be a breeze..)
They probably do come under some sort of agricultural ruling....but I suspect a genuine Forest Rover would too..

But would'nt it be just the dogs whatsits in Sydney traffic at rush -hour...?? ( You'd always be able to change lanes on that bridge...!!)

Seriously...they are such a workhorse, they are the kind of truck you would get the best out of using them for 'work' (& modifying accordingly) as opposed to recreational use....so you'd almost want to be in a rural environment fulltime.....we 'were' when it got used to full potential; 68 miles from nearest paved road, & it used to take 8 hours in summer & 14 in winter to do that journey in it...! ( If you did'nt get bogged..!)

The rules in OZ are quite strict - compared to what I have seen in the UK and the US. And I am sure in the falklands you can drive anything you want!!!

And it is never as simple as fronting up to a testing station, for major modifications you have to supply all details (and plans) in advance and obtain written approval before commencing.

There are a couple of ways it would be possible. One would be to build an "individually constructed vehicle", but then you have to prove it satisfies all relevant ADR's (Australian Design Rules) for that vehicle category. If it could be proven that there ever was a real forestrover registered in oz (on full registration) then it would be easier, since there is a clause that says you can upgrade your vehicle to the specifications of an optional model - the roadless was basically a IIA with different axles, brakes and mudguards.

[Nick (in the Falklands!)]

Hi Ben,

I've heard of this having to submit plans for approval being required in some states in the US (...& it rings of the kind of beaureaucracy that rules supreme in many countries, in spite of the safety aspects it's intended to embody...)

Actually, we have folk here who can't cope with the civil liberties we have here (when they come down on secondments/contract..) & spend the duration of their time trying to dream up ways to kick/force/hammer/beat us into line with the sad & unfortunate society they probably came here to escape...!!!

Bush65....John, you are a champion ....that programme appears to be just what we needed (..& an improvement on the features of the LE4.0 type components we used most before....

Here you go (..I downloaded & set it up last night)...will retake the ones that overexposed again..

Thanks again

Regards Nick

[Bush65]

Nick,
With the overexposed pics, if not too bad, try reducing the gamma correction in Irfanview - select enhance colors from image menu, then move gamma control slider left.

[Nick (in the Falklands!)]

Thanks for that tip John, but I er, canned them already...!!!

Heres a web-shot pic of the tractor tho as fitted with this GMC axle..

(..in meantime..)

[F'n_Rover]

couple of nice pics here (forest) http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~lloyd/ti ... /Specials/

[ISUZUROVER]

couple of nice pics here (forest) http://www.csse.monash.edu.au/~lloyd/ti ... /Specials/

As we discussed earlier on in this long thread, the second pic from the top (snowy mountains LR) was not a real forest rover, it ran stock (maybe one-ton?) axles - you can see the difference by comparing the dish on the wheels between it and a real roadless.

[Nick (in the Falklands!)]

The Snowy Mountain Authority vehicle may have been ( or been based on ) the concept vehicle which Roadless built to trial the 'big -wheels' idea.

It appears to have a Series 1 front axle (or swivels)....in some closer-up pics I have somewhere in a magazine, you can distinctly see the lever arms mounted on top of the swivels...

The wheels are Fergie 28" adaptered on .

[Nick (in the Falklands!)]

...Just to say that I have recently aquired one of two of the above GMC diffs (..from a Roadless Ford-'Ploughmaster' conversion) & will hopefully get some 'internal' pics posted here shortly..