XJ Mods VSB 14

[alexbrown64]

OK, i have finally received a bunch of parts in the mail which make the XJ more capable for bush driving.

I ordered the Kings bush mechanics tool kit. Got it for $80 delivered and it roughly has most of the tools i would probably need out in the bush to tighten/fix most minor problems. It comes in a soft bag, so should scrunch down in my rear draw no problems. Here is a run down of the tools..

You Tube

Next up is my tyre deflators. They are a generic brand which were delivered for $15. All brass, and easy to use, i will set them for about 20 psi for sand use. Full explanation here:

You Tube

Next up was a set of recovery tracks. I didn't want to pay $300 for a set of what is basically a strip of molded plastic. These ones came up on Ebay for $50 on special including delivery (for the 5T ones). They are a copy of the more expensive one and have a bloody good review.. they will do me..
Full review here:

You Tube

Next up was a recovery kit. I have a winch set up, but no snatch straps, slings, shackles etc.. so i got an Imax recovery set. $120 delivered for a full set of gear which could get me out of trouble. They are all pretty much the same on Ebay. The Kings setup is roughly the same, but has a tyre deflator. I opted for the Imax as i have a set of tyre deflators, but the Imax setup also comes with a shovel. Basic video below of what most of the kits include:

You Tube

I also have had some exhaust wrap delivered so i can protect my airlines and airbags. I still have not received my airline repair kit... but it should be here any day.
All looking good to start hitting the bush again with a bit more confidence that i can make it out..

Cheers,

[alexbrown64]

Spent a bit of time on the old girl today.

I wrapped a portion of the exhaust in heat tape. This is to help protect the airbag suspension and some of the airlines.

I sorted out all the recovery gear. I depressurized a tyre to 20psi and then set all my quick tyre deflators to this pressure. I then tried out my compressor and pressured the tyre back up. I use my Thumper second battery which is in the back of the Jeep for power.

The recovery tracks were mounted on the roof rack with some straps.
The tool kit, compressor and recovery straps are now stored in the slide out draw along with some spares such as hoses and belts.

I think i will eventually need a spare tps, cps, dizzy cap and a few other nickers nackers that seem to "go" on the XJ. I will also get some water, tranny and motor oil.

I am still waiting on the repair kit for my ARB airline hoses.


Cheers,

[oldon]

Look at all that shiny stuff Alex, good thing your windows are tinted.

[alexbrown64]

Originally Posted by oldon

Look at all that shiny stuff Alex, good thing your windows are tinted.

Yes, the windows are tinted pretty dark, and the stuff is packed away in the rear draw away from prying eyes. Another good thing is the recovery gear i bought was relatively cheap. So if someone was to get in and pinch everything, it would not cost much to replace.

Cheers,

[alexbrown64]

Well, the ARB airline 5mm line repair thingy final arrived in the mail. I cut out the section where the exhaust had burnt a hole through it and fitted the pneumatic coupling. Tested the compressor and lockers and it works great. I also routed the line away from the exhaust, but still have the heat wrap on the pipe for added protection.

So now the old beast is ready for the bush again. This time i have all the recovery gear and tyre deflators/air compressors ready to go....

She is really starting to drive quite nicely. Reversing camera working, video/stereo working, cooling systems seem great, all systems are going well...

Here she is sitting in the middle of the road this arvo...



Cheers,

[alexbrown64]

Well, i have been using Photoshitbucket for the last god knows how long to host all my pix. They have now hijacked millions of users and are demanding 400 US per year just to upload a couple of pics. Of course i am shutting the account down. They already put a block on mine and millions of other users pictures.
Anyway, i have organized all my pics into folders on Photoshitbucket and downloaded them all to my PC. Then i uploaded them all to my Hot Mail OneDrive account. From here, i am going to have to spend some time going through my threads to repopulate my pics back in.
Will take some time, but i hope to get the XJ thread back with all the pix in the next month or two.

Cheers,
Alex

[alexbrown64]

Ive had a renewed interest in the XJ lately as i slowly turn her into a daily driver.
I got stuck into this thread and did my best to rebuild all the missing pictures from when Photobucket had a brain fart and wrecked everyone's posts.

I have a few projects on the go at the moment including rear ZG disc brakes, 777 injectors and 4.56 gears. Also still tweaking things like caster angles and fuel economy. I checked my economy and am getting 14lt/100k with half highway and half town driving.

Few more pics of the old girl.. 23 years old now!!





Cheers,