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Bad ending to my holiday week

I'm delighted, I'm now trying to source a replacement front axle casing 'cos I'm convinced mine is bent. We'll see if they come up with anything....
 
Thanks for the link, ajnabi :thumbup:

While browsing for Nitro Gears on ulube I found this...

http://youtu.be/ev39IdiBoHo

Luck or judgement at 0:53?

I like the care this driver showed for his vehicle, no blood and thunder, no bravado, just considered driving taking proper account of the circumstances.

I'd like to think 0:53 was judgement!
 
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Should there have been a link there Clive?
 
Glad to see it will be fixed Clive and as for American parts :think: sorry to say it but the 80 is a light little runabout on yanky soil so yeah i doubt you need to worry about how strong the parts are .
 
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Shayne said:
Glad to see it will be fixed Clive and as for American parts :think: sorry to say it but the 80 is a light little runabout on yanky soil so yeah i doubt you need to worry about how strong the parts are .
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It would be good to think so Shayne. Anyway, for much less money, the last rebuild lasted 7 years, so maybe this little lot will equal or better that! :pray:
 
Just watched the vid and luck gets my vote , its a good example of why i don't like trucks that are jacked up too high , in an ideal world width should be increased to correspond with height , a double decker bus can be tipped sideways more than 45 degrees but will fall back on its wheels because it was designed that way and so are most 4x4's but lift without increased width lowers that safety margin .
 

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Shayne said:
Just watched the vid and luck gets my vote , its a good example of why i don't like trucks that are jacked up too high , in an ideal world width should be increased to correspond with height , a double decker bus can be tipped sideways more than 45 degrees but will fall back on its wheels because it was designed that way and so are most 4x4's but lift without increased width lowers that safety margin .
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Notwithstanding the numbers of lean degrees Shayne, I certainly take your point.

When I modified my suspension, I was lucky to be able to discuss it with an "expert" from the UK who was an importer of OME and ARB products into Romania, he was first and foremost an entrepreneur "milking" a niche market here, but in order to succeed, he had done his homework in a practical sense and was also a keen overland and off-roader, and a huge admirer of Land Cruisers, having his own modified Amazon HDJ 80, which was a beauty.

Long story short, we drank a fair amount of beer over a period of six months or so, discussing the pros and cons of suspension lifts, body lifts and the various combinations of wheel offsets, spacers and the like.

Basically, I concluded that body lifts have the advantage of maintaining a lower centre of gravity, where the relatively heavy chassis, engine, gearbox and related stuff is kept as low as possible, whilst at the same time increasing the available space for bigger tyre diameters and the other advantages of lifting.

On the other hand, suspension lifts, or more accurately upgraded suspension to provide longer travel to prevent wheel lifting on severely undulating ground, is also desirable for obvious reasons.

I chose not to have a body lift, mainly because my usage was not thought to be extreme enough. The suspension lift was therefore chosen to be moderate, I've always thought it was 75mm, but when I've checked my records since, I realize it was 110mm! :oops:

Anyway, he a point of taking care that the lift wouldn't put me in danger of becoming "top-heavy" and with widening the track of the truck with our choice of wheels and tyres, I think we struck a good balance.

I can still do a body lift if I choose, but as a daily driver, I don't want to make the truck too impractical for daily use.

For me, the video shows the importance of control of the truck. I got the feeling that at that particular moment, he'd lost control, and the crowd thought so too! Nevertheless, by skill or luck, he held on to it, and continued to control it nicely to the top. So many of these vids show blood and thunder approaches to difficult terrain, and often end in disaster.

This one was a pleasant change for me. :thumbup:
 
Clive you should do some research on the Nitro cv joints wear characteristics. They may be softer than OEM Toyota. As such less prone to breakage under shock loads which makes them better for extreme off road. With them being softer it may also mean they will wear faster with higher mileage.
 
grantw said:
Clive you should do some research on the Nitro cv joints wear characteristics. They may be softer than OEM Toyota. As such less prone to breakage under shock loads which makes them better for extreme off road. With them being softer it may also mean they will wear faster with higher mileage.
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Thanks for the suggestion Grant :thumbup:

I have started my research here, interesting to see their warranty terms, lifetime* defined as the lifetime of the truck, but to qualify you have to break them, wearing them out doesn't count :lol:

I'll continue with the mission....:think:
 
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Now looking here.

Sounds good so far, but as I'm getting driveshafts as well, I want to check whether I'm having the standard 27 spline shafts or the modified 30 spline shafts. The latter sound much better.... well they would, wouldn't they? :icon-rolleyes:
 
They do some nice stuff on that site did you see the 16" travel shocks for 1100 euro second hand. Bad person is clive.
 
Yes Grant, thanks for that, I've seen this comment on my tour...

But, although it's my DD, I'm not a high miler. In fact, I've done 140k kms in 8 years, which is about 17k kms per year.

I think at that rate they'll do ok for me. The article said their life can be extended with good greasing maintenance, so I can make sure that's done.

Still musing this one.:think:
 
grantw said:
Sorry for repeating the point mate. Just didn't want you rushing in and finding out after sinking alot of cash.
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Don't be sorry Grant, it's a good point and one I have to consider. I appreciate the concern.

There are several off-road enthusiasts resident (mechanics) at the service I go to, and it's them that have recommended them to me. They know it's not a dedicated off-road truck, as is with some of theirs.

They range from occasional to hard-core off-road, there's a bobbed 80 with rear mounted rad, full exo cage and all the trimmings, it's not even legal for road use, mean as cats piss!

Alternatively, there's an 80 very similar to mine, moderate lift and a few extras, without going overboard.

I'm clearly going to get a mixture of advice from them, but at least they will mean well, they're not in it to sell specific branded products, the choice is mine. Neither am I disparate to get the truck on the road immediately for the sake of buying what's readily available. If the Nitros aren't suitable, I'd rather wait.

Cheers, the jury is still out on this... :think:
 
Personally if there was no rush i think i would wait for genuine parts as its fit and forget then .
 
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