Hilux Max build thread

[Hilux Max]

A couple of pics from the last detail a couple weeks back:











That towbar will be raised up to meet the bottom of the tub as soon as the new side brackets are ready from fabricators.

[10 luxxxx]

Still looking good mate wish I had a day to give mine a detail

[Hilux Max]

I had a discusion with King Customs in South Australia yesterday who are developing an SAS kit for current model Hilux.
They are looking for a current gen hilux to do their first SAS swap and even thou I considered it, I am not ready at this stage to do one.
It is something I will be looking further into this time next year to keep me motivated with my hilux and hope to use the kit they are developing.

Anyway, below is an excert/compilation of the finer point of that discussion for those people interested in SAS'ing their hilux's aswell as important points from discussion with the Victorian Engineer that is working with them to approve the Victorian Customers SAS on his previous gen hilux. If your keen on an SAS for a damn good price as being the first one, then contact these guys. They plan on doing it between Jan and Feb 2015.




King Customs

For Plans. It would be a coilover or coil radius arm system. Similar to the system that is being run in my Current Build "Karls Hilux SAS" which has photos in an album on this page, running smaller coilovers as Karls are slightly to large.
I currently have an engineer in VIC who i have been speaking with as a customer is getting a SAS done by me and engineered in Victoria in January and has approved my plans for the N60 SAS for Victorian engineering. The bracketry used is all 6mm steel plate.
As for time frame the first conversion its possible i would need the vehicle for up to a month to allow the IFS to come out and the designs to go into CAD and then get Laser Cut and test fitted. There maybe a possibility of me getting hold of a bare chassis and taking measurements from that for the laser cutting but would still need an test install. This would take 2 weeks at most for a new vehicle
• Yes the engineer we have be speaking to is a race engineer and an authorized signatory and the N60 will be his first 4wd in Vic. His Name is Blake. I would recommend him as he would be familiar with my work in the near future.
The brackets for the current Lux would be a similar cost of 1500 for the flat pack plate kits designed for DIY as there isnt much more that is needed in the current luxes bracket wise.
It will be running full 80 series front gear with a custom housing as the diff is on the passenger side in a lux, drivers side in every other lux or cruiser.
First SAS i have been estimating around the 5k Mark installed as the diff housing and coilover units are the single largest costs.
• I have someone who would produce the diff housings for me, he has an equipped workshop with the ability to keep them true where as i do not. SAS's are very simple compared to making custom housings.

And now some information from the Engineer I spoke with:

Yes I am currently involved with one of Kings Customs clients who is doing a solid axle front on his 2003 Hilux.
The rules from VicRoads and Canberra are set out in a document called VSB14 and state the following:

1.1 BASIC MODIFICATIONS NOT REQUIRING CERTIFICATION
The following modifications may be performed without certification if they are carried out in
accordance with sub-section 2 General Requirements and the total change in vehicle height
resulting from all modifications performed, does not exceed 50mm.
Note: In NSW, although vehicles whose height has been changed up to 50mm do not
require certification by an engineering signatory, the registration authority must be
notified of the modification.
• Tyre and rim substitution carried out within the limits specified in this Section;
• Lowering and raising suspensions (by not more than one third of the original
suspension travel provided the original vehicle height is not increased or decreased by
more than 50mm);
• Raising the vehicle with a body lift kit provided the original vehicle height is not
increased by more than 50mm (refer to sub-section 4.11 for conditions and limitations);
• Shock absorber substitution;
• Spring and sway bar substitution;
• Track rod and strut brace installation;
• Steering wheel substitution (refer to sub-section 4.9 of this Section); and
• Power steering (manufacturer’s option) conversion.
So unfortunately, anything more than 50mm of wheel/spring/body lift requires engineering and that will mean a swerve test. Also when you change the front axle to a live axle setup, you will also need a swerve test.
Your current setup can be engineered, the cost will be slightly less than whats setout below as I wouldn’t have to do stress calculations on the front suspension but would require similar work (meeting to see vehicle, take photos and measurements, parts lists of whats been used and organise when to do testing - I don’t know but maybe time wise I can organise to test both cars on the one day and therefore split the costs of the track hire, it just might be an issue of timing and physically getting them there).
The costs for the engineering of the 2003 Hilux are below and yours would require the same work.
“The written full report will take me about 8 hours, so that would be $616.
I would need to come and inspect the car and take photos and get all the part numbers and parts descriptions from you that you have used on the car, I expect this would be 3-4hrs @ $77 per hour. Then we would need to do the brake and swerve tests and possibly a speedo check if the tyres are not the standard Hilux ones. These I don’t do on public roads, in case something goes wrong it’s best to do these at a closed venue. I have a couple of options from Fords proving ground (I’m ex-Ford employee), the Anglesea Proving ground or Sandown parks front straight or car park. At worst case, these cost $1100 for the day but could be as little as $660. I would only pass the cost on, I don’t add anything extra. My time for the testing would be around 6 hrs ($462).
So for my time its approx. $1386 with somewhere between $660 to $1100 for a testing site.
I hope you find these cost ok as I think the project is very good and the King Customs kit looks very professional.”

As regards the maximum height, that's a harder question to answer as I haven’t tested enough Hilux’s to see where they might fail. The VSB14 allows lifts between 50mm - 150mm.
I would prefer not to go beyond the 150mm as it would require a lot of discussions with VicRoads and therefore more costs to you for my time.
VASS and Performance Vehicle Engineering

[hiluxry6]

Hi Max could you P.M. me some contact details as I live in Adelaide and am driving the current model.

[Hilux Max]

Today I went with Nick Buggy, Jay and Jake to Toolangi Forest on a trip.





The first track of the day was a hard clay rutted and steep track. We watched as an 80 series and 60 series struggled to get up. My hilux easily crawled up it.





We had a couple of dirt bikes that accompanied our group aswell.







The second track of the day was a steep loose rocky track with a rock ledge near the top. That wasnt too bad, except just before getting to the ledge, my airlockers decided to not work again, same as last time i went out. the compressor was running and not switching off....there was no airleaks that I could find.

It took several careful attempts to get up over the ledge...was concerned with open diffs of damaging a CV shaft but managed to get some grip and climb up. Once at the top, I decided to have a look at the compressor.

I had my original 100psi airlocker solenoid in my tool box and decided to swap it for the 150psi solenoid. had to disassemble the air valve in order to get a tool in to remove it as I didnt have a deep 24mm socket. Jake gave me a hand and after 20 to 30 minutes of fiddling around, we completed and tested it out....it worked.



Did alot of driving from one area to the next, some scenic views were had from the mountain tops.



We hit the powerline tracks and had lunch and did a little bit more exploring.

















Nick then chose to go down some clay hilly tracks...these were sooo overgrown it was like trying to drive through a carwash with branches smothering the vehicles





The boys had spoken off earlier in the day about "Rocky Track", and how it was pretty gnarly with rock ledges and all that jazz that should put up a bit of a challenge. As nice as it was cruising around the forest and exploring, I was itching to check out this track. We got there abut 4.30 in the arvo and descending down from the top. That was a little challenging itself at times with rear wheels lifting as we guided through the trees down the stee and off camber descent.



When we got to the bottom, I walked up the center track of the 3 different options that were there and yes, it was mighty impressive and one of the most challenging looking tracks I have encountered to date.

Couple foot embankments to the side, very loose boulders with fairly large and challenging rock ledge scattered all over the place going up the steep incline, off camber all over the joint.



As we were descending to the bottom of this a little ealier, we saw an older solid axled hilux going up bouncing around all over the place, hitting thr rev limiter and struggling to get up...made me think for a second, what have I got into.



But after sussing it out and walking it up, I decided to give it a crack. I got Jake to record it on my mobile phone and the hilux didnt let me down. She slowly crawled up and over each obstacle that this track could throw at her.......pointing to the sky, slowly getting tossed to one side and the other, but slow and steady she confidently made it up....surprising myself and the others in the process.......yes I was rapt. But as everyone else knows, damn cameras never do the track any justice......

Was a good day out with a good bunch od blokes, but I cant wait to go back and do that Rocky Track again

....to be continued......2 videos currently uploading....will continue and attach the vid tomorrow morning when done.

[Hilux Max]

More realistic view of the boulders I climbed over -

[timothyg]

You make it look so damn easy

[lippa88]

You make it look so damn easy

I agree! Great photos!

[Hilux Max]

This is from my mobile.....

[jakelux]

Very impresive rig MMAAXX!!
In the dozen or more times I've been to rocky track i have seen a lot blokes go nuts on it, wheels in the air, scrabbling for traction, breaking shit.... Max's run was by far the most controlled and well driven I've seen.

[jaybags]

Was an awesome day! 2x, still mindblown about your lux's capability. Great bunch of blokes to go out with.

Max wasn't lying about the overgrown tunnel of love being like a car wash. This was the view from inside:


Did someone get footage of that clay hill I had to floor it up?

[Hilux Max]

i did but accidenly lost it editing the photoalbulm on my phone...sorry

[mattwhite]

Great pics guys

Sorry for the ignorant question but who's hilux is the white one? The lead car in the first pic.

[Hilux Max]

That's Nick Buggy's hilux. he is running 16x8 patrol steelies with 33/10.5x16 Silverstone extremes.

[adamricho]

Hi max, I'm just about to do a 1" body lift to run with my 3" lift so i can put my 315s.have you had any issues with yours?

[Hilux Max]

Hi max, I'm just about to do a 1" body lift to run with my 3" lift so i can put my 315s.have you had any issues with yours?

none at all mate. I had to slightly space the fuel filler neck in the hose outwards before tightening. The fuel filler neck mount i added several washers between it and the chassis rail due to its new position and the filler neck sits tight against the bottom of the plastic garnish where the fuel opening itself is hut it isnt a problem and all works fine.

[adamricho]

Oh ok and you don't need a steering extension with a 1" body lift do you? Thanks mate

[Hilux Max]

No you dont.

just back off the slip yoke before you raise the cabin up.

once blocks have been fitted and bolted into place, adjust the steering shaft slip yoke as the last thing.

Make sure it is fitted evenly between both steering shaft segments, and use loctite on the thread bolts before tightening.

[jaybags]

i did but accidenly lost it editing the photoalbulm on my phone...sorry

Haha all good man


Matt - Nick is Derchie on the forum, haven't seen him post much on here as of lately though

[mattwhite]

Ah ok, thanks lads. Was eyeing off those sexy tyres of his.