Top Piccys Eric.. Snow and tents funny stuff :lol:

Lift for a CRD, Contact CRDSTU, he'll sort you out with the best option, and he can supply a snorkel as well.


From what I have seen that front engine/suspension skid that comes on the CRD standard is not the same thickness as the one you buy as a separate skid, metal seems thinner

G'day Cmohr,

I reckon you're right about the CRD stock front skid. It's nowhere near as thick in gauge as the transmission and trans case skids. I'll take it off this week for some reverse bashing. :D

In fact, the bashplates were pretty much the only thing that got scarred on the trip (so i suppose they are doing their job well!). I did get the hitch receiver plastic trim bit ripped off - must have been one of the steeper drainage humps on the tracks.
The KJ is real good in tight twisty tracks - heaps smaller than the tank Toyos/Nissans, though the track ruts they make, were spaced a little too wide for me and i ended up straddling a lot ot the really rutted sections. That bit was really hard when under half a foot of snow - coz everything looks flat! And then the icyness makes it too easy to slip sideways into the ruts when you try to (guess) where to straddle them.

All in all, i'm pretty impresed by the KJ once the 'teething probs' have been sorted out (no more funny temp guage, provent is now catching oil etc) The other drivers were a bit surprised to see us up there. They were all in lifted GQs/toyos that were like monster trucks compared to the stock KJ. We camped up top of the range, (they all stayed halfway down) and the looks on their faces when we came down the mountain in the snow was gold!**)

This was our KJ hood ornament: (which was removed before we set off!)
http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...6&d=1209435772

Eric.

love that pic mate

Nice one, where was that at?

Looks great but.....toooooo cold for me:cool:

Yes not all engine skids are created equal. I compared mine with a mate's who has an '03 KJ. The design / shape was identical but his was at least 1mm thicker and weighed about twice what mine did! They obviously decided to save a few bucks on this.

Chains can be an issue. You won't get them on the front, they have to go on the rears. I was running 245/70s on mine with OME shocks, and chains would actually rub on the rear shocks as they are fatter than standard shocks but there was no way I could have put them on the front.

just get a good set of MT's :evil:

Or move to WA no snow over here

well... looks like i'm getting muddies and moving to WA then. hehe:D

Thanks for the heads-up on the chains. I'm running 235/70R16 cooper atrs, so hopefully i won't have too many dramas.

Eric.

Spent the weekend down at Warburton attending the MJOC Jeep Muster 2008. Plenty of jeeping and secret handshakes etc.

see thread for more info and pics
http://www.ausjeepoffroad.com/forum/...ad.php?t=75048

Won trophy for "Best Presented KJ" in the Saturday morning Show'n'Shine competition.

Did a B grade trip Friday arvo, ramp comp followed by a few of us doing a B night drive. Saturday show'n'shine then a C for the afternoon and a party on Sat night. Heaps of rain overnight and I downgraded from a B to a C for one more trip on Sunday before coming home.

On the Sunday trip I couldn't help but go through the deeper bit, although didn't realise it was that deep!!

Friday arvo "B' grade trip
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4188.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4201.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4237.jpg

Ramp comp. Started late and it got dark very quick.
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4250.jpg

Show'n'Shine
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4361.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4362.jpg

playing in the quarry during Saturday arvo "C" grade trip. Looked steeper from my seat:) with plenty of left foot braking to get down safely.
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_1756.jpg

Sunday "C" grade trip. That was a bit deep!
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/_MG_0903.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/_MG_0904.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/_MG_0905.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/_MG_0940.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100B5000.jpg

My trophy for "Best Presented KJ" although this was Sunday morning after some trips and plenty of rain overnight.
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4433.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4437.jpg

full selection my pics at
http://www.aussiejeepimages.com/inde..._itemId=115779

Great Pics as alway Stephen, Mate, Was your heart in you mouth when you dropped down into the water hole :p :p


Congrats on "Best Presented"

Watched a TJ go through first and thought no worries, but turned the lockers on... just in case. I've got them so I use them. Didn't want to get stuck. Once it dropped in, kept the foot down to keep it moving forward and once the front got out.... slowly, the lockers help pull me fully out. You can see the spray off the wheels spinning trying to get traction in the mud.
:D My first trophy.. yeh!! :D

noice mate

best presented KJ eh ;)

Love your pics mate. Was that a KK or a patriot in one of the shots?

