Foxclan's 2003 GXL V6

[J Janke Member Find all posts View Profile Close J Janke]

Awesome rig build up faxclan
You did a top job with the fridge slide

Jamie

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

then a grommet in the firewall leading into the drivers footwell trim.

Hey Foxclan,

Glad you got the fridge sorted. Must be nice to have the 2 fridges these days.
Can you tell me where you got the grommet from. I wouldn't mind grabbing one for my rear door where the light cable enters.

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

Hey Foxclan,

Glad you got the fridge sorted. Must be nice to have the 2 fridges these days.
Can you tell me where you got the grommet from. I wouldn't mind grabbing one for my rear door where the light cable enters.

Hi Gramps
The second fridge is feeling under used at the moment but the Engel is certainly running well. Like yourself I was regretting not seeing MickL's fridge mount in the "For Sale" thread.
For grommets http://www.fitchtherubberman.com.au see these guys @ 2 George street Hindmarsh.
Just don't expect that warm fuzzy feeling that you will get from Bailey's Diesel customer service, Quote 120D4D.
Just like a lolly shop only everything tastes like rubber!

Cheers
Troy

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

Awesome rig build up Foxclan
You did a top job with the fridge slide

Jamie

Thanks Jamie
Cheers
Troy

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

While planning a tour to Lake Hume and surrounding districts back in October 2014, a 150K service was in order.
I had also asked that the brake fluid be replaced and therefore bleed as well.
The DBA T3 rotors, Bendix pads and Repco brand park brake shoes where all in the store room and ready to go.
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So like all good jobs the safety boxes need to be ticked.
Hand brake applied, wheel chocks firmly in place and support stands under chassis and axle.
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Road wheels removed and stowed.
Some of the over filled brake fluid removed from the master cylinder reservoir.
This would need to be done prior to any pad replacement job even if it had not been overfilled by "Trained Technicians" as the caliper pistons will need to make room for the thicker new pads.
So off with the old, front left.
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Using this rather large quick action clamp from year 11 tech studies, the pistons are gently enticed back into the caliper.
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After cleaning up the hub backing plate with a wire brush and a light sanding , the new disc can be mounted.
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Then the caliper is refitted and the mounting bolts tensioned.
The Bendix pads also find a home in the caliper.

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

Not impressed to find when removing the front right wheel that there seemed to be some movement in what I believed to be the wheel bearing/s.
The movement was noticed when gripping the top and bottom of the road wheel and firmly rocking up and down.
One would think that "Trained Technicians" would have picked this up as part of Basic checks when the vehicle was in the service bay the previous day!
Of coarse first thing Monday morning I contacted the service advisor to report that I discovered that the brake bleed nipples had not been touched and that the reservoir was over full and most likely the only service the brake system got. I also suggested that they need to check the right wheel for bearing wear. That after noon they had a Technician of Australian appearance check the wheel bearing and he confirmed my thoughts. New parts where ordered but that service center could not do the job prior to our planned trip, not that I was sorry about that. Lol
Another dealer service center was able to book it in and a (known to us) Master Technician performed the task and also flushed and bleed the brake system.
These are the parts removed from the front bearing hubs. Not an easy job by all reports.

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This picture below is of one of the bearings the tech had to destroy in order to get it out.

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

Onto the rear brakes:
Lifting the rear axle and supporting on stands the road wheels are then removed.
I started with accessing the hand brake cable adjuster under the center console.
This adjuster was then slackened off.
With the aid of knowledge gleaned from Pradopoint the hand brake shoe adjusting star wheel was located and both sides where slackened to allow for the disc removal.
The disc pads and caliper need to be removed then supported to allow for disc removal from the hub.
Quite a bit of gunk behind the rear disc rotors that needed to be cleaned, brushed and sanded.
The existing shoes where in a serviceable condition, considering the water crossings that the vehicle has endured and the assistance they have added to down hill 4wding I was glad to see the shoes and inner drum in an OK state.
However new is not like new, it is new. Having the intensions of replacing the shoes to bed into the new disc/drum the fun began.
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Parts set out to help with reassembly

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The new bits
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The cable puller arm needs to be swapped from OEM shoe. A fairly simple exercise, requiring a few basic tools
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End result
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Once the hub and brake area are cleaned I began reassembling the rear brake shoe mechanism.
This can be fiddly but doable.
When the rotor, caliper and pads are fitted you can adjust the handbrake shoes.
Basically wind up the star wheel with a flat screwdriver narrow enough to fit through the holes in the rotor and the hub that you had previously lined up.
Turn the star wheel adjuster until you can not move it any further, eg. shoes are tight on the drum.
Back off the star wheel adjuster so the shoe has clearance.
It was difficult to make final adjustments until one road wheel was fitted and an assistant could rotate the opposite side wheel.
Take note that the adjuster star wheel hole cannot be accessed when road wheels have been fitted.
If needed adjustment can be made within the cabin at the hand brake lever, accessed under center console.

