Baselining My 80 / Overland Build

[Mblinko]

gotta say, that looks the bollocks! real nice bit of work there, how the hell do you get into that top drawer though!!

Yes, know what you mean, but the drawer sides are not to the top of the front, then there's the gap to the upper tailgate, so it's big enough to get a giant arm in and get stuff out and in.

 

[Chris]

Very good. Keep us informed!

 

[moggy1968]

Yes, know what you mean, but the drawer sides are not to the top of the front, then there's the gap to the upper tailgate, so it's big enough to get a giant arm in and get stuff out and in.

maybe you could fit one of those mechanical grabs from those fairground kiosks!

Oh no, then you'd never get anything out!!!

 

[Mblinko]

maybe you could fit one of those mechanical grabs from those fairground kiosks!

Oh no, then you'd never get anything out!!!

good thing is, my wife can't reach it, so that's where I'll keep man things

 

[chadr]

That looks very neat and tidy - nice work.

 

[moggy1968]

good thing is, my wife can't reach it, so that's where I'll keep man things

hmmnn, bit high for beer, would be a bit top heavy!

 

[clivehorridge]

Nice build, there's a lot of work gone into that.

Hope you enjoy Portugal, looking forward to the report and photos already!

 

[Mblinko]

Well, until yesterday all was going well on the shakedown, 12 days in, three hours from Gibraltar and no problems. Then, I developed a wheel wobble and the plastic centre cap fell fell off while going along. Close inspection revealed all the wheel nuts on all wheels are loose and I mean finger tight! Tightened two up on separate wheels and they sheared off! Three nuts are missing so I am down to 5 nuts on three wheels. The thing is, all nuts were properly torqued to 110 lbs before we left. Now we have to go to Portimao to a dealer to get new ones fitted

I'm now doubting whether the right wheel nuts are fitted. Mine have the shoulder which goes through the wheel but it only goes part way through. Is this right? Is there a difference between steel and alloy ones? It's a VX and had alloys. Any tips appreciated as we are on our way this morning to the dealer.

 

[stumog]

Alloy wheel nuts and steels are different plus there is differences between alloy wheel nuts as well. what do you have on there at the moment and what have you changed?

 

[SimonD]

I have this written down at home but from dodgy memory steel is 110lb but alloy is 79lbs. There is also steel inserts in alloy wheels - which sounds like your setup - and they were meant to be 79lbs just like alloys. Your symptoms suggest potential over-tightening. Sorry I can't check for certain as on the move.

 

[Mblinko]

I have what I believe to be alloy ones. They have about a 10 mm shoulder that sits in the wheel hole

 

[Mblinko]

These are them

 

[Mblinko]

I have this written down at home but from dodgy memory steel is 110lb but alloy is 79lbs. There is also steel inserts in alloy wheels - which sounds like your setup - and they were meant to be 79lbs just like alloys. Your symptoms suggest potential over-tightening. Sorry I can't check for certain as on the move.

ahh, thanks.

 

[stumog]

what size is the nut? they look like the correct ones to me. just a thought did you get ftlb's and nm's mixed up? we used to get that alot with people at my old work?

 

[Mojo]

Now we have to go to Portimao to a dealer to get new ones fitted

I'm now doubting whether the right wheel nuts are fitted. Mine have the shoulder which goes through the wheel but it only goes part way through. Is this right? Is there a difference between steel and alloy ones? It's a VX and had alloys. Any tips appreciated as we are on our way this morning to the dealer.

Shout if you need help in finding new wheel nuts...not too far away from Portimao. At least the weather is great.

 

[Mblinko]

Shout if you need help in finding new wheel nuts...not too far away from Portimao. At least the weather is great.

Thanks, that's what I like about this forum, lots of help. The car is in the dealer today to have them all replaced and fix the handbrake while they are at it. I had pattern shoes on and as we know, these often result in poor or no handbrake without mods, so genuine ones are going on. Hopefully they will complete today. As you say, weather is great.

 

[Mojo]

Tell you what..if you get it all fixed...and you have time...pop into the village of Silves (abt 20 mins from Portimao) tmrw for a beer. Make it an 80 mini meet....

 

[Mblinko]

Tell you what..if you get it all fixed...and you have time...pop into the village of Silves (abt 20 mins from Portimao) tmrw for a beer. Make it an 80 mini meet....

sent you a PM

 

[Mblinko]

The Toyota garage was a horrendous experience. First we were delayed by a day. No real understandable excuse given but we just went with the flow as at least it was a proper dealership.

So the following day we pitch up at 4.30 to get the car. They tell me they got the wrong wheel nuts !! They got the ones for steel wheels as that is what the chassis number told them, that is though despite me and the nice man I first saw discussing differences and getting the right part number for alloy ones. The guy in the stores was getting an ear bashing while I was there so I guess it was his fault. Then they said no problem we have used the old ones on the new studs and put four of the steel wheel nuts on instead and it would be perfectly safe !!!!

Of course I disagreed and to cut a long story shorter I saw a police LC in the corner waiting for parts. They have the same studs and wheels so at my request they took four off that and used those not the steel ones. Phew, problems solved.

Oh no ! Then I tested the handbrake after they changed the shoes and set it up. No handbrake, nada, nothing. It was no better than before it went in. Ahh, the lady says, we only changed the shoes, we didn't know it wasn't working and we haven't charged you for that work. It was on the work order.

So, I asked them to put it back on the ramp and fix it. Then it became clear the arm on one side was moving too far. Once I'd convinced the 'mechanic' he should look at that one, not the one that wasn't moving much, he took the wheel etc off and loh and behold he'd forgotten to refit the bar with the square springs on that spaces out the shoes at the top. Luckily, he managed to find it in the bin with all the other parts.

Then to cap it all, I caught him gunning up each nut over tight with the windy gun. Aaarrrrgggghhh, all my new studs are now potentially stretched!! I asked him what the torque was and he shrugged his shoulders (btw they all spoke English well). So, I asked that he undo all 24 and do them up properly.

The car drove back home fine so I'm hopeful there are no other important bits in his bin. I will strip them and rebuild next week.

Not what I expect from a proper Toyota dealership, so I feel a letter coming on to complain.

Trip report coming next ......

 

[MikesVX80]

That is one of the problems of taking an older car to a main dealer - unless you get lucky and find an older mechanic who worked on them when new, chances are they've never worked on one of these before so are clueless because their microfiche or laptop doesn't tell them what to do!