Patriot/.


how did he get so far from Westfield?:p

Good pix..Awesome trophy!

yes well.... it looked more like the first pic rather than the second :D

Friday arvo
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4191.jpg

Sunday arvo :D
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_5011.jpg

No KK's there on the weekend but yes that was a Patriot belonged to Tasar... actually his wifes car. He had his TJ there as well. It even made it up the ramp... although not as high as the winner but more than a Commander!
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...8/100_4298.jpg

What?!? It went further than a Commander? Wow!

Great pics there Stephen looks like a great weekend :)

That was my impression, but I slightly wrong there as I just got sent some stats from the weekend.
Patriot was 298, XH Commander was 375, my KJ was 495 and the winning CJ3 was 1152 (next closest TJ was 1102).
I think those numbers are inches and derived from a highly mathamatical combination of wheelbase & actual distance up ramp.

Another fun day out, until........

http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...4/100_5015.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...4/100_5025.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...4/PICT3944.jpg

I think can, I think I can
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...4/PICT3948.jpg

I think I can't. Those paying attention will notice something wrong in this pic. Hint: I have front & rear lockers on.
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...4/PICT3954.jpg

want to see what part of the left front axle looks like when its been "stressed" :-(
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...4/100_5123.jpg
http://www.stephenmeddings.com/photo...4/100_5124.jpg

oh well. Thinking back there may have been some warning signs but it just quietly stopped working!

Live and learn. Was having fun up until then :)

Well at least it wasn't the fron Diff !

True, we sometimes hear of horror storys about them grenading.

Crikey!!!!!!!!

YES!!! Looks like the axle is the weakest part of the system... at least on Sunday :(
The latest report is that they can source both left & right front axles 2nd hand (as right isn't looking great). So while its all apart fix everything so its perfect again. Might need to be sitting down when the final bill comes in. Have already seen the cost of 1 new axle :o

Hoping its all together.... and working for a night drive this Friday.

Ouch! Hope it doesn't cost you too much.
I bought a 2nd hand front axle complete CV etc for $700 for one side.

Just got off the phone. Make sure you are sitting when reading this.

1x brand new left front axle is $2837.68 :eek:

New right front axle, not available in Australia or World !!

Both left & right axles second-hand $2112.50

W O W

OUCH!!!!!! That's gotta hurt...

sniff, sniff...... the price of learning & fun I suppose.

Ah well I take it your insured............

HOLY COW!:0=

It would take a hellava lot of torque to do that!!
Do you reckon that the axle was damaged - and that became the stress riser? (Where the splined shaft inserts into the socket) The pic looks like it wasn't pure brittle fracture, and that there's a fair bit of plastic deformation.
I like the swirley shear pattern on the shaft too! - best set of pics in the forum i reckon. :D

I've heard of cases at work, where rubber seals on big mining mill shafts have worn a really shallow groove - and the shafts have failed as a result.

Or maybe you just have a killer donk unda da hood! LOL

Best of luck getting her back on the road!

Sorry??????????? Do you have the decimal points in the right place!!!!!!!!


Damn, Thats Insane :wall: :wall: :wall:



EDIT>>>>>>>>>>

Stepen, you may want to look away when you see the prices here

hey stephen.

check this out - poly 4x4 are wrecking a KJ.
http://www.poly4x4.com.au/4sale.html

Eric.

Hope thats not the one on the Poly website. Looks like front end damage.

Anyway, got my baby back yesterday. Everything seems OK. Strange getting back into it after having a Suburu Outback as a loan car for nearly 2 weeks. Need to take it out into the local bush and give a workout before going away just to make sure lockers etc are working correctly.

They showed me the right front axle. Haven't got any pics but it wasn't far from breaking either. Had a very nice twist in it and thats why they replaced it as well.

Just waiting for the bill now :cry: :cry:

only 17 so haven't done much off-roading, hoping to join the adelaide jeep club when i turn 19 when i have time. I drive around the adelaide hills some weekends, where i took these photos. anyone know any trails around the adelaide area that would be good for going alone at? my friends are still on thir L's lol

is a 2.4 petrol manual, no modifications apart from most of the stereo - half the entertainment's inside the cabin. proper first car, so very happy with the kj. proven to be an absolute awesome car whatever i need it for

http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/2885/dsc00535jw8.jpg
http://img187.imageshack.us/img187/218/dsc00537ll9.jpg

Welcome mate, Nice looking KJ...I'm certain you'l find all the info you need on this site:)

yeah cheers. i'm certain i'll always be on here asking questions