Oz Bruiser's Build

[Oz Bruiser]

Hey all i been looking around and occassionly commenting in here for a while now. Everyones got nice trucks and nice mods etc. I thought i better get a few pics up of mine.

I got a 2010 TD Auto SR5 Lux. Optioned up from Toyota with Sports hard lid, Tray liner, Revearsing camera, Chrome Billet Grill, all plastic and mats.

The plan innitially was to option up before i got it but to keep it under the luxuary sales tax threshhold , i got it with the above mentioned options and then shopped around for the options myself.

The to do list of my own, Suspension Lift, Bull bar, Tow bar, AT's for general use and MT's for play, Snorkel, Tints, some alloys and Sports Chrome/ Clear tail lights the list goes on but that was the start.

I have since had the 3" Cal Off road suspension lift done, the Safari snorkel fitted and all going according to plan the ARB Delux Bull Bar next week and a Marks addaptor electronics box to callibrate the speedo as tyre size change, if it can be arranged, engineered also. I got the bar, lift and snorkel in a package deal from a local buisness at Penrith. I have also had the H/D tow bar hitch fitted and had BFG 31/10.5/15's fitted to the standard alloys and the front windows timted to legal.
I did a deal with the local Bob Jane Tmart and baisically 2 days after getting the lux traded in the factory HT tyres on the BFG's and it worked out i got $150 per tyre for the HT so $750 all up and paid an additional $675 to get the BFG's. I was pretty happy with that.

Before anything done to it


BFG AT's added


Before Lift


After Lift


I have more plans for my lux in the future and as some of you know via post's elswhere in here use to have a heavilly modified lux over 10 years ago before it got written off. Unfortunatly with family and work commitments im yet to get it dirty in anger and am hanging to get out sometime soon hpefully as is my wife. We are also looking to taking our son on his first off roading adventure. As everytime he see's a pic of a Lux including anyones in here, he gets a big grin and yell's "daddies" so we keen to take him out for some real fun

I also just picked up over the last 4 weeks or so a set of Speedy Grandes and a set of 2nd hand BFG Mud Terrains in 265/75/16. The keen eyes may notice there are 2 different mud terains models in shot. I picked up a set of 4 BFG "Radial Mud Terrains" in the older tread pattern and i picked up seperatly a near new BFG km Mud Terrain that had been somone's spare. Of the tyres in the set of 4 i picked up 3 were quite good, the forth had slight to mild sidewall damage so am keeping it for a spare and running the additional km on the truck. The muddies will primarily be a play set.[img]

BFG MT's added and Speddy Grandes


Two shots below are two styles of same tyre

[EASTCOAST]

now for the dirty pics

[dwglwc]

Looking good. How do you find the 3" kit. I have a 4" kit and are thinking I might drop it down to 3"

[Oz Bruiser]

Looking good. How do you find the 3" kit. I have a 4" kit and are thinking I might drop it down to 3"

Hey dwglwc i cant really comment on it off road as unfortunatly due to work and family commitments i havent been able to try it out yet. As for on road its fine, heaps better than standard, but im sure you would know this from having the 4" . Why would you come back to the 3" when you have already had the 4" installed?

[Oz Bruiser]

Had my muddies on today and drove to work on them the same as i have been on my smaller AT's and found a noticible impact on power on hills and the auto wanting to kick down a gear more often than when running the 31's and i realise the trip computer isnt accurate as such with the bigger rubber on, but just by it and the rate the guage seemed to drop it seemed to chew significantly more disesl than usual. At some stage down the track i planned to go bigger rubber but as she is still reltavely new i figgured the 265/75/16's be fine for play and the 31's for genral use. If the consumption is going to increase significantly with the larger rubber on i will just use them for play(when i get a chance) and may re-think until a few years has passed an the warranty has run out then get bigger rubber and change diff ratios to suit.

Has anyone else running an auto if they started out with relitave standard sized rubber and gone bigger with a TD Auto had similar experiances or offer any feedback.

Thanks,

Ben

[Jordan]

Running same size tyres in Goodyear mud terrains, and fuel consumption is atrocious

[Jack S]

nothing a chip and some new gear ratios wont fix

[Alby]

I am running the same as well and I found my fuel consumpion and power improved with a chip, the extra power seams to let it hold the taller gears longer.

[Oz Bruiser]

Hey guys nothing new as such, Posted elswhere in here that had some dramas with my lift and Bull bar. Baisically didnt get what i asked for. To top it off the suspension they fitted sagged pretty bad and ended up being 2"'s lift instead of 3" as requested. After much help from Cal who'm i cant thank enough for his paitiance and assisstance. The guys at Penrith shop have re installed the suspension the 2nd time and with Cal gear, Fingers crossed is sorted now. Hopefully get back tomorrow all going well.

A couple of pics of my old lux of years ago before it was written off. The sand dunes shot was at Kurnell and the 2nd 2 shots are of the guy who re-birthed my Lux after it was written off. He hadnt changed it since i had written it off. after rebuilding it Crabed something nast and the Chassis was pretty bent.

