'SWAMPY' MY 02 LWB 3.0 D4D GX Colorado

[sae70]

Got some more done

I've removed the rear anti-roll bar and fitted the 80 series springs



Looking at this photo made me wonder if I should look into giving the old jack a service of some kind as I've had it for a good number of years and just keep using it without any thought to its age!




Rear anti-roll bar removed.


Iron Man springs off.




More Lincomb sand!!!








Bit of a clean up.




In with the 80 series front springs. I had to use the ol' spring compressors to get them in, something I didn't need to do on Fiery!?







I also gave the Asfir fuel tank guard a tidy up after it had been chain drilled to get it to fit around the tow-bar!




















I gave the plate a clean with some brick acid before re-fitting it.












While the rear wheels were off I managed to sneak the nuts into the wife's dish washer without her noticing









Got my second battery fitted

What a lovely pair















Needed somewhere new to fit the winch solenoid and managed to find a gap and get a support bracket sorted.









And have relocated the retro fitted auto-box inter-cooler so I can re-fit a new O/S inter-cooler scoop.

 

[sae70]

Fitted the winch solenoid onto the new mounting bracket today Can't wait to get it all wired up and running again

























I also removed all of the center console and alot of the dash covers, so I can get on with finishing off all of the electrics. volt meters, accessory sockets, USB power outlets, CB aerial coax, ARB locker wiring etc.

Managed to get all of the cabling done today

 

[Doodle]

Eugh. Scotchblocks.

 

[sae70]

Eugh. Scotchblocks.

To be honest I don't have a problem with them Not a thing of beauty I agree, but they work very well if used correctly. If you look though you can see that I've already cut away the offending ScotchBlocked item in prep for a nice heat shrunk solder joint buy the end of tomorrow.

 

[Doodle]

As a quick and dirty emergency solution, they have their place in the toolbox. My electronics lecturer swore than anyone who used them in a finished job should have half a dozen clamped to their bollocks.

 

[sae70]

Got the new cabling installed for the rear seat accessory socket and the CB coax.

Positioned the socket and drilled a hole.

I had to remove a rib on the back of the console to get the locking nut on.

I also had to turn this brace up the other way to allow me to fit the socket in the location that I wanted.

Console back in and wires proudly hanging out.

I cut the socket wiring back to a length that I thought would be good, but then found that due to the way the rear cover fits they needed to be longer. So I lengthened them again!

Fitted a plug to the CB coax.

It's inside this cover that I will run the aerial to and join the two ends together with a female/female connector.

These are the two wires that Doodle got all excited about the Scotch Blocks
These are the supply to the accessory socket on the front dash and where I've connected the new one in to.

I've also nicked a supply from the cigar lighter socket feed to power the two relays that'll switch the supply to the two new volt meters when the ignition is on.

Volt meters and USB power outlet are now fitted, but still need wiring up.

Permanent USB charge leads are now fitted for my iPhone and the iPad.

I've also made a start on re-fitting and tidying up the ARB front locker wiring and installation.

I've relocated the switches from up on the dash to under the left side of drivers seating area so they are less obtrusive, bloody ugly things!!!

I've also removed all of the pressure switches, solenoids and relays from off of the pump in favor of installing them all remotely in a nice little box.

Fitted a PCL Vertex coupling to match the rest of my existing air line and inflation set up and found an armored cable gland that will be good for keeping the dirt out of it when not in use.

I also significantly shortened and tidied up some of the locker wiring.

Waiting for a delivery from VWP before I can get on now!!!

 

[Ben]

Great update Steven.

One thing I would say though, and apologies if you already know this.........................

If you cut the ARB airline at any point using side cutters you will invariably get leaks in the system as the pipe wont seal properly in those push fit fittings as it always kinks the pipe slightly.

You need to use one of these:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SC127-SEA...DIY_Materials_Plumbing_MJ&hash=item5d3eb4af02

 

[Doodle]

These are the two wires that Doodle got all excited about the Scotch Blocks

There, that's much better now

Liking the idea of the cable gland to cover the air point.

 

[sae70]

I will up date the build very soon for you all. I picked up the front axle from JW, got it fitted and the locker all working and loads and loads of electric bits done and the Asfir plates cleaned and back on, props serviced etc etc etc, but I managed to get her dirty this weekend just gone

This is a video and I think that you just click on it



and here's some photos

 

[Chris]

Need to do something about the arse end Stephen. Going to rip the plastic off if you keep playing like that. I can see a nice rear bumper project on the horizon. Remember you're driving a big boy's truck now, not nippy little Fiery.

