Bit of a Intro

[Twisty]

Hey All, Thought I'd do a quick intro. Have had a couple 4runners, couple zooks, and a FJ40. Most modified by a little or a lot.

First was a 91 4runner, bought stock, but then added 3" bodylift, 2" susp lift, locka, 4.8s, 33s alloys etc. Ended up rolling this at LCMP and insurance company wrote it off.


Bought a zook, 1.6 EFI Vitara Motor, Rollbar, SAS seats, 2" lift, 31s. But was too small and sold this after a few months.


Next came the 4runner that some might know.....bought this half built, then spent a fortune on it. Lexus V8, 4" susp lift, 2" body, 4.8s, rear airlocker, recaro seats with fill custom trimmed interior, custom sliders and rear bar by brooksy, 35x12.5s on 17" rims and more. Needed $$$ for the house we were building, so parted it out almost 2 years ago, and Ryano from Fourbys bought the left overs. He's got massive plans for it to become a winch challange comp truck, but the exacution of this has not went to plan, and after 2 years, it sits cut up and abondoned in a guys back yard. Ryano assures me it'll be sweet by end of 2010 but.



Use to run 37x14 iroks on it at times, for show only but.....got a fair few trophys for this rig in show n shines....also won or placed well in hill climbs events at LCMP and Rover Park.


How it now sits.


Half way through ownership of the 2nd 4runner I bought a highly modified zook for the offroad side of things. Got to big of plans for it, turned it into half a buggy, then parted it out. The $$$ from this bought my current 4x4, the FJ40.




FJ40 started tidy as, and small mods, but has slowly become more and more modified. Have got a MWB cruiser with a injected 5.0l V8 ready to part out, this motor and auto will go into the 40. Other mods are custom 4" leaf sprung suspension which also stretched the wheelbase 6", F&R Airlocksers, custom barwork, 33 MTZs for around town, and beadlocked 35x13.5 Krawlers for offroad. Got more tube and barwork planned for it, then after the V8 is in I want to get it all tidied up and resprayed again. In no rush but.



Flexs pretty well for a sprung under leaf sprung shorty.

[Twisty]

Anyway, the reason for me signing up to this forum, thanks to Kruds 30% investment tax break I should soon be a new hilux owner. Still sorting it all out with Toyota at the moment, and need to sell the missus's 04 Camry Sportivo (trade in was a bit low), but all going well it'll be a 09 Tidal Blue SR 4x4 Dual cab. Found out today there is none in Oz and it'll have to come from the factory, so might possibly get a charcoal grey one if any in Oz. Either way, will be sorted before the end of the finicial year.

Have been spending heaps of hours on here the last few days, and think I've got most of the stuff sorted for how i want to modify it. First will be a 2" bodylift, read on here its all good to do this in Qld, so will send the paperwork off when I get it and see what happens, already got some blocks there ready to go. The dealer is organising a SR5 tub for me, which will probably be the wrong colour, so will get a rollpan added to this then get it resprayed to match the truck. Will fit some genuine SR5 flares on the front to match.

It'll probably then stay like that until I get $$ sorted for tyres & rims, which will be 33x12.5's 4 Rib ATZs on 17" or 18" MT Classic Locks. I think the 18s will stick out too far, so will probably get the 17s. Happy to trim where necessary, and clearance the front body mount a little as a few others have done, but since this will mainly be a daily driver and do beach work, I'll probably just let them rub till I get the $$ for suspension which will be a 3" kit of some sort.

That didn't turn out too quick....anyway....talk to you's on the forum.
Cheers
Twisty

[McSumWay]

Welcome aboard Twisty. As someone who has closely followed the buildups of your vehicles it will be good to see your take on our luxes.

Warren

[Hilux Max]

Welcome Twisty,

when I saw the username on the thread I thought somebody pinched your username off the other forums, coz I knew you didnt have a new hilux, but thats not the case.

welcome mate...good luck with the mods....hows the NCOP gonna affect the bodylift plans?

If I could get the bodylift engineered wopuld have done it by now but its not the case here in victoria.

Just to let you know that bodymount will be the main thing giving you clearance problems with 12.5 inch rims....the bodylift, if successful should lift the body up and clear of the tyre and the mount trim will see it wokr well.

good luck, keep us updated.

[rodw]

Twisty, go for the BL mate, shoot me a PM with an email and I'll see if I can dig up some tech info on the SRS airbag system which will be handy to include in your application. I went into this at length and QT saw no reason why it should not be approvable. But in the end, I don't think I will do it to the Hilux....

Go the Vitara's mate, I loved my four door.

[Twisty]

Welcome aboard Twisty. As someone who has closely followed the buildups of your vehicles it will be good to see your take on our luxes.Warren

Thanks Warren, am looking forward to it!

Welcome Twisty, when I saw the username on the thread I thought somebody pinched your username off the other forums, coz I knew you didnt have a new hilux, but thats not the case.

welcome mate...good luck with the mods....hows the NCOP gonna affect the bodylift plans?

If I could get the bodylift engineered wopuld have done it by now but its not the case here in victoria.

Just to let you know that bodymount will be the main thing giving you clearance problems with 12.5 inch rims....the bodylift, if successful should lift the body up and clear of the tyre and the mount trim will see it wokr well.

good luck, keep us updated.

Not sure how the NCOP will effect the bodylift plans, i think most of it is actually a improvement for qld and will let us possibly run a little more lift and bigger tyres (last time i looked at it anyway). I'll just do as rodw did and send a application in and see what happens. Hopefully all is sweet. Not sure what it'll effect on warranty yet. The salesman is a mate of ours, and he just said it usally only avoids the part effected, and you can argue the point if you think it hasn't caused it.

Ryano is already trying to talk me out of the 12.5" wide tyres, 18s are off the list now, way too much offset, but said there is some 17x9 classic locks availavle that'll suit and then run 33x11.5 rubber. Supposedly will just be outside the guards. Will probably try them first, and see what I think, is a more sensible way to go.

As for progress with the lux, cant get a tidal blue one till end of august at the earliest. So if our camry sells, that'll could be too long without a vehicle. (40 needs flares and some other work before I'll drive it around daily). There is 1 charcoal grey one in the country at the moment, and another one arriving in the first week of may. So all going well tomorrow the one arriving in may should have my deposit on it

Twisty, go for the BL mate, shoot me a PM with an email and I'll see if I can dig up some tech info on the SRS airbag system which will be handy to include in your application. I went into this at length and QT saw no reason why it should not be approvable. But in the end, I don't think I will do it to the Hilux....

Go the Vitara's mate, I loved my four door.

Cheers, will send a PM soon. And yeah, the vitari motor in a little zook is a very fun combo

[Hilux Max]

twisty, you'll fit 33/11.5x17's fine mate inside the guards.

I run 285/75x16's Silverstones and they are almost 12 inches wide and fit under the flare...only the chunky sidewall sticks out.

If you run aftermarket upper control arms, you'll have more room on the inside of the tyre so you can run less offset rim, or more room for a wider tyre with less offset and smaller turning arc.

I reckon you get a set of the 17x9's and run 305/70x17's....34x12x17....Id love to run this tyre wheel combo if I could afford it...maybe one day.

[rodw]

Now the topic, has got onto Suzukis and Ryano at Fourbys, I couldn't resist posting a cople of pics of the tyres and rims Ryano sold me for my last rig.


Hmm, I always seemed to have trouble geting tacton cos they were never on the ground


Don't stuff around Twisty, just go straight to the 34x10.5x15 Swampers on the SR5 rims

Any one recognise Levuka 4WD Park?

[Hilux Max]

Don't stuff around Twisty, just go straight to the 34x10.5x15 Swampers on the SR5 rims

you'll need aftermarket UCA's to clear on sr5 rims...otherwise spacers...but yes, it is do able.....you still crying over that suzuki Rod?

You know the hilux has more potential.....(read, must get Swampers and locker next)

[Skog07]

Rod.
My first 4wd was a Suzuki LJ50. I loved the old girl and wish I never sold it. Apprenticeship wages 5am starts rain, winter, in a soft top without a cover. Couldnt afford to run my CM valiant and Suzuki on $4.00 per hour wages...
The cold morning smokey starts would make the EPA shit there pants these days....
The little 539cc three cylinder two stroke motor had a whopping 27HP..... Topped it out on the big dipper on the F3 southbound coming into Sydney at 120kph. The little old girl was screaming at 9800 rpm....
on Bar treads.
Sorry Twisty for hijacking your thread.
Macca started a thread a while ago called What was your first 4wd? Might go look for it and bump it back up to the top.
Cheers
Skog

[Twisty]

twisty, you'll fit 33/11.5x17's fine mate inside the guards. I run 285/75x16's Silverstones and they are almost 12 inches wide and fit under the flare...only the chunky sidewall sticks out.

If you run aftermarket upper control arms, you'll have more room on the inside of the tyre so you can run less offset rim, or more room for a wider tyre with less offset and smaller turning arc.

I reckon you get a set of the 17x9's and run 305/70x17's....34x12x17....Id love to run this tyre wheel combo if I could afford it...maybe one day.

Who makes tyres in that size? would defintley consider it? Had a look on the MickyT website, and it doesn't look like they do? Am pretty set on the 4 rib ATZs but, nicely halfway tyre between a AT and MT.

Now the topic, has got onto Suzukis and Ryano at Fourbys, I couldn't resist posting a cople of pics of the tyres and rims Ryano sold me for my last rig.

