Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

I didnt know you were getting a locker.

Neither did I ops: ops: Well, not until I did the diff b4 Xmas. Final price was only about $700.00 more that just replacing the diff so a rear locker was a no brainer I reckon 8)

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Here's the pictures to tell a thousand words...

Ok, so here it is after being delivered back to my house by RACQ... where it was dropped is where it stayed ops:


Now, after spending soooo much money and 24 days later this is how it looks after I got the ol' girl back from the mechanics. Hmmm, looks the same... where did all that money go :?


Fixing all these bits is where it went ops:

First sign of worse things to come... first piece of tooth while draining the diff oil.


Mike starts work removing the diff.


And here's what we found...





Oh, and all the bits are in a box at Pitstop4x4 so I'll get a few pics of that once I get it all back from Mike.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

So the news wasn't all bad... Trashing the diff brought forward plans of installing a locker in the Prado.
I hadn't really made up my mind as to whether to go for a front or rear locker but this incident made up my mind for me.

Obviously there's no external visual difference to the diff except for the air hose so here's the interior bits.

Magic buttons :twisted:
Replaced the coin slots with the switches for the compressor and locker.


There's absolutely no room left under the bonnet so the compressor is mounted in the cargo area on a shelf.


Another view of the almost finished shelves with the compressor mounted.

[jcas24 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close jcas24]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Awesome Leon, It sure looks like your hard on your gear

The last few pics, did you have your stage lights setup? otherwise your flash is pretty good.

[vx05 Member Find all posts View Profile Close vx05]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Good stuff, at first read though, I thought that the photos with all the broken teeth were after the locker was fitted ops:

Replaced the coin slots with the switches for the compressor and locker.

But....what will you do with your coins now?

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Awesome Leon, It sure looks like your hard on your gear

:lol: well, if you can't find 'em... grind 'em 8) Nah, I'm usually very careful with any of my equipment... this one just got away from me

The last few pics, did you have your stage lights setup? otherwise your flash is pretty good.

Just a speedlite (on camera flash) balanced with the ambient light... I actually had the camera upside-down so the flash was underneath otherwise the shadow from the flash covered half the shot.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Good stuff, at first read though, I thought that the photos with all the broken teeth were after the locker was fitted ops:

My wife's handled the whole ordeal pretty well... I'd really be in the dog house if I broke the Air Locker as well ops:

Replaced the coin slots with the switches for the compressor and locker.

But....what will you do with your coins now?

Ah, that's what EToll's for :lol:

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

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Gotta get me some of those buttons. So did you take it out for a test over the weekend ?

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Gotta get me some of those buttons. So did you take it out for a test over the weekend ?

I went for a solo drive today... decided to make it a photographic day out as I didn't want to find a 'Locker worthy' spot and find it was actually a 'double locked' spot ops:
I did turn it on though 8)

[Fungi2003 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Fungi2003]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Hey mate, nice rig! What kind of mileage are you getting with the Waeco now that you have the dual battery setup?

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

Hey mate, nice rig! What kind of mileage are you getting with the Waeco now that you have the dual battery setup?

Cheers Fungi,
The Waeco is on most days (24 hrs) now. I had it out of the car while the diff was being repaired and had the deep cycle on charge in the garage but since it's been back on the road it's been keeping my drinks and lunches cool without missing a beat.
I haven't had the fridge on it's own power now since Xmas but is kept topped up by the vehicles charge.

[McBAIN Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close McBAIN]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

I haven't had the fridge on it's own power now since Xmas but is kept topped up by the vehicles charge.

how long (rough estimate) would you spend in the car each day? i ran my 24 hours x 4 days over the long weekend (which included 5 hours of crappy traffic to charge up) and had no probs, but have since taken it out thinking the half hour to and from work each day wouldn't be enough to keep the battery alive!

plus with it in the house i've got a fridge i can keep beer in without be roused on!

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

I haven't had the fridge on it's own power now since Xmas but is kept topped up by the vehicles charge.

how long (rough estimate) would you spend in the car each day? i ran my 24 hours x 4 days over the long weekend (which included 5 hours of crappy traffic to charge up) and had no probs, but have since taken it out thinking the half hour to and from work each day wouldn't be enough to keep the battery alive!

plus with it in the house i've got a fridge i can keep beer in without be roused on!

Well, there is always that

I can spend anywhere between 1/2 an hour to most of the day in the car. (like tomorrow... the job is on the sunny coast :roll: ) but it will sit for a day or two at a time as well.
Don't know much about dual batteries but I've been told two hrs driving should mostly charge the 2nd battery. I guess it would depend if the fridge drains the battery faster than the amount of time in the car can charge it.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

A few things to update on. I will get some pics soon but...

:arrow: Fitted a Brown Davis underbody bash plate a couple of weeks ago to replace the bent and twisted original one.
:arrow: Double earthed the deep cycle battery (thought this might have been part of the next problem)
:arrow: Had problems with the starter motor the weekend of the Mt Mee run (before and after the run so can't blame off road for this one ) so dropped the truck into the mechanic yesterday to get it looked at. Turns out the solenoid was extremely rusted and on it's last legs. As it was it took about 2 or 3 mins for the starter motor to engage on Monday morning.
So... new solenoid and reconditioned starter motor was finished today and starts like a dream.
:arrow: While it was up on the hoist we fitted (well, Mike and Marcus did... I watched and learnt ops: ) some Piranha diff breathers. Both are now up into the top of the engine bay.
:arrow: Again... while it was up on the hoist we noticed how tight the rear axle brake line was so we've extended those brake lines as well.

I'll get some pics soon but hopefully... apart from carpeting the rear shelf that'll be it for a while. Can't really think of anything else I need (or can afford 8) ) at this stage.

oh, hang on.... bull bar, winch,spotties, GPS, 240v inverter, after-market seats, Michelle's Sacks seat covers.............

[jcas24 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close jcas24]

Re: Snaga's Ride, '98 V6 VX Grande

throw up a pic of the bash plate when you get the chance pls mate. I need one, my bash plates (all of them) have some nasty dents. could you pm a rough price, last i heard the brown davis plate was just in design stages.

cheers