Tuff Mods

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:30 pm

Hey guys,

i wanted to know which suspension kit's best for me as i'm student (on budget of cos) maybe 2K to 3K... should i fit 5-link during fit the lift (preferably 6 inch)

now for tyres, i'm leaning towards Simex E/T Centipedes or Silverstone MT117 or should i ditch these for something more meatier?

but i'm hunting for bullbar and lightforce driving lights...

Regards

McJeff

Posted: Thu Apr 15, 2004 12:59 pm

Ditch the idea of the 5 link for now, you won't need it for the early stages of your driving.

Meatier than an ET? Maybe a bogger, but what do you want to use the truck for?

6 inch is cake, coils, panhard rods, caster plates, shocks, adjustable upper radius arms.

Joined: 25 Nov 2002 Location: Golden Square

As area54 has said wouldn't worry about the 5link front end now, as in VIC the extra benifits arn't probably there. And the 6" kit should flex very well. If you go for the drop boxes for the front arms as opposed to the caster plates this should allow the front to flex a little better with a big lift.

35"ET seem to work very well in most vic conditions, if anything I would fit them with the simex tubes also.

As for the bullbar, if your going to spend the money buying one see how much it is to get one made. Then it can have good app anlge and still protect the front. If not make sure what ever you buy can take a winch, as sooner or later it will probably get one.

Joined: 25 May 2003 Location: Redbank Plains, QLD

check out dirtpigs thread.

He did a very very very good write up on his GQ

Heres the link

http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/PHP_Modules/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=1169&highlight=

Other than that.. theres a few good GQ writeups in the members section.

TOM

Joined: 03 Nov 2003 Location: Melbourne

like mine

Joined: 25 May 2003 Location: Redbank Plains, QLD

hottiemonster wrote:

like mine

Yerrrr... and of course hotties thread Rolling Eyes

TOM

Joined: 18 Nov 2002 Location: Melbourne

buy my 5" lift kit...

cheap cheap

Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:08 pm

Hey Roly,

5 inch lift kit sounds good, what size shock i need to buy seeing the lift kit you are selling doesn't include shocks it doesn't matter because i wanted Rancho RSX9000 with in-cab kit...

so i'll need extended brake line, diff breathers, 5 degree caster angle... anything else i need?

i'm also hunting for factory alloy bullbar like one of early model GQs anyone got them for less than $150? i asked me local dealer, they quoted $850! or should i get ARB or TJM i'll look around, as trading post's out of me price range...

Regards

McJeff

Joined: 25 May 2003 Location: Redbank Plains, QLD

McJeff wrote:

Hey Roly,

5 inch lift kit sounds good, what size shock i need to buy seeing the lift kit you are selling doesn't include shocks it doesn't matter because i wanted Rancho RSX9000 with in-cab kit...

so i'll need extended brake line, diff breathers, 5 degree caster angle... anything else i need?

i'm also hunting for factory alloy bullbar like one of early model GQs anyone got them for less than $150? i asked me local dealer, they quoted $850! or should i get ARB or TJM i'll look around, as trading post's out of me price range...

Regards

McJeff

Diff breathers, castor plates, and possibly a FRONT panhard bar as roly's only sellin his with a rear (i think??? ) and one extended brake line to replace the rear and the old rear one replaces the front brake line.

Sway bars?? will you be running them? - bogged swears by using pathfinder swaybar extensions being put on a patrol as they are sufficient enough???? (more info will come along soon i guess Question

)

Will u be doing a bodylift??

What size tyres will you be running? - diff ratios to suit??

TOM

Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:23 pm

Hey Tom,

Roly's sellin his rear... maybe he's going for A-frame rear end... can i transfer rear panhard bar to front?

i don't know if i'll do bodylift, maybe after suspension...

i hope to running 35" if i find the right insurance to cover me as i'm 17... maybe JT2 or Centipedes that way i can buy 15x7 and beadlocks... any idea how much for beadlocked 15x7?

Regards

McJeff

Posted: Fri Apr 16, 2004 2:25 pm

Hey,

i forgot to mention, i'm running on stock 4.3 diffs with factory diff lock.

bit off topic, how do i find removable swaybar thing i read it somewhere that GQs have?

Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: Driving my GU in Melbourne

McJeff wrote:

Hey Tom,

Roly's sellin his rear... maybe he's going for A-frame rear end... can i transfer rear panhard bar to front?

i don't know if i'll do bodylift, maybe after suspension...

i hope to running 35" if i find the right insurance to cover me as i'm 17... maybe JT2 or Centipedes that way i can buy 15x7 and beadlocks... any idea how much for beadlocked 15x7?

Regards

McJeff

Slow down take a breath and have a good look around this site. there are numerous buildups, members rigs etc. Have a look thru them. See what they have done and why. You need to figure out what sort of vehicle you want to build. Will it be a daily driver that you want to use for camping, a winch challenge type, a weekend warrior etc.

You will struggle to get insurance for a lot of the things you have said you want as a 17 yo. Beadlocks are illegal for one. 35" tyres will be hard to get past etc.

As you are a student really you need to take the time to plan the buildup and get some priorities set otherwise yopu will be spending money twice or three times. Maybe a better solution is to get it sorted for your current money/experience level and then after a while once you have decided what you want to do with it and learnt how to drive it you go to the next step of a fully modded vehicle.

In my opinion it is better to learn with a stockish vehicle and then mod it rather than have a fully modded vehicle and then learn to drive it. You will get into wway more trouble that way as the vehicle can easily take you past your safety zone and suddenly you have totalled your car because you don't know how to drive an obstacle.

Good luck and keep us posted

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

McJeff wrote:

Hey,

i forgot to mention, i'm running on stock 4.3 diffs with factory diff lock.

bit off topic, how do i find removable swaybar thing i read it somewhere that GQs have?

what model do you have? 4.3?

anyway if you dont have a handbrake lever type thing next to steering column then you dont have the quick release swaybars.

Joined: 25 May 2003 Location: Redbank Plains, QLD

McJeff wrote:

Hey Tom,

Roly's sellin his rear... maybe he's going for A-frame rear end... can i transfer rear panhard bar to front?

i don't know if i'll do bodylift, maybe after suspension...

i hope to running 35" if i find the right insurance to cover me as i'm 17... maybe JT2 or Centipedes that way i can buy 15x7 and beadlocks... any idea how much for beadlocked 15x7?

Regards

McJeff

What grimbo said sums it all up.

Give the members section a hard research - especially hottiemonsters thread - lot of mentions in regards to insurance and swaybars etc. He did not do the panhard bar upgrade due to his lift only being 3 inches (plus 2 inch body lift) AND Roly's patrols also in the members section so, may be worthwhile having a look in there to see what we all have to take into consideration.

Many projects have been done and wasted because the person doing the project never did the research beforehand. (yes i am one of them - did a 3 inch spring lift which i wasnt happy with and have since removed and gone 5 inch with 36's instead of 33's - the usual story among us where bigger is never big enough :S )

BTW seriously have a look around like grimbo said. make it worth your while and its your HARD earned money you're about to spend. - SEARCH at the top of the website between the 'FAQ' and 'Memberlist' is your best friend Razz

All the best!!!

And also keep us informed of your progress and research. And remember it never hurts to ask others for their opinion.

TOM

Joined: 23 Mar 2004 Location: Melbourne

i have a new set of the mt117 sports 33's, they are great 4 me as its what fits and have awesome grip when aired down, they will probably be to small 4 anything with 5''+ lift, how ever great tyre at $220 each.

Posted: Thu Apr 22, 2004 2:36 pm

Bogged

mine's '90 3.0 with turbo upgrade so it run on 4.3 diff ratio totally un touched apart from engine bay...

i'll check it out tonite if i can.

Roly, what size shocks should i buy for possible articultion as i may fit Mannell Motors Cast-arms or Calbah 5-link front end...

Regards

McJeff

Joined: 15 Nov 2002 Location: Driving my GU in Melbourne

McJeff wrote:

Bogged

mine's '90 3.0 with turbo upgrade so it run on 4.3 diff ratio totally un touched apart from engine bay...

i'll check it out tonite if i can.

Roly, what size shocks should i buy for possible articultion as i may fit Mannell Motors Cast-arms or Calbah 5-link front end...

Regards

McJeff

I wouldn't as I said befre leap into spending a lot of $$$ going five link front etc. Take it slow you will really struggle to find insurance if you start going hell for leather with mods.

