Thread: It begins

Originally Posted by Slunnie

I just see lots of stuff break when offroad.

We were talking about it the other week, and I think the only thing I haven't seen break offroad is a gearbox and a steering box.

Yeah, the gusset should be gooood.... and a fat weld between the bottom of the mount and the bottom plate on the chassis.

About the only major things I have done is both of those....

When I get on broadband I will post the Vid in which you see the exact point where I broke the steering box in the Disco in Toolangi on a wide rutted slippery track that someone had left a meter lond and about 300mm round log in the rut that I was in.

Not being able to stop I tried to get it out of the rut and stradle it but it wouldnt climb out (still on 28" AT rubber at the time) so I hit it and then the steering went tight and then came loose again but felt notchy.

Pulled it out and to my amazement (as I drove it back) the output shaft was bent like a banana and the bearing was completely smashed to bits and it had spat bits and pieces out of the seal stuffing the housing.

$900 later and 2 days of hunting and we were back on the road again with a S/H recoed one with some upgraded bearings or something, Thanks Adrian @ Toorak tractors

Gearbox was in my Dad's old cruiser tray, on Doughtys Rd heading toward Sheepyard Flat when we had cattle up there.

I'd done a check around to make sure they werent coming down by them selves and then coming back onto the track I put it back into 1st and it was just like I had neutral so I tried 2nd and the same.

I had reverse for about 10 seconds, long enough to get it off the corner and that was it.

Back then there were not many Mobile phones around (17yo on my learners) and me and the old man walked about 5 or 6 Kms to Sheepyard and got a lift home and went back the next day and picked it up.

For some reason a couple of Syncro's had crapped them selves and the loose bits and pieces went through the bearings and crapped everything else.

Uncle rebuilt it and it crapped it self shortly after again so we bought a second hand unit which lasted until we got rid of it.

Well the last few days I've had have been spent, setting everything up, replumb, rewire, change everything yet again, this is how the centre console area turned out, not wuite as good as I'd of liked, but not bad



And the ugly EDIC motor, complete with aluminium tape and cold gal

Matt, considering it was an auto beforehand, you did a great job with it. Console looks stock, very nice.

The worrying question is, however, your sexual persuasion as you left your pink handbag hanging on the dash

Originally Posted by stooge

Matt, considering it was an auto beforehand, you did a great job with it. Console looks stock, very nice.

The worrying question is, however, your sexual persuasion as you left your pink handbag hanging on the dash

The decieving thing about the centre area, is it higher on 86on RR's, also with body lift, you have to make the H-L lever longer and cut out the floor, then try and use rubber boots everywhere as the original 4 speed ones don't fit no more

Pink matches my eyes

Is that an 85 or 86?

They changed the centre console design in those years, I have an 85 which has the gearlever factory in that position but has a large cast aluminium top to the transmission tunnel.
The next year they changed to a sheet-metal tunnel, shifted the gearlever back behind the LT230 selector and put the stereo where the gear-lever was.

Originally Posted by Dougal

Is that an 85 or 86?

They changed the centre console design in those years, I have an 85 which has the gearlever factory in that position but has a large cast aluminium top to the transmission tunnel.
The next year they changed to a sheet-metal tunnel, shifted the gearlever back behind the LT230 selector and put the stereo where the gear-lever was.

86 Hence the whingeing about the high floor, 85's had the cast hump as you suggest, I've gone retro on the stereo and used an early under dash bit and put the stereo where the early ones go on the drivers side

Mine had the cast hump type, so when I changed to the lt95 all I did was buy some rubber and an alloy sheet and whacked that on. Simple really