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

So in review the DBA T3 slotted rotors in combination with Bendix 4WD pads have been a good marriage.
The fitment of new hand brake shoes also has made driving a pleasure, with two to three clicks on the handbrake lever giving lock up when facing up or down hill.
Brakes feel solid/no fading, sound and vibration free. Pads seem quite clean running as very little dust on rims, even with driving amongst Adelaide lunatics!
While pedal feel had improved after the "Proper Bleeding" it still has that spongy Prado brake pedal to it.
Could have made the calipers prettier with a coat of "Caliper paint" I guess, maybe next week!
Cheers
Troy

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

Seems like a lot of my mods and upgrades begin like this:
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This time I am tackling the replacement of the steering rack mounting bushes.
Starting with centering the steering and making sure the steering wheel does not move during this procedure.

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The under body guards removed to give access.
Rack removal is needed to remove OEM bushes, this is where the challenges started!
Rack mounting through rack and chassis cross member, 17mm bolt and nut size.
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Research on the subject lead me to the FJ Cruiser Forum. One member that had done a rack removal indicated that the front diff needed to be removed to execute easy removal.
Kevdebbi fellow PP member was very helpful with info about the task and his method of rack removal through the chassis opening.
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So start with the penetrant of your choice and lay it on the rack mounting bolts, steering shaft spline clamps, rack end ball joints and even the hydraulic fittings on the rack valve body.
But wait there is more!

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

The rack mount bolt on the left/passenger side sits under the A/C compressor.
Of course lack of clearance does not allow the bolt to be removed easily.
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So as per the FJ Forum Guy, the multi drive belt is removed. Screw pinning belt tensioner seen in this picture next to A/C compressor pulley.
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Having replaced the Idlers and tensioner back in April 2014 this procedure was no drama.
As can be seen in pictures above the alternator is removed x2 bolts and two wires, simple.
The A/C is mounted by four bolts (14mm) to the tensioner mounting arm bracket which is mounted to the engine block.
The A/C compressor can be gently lifted in position just to get the rack bolt out, then replace a couple of bolts to mount it temporarily.

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

Loosen the upper steering shaft splined clamp bolt (12mm).
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Mark the position of the rack spigot clamp, for later realignment.
remove the rack end shaft spline clamp bolt also (12mm) and open clmp up slightly with lever.
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Providing the right side rack mount bolt is at least in the rack and cross member, a long rod etc. can be used to tap the clamp off of the spigot.
Make sure it is able to slide on its top spline clamp.

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

If "One" could find their oil suction gun "one" would remove power steering fluid from the reservoir.
However in the absence of a suction gun, the spring clamp and hose can be removed and the fluid caught in a clean jar or similar.
Quite a few brackets stabilize the power steering hoses and tubes, take these off to allow for removal of lines and catchment of fluid.
The hydraulic lines now should be removed from the rack valve body, plug holes with clean rag.
Drain removed hydraulic lines of old fluid.
With split pins extracted from rack end ball joints and nuts removed, place a sacrificial piece of hard wood (decking board) on the ball joint bolt and tap out of its steering knuckle mounting point. A bearing puller of the right size could also be used successfully. These are a tapered fit and may take a little to separate. Just take care of the bolt end and threads.
At this point the rack should be free to move across the vehicle.
Lift the rack through the left side chassis opening until the right hand tie rod can be manipulated out of the right chassis opening and in front of the cross member. The rack can then be wrestled out between the lower radiator support and the diff mount cross member.

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

Attention then turns to OEM bush removal:
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These bushes are two part, pressed in from top and bottom.
Tough going getting them out on the trestles with pin punches, and I had hoped it could be done with rack in the vehicle "Dreaming!"
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With both of the OEM bushes and shells removed, the rack is cleaned up with power drill and round wire brush.
Emery cloth tidied up any burrs and corrosion in preparation for the new bushes.
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The new units push in nice and easy from either side.
Left side
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Right side
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Obviously the rack had been manipulated back into its position in the above pictures.
Installation is the reverse of removal, remembering to connect the steering shaft splined coupling to the rack spigot using your previously made datum mark.
The A/C compressor will need to be raised also to drop the left rack mounting bolt back into its position.

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

How long before the GTG are you going to be in Tasmania? Might have a job for you now.

[mjrandom Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close mjrandom]

Good job fc, nicely done and written up.