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

McJeff wrote:

because i wanted Rancho RSX9000 with in-cab kit...

dont bother, there are better shocks out there than that shit system.

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

grimbo wrote:

McJeff wrote:

Bogged

mine's '90 3.0 with turbo upgrade so it run on 4.3 diff ratio totally un touched apart from engine bay...

i'll check it out tonite if i can.

Roly, what size shocks should i buy for possible articultion as i may fit Mannell Motors Cast-arms or Calbah 5-link front end...

Regards

McJeff

I wouldn't as I said befre leap into spending a lot of $$$ going five link front etc. Take it slow you will really struggle to find insurance if you start going hell for leather with mods.

Agree... Said it before in one of the 123 other threads.

Sit down, and plan

1) Where you want to get to with your truck - full comp truck, weekend warrior, tourer etc. As I said in the motor thread, they are all different.

2) plan it out, students must be on more money than me if they are thinking of 5 links, Centipedes, lift kits, etc etc to start with...

3) BEFORE you do each mod - talk with Vicroads engineers as they will have to pass it, then talk to your insurance company as Grimbo said, see if they will allow it, THEN think if you need it or u just want to be kewl, cause thats the shit *SOME* comp blokes have, then if you pass these, then do it.

good luck.
what color is your truck, probably seen it round..

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 7:50 am

grimbo wrote:

In my opinion it is better to learn with a stockish vehicle and then mod it rather than have a fully modded vehicle and then learn to drive it. You will get into way more trouble that way as the vehicle can easily take you past your safety zone and suddenly you have totalled your car because you don't know how to drive an obstacle.

READ THIS 10 TIMES BEFORE YOU START SPENDING $$$$$

best advise I've seen in ages Grimbo

My rig is fairly modded and yet I still take out a stocky unit every now and then. It has helped me with the way I "view" obsticles and the way I "approach" & "drive" such things, this inturn helps when the serious rig goes out.
Learn from what you have, then take it step by step with the mods. You'll get far more satisfaction driving a difficult section in a stocky and completing that section especially when a modded rig and experianced driver cant do the same as you just did..... then you have the royal right to flame them !!

Kingy

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 6:51 pm

Hey Bogged,

my truck is black over silver where do u live? i live in Frankston South... i'd remember if i drove somewhere else as it's being driven locally.

Regards

McJeff

Posted: Fri Apr 23, 2004 6:51 pm

Hey Bogged,

my truck is black over silver where do u live? i live in Frankston South... i'd remember if i drove somewhere else as it's being driven locally.

Regards

McJeff

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

McJeff wrote:

Hey Bogged,

my truck is black over silver where do u live? i live in Frankston South... i'd remember if i drove somewhere else as it's being driven locally.

Regards

McJeff

Frankston area.

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2004 9:50 pm

Hey Bogged,

what's yours? as i may see it around...

Regards

McJeff

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

McJeff wrote:

Hey Bogged,

what's yours? as i may see it around...

Regards

McJeff

check the link in my sig for photees

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2004 10:24 pm

Hey Bogged,

nice rig, i've never seen this around...

anyone got bullbar to sell as i'm seeking one... me truck looks boring without it and also 15x7 rims and some tyres if ur nice enough to give me bargain basement price...

Regards

McJeff

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

McJeff wrote:

anyone got bullbar to sell as i'm seeking one...

sandy bowman had one forsale yesterday check forsale sectino,

Posted: Sat Apr 24, 2004 10:43 pm

Hey,

i've checked it out, it doesn't suit me atm bec no bodylift... i'm looking for one with standard height... but thanks Bogged btw...

for rims if u got one i'd like 31x10.5x15 as me dad's the handbrake... when it comes to tuff truck stuff...

Regards

McJeff

Joined: 27 Nov 2002 Location: Lost in Melbourne.

McJeff wrote:

Hey,

i've checked it out, it doesn't suit me atm bec no bodylift... i'm looking for one with standard height... but thanks Bogged btw...

for rims if u got one i'd like 31x10.5x15 as me dad's the handbrake... when it comes to tuff truck stuff...

Sunny rims are $50 new. always tires available, try Procomp in Narre, they usually have second handers