[helmut79]

Good to hear you got the suspension sorted our Ben and the suspension shop came through in the end.How'd did you end up going with the bullbar?

[Oz Bruiser]

Good to hear you got the suspension sorted our Ben and the suspension shop came through in the end.How'd did you end up going with the bullbar?

Went to pick up the Lux this arvo but they didnt have it finished. Havent seen bull bar on it yet as they were still assembling it when i went to pick it up. As far as i know it passed Engineering , Marks adaptor installed and working and Cal gear installed, just Bar to go on and they didnt get it finished today.

A mate is heading upto Lithgow probaly this weekend and may be tagging allong to christan the Lux for its first off road outing if im lucky.

[usual suspect]

What shop in Penrith?

[Oz Bruiser]

What shop in Penrith?

Hey mate, feel free to PM me for buisness name. Dont want to list in here as despite having some Dramas that i didnt expect and things happen that at the time were a bit beyond belief, the buisness is baisically a Family run buisness and the owners are generally try to be helpful with advice and answers thoughi think does have some short commings to work through. Im not despite being pissed off at the time into Flaming or bad naming a buisness.

I did ask today regarding the custom bar you mentioned else where that you want fabricated and they do custom work.


Got my Lux back today after the dramas of recent weeks. Bull bar installed, colour coded and my Cal Off Road 3" suspension installed. Now sits 575mm-580mm from centre of front wheel to bottom of the flare and 600mm in the rear. Alot closer to level now. From ground to headlight with 265/75/16's on is about 1170mm to top of headlight.

Needs lights for the bar now and a winch . Unfortunatly the budget wont allow for the time being. Had hoped to get to lithgow this weekend for its maidan voyage in the dirt but due to family stuff it wont be happening. iT hasnt got dirty in anger yet but at least looks the part lol.

[Oz Bruiser]

Hey guys just a brief update for me...

Finally got the Lux dirty and put it through its pace's.

Went out to a Bush track trail out the back of Winmallee in the Blue mountains yesterday with a mate in a quite capable Patrol. Was very impressed with the way the Hilux performed. The track was only about half an hour from home but had similar terrain to Lithgow, just not as much of it. some quite easy stuff and moderate to hard and some stuff that if i had my old Lux with front and rear Lockers and rigid axel would i have been game to try.

After recent rain there was a fair amount of water and mud in some of the bog holes. Had no worries in the mud and water and the deepest hole had my driving lights in the Delux bar under water.

To gain entry involved a reasnobly steep decent that was intresting in Low range and standing on the brake pedal as i have found out quickly how low range in an auto lux isnt that low and although a small increase the bigger rubber dosnt help low range 1st. I was hanging to come back up the section on the way out as was quite rocky and had a few steps and holes etc.

The track just eventually went down to a dead end in the valley and then zig zaged back up the mountain to the rear of some houses. As a First time out it was good sample of what i want to put the lux through inittially and am looking forward to going out again. I hadnt been four wheelin in over 10 years since my last lux was written off and its like riding a bike, it all comes back very quickly and you dont forget. The climb on the way out was sweet and the auto held its own allowing my just to idle up the steps and into the holes with little need for much accelleration and just allowing the suspension to do the work. There was only one point i needed a bit of heavy right foot and re choossing my line.

Thnakfull that on first out i only gained a couple of character scratches and teh only other issue i had was an unusual one. The Black plastic inserts in around the driving lights the front of the Delux bar fell out on one side and could not be located and when i got home after checking the other side it just fell out in my hand also.

Has anyone else experianced this and does anyone know are they available as a spare parts through ARB, or should i hit up the buisness i had fit the bar and paint it etc for warrantty as i dont believe they should just fall out.

Will post a few pics later as i got a son with a dirty nappy screaming that needs attention now.

[KTM525EXC]

Hey m8

Yeah there only held in by salastic so they haven't used enough. Mine have been through manny water crossings and have never fallen off I'd take it back and get them replacing it free of charge.

Cheers Troy

[Alby]

Hey m8

Yeah there only held in by salastic so they haven't used enough. Mine have been through manny water crossings and have never fallen off I'd take it back and get them replacing it free of charge.

Cheers Troy

x 2

[Oz Bruiser]

Hey Alby and Troy, i will follow up on that. The one that came off in my hand when i got home has no trace of sillastic on the inside edge, but the bar has a thick amount of sillastic attached firmly to the bar.....

Some pics my mate took on a small digital camera comming up the hill but the camera dosnt do the angle or the steps/holes justice, looks quite tame lol, pic quality not the best.

[KTM525EXC]

thats one sexy looking lux you have Ben!!!! i love that colour good to see ya putting it through its paces

[KTM525EXC]

btw let us know how ya get on with those plastic inserts ARB should replace them free of charge.

cheers Troy

[ls3tourer]

Nice one Ben, I can see you found the trail at Yellow rock! Fun hey Was it overgrown further down?

BTW can you let me know your address so I can steal your hard cover!