Glen's 95 series Prado getting broken in

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

that looks awesome Glen. Are you really that fussed with the front bar? It looks ok to me.
cheers
Andy

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

Has the gap between the bull bar and the flare increased by a full 1.5", or have you pushed the bar slightly higher in mounting holes than before?

New tyres and rims next ay? I could go for a $econd $et of rim$ with mud tyre$! [/sarcasm]

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

that looks awesome Glen. Are you really that fussed with the front bar? It looks ok to me.
cheers
Andy

Thanks. Externally I don't think it made a huge difference, just a bit more clearance for the rear bumper. It's quite noticable inside though, like when pulling up along trucks, or when you realise that the little micro hatch in front is actually a rav4.

As for the bar, it's a difficult decision. For looks I'd rather lift it, but for safety and strength, I'd rather leave it. Engineer says ask ARB. ARB says lift it to prevent the round bar obstructing the lights. ARB also says; don't install a winch because of the increased leaverage. *sigh*

Has the gap between the bull bar and the flare increased by a full 1.5", or have you pushed the bar slightly higher in mounting holes than before?

New tyres and rims next ay? I could go for a $econd $et of rim$ with mud tyre$! [/sarcasm]

Man your a sharp one. Yes, I pushed the brakets and bar up as much as I could whilst mounting, which has probably gained 8mm (at a guess).

Rims$ and tyres$$$ definitely, but probably not right now. Tackling the 285 rubbing issues might cause to much of delay for the engineering cert. I'm sorta happier with 265/75R16 for driving and touring anyway - they're a good size and very common. So umm... for now... no tyres for you!

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

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

Alex did a good job on the brackets. Looks like he welded a piece at the top for the raised mounting holes and then added some extra to the sides. He was worried it might be wobbly without it?

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

Thanks for posting the pics of the steering spacer mod. I have a 25mm lift and I tried to space my steering out with washers, bit there is too much flex in the rubber mount now. So I also have a Milners spacer on the way to cure this - I will mod mine the same as yours.

Why do you need the body/cargo bump stops? I have not extended mine (yet).

I do have some odd noise coming from the back when going over uneven surfaces - I wonder if it is to do with the rear bumper... (I didn't fit the lift myself.)

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Alex did a good job on the brackets. Looks like he welded a piece at the top for the raised mounting holes and then added some extra to the sides. He was worried it might be wobbly without it?

He only added steel to the top, I would have liked more added on the side, such as extending that angled piece, but I've been assured of the strength. We also had to grind 10-20mm from the bottom of that flat-vertical section, as it would bind with the lower part of the bull bar.

Thanks for posting the pics of the steering spacer mod. I have a 25mm lift and I tried to space my steering out with washers, bit there is too much flex in the rubber mount now. So I also have a Milners spacer on the way to cure this - I will mod mine the same as yours.

Why do you need the body/cargo bump stops? I have not extended mine (yet).

I do have some odd noise coming from the back when going over uneven surfaces - I wonder if it is to do with the rear bumper... (I didn't fit the lift myself.)

The Milners spacer has two issues which obstruct the rubber from moving;
- The missing curves on the spacer, which takes some work to correct. Try to keep the mod curved to maintain strength. After cut grinding and coarse grinding, I used a flap disk to finish it off.
- The large holes are not deep enough to allow that steel rod/bolt (on the rubber piece) to move in. I lacked big enough tools to drill the hole out, so I ended up shortening the steel rod.

Body bump stops: Get a friend to climb into the cargo area and jump around. You'll notice the bump stop move up/down a little. Now imagine having 500kg of gear in the back, doing 60-100km and going over bumps (we get some nasty corrugations in Aus). The body is meant to move up and down by about +-6mm, not +-30mm, so without this mod you could fracture the body. I recommend you check into that noise, mine has not developed any (aside from the initial steering issues).

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

Are there any more bump stops between the body and the chassis, other then those in the rear wheel arches?

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

Are there any more bump stops between the body and the chassis, other then those in the rear wheel arches?

Not that I've seen, and can't imagine a place that'd need it.

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

[glen_ep Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close glen_ep]

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

AWESOME 8) :mrgreen:
You don't need sidesteps, you need a frigg'n ladder