ngt206

Morning readers, I'm about to embark upon throwing vast sums of money at having my 76 Series remapped by a professional. I should point out I've already gone to the trouble - and expense - of fitting a heavy duty clutch. However a friend of mine has alerted me to this "iDrive" plug and play system. Has anyone out there chosen to give this device a shot as it seems to be all the rage right now? And for substantially less cost, will I get the same/similar results, or will there potentially be some damaging side effects? For example; does the iDrive cause your fuel burn to increase dramatically? Could it cause issues with your injectors or any other significant engine part? Any feedback on this greatly appreciated Regards Nigel

1. I'll start with rear bars. Does anyone know how you get your hands on "Rock Armor" rear bars? I've done a bit of research, and I reckon these are the best design for the price (saw one fitted to a Troopy up on Fraser Is) but I just can't find where I can order them online. Apart from "Powerful 4x4" but they don't appear to stock them for the 76 Series. 2. Has anyone fitted the Marks 4WD overdrive adaptor to their Cruiser? I'd be interested in any feedback both good and bad. They look like a great mod, albeit rather pricey at almost $8k. Go to this link if it interests you: http://www.marks4wd.com/landcruiser-overdrive.html 3. I'd be interested to hear if anyone has come up with an innovative way of carrying extra water, without carrying it up high (roof rack) Some form of tank either inside the cabin somewhere on under the belly? So far the best I've come up with (I have the ARB drawer system by the way) is a 20 Lt water bladder sitting in the RH corner cavity (under pull out hatch) I have this connected to a 12V water pump (in situ above RN wheel arch) which then runs to a typical non return valve garden hose fitting, mounted on the wall of the drawers RHS. I can then clip in a coil hose with a shower head so we can rinse of the dust/salt while out bush/beach bashing. The switch is mounted on the LHS where I was able to tee power off an Anderson plug (double adaptor) which powers the fridge. It works ok, but 20 Lts doesn't quite cut it. I was thinking of fabricating a tank (either out of plastic or aluminium) which could take up the space between the rear seats and the back of the drawers. Pretty much between the 2 rear wheel arches. I worked it out that the proposed tank would hold a volume of water a touch over 30 Lts, which is at least a 30% +/- improvement. Everything I've researched on the www is either too big - to accomodate a fridge on a slider as well - or impractical (takes up room on the rear seat foot area) I'm certainly open for suggestions on this tricky one, but suffice to say, putting any water storage up high is out of the question, as your whole C of G is going to be compromised. But that's just my opinion ;-) 4. Lastly: In terms of mods in general, which do you consider your most favourite/coolest modification to your 76 series? For me I have a couple favourites. An aftermarket cruise control and the Taipan 3" mandrel bent exhaust. Cheers all. I look forward to hearing from you. Happy travels!

Cheers bloke for your input. After 130,000 kms, I can only imagine how gunked up she's going to be. I'll get back to you

Hi folks, Is there such a thing (as the above)? Does Haynes not publish such a thing in their library? I can't seem to find one anywhere on the www. Maybe there is another publisher I don't know about. I've sourced a CD, but there's no substitute to being able to flick through a book and put you dirty mitts all over it. Can anyone suggest a link? Thanks

Hey GC_AUS Thanks a lot for sharing your experience. After further research, sounds like it could be a bit of a hit and miss thing with regards setting off "lights", so what I thought I'd do is fit the blank plank (No hole) and should I find that it trips off the warning light, I can always take it apart again and drill the 10mm hole, given how simple it is to fit. Maybe you don't notice the difference in performance, but I imagine over time you are reducing the amount of carbon (soot) build up, reducing air temps through the turbo, hence increasing the life of the engine. The other thing to consider, is a "Catch Can", which basically "prevents oil from entering into the intake manifold and mixing with the carbon from the EGR, clogging up vital components and potentially causing damage" as quoted from the Co's link. If you're going to go to the trouble of taking the manifolds to pieces to clean them, probably not such a bad idea to protect your hard efforts. Will keep you posted. Thanks again.

