LJ70 Build Thread!

[Ben]

So just need to fit a gas strut, and give it another coat of black paint.

 

[revs4x4]

superb job so far Ben. Looks the business!

 

[Ben]

superb job so far Ben. Looks the business!

Thanks mate, im really pleased with it.

Gearbox/transfercase guard will be my next metal work project i think.

I might also build a roof rack, although im tempted to just wait until i export it, and then get a roof top tent, roof rack and awning/fox wing all in one go.

You not coming Lincomb?

 

[revs4x4]

working and loads on with the barn conversion at the moment. will deffo make it to the next one .

 

[Ben]

 

[Ben]

I called in at the scrap yard today and had a quick look around for a gas strut.

The most suitable one i could find was off the back door of a ssangyong musso.

Marked where the mounting holes needed to be.

Drilled, tapped some threads and bolted it in place.

I hoped it would allow the wheel carrier to gently swing open, and then hold it in the open position. But the strut appears to have too much power and so the wheel carrier was swinging open too fast.

I thought id try the strut the other way around, although i doubted this would make a difference.

It didnt make a difference, so for now ive bolted back on how i had it to start with.

Ive been wondering if whether mounting it a different angle would change how much force it pushes the carrier open with.

Maybe if the strut was mounted closer to the pivot of the wheel carrier, it wouldnt push it out so quickly?

Otherwise I might go to another scrapyard tomorrow and buy another one from a different car.

 

[ModelMakerMan]

You probably only need one off a small hatchback as those tail gates are heavy when they have no support, I would guess about as heavy as your spare wheel? Plus its not having to lift the weight just push it round a pivot, the only time it might have to lift is if you park on a side slope.

 

[Ben]

Thanks Dave.

Spare weigh's 60KG, but like you say its not pushing that much weight as its on a bearing.

The annoying thing is ive weighed so many cars in over the years and almost all have had decent gas struts.

 

[Olazz]

Ben, a fantastic job as usual.. Gotta take my hat off to your industrious nature... Not sure how you're gonna fit in with the Queensland crown that go "troppo" at the first sign of sun and surf!

Are you sure you're going to be able to get that truck into AUS, with all of their regs on modification to cars??

 

[Rob]

Maybe if the strut was mounted closer to the pivot of the wheel carrier, it wouldnt push it out so quickly?

That's what I would do

 

[Paul_Humphreys]

Ben, mine does the same. But it is good for when your on a side slop to keep the carrier open. I keep meaning to fit a check strap to mine to stop it opening too far/fast.

Paul

 

[Ben]

Ben, a fantastic job as usual.. Gotta take my hat off to your industrious nature... Not sure how you're gonna fit in with the Queensland crown that go "troppo" at the first sign of sun and surf!

Are you sure you're going to be able to get that truck into AUS, with all of their regs on modification to cars??

Thanks Olazz.



Wont be living in Queensland. Got to live and work in Victoria for the first 2 years as condition of my visa. Then im free to go wherever.
Id like to move to Northern New South Wales, but im attracted by the huge wages available in the mines of Western Australia, so might go there after Vic!

Getting it in shouldn't be a problem.

But getting it on the road might be a bit more difficult.

Will hopefully buy another car when i get over there, and then i wont be in any huge rush to get mine on the road if i run into problems.

I imagine certain parts will need removing, before it goes for its inspections. So I will have a bit of work to do removing, re-fitting, then removing and re-fitting parts!

That's what I would do

Thanks Rob.

I couldn't quite work out if that would make it better or worse.

Ben, mine does the same. But it is good for when your on a side slop to keep the carrier open. I keep meaning to fit a check strap to mine to stop it opening too far/fast.

Paul

Thanks Paul.

Seeing yours on our 3 day laning and camping trip, was part of the inspiration behind my carrier, that and Ryan's one.

I knew youd got a gas strut on your's but couldn't remember how fast yours opens.

I imagined id be able to get the wheel carrier to slowly swing open. Like the boot's on most hatchback cars will slowly rise up when opened.

I think ideally i could do with an adjustable gas stut. maybe with a bolt one end which when turned increases/decreases the strength/power of the strut.

If such a thing exists.

 

[Ben]

I think these kits they sell in OZ are good.

Everything youd need when constructing your own swing away wheel carrier.

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Spare-wh...ccessories&hash=item416b97f592#ht_1169wt_1253

(apart from the box section steel and gas strut. )

 

[Ben]

Things are progressing well on the VISA front!

