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[Dazza110022]

Hi all.. I'm Darren, I've just bought a low milage 100 series 4.2td. Im going to be restoring it as such to make it my reliable work horse! Now it is in fairly good shape as in not much rust and everything seems to work, it had 100,000 miles on it. Ive ordered new hand brake shoes, and callipers for the rear as there pretty seized, ive put 2 new batteries on and a new set of genuine wheels as it had some stupid aftermarket ones on. The other bits i want to do are suspension components and steering as it seems very vauge! I've had plenty of old hilux's so know roughly what these will feel like but this wounders quite a bit.. other than the rubber suspension components looking fairly worn but no knocking what else could be wrong?
On my 2004 hilux i had a steering box adjuster so i could take some of the looseness out of the steering.. is that possible with the 100 series? I may also want some extra power as ill be towing 3.5ton fairly regularly..
Any advice much appreciated,
Many thanks,
Darren

 

[AndycruiserguyLomas]

Hi Darren and welcome.
The 100 series has a rack not a steering box but I'd be surprised if there was wear in it at the mileage.

They don't tow 3.5t badly, if you've got the AHC suspension working well it helps. As far as extra power is from concerned first thing I'd do is fit a 3" turbo back stainless exhaust from Cybox. I fitted one and the difference in pulling power was immediately apparent. Next, bigger intercooler, Tunit chip, bigger turbo, slippery slope.......
I towed a 3T+ expedition LC on a 16' trailer with my 100 series and it definitely knew it was in the back, not a patch on my Touareg for towing.

 

[Dazza110022]

Thanks for the reply Andy,
Im not after mega gains of power so exhaust, intercooler and a chip sound enough thanks.
I think im going to end up replacing a lot of stuff underneath, bushes ect.. the AHC does work i believe as it goes up and down on the button. Probably do the engine or gearbox mounts as i seem to get a knock when i decelerate then re apply the throttle and haven't had a look to see what it is yet, i also might give the diffs and gearbox a service too! Im guessing this is going to cost a fair bit so will have to do what prioritises first.

 

[uHu]

Congratulations. What is the build year/month?
Change of power plant mounts is a good idea. You may also have some sloppyness in the splines of the front hub flanges, although at your low mileage.....

For hand brakes, it seems that the only brake shoe that actually works well, is the OEM. Hand brake needs annual service, and is important to have in good order for the day when the brake booster fails. Btw, for your rear brakes service, the rears are very easy to bleed on the 100: Just jam something between brake pedal and seat, keep ignition on, and you'll have endless supply for bleeding the rear calipers, until reservoir is empty. (BTW read instructions on the brake fluid cap)

The steering shouldn't be wandering. Although it will never be a sports car, the steering is quite precise. If the geometry is good, you most likely have worn rubber mounts for the rack. This was more of a problem on the early years (4 speed auto), but you get it on the newer ones as well.

For the AHC and load/towing -- It needs to be adjusted to keep the neutral pressures low enough to be able to take on extra load. That might include changing the rear coils. Some have gone the way of extra air bag assist to be able to operate both empty and with a heavy load. Otherwise, AHC is great both for towing and for bad or missing roads.

And I'll whip my hobby horse as well: When servicing your front wheel bearings (or brake disks), always do the spindle bearings as well. It's a commonly neglected service point, especially at dealer-service (as is wheel bearing repacking). And always change the inner hub seal when taking off the hubs.

 

[Dazza110022]

Thank you for you knowledgeable reply.
Its a 2000 model with the four speed.. I've already bought the blueprint hand brake shoe kit so hopefully that will last, i am going to check it over tomorrow as ive had a chance to borrow a workshop for the day so il give it a good look over tomorrow. The steering definitely isnt right i think the previous owner had it from nearly new and done hardly any miles in it.. it looks like nothing bar the cam belt and service items has been changed since new so its going to be a kinda restoration project, which suits me well as I normally change a lot of stuff when i get a new to me to make it mine. Il update tomorrow when ive had a chance to properly look it over.
Thanks for the reply