Hi folks, This is a subject that has been bandied around a bit and does hold a few grey areas, so I'm seeking some clarification before I consider making any mods. Can someone tell me, will the fitting of a "blanking plate" cause any harm and/or warning lights when fitted to my LANDCRUISER 76 SERIES VDJ 4.5LT TURBO DIESEL V8? I've already found a huge performance gain subsequent to fitting a 3" exhaust system. Amazing. The only reason that I'm raising this question, is that a work colleague reported huge improvements in his Hilux, after fitting a blanking plate. In so doing, he says you reduce the need to spend a day pulling the engine apart to clean out the gunk build up in the manifolds/air intake system, which of course has a detrimental effect on engine performance. Appreciate your feedback. Regards ngt

Thanks for your help Trent. Looks like Snake Racing (supplier for GearMaster) only have the after market reduction gear, but will send them the question. And we'll see what Gear Vendors come back with. Looks like they only deal with Yank Tanks, but you never know...

Gidday all, and thanks for the comments/ideas coming through. It's been interesting reading Looking back (crikey, it's almost a year since the post went up) I guess I should have titled the thread "How to modify the gear ratio on a V8 Landcruiser" Since posting I've done a few mods, most notable swapping out for a 3" exhaust, which I believe has improved the bottom end torque dramatically. You had me going there for a moment Scooter, but I guess you're referring to the auto transmission right?? In a perfect world, I reckon a 6 speed gearbox would be the go, although I'm interested in your feedback Trentmeyer with regards the aftermarket overdrive you mention, and how practical and workable that is as an effective modification for my vehicle. Are you able to be more specific on this forum as regards a manufacturer, or are you bound by secrecy? Many thanks for any help

Don't get me wrong, I'm ok with my Landcruiser, but the V8 just doesn't need to be revving at 2500 at 100 kph!! Is there an economical way of getting more out of the factory manual gear system? I've heard of a modified differential out there, but have no solid leads And at 23,000+/- the automatic conversion option is not a cost effective alternative, plus I want to stick with manual.

Ooops, hold the phone... Reckon this might've been what I've been looking for all along! GXL VDJ76R.... And, some of the earlier models (2007 - 08) have very reasonable asking prices. Guess because they don't have all the bling.

I KNEW you were going to say that ;-) As I thought (feared) Another truck to add into the mix. I think settling on a budget is going to determine it at the end of the day. Thanks again

Hi David, Ok understood. Thanks for clearing that up. Makes perfect sense. And just to throw a spanner in the works, sorry about this... What of the FZJ105? The 4.5L petrol auto. Any good? - and you can be totally blunt and honest. Pros and Cons. Any real disadvantages to auto for serious off roading? I'm starting to confuse myself now with all these models, so it would be nice to be able to cross it off the list. However, if this petrol fuelled series is that good and I need to bring it into the equation I will... At least they don't seem to have the same ridiculous asking price as the HDJ, but then there could be a very good reason for that?! Many thanks in advance Regards Nigel

Hi David, awesome feedback and a huge help let me tell you! One question I have on your post re "The most cost affective way to get a live axel 100 series is to buy a na diesel" What do you refer to with regards an NA diesel? You're right, the HDJ sure fetches a price tag. They seem to retain their value... I'm starting to get the feeling that if I were to get a tidy HZJ that has done 250000 odd kms for no more than $22,000 +/- I'd be doing well

WTF?? Nothing people? Might have to be Nissan after all...

Hi folks, I am looking to graduate into the 4x4 club so thought that this should be as good a place as any to get a straight answer as to what I should be looking for... I've done a bit of research so far and it comes down to a choice of 2 (well 3 really if you count HZJ vs HDJ) The Patrol GU 4.2 (don't disown me yet please!!!) and the Landcruiser. The 1HD-FTE Turbo being the stand out donk for Toyota. Trouble is, they brought out the HDJ with the IFS!!! Great for around town, but not so great for off roading. Seems to me, if a bloke could get his hands on a HZJ fitted with the 1HD-FTE turbo engine with low (not sure what low is, so advice on this would also be appreciated...) kms, he'd be set!! Of course they're as rare as hens teeth (I live in Brisbane btw) Is the HZJ with the 1HZ non turbo that bad?? So the last question is this... What is easiest and most cost effective to convert? The HZJ (upgrade with the 1HD-FTE) or the HDJ100R with the new front end (axle) I don't imagine I'll be using it to hit the most challenging terrain out there (mostly beach) if that helps determine an answer Your straight shooting advice/comments will be gratefully received. Thanks everyone:-)