My agent is submitting my application tomorrow, with the £2000 fee the Australian Immigration department charge.

Then its just a case of waiting, and then being invited to do medical checks, which include chest ex rays and disease tests.

Ive been looking at container prices and im looking at £3500+ for a 20ft container.

So im now thinking of sending the truck RORO which works out at a much more reasonable £1350.

Would still need to ship some stuff over there like all my tools, but thinking of sending them over in a big crate.

Just means getting rid of a load of stuff, like my set of 35's.

 

[Chris]

Both my hold closed and open mechanisms are a spring bolt. The hold open one rides up a small ramped block when it swings out and the bolt drops into a hole to lock it each time. The top is knurled and easy to lift to disengage when you close it. So far it has worked extremely well. Handy on hills.

Chris

 

[Ben]

I think having a spring bolt on mine might be useful when on a side slope if i find the gas strut not strong enough to hold the carrier open.

I also want to add a couple of brackets from the chassis to the front ends of the bumper, which i notice you also made for yours Chris. Should strengthen mine up a bit.

 

[Chris]

Oh, those - yes mate they really made a difference. First ones were 6mm. One side swipe into a bank and erk, they bent. New ones at 12mm. Now I destroy banks. I slotted them so that they were adjustable to the body line too.

Chris

 

[Ben]

I went to a scrap yard on sunday and bought a few gas struts of varying strength and size.

Removed the one id fitted and compared it with the new ones.

Decided the one id removed from the rear door of a grand vitara looked most suitable.
So positioned it in place and worked out where to drill and bolt it on.

Bolted the other end on.

I prefer it mounted like this, as opposed to how the other one was mounted, as this one will be less susceptible to damage off road.

I decided it would be better for the gas strut if i didnt have it reach its limit, once the wheel carrier reached the 90 degrees to the truck position that i want the carrier to open to.

So decided to use some braided stainless steel wire, to act as a stop once the carrier reaches the required position.

drilled a hole through the bumper and fed the wire through and tied a few knots in the other end to stop it pulling through.

Drilled the arm, and fed the wire through a bolt hole for trying.

Once id tied both ends, and had set it to stop and hold the wheel carrier at the required open position, I then decided to test/make sure the wire rope was strong enough.

And i snapped it.

So ive spoken to a mate of mine and hes sending me some thicker wire rope. The stuff hes sending is ex RAF helicopter winch rope.

Its not super thick, maybe 5mm from memory, but is obviously very strong.

Apparently it can only be used so many times and then has to be changed, even if its not damaged.

Hopefully that will be strong enough.

Might be too thick to tie a knot in though, so might have to buy and use the proper fittings.

 

[Ben]

Still need to finish the wheel carrier, but first I need to fix the damage done at Lincomb.

http://www.landcruiserclub.net/forums/showthread.php/45243-Lincomb-October-6th-7th-Weekend/page14

Being stuck in a deep muddy hole for an hour did a lot of damage.

The chassis was completely filled with sand.

So I spent 3 hours last night with a jet wash washing it all out.

I kept going until the water ran clear.

Inside the truck was just as much of a mess.

Rear inner arch was full.

Half filled a bucket just with what i could scoop out.

Inside every door was 5-6 inches of sand.

Filled another bucket.

Removed the driver seat and pressure washed out the inside.

Carried on with the other doors.

Doors seemed to take about half an hour each of pressure washing until the water ran clear and no more sand could be felt inside them.

Sills are proving the hardest to clean out.

So 3 hours last night and 3 hours tonight and most of the sand is out of the truck, apart from one sill.

Good job were not on a water meter!

Going to let it all dry out for a few weeks and then apply some dinitrol and rust convertor.

While everything is apart I want to fix a few electrical issues, and change the bodylift spacers to some OZ friendly alloy ones i picked up.

Only got one weekend off from work in which to get the truck fixed before another big trip out.

Need to change a front CV, fit a new electric fan, sort out an over charging issue, sort out a starter motor issue, sort out my winch which has stopped working and get everything put back together.

Going to be doing a few late nights i think.

 

[Chris]

Damn, Ben - that really did get everywhere. I got one of those attachments for the jet wash for doing drains. It has jets in the nozzle so it moves itself along. Great in the chassis rails. Ahh, it was a CV we heard clunking was it. I was concerned it was the diff - even with an ARB in there, it crossed my mind that something major had broken.

That hole seems a lot deeper than it was originally. If we hadn't seen this odd puff of smoke, I honestly don't think that we'd have known you were in there.

Chris