Mark's 95 Series

[pradosteve97 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pradosteve97]

Chasing some decent alloys

I went with Dynamic steel rims when I put my muddies on same size as your going to buy. Can you do an oil change with the bash plate on or does it come off for the change ? I was thinking about a bash plate for the sub tank or upgrading that bit of plastic you done anything about that 1?

[robe0455 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close robe0455]

I went with Dynamic steel rims when I put my muddies on same size as your going to buy. Can you do an oil change with the bash plate on or does it come off for the change ? I was thinking about a bash plate for the sub tank or upgrading that bit of plastic you done anything about that 1?

Steel would be the smart and logical choice but I can't stand the look of black or white rims on a white car. Looks shit in my opinion. Hence going for alloys. I really like the Mickey Thompson Classic III's. Exxy but something I can always offload down the track or move to next vehicle.

Have a read above about the bash plate. There is an oil change cover (the hole in the centre) but currently I don't think it will work. I will be taking the plate off in a couple of weeks to service the front diff anyway so I will try and line it up a bit better. Certainly meant to just remove 2x screws, cover comes off and then drain as per standard plates. My factory fuel tank plates are steel. Not ideal but nothing else on the market.

The only other one I will probably do is an aftermarket guard that sits between the Brown Davis unit and the next crossmember, effectively protecting the gearbox and transfer case. These are in development and are being promoted on the Mighty 90's Facebook page. I will certainly pick one up when they are available..

[robe0455 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close robe0455]

A little update on the 90 series. I got around to installing the Milford Cargo Barrier. I had envisaged that they would try and reuse existing mounting points but it seems that is too much to ask. 6x 22 mm holes in the body later and she's done. The unit I purchased has the option of forward or rear fitment and I fitted both mounting plates to allow for this. If anyone has any questions about fitting a cargo barrier to a 90 series let me know! Apparently its a 3 hour job for a dealer (approx $270) but easy enough. Longest part of the process was measuring everything accurately. Hopefully the barrier holds our gear back a bit better, as until it was fitted we couldn't pack higher than the second row seat backs. Some photos:





I also had some new upper ball joints fitted (Genuine Toyota - sourced from Amayama) and had the front struts pulled out and the adjustable spring seat raised up to the highest setting. One of the benefits of the Bilsteins is they have this feature, and apparently a 10mm increase (there are 3x height options) will add around 20mm to the ride height. It was sitting around 30mm above standard. It now measures (averaged out) 800mm front and 802mm rear. A little bit out side-to-side but I haven't measured it on a dead-level surface. Front appears to be sitting higher but the over-all profile of the vehicle is level. Here's a couple of pics, and also one of the CV angle:









The same day I had tyres fitted on some new rims. After chatting to a mate about wider offset rims it seems that any difference is purely aesthetic, and he has found no real-world improvements. Hence, I kept an eye out for some Genuine Toyota Kimberley alloys and stumbled across some brand new units at $50 each. So I will have a spare and second-spare all fitted up.

The final mod was while replacing the rear brake pads (Genuine) I repainted the callipers and hub with some VHT Caliper Paint (gloss black). Tidied it up a lot - in hindsight silver would have been a better choice as it won't show scratches as much.







Will be off to Loveday on the weekend so hopefully have some pics for y'all!

[robe0455 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close robe0455]

Took the bus to Loveday and it did well. Certainly noticed the added clearance since getting the struts raised. Also much more confident with the sliders and underbody guard. Here is a photo with some air under the rear wheel!



Once I returned I gave the vehicle a pretty big service. New fluids front to back - Engine (Penrite HPR Diesel 15w-50, Fleetguard filter), Diffs and Gearbox/Transfer (Penrite 80w-90 Mineral Gear Oil), Coolant (Toyota Long Life Concentrate & Demin water), Power Steering (Penrite fully synthetic 'FS' ATF). Also installed a new Genuine radiator that I picked up cheap off eBay, and a Genuine thermostat with new gasket. Here is a side-by-side of the radiators:



That is after multiple cleans with the hose (low pressure high volume) and it was still chocka full. Needless to say I will be avoiding mud driving moving forward. This coupled with the handbrake needing adjustment after each dunking is reason enough.

Any questions give me hoy! The next mod will likely be a Detroit Locker. Just waiting to save up a few more penny's and then place an order.

Cheers

[robe0455 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close robe0455]

Its been a couple of months and thought I would take the time to post some updates to the old girl. Last week I installed a set of Glen_EP swaybar disconnects. Very happy with the build quality and the difference they have made to body roll due to the swaybar sitting a lot flatter. I used them on the weekend up at Loveday and the Prado didn't seem to pop wheel as often as it normally would. Also, small bump sensitivity was MUCH better. A mate had his 90 series up there also with matching coil springs and it was amazing to feel the difference between the two vehicles - well worth doing.



I then moved the factory front links to the rear which then act as extended links (30mm longer). They are also 2mm thicker which should add some strength. Once again the difference in body roll is great. With both ends now working properly the Prado sits a lot flatter through the turns which I really like.



Today I finished installing some new gauges. I had a VDO boost gauge mounted in a cup on the dash (see above) but next year will be fitting an exhaust and came across some well priced SAAS units. I also purchased one of the a-pillar twin gauge mounts off eBay. Pretty simple to install. I used the ignition wiring to tap into constant power and ignition, and used the existing wiring from the older unit for earth and dash lights. Hooked into the same section of vacuum line as above. Very happy, looks tidy and should be useful next year with the ability to monitor EGT's.





Cheers!