Project Vitara

[EARSEZOOK]

It's time for live axle front!!!!!


Hilux Front & Rear diffs with 5.71 ratios
Air Lockers

80 Series 3 link Front,
Extended A-Frame Rear,

TJ Front coils all Round

New 1.6EFI Motor built with Supercharger,

34x10.5 Swampers (Maybe)

[stumped]

antt, eat your heart out

sounds good dude, you doin it, or payin someone? what's the timeframe for the project? pics!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[EARSEZOOK]

I'm doing it.

cost too much for someone else to do it.

Am hoping before June it will be finished. and i will post pics

[roadrunner]

Make sure there's plenty of pics !

It'll be good to see one built from start to finish.

Have you already approached an engineer?























Did I mention pics

[Giles]

sounds awsom buddy
live axles pretty funin the vit
goodluck with the enganeer side of it
cheers giles

[EARSEZOOK]

Who said anythingabout an engineer?




The only reason i'll be aproaching an engineer is if i end up putting a lexus V8 in it!!!!!!!

175KG motor
Turbo 700
GQ transfer case

All this is a big maybe!!!

[grimbo]

Who said anythingabout an engineer?

because the first time you get a defect notice you will be dead in the water. And you will get a defect notice

[DeWsE]

That's for sure grimbo....that's why I tossed the zook.

Oh and 5.71 gears are getting on the thin side....be interested to see how they go.

[sierrajim]

will TJ coils fit in the front?

I'm assuming that you're building something along the lines of Celia Barry's. From memory they needed to get custom coils due to space.

[SAWZALL]

I will follow this with mucho interesto.....

[antt]

very nice

i'll be watching with great interest

but i recommend tires bigger than 34

[cebarry]

Exo news and good luck. Do think about the Engineers Cert tho, the RTA will want to site it when you go for rego and also you'll need it if you are thinking of competing.
Lucky u to be in Mexico, here our *?#! Mr. Scruby of the Pedestrian Council, who is totally anti 4x4's and bullbars(wants to ban them from the city), has sent the RTA round to us twice now......with photo's of my car to check it out. First it was for the Bullbar and recently to check the paint change and cutdown had been recorded.....awa removing the red recovery hooks on the bullbar this time. We unfortunately have to park S/Chick on the busy public road outfront, as it doesn't fit in our Unit garage....I'm seriously thinking about getting a car cover, maybe this might help, tho it has been suggested we take out a restraining order on our Mr. S!!!! then he won't be able to continue to harrass us thru the RTA.

If Eugene can help with anything please feel free to ask, drop us an email., we'd be interested to follow your progress... also the 4WD Monthly had an update S/C article in last months issue 76 if that's any use to you.
Cheers,
Celia

[Gonzo]

I know Scrubys address if you want to go park outside his place

[sierrajim]

Does he have a front lawn?

[Roctoy]

Does he have a front lawn?

LOCKER TURNS!

[cebarry]

thanks for the offer...it's very tempting.... but I have my ways... something about the sticking of pins and curses !!.............

One thing I forgot to mention yet again Earsezook, is for you to watch your GVM...it's v.low in an Estate and prob even lower in a swb Vit.
Fitting HiLux running gear alone puts u pretty close to the limit.

Re the Lexsus V8, one OBC team coming over from South African this year has fitted one to his Hilux and I believe the NZer's have used them too.
I wish.....cost is always our problem and the availability of spares, especially in Broken Hill!

[Roctoy]

i just can't believe you park your thing on the street Celia.

[sierrajim]

Re the GVM:

I would think that you should be able to re classify the GVM of the vehicle through your engineer as you are using Hilux diffs, brake system and tyres of a heavier load rating.

You would also need to provide evidence on the springs that you use come out of a vehicle with a similar GVM.

Not sure, but if your argument was good enough.

Mind you if you use custom coils you may hit a snag.

The testing would be quite basic, weigh front and rear axle loads, brake test unloaded and again at proposed GVM, provide the results to the engineer and see what he says.

[cebarry]

Yeah it's crazy and we've been really lucky re not being vandalized yet....but parking in Manly is limited at the best of times and maybe on a busy road is a plus in a way, tho being close to a sharp bend has caused us a few angst moments on wet days when cars misjudge the corner and spin out!!!....E's old Rangie got hit once.......but we have no option, can't leave her in the units 'visitors car space' u know how body corp's carry on... we've had that many threatening letters, as it is u can imagine the dagger looks we get each time he does any work on her there, which is the only place he has too.
At least Eugene's big Nissan (Elvis) is also parked in the street and I like to think is watching over her.

[Roctoy]

get a car cover!

sorry for the tread hijacking dude!
BTW get it engineered!

[EARSEZOOK]

Hey there Celia,

Thanks for the advice, I will look in to all of that.

You will remember the car.

I was a Marshal at last years OBC.

Cheers

[cebarry]

Hey, of course I remember u, will u be back there this year? hope so. It's going to be awesome, new courses, like a day and nite Brumbies and 'wilga' type mud.
We've just finished replacing the engine after grinding out a main bearing in the mud drag heats at the BotC's....grrr! She was shunting too, i was so disappointed.
We've certainly had our moments since fronting up @ the OBC without testing her....but seem to have sussed them all now.
Remember the Fuseable Link meldown on the 1st nite creek dash!...which caused the 'puter to slowly shut down by the time we reached the finish....causing the exhaust to be flaming hot from front to rear!!!!.......well un beknown to us, it stuffed the Catalytic Converter and that's what prob affected the on again, off again power during the OBC and at Ateco which we only found out about after of course!!!

Eugene has also re engineered the pitman arm which has improved the really poor turning circle the Hy-Lux running gear caused.
Cramming all the 5link stuff into a space not designed for it, doesn't help!!!!

Now we have to get the "A" pillar sorted and are busy remaking a proper metal trayback, the wood one was a quick substitute at the 11th hr. anyway.

I've also got a 'car cover' to keep out Mr. Scrub's prying eyes!!! and we've cleared the Defect Notice, updated her records with colour and cutdown change.....and removed the red front recovery hooks and spots on the bullbar.

Hope to catch up with u trackside soon

Cheers

[grimbo]

so where are the pics. I knoow it has left the worksop so where are they? Cmon fess up and post some pics. What are your first impressions of the handling, flex etc

[antt]

so where are the pics. I knoow it has left the worksop so where are they? Cmon fess up and post some pics. What are your first impressions of the handling, flex etc

yes, pics would be good, ive got 1 outta 2 of my lux diffs, so have been lookin round to see how others are mounting things

[cebarry]

The Pittman arm change was done just before Woodpecker.....and I did notice a marked improvement. Didn't have to back and fill nearly as much.
We can take pix for you but how u post 'em?....I am dumb female remember! Maybe if I email them 2 u one of u you can post 'em for me?

Also regards the handling etc.....we did the change to H-L gear 2 yrs ago....and it's been great, no breakages either, not a CV or axles!
But then we've stuck with 32, then 34 Simex's and this prob helped.
A full rundown/update is in last months issue 76, 4WD Monthly pages 226... 234.
The Vit has been around a while...... since '97 and her first ever mag pic was almost stock in Bushdriver mag up at Mnt. Seaview Jamboree. She has quite a colourful history and has appeared 25 times in mags and newspapers since then too.
This year will be our 5th OBC.....and our last as I don't think she'll continue to survive such punishment, her body and chassis particularly.
Remember most view her as an inappropriate vehicle, especially the stuff we do anyway.

[cebarry]

ps re fexibility....it's v. good but we've had to restrict with limiting straps, cos of the small springs cos no matter what we tried they always fell out!. If we had more space, then we could go to a bigger spring and it prob wouldn't be so bad. But as always u have to compromise!

[cebarry]

Surprize....I did it!!!! here are some pix Eugene took for you.

[antt]

c'mon EARSEZOOK, we NEEEED pics, cause my swap is shaping up to be almost identical to yours

[EARSEZOOK]

Still haven't started,
Am going to USA in march and will start on it after that. Just collecting bits at the moment. trying to find some hilux lockers and ratios.

[EARSEZOOK]

Time to update

Hilux diffs are currently being built with 5.29 ratios,

Back Of cab being chopped down into ute cab, extending WHeel base out 10-12" 2 front 8-10 rear.
Now going 4 link rear and fuel tank under the tray (bring on the long range).
Not doing anything about the motor at the moment, just toying with a few ideas.