Hilux Max build thread

[Hilux Max]

no problem bout tyre shops fitting tyres on rims, I can do it meself at work.....perks of the job!

yeah, I like the toyo too, kind of fits in between both sets of tyres so Ill only need one for everything and save up for diff gears later.

[Hilux Max]

Hey fella's,

Just thought Id mention here a small update to me truck.

Im pretty sure Ive mentioned earlier that Ive fitted a 3 inch exhaust system, made by Sterling and supplied by HUMEX in Albury, but I contacted them the other day and told him to make me a 3inch replacement pipe for the muffler.

So they very next morning its here at work waiting for me.

Well, today, I fitted it, removed the pipe with the muffler and replaced it with the straight through unit, so I now have a 3 inch dump pipe feedding to a high flow CAT, and then straight through 3 inch pipe.

AWESOME!

Im rapt with the note, just slightly louder at idle than with the hotdog muffler, and cruising at 80kph or 100kph with light throttle theres only abit more of a rumble but barely noticable.

But when taking off from the lights.....MAAAATE!

She sounds like a Tough Truck competitor.....I love it!

Even when cruising you cant hear the tappety sound of the engine anymore which is good. the sound suits the truck to a tea.

Taking her out offroading tomorrow, hopefully can get some digital footage of her in action so you can not only see but hear her new vocal chords!

[premier]

very interested in what it sounds like, but more so the performance difference

thanks

[Hilux Max]

Like I said, sounds friggin awesome.....excuse the french.

bars me up ....... haha lol

gimme a couple of days and hopefully I can get some digital footage to post up on here from me mates so you can hear it.

Put it this way, if you drove past a cop car with an open throttle under load, Im sure they'd want to have a look, light throttle cruising no problem, bit of a burble and thats it.

best thing Ive done but, cant say much more than the previous post I did.

[Hilux Max]

I got off my backside and made a quick vid of what my exhaust sounds like for those of you that may be interested, here it is at start up and with a small rev, although driving under load it sounds alot better, the vid doesnt do it justice

[URL=http://s61.photobucket.com/albums/h68/mmaaxx1977/?action=view&current=12072008069.flv][/URL]

Also got me rollbars on the back of me ute powder coated black, set me back bout 120bux, but is what it.





Ive fitted the rack back on and it looks the goods with all black accessories

Unfortunately some bugger pinched one of me Lightforce covers whilst out 4x4'ing at Wombat State Forest last weekend :x

Came across a group of young blokes offroading and so we moved our rigs bit further up and out of their way, doing the right thing to give them room to get passed and Im pretty sure when me truck was further up the track, one of them took it. I got trouble getting them off by hand so it wouldnt have been the water whilst offroading!
Will try and get some blue ones now to match the blue globes on the lights on me rack. (anybody know where I can get some online by the end of the week?
anyway, heres a couple of pics-

[Rich]

Your light cover may have just come off while doing the water crossing maxx.
Unlikely though, I guess. Who knows why anyone would have taken just one cover...just to be annoying maybe.

[Hilux Max]

Found a great online store for 4x4 accessories, purchased a set of the crystal blue lightcovers including freight for the same price my local 4x4 store was selling them for without freight if they had them in stock.

$60 bux.

not bad from here-

https://www.4x4store.com.au/home.php

[matske]

green hilux guy lost his entire lightforce light on the fraser island trip lucky i was behind him to pick it up... nice mud photos!!!!

[rodw]

Looking Good Mmaaxx! Don't underestimate the force of water in a crossing. I have had a number plate torn off. The water must surge forward somehow. It wash anging by a thread of tin left and it bent off forward so the water could take a spottie cover off no worries!

[KTM525EXC]

exhaust sounds awsome max ya can really hear the turbo spooling and winding down. wikd

[Hilux Max]

OK, washed me rig after work today and fitted the crystal blue lightforce covers and you can also see in the pics the rack fitted back ontop of the newly pwder coated rollbars-




and heres a quick pic from last weekends trip to Big River in Victoria, damn it was cold and sloppy. some great tracks to be experienced there.

[10K]

Max,

That one great looking truck you have built there...
Well done Mate.

Very purpose orientated, looks the business. I like the anti-bling approach!

The bar work looks great powder coated, must store loads of gear too.

How has your suspension settled after a while on the road?
Would you do anything different if you had your time again... a mate has just boght a new lux and is looking to do a 3"ish lift.

Cheers
Matt

[Hilux Max]

thanks 10K,

The suspension has settled pretty good. Went pretty hardcore last weekend with her....I actually shit myself on one occassion and thats pretty rare :eek:

went down a very long hill that had sections in it that were steep and rutted, I could handle that, even thou with the auto, and big tyres the gearing aint the best for steep decends. there was no room to turn around even thou I seriosuly thought about giving up on the track, and I had 5 more vehicles coming down hill behind me.....I was pretty much f#@$#d!

One section was extremely steep, how steep? the rear of the hilux wanted to overtake the front, both sideways and arse over headways, had both feet on the brake pedal to slow me down as much as possible, and had to push myself off the steering wheel.........the front end copped a couple of hard bounces to the front suspension and I can honestly say that if it was ever gonna break, it would have been there and then......fortunately it didnt, didnt even bottom out the tyres on anything so I was rapt!

just gave the TJM bashplate another great wallop.......dollar for dollar, that TJM FUG bashplate is the best product on my vehicle and I highly recommend it to anyone who has a hilux, whether its stock on modified that thing saves your bacon!

If I could do anything different, I probably would have gone a manual looking back.....mainly for the much lower first gear ratio which is better offroad.....thou Ive heard alot about the poor clutches.

By the way, the clutches are being upgraded for the facelift, thou you wont find it written anywhere.I have it on good authority.

suspension wise, I would have kept the front end exactly as it is.....the back end I might have just got slightly stiffer springs, mainly because of the gear I carry. if not carrying any gear or hardly ever, then the reset factory leaves are fantastic.

still have heaps of plans, long term of course and money is always the limiting factor.

[Hilux Max]

I would probably have gone a set of custom rock sliders instead of the brush bars if I did it again, and I wouldnt of got those crap ARB flares I have fitted, the fit on the front ones is crap, I would have (or still might) get another design fitted at some stage.

[Hilux Max]

Ok,

Since Ive found the original buildup thread again, I'm just going to link what Ive been doing for now in the Quest for Clearance Thread below-

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=2979&p=35853#p35853

This was bumped back up to the board after a request by a member who said some of the newer members may be interested in my buildup from the start.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask.

Cheers

[rodw]

Good stuff mate. I remember reading up on suspension on this thread and what you and Rob sorted out with your Desert Fox struts etc. I'll get around to reading it again one day soon.

[Hilux Max]

Ok fella's, Ive bitten the bullet and bought meself a front ARB air locker for the hilux and the small compressor.

I ended up getting a deal I could say no to so even thou its abit of money it is less than the retail.

So in the next week or so it will be going in and Ill get a chance to test it out when I go on me next big offroading trip to the Otways Forest end of this month.

[Hilux Max]

Hey guys,

Picked up my truck tonight from the fourby shop.....

with front locker fitted. got to test it out on a steep mound just at the end of their car park and got to feel how much easier the vehicle climbed up the embankment on an angle with the locker on.

mind you had to test it in 4x4 high range to make it work harder so I could compare the differnce.

only problem now is.....the product itself......

seems ARB supply pieceweak rubber seals and these seals leak air. I have booked the hilux to get the front diff taken out again on friday and the seals replaced to enable the locker to hold air pressure.

The locker works...but the compressor has to run flat out whilst its working, not holding pressure and pumping only when needed.

So hopefully by this weekend she'll be ready for my "hardcore" trip to the Otways next week....

[Brookster]

You must be a bit disappointed Mmaaxx. The air lockers are marketed as being top notch gear; pretty basic design weak link. I'll be interested to hear how your rig goes off-road. With the front locker I gather you retain the rear lsd (if it still works), but you are at the mercy of a weaker IFS front end.

Wonder if there will be much difference with your steering; with the lack of ADD on the front of the SR, I reckon you can feel the gyro effect of the diff and driveshafts spinning in 2wd almost as much as when in 4wd.

Good luck with your shake-down trip!

[Hilux Max]

Yeah I agree,

from what the bloke that fitted them told me, he's been fitting them for 15 years and almost every unit leaks first time round....something to do with the rubber air seal they have to slide onto the housing.

ARB had a round seal in the beginning that was giving them grief and so went to a squarish seal they got now....which still leaks and they will never admit it.

so much for a top notch product.probably the cheapest component to replace on it.