 

[jbecks]

That looked fun where about is that Steve?

 

[AndyCook]

looks like a good laning trip

how did you find driving a LWB compared to SWB?

 

[Ben]

Awesome pics Steven.

Great to see you, Giles and Mog out enjoying the lanes.

Not sure I recognize all those lanes though, are they all ones we normally drive?

Didn't recognize the one of you straddling the ditch/V gulley and then ending up in it.

 

[greengrass]

Just watched your video Steve, is there a car or something lurking in the hole behind you???

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

Just watched your video Steve, is there a car or something lurking in the hole behind you???

Yes it's a car and you'd be surprised how many of them you come across abandoned in the countryside. I recognise it but I can't quite place it, too out of practice, the one down towards Devils bridge maybe, probably not.

 

[Chas]

I reckon it's an old Rangy that failed in the attempt.

 

[sae70]

Need to do something about the arse end Stephen. Going to rip the plastic off if you keep playing like that. I can see a nice rear bumper project on the horizon. Remember you're driving a big boy's truck now, not nippy little Fiery.

Probably will not do anything with the OE bumper, you know me Chris I love a bit of plastic and the Asfir fuel tank plate and tow bar worked very well at protection in the main. I may have a look at altering the exhaust though as it has suffered the very same damage as I used to get with Fiery's exhaust.

That looked fun where about is that Steve?

It was all in the mid west Wales area around Machynlleth, up into the Snowdonia National park area and across to Welshpool.

looks like a good laning trip. How did you find driving a LWB compared to SWB?

It was great Loads more room, loads more power, loads more grip and the front locker is just bloody great

Awesome pics Steven.

Great to see you, Giles and Mog out enjoying the lanes.

Not sure I recognize all those lanes though, are they all ones we normally drive?

Didn't recognize the one of you straddling the ditch/V gully and then ending up in it.

Your name always comes up when we get together and it did this weekend more than once. We stopped off at the crash site for a look on the way up to Chuckle lane camp site. The tree on the way up there will also always be the tree we winched Bens roof back up with The 'V' gully lane is just below the Llanerch-y-llyn woods near Tywyn. The two photos are in different parts of the lane, the second one is further down the lane where it was not possible the straddle the gully.

Just watched your video Steve, is there a car or something lurking in the hole behind you???

It is

Yes it's a car and you'd be surprised how many of them you come across abandoned in the countryside. I recognise it but I can't quite place it, too out of practice, the one down towards Devils bridge maybe, probably not.

The car is in the river at SH 89484 16835 Nant-yr-onog

 

[Gary820]

Great pics, can't wait till April when I'm going to Wales for a week.
That car still there! Bit less left then last time I seen it!!!

 

[Jon Wildsmith]

The car is in the river at SH 89484 16835 Nant-yr-onog

Ah yes, been a while now, how is the farmer has he exploded yet and someone less red faced taken over?

 

[sae70]

Ah yes, been a while now, how is the farmer has he exploded yet and someone less red faced taken over?

Lol Didn't see him and we were in there for long enough. We only got about 1/6 of the way along it just past the entrance to the farmers field the conditions became very slippery and wet! It took us the next 1.5Hrs to get to the dilapidated building where we swung round and escaped the way we came in. As we drove past the entrance to the farmers field your back end slipped down the slop into the field from that point on it was a winching operation to move forward 3/4 meters at a time. Everything was very wet and slippery this weekend. After an hour or so we walked the length of the rest of the lane for an assessment and decided that although very challenging it would have been a fools errand to have continued along its length. Slow progress due to the very slippery side slope aside there was also a good half a dozen sizeable trees across the lane! Not what one wants from a Sunday lunch time lane, it was more of a Saturday morning lane if you know what I'm saying. We had to turn the vehicles by chaining the rear ends to a tree and then driving down the hill toward the dilapidated barn, pendulum like and winch the front end back up onto the the lane to be facing the other way. So as I say he had plenty of time to come out and explode if he'd wished. Maybe he's moved further south as we came across another very red faced farmer on a Quad bike who chased us up a lane when we were moping up 40 lanes over a weekend a couple of months back. This one pulled out a very well sharpened knife to use as a pointer to tap the front of my iPad screen in complete rage at the fact that I could demonstrate that we were Infact slap bang on top of the ByWay and in fact had not made a mistake however hard he'd tried to make it look like private land.