off road protection

[THUNDER TRUCK]

I have a kzj. my plan is to use it off road. I have been cleaning it up and was looking at the tank guard it doesn't look up to much so i was going to take it off and make a new stronger one. if I take the guard off will the tank come off with it?


has any one done anything with the transfer box guard that too looks a bit weedy

i ran a set of lj70 axles on a suzuki i bent the steering rod behind the axle. my plan with the kzj is it to take it off and weld a piece of angle down it to strengthen it or to shelve it has any one done this ?


is they any other part of the 70 which needs looking at before off roading?

thanks michael

 

[wobbly]

The easiest advice to give - read Bens ongoing thread on his 70. He's already covered a lot of what you are going to be looking at - in particular he needs to keep strengthening stuff, and he has had issues with his steering.

Pete

 

[Ben]

Hi Michael,

IIRC if you remove the guard, yes the tank will drop down aswell.

i plan on making another tank guard for mine at some point, but i might leave the standard guard in place and mount a stronger one below it.

yes transfer box guard isnt very strong, i havnt currently got mine fitted, and i need to get some 8mm plate bent to form my new guard.

ive never bent the rear bar, but i have bent the front steering bar. ive fixed this by sleeving it with tube. has worked well and i havnt bent a bar since. to avoid bending bars through impacts off road i fitted a steering guard.

only things id say that might need looking at for off roading would be:-

fit diff breathers.

check all oils and grease all the nipples on the prop uj's.

Edit. thanks Pete.

 

[THUNDER TRUCK]

thanks for the reply s

how you going to do your transfer box guard?

 

[Ben]

my exhaust now passes underneath my front prop. so the guard im making will protect my exhaust at the front, then the transferbox/gear box, and then the X-ENG handbrake which is mounted on the back of the transfer box.

im going to use a rectangular piece of 8mm steel plate, and on the short ends of the rectangle, the plate will have a 45 degree bend up, coming back about 50mm in. hope that makes sense?

its then going to be spaced down off the chassis cross member underneath the gear box/transferbox with a piece of box section steel, that will also form the main mounting points.

Then at the back it will be braced back to the chassis cross member just in front of the rear axle.

its going to be quite simple really, but should be very effective.

probably also going to put a load of holes in it with a 50-70mm hole saw to allow mud to be washed off/through easier.

im hoping to get it built soon.

i tried to get the steel a few weeks ago, but the metal fabricators i use, didnt have a big enough piece of 8mm plate.

 

[ModelMakerMan]

This is the fuel tank guard I made, just realised I dont have any pictures of it fitted, will try to get some when I get a minute:

 

[Roger Fairclough]

I made my T/case protection plate from 3mm steel. It's in two pieces approx 100mm wide with turned up edges for extra strength. The two are then welded together. Total length about 300mm. No need to bend it as the original. Bolted too the original cross-member holes.

Roger

 

[THUNDER TRUCK]

This is the fuel tank guard I made, just realised I dont have any pictures of it fitted, will try to get some when I get a minute:

does that just bolt to the original guard?

 

[ModelMakerMan]

No it bolts to the rear cross member and one of the tubular cross members (the one the rear shocks mount to) using exhaust clamps.

I tried repairing/beefing up the original a few years back but once all the rust was removed the metal was too thin to weld to so I binned it.