Don't stuff around Twisty, just go straight to the 34x10.5x15 Swampers on the SR5 rims

Hehe, aren't those little swampers cute Got to love buying your tyres through Ryano but, dont think I've worn a set even half out before something new has come out and he's sorted a deal too good to be true to get them fitted! I love Ryano

Definetly wont go swampers on the lux but...The lux will purely be a nice/neat/bling daily driver and mild touring rig for the first few years, then later down the track look at doing some bigger trips (Cape/Simpson) and setting it for that stuff then. Will always keep the 40 for the harder stuff.

[rodw]

I love Ryano

Yeh, he's taken a lot off money off me, bought about 20 tyres there over the last 2-3 years. Not so sure I'd go as far as saying I love him mate, people might start talking

[Hilux Max]

twisty,

Toyo makes em in the open country MT's.....awesome tyre, awesome size

[Hilux Max]

Maxxis also make em in the bighorn.just checked.

Goodyear make em in the MTR and pretty sure the new BFG KM2's come out in them aswell.

you'd need a 17x8 with a zero or +10 offset to run em .

[Dave]

G'day Twisty, welcome to the forum, I think I saw your runner in the 4wd action mag once?

Cheers,
Dave

[Twisty]

I love Ryano

Yeh, he's taken a lot off money off me, bought about 20 tyres there over the last 2-3 years. Not so sure I'd go as far as saying I love him mate, people might start talking

Bwahahahahaha....people are already talkin....

twisty,Toyo makes em in the open country MT's.....awesome tyre, awesome size

Maxxis also make em in the bighorn.just checked.Goodyear make em in the MTR and pretty sure the new BFG KM2's come out in them aswell. You'd need a 17x8 with a zero or +10 offset to run em .

Love the Toyoa Open Country MTs, but I believe they are a lot more $$$ then most other tyres. Could almost hack the KM2s, but I've always had mud terrains, so was planning on something a bit tamer this time to keep the road noise down, to make the nice new truck more enjoyable. Will look into this size a little bit.

G'day Twisty, welcome to the forum, I think I saw your runner in the 4wd action mag once?

Cheers,
Dave

Cheers Dave, 4runner was in the mag ages ago shortly after I fitted the lexus V8. Also was on one of the DVDs when we did a trip with Roothy to LCMP (one of the best wheeling days of my life). The 40 was also featured in it a year or two ago now too.

Some pics from when the runner was first featured.




This is the stance I'd like to have on the new lux with lift, tyres, width etc.


The Roothy DVD trip to LCMP




When the 40 was featured.

[Hilux Max]

This is the stance I'd like to have for the new hilux.

yeah me too

But unfortunately my bodylift plans have been put on hold due to the unfortunate death of the owner of the local 4x4 store that I was dealing with....so not sure whats gonna happen in that regard now.

You can fit 305/70x16's with a 3" lift, you just need to trim a little and get a good offset wheel. Have a look at Drew's build on here - he has the 3.5" Wizard suspension lift and is running 305/70x16 MTZ's (33x12x16) thou he has a big offset on his wheels (-24 I beleive), you'd get away with a zero offset on these.

How did you find the Radial Claws?

Ive heard both good and bad things about them. My silverstones have a similar tread pattern and a directional aswell and I couldnt be happier with them.

Might try the Claws next time round, they have a slightly meatier sidewall, are they 3 ply sidewalls like the MTZ's?

[Twisty]

Yeah, love the look of drews rig...I'll defintley be getting a wheel with atleast the -12 offset, something like your original chrome wheels mmaxx so the tyres are a little out the guards. Still debating the 285s or 305s...keep changing my mind with wether I'll be happy to modify the bodymount a little or not.

Radial Claws, couldn't fault them really, nice enough manners on road, a little loud when they start to get worn, and always worked well offroad, specially on the coily zook i had. Not sure what sidewalls they have these days, originally the MTZ was an improvement over the Claw cause of that 8 degree cross ply. Am guessing that would apply that to the claws these days too.

[Hilux Max]

Twisty, if your gonna go 305's Id go the MTZ's as they are a smaller 305......with the hilux's guard space is limited and you are really looking at a maximum working width of about 12"

if the vehicle is only going to be a pavement pounder and not see hard stuff, then Id recommend a drop bracket lift, it will move the centre point of your front suspension travel lower, keeping the tyre further from the bodymount, than just a 3" suspension lift will.

do you follow?

this will help not only with the tyre width but the bigger wheel offset.

[Twisty]

Yep, follow....only prob would be the drop bracket kit being illegal in QLD. Am 99% sure you cant run them up here at all.....If I keep it to 2" body and 3" susp, I'm on the border of being 100% legal...(besides tyres anyway, but will keep the stocko's for in case they ever need to be swapped back on).