Lewis's 87 Bighorn

[kcsoft]

pretty good job there lewis!! thats a really good looking 4x4 on a budget!!

[lewis]

Thanks, yep budget alright lol. This is what i did to the wingmirrors today to stop them bending in while driving. Ever since i fitted the flares they bend in at over 50, I think air deflects into them from the flares. They can still be folded in when bushcrashing and it seems to work well. THey are UV treated cable ties by the way haha

Also mounted rated tow hook so should be club friendly. Its in 6mm steel
Bullbar has good ground clearance now and dosent block the headlights thanks to the new mounts my mate made for me

While its budget I look after it, here is proof. Took off the bottom of the sump today and there was no sludge or anything (341ks). Finger on the bottom and it was just oil no residue thanks to religious 5000km oil and filter changes.

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[geeves]

Thats a different mirror mod but if it works why not. I bought some light truck mirrors from repco which have proved hard to break (one glass only then it was cheaper to buy new mirror than new glass) at abot 25 each. They look a little rough being all galv steel but they work
That tow hook is almost perfect. 6mm will bend but it will hold the hook ok but if you can put a gusset behind the hook it will be stronger. Are the bolts through the chassis 12mm? if so did you drill the original captive nuts. You do need tight fitting crush tubes on both bolts in the chassis. This might be easier to do if the captive nuts are removed first

[CLINTV]

verry leker dude where hi im new on the forum just joind to day i stay in margate kzn lour south coast iv just a le 1800 84 model ill post some pics soon there is alot i whant to do on the van licke lifting it higher put sone mags and on off road tyres and a respray

[lewis]

Yeah geeves I just drilled out the captive nuts and put 12mm 8.8 bolts through. Crush tubes sound like a good idea but im guessing its going to be hard to buy the short length of steel tube ill need for this purpose?

I didnt think about gussets till after the brackets were already on the truck. I have some small offcuts of 5-8mm plate that I could put under the tow hook with the bolts through it and weld to the U section underside but might just see how it goes. Would like to think that if im really stuck winching is always a better option - off another truck if no trees nearby. Really need to get out doing some proper wheeling but that probably wont happen till I get to welly and join a club cause of lack of time/knowing other ppl with capable trucks

[geeves]

Galv water pipe. I have some here When you get to Welly look me up and bring your own hacksaw

[lewis]

Thats a great idea, I may even have some of that in the garage! If not then ill take you up on that offer, thanks

[lewis]

Put the crush tubes in
Welded a 6mm plate over the 6mm tow hook mount
4" SS snorkel finished

Repairs/maintanence for the week
New pads all round (70,000km since last set according to reciepts and they werent even fully worn out yet, cant compain)
2nd hand rotors on the rear (mine were down to 8mm, min thickness is meant to be 10.5), were 11.5 and 12mm from the wreckers
Reset rear calipers (wow handbrake works!!!) the winders had been wound in so far that the thing inside the piston had popped out due to thin pads and rotors. I had to replace one of the calipers as the handbrake lever had seized but it was one i got off trademe cheap as
Machined front rotors, they are at min thickness of 20.5mm but replacing them looked like a bit of a job so it can wait till a CV boot goes or something
2nd hand power steering box - im thinking this might be a recurring issue with big and wide tyres, was quoted something rediculous for a rebuild I cant even remember was 600-1000$
New clutch master cylinder as its been leaking for ages
Got a set of 2nd hand wheel nuts from the wreckers as mine were old and getting very tight, one of them has totaly destroyed the first half of the thread on one of the wheel studs, upon removal I could see a nick in the thread of the nut I did wash them all out in the parts washer before installation but didnt check that thourougly. Just rattle gunned one of the old wheel nuts back on and spraypainted it so I know which nut goes on the bad stud

And the best news is it sounds like my garage will give my truck a WOF he did say I might have trouble getting a WOF down in Welly with the bog under the boot window and in the roof sills - I said ill just have to drive it up so you can give it one then, and he said yeah I thought you might say that haha

After looking through the last 100,000km of reciepts I now see the gearbox oil hasnt been done in about 70,000km so thats next on the list, along with front diff oil (ugh diff oil is the nastiest smelling oil out there isnt it)

[geeves]

That snorkel came up nice. One thing to watch though with the top faceing forwards is that it will collect rain. Check the airbox regularly. The commercial snorkles have a cunning design to expel water but it is not foolproof. Thats one reason mine points backwards. It also catches on trees a lot less

[lewis]

Yeah my mate did a bloody good job - Metal Fabrications Ltd East Tamaki

I can reverse the top so if its raining heavily or dusty thats what I aim to do. May have to put a plastic bag over it or someting if its sitting at home in the rain during the week but no worries, stoked how it came out!

[geeves]

You can buy the snorkel top hats but they are probably a different size and at $70 each there is a good reason to go the way you have

[geeves]

Heres a picture you wont get often of your wagon.
Welcome to the better weather in Wellington

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[lewis]

hehe, at least it actually felt like summer today!

[geeves]

Did you see on the news what you left behind in Auckland?

[lewis]

Haha yep, you needed a lifted 4wd to avoid getting a wet ass on lots of the roads id say

The motorway that was only 1 lane out of the water was probably the best haha

[geeves]

Missed that. Bet it wasnt a lane to get out of Auckland

[lewis]

I haven't updated this page in ages but I have done quite a bit to my truck. A few pics here from Woodhill trying out the new 33" silverstones (I made it up this hill on the 2nd attempt when I got the line right haha).
Other mods include 2.5" exhaust and rear bullbar and heaps of stuff I have forgotton about

[geeves]

In that last picture is someone stealing your truck?

Arnt you meant to be sitting in the drivers seat?

[Captcol]

I think thats why it took two attempts, the first one no one was driving

[lewis]

haha, I had to get out to see why it was stuck, luckily someone came up behind me and pulled me backwards