Stumpy

Hi all, I need some new tyres. I drive 40km down a freeway to work for one of my jobs, then 40km back home to a farm and use the car around the property. It's muddy in winter (although we're coming out of that now) and dusty otherwise. There's some steepish sections I try to navigate and rocky parts too. I have a 1999 dual cab SR5 with a bit of lift and run 31 x 10.5 r15's Just been though a set of Kuhmo muddies but they wore out real quick with the highway driving and I think I need something that's gonna give me a few more kms but also has grip off road. Been looking at: Bridgestone duelers. They seem pretty good Maxxis bighorns (but have heard they're a bit treacherous on road in the wet). Can't afford Coopers or Mickey Thompsons though. Can anyone recommend a tyre?

Hi all. Anyone have or know anyone with a hard lid for sale to fit a 1999 dual cab SR5? Came across some hens teeth in my search but haven't turned over the rock the hard lid is under yet. Considering making one with some 25mm RHS and 1.6mm aly checkerplate. Anyone done this? Oh, by the way, if you have one for sale - I am in Adelaide, South Oz and can pay for shipping.

Well it's four weeks later and I'm finally back on the road. The oil pump was the problem and with a shiny new one fitted the oil light disappears within 5 seconds on start up. The car was in the air for four full weeks on a hoist with the front end dismantled while my mechanic tried to find time to work on it. He emailed me at 11:12pm one night and said he was getting delirious so he's going home. Most of the work was after hours and he didn't charge me for a lot of it. Top bloke! All in all it was a fairly major job and while he had everything off I got him to replace the timing belt and drive belts. The main and conrod bearings were also shot and needed replacing. I got new rotors and a bunch of other peripherals with the end result being $2070.00. Thanks for all your input. He used your suggestions and said it was good information. His name is Matt and the business is MJP Automotive in Meadows SA if you're ever in the area. Gotta book a month in advance though cause he's too busy! What I learnt: If your oil light is on and you know you've got oil in it, try replacing the sensor. If that doesn't work take off the oil filter, let it drain, crank over the engine and see if it's pumping out. If not, it's your oil pump or blocked pickup. Either way you're in for a few $.

Just an update; car is still at mechanics. He's been working on it after hours cause he's too booked up during the day. He did all the stuff you guys recommended. Reckons oil pump was shot. He showed me the cog and it had slight grooves in it and said it had never been off, even on engine rebuild. Getting the timing belt done while he's got it all apart. Hope to have it back mid week. He's gonna supply me with the oil he uses so I can do my own oil changes every 5K.

Thanks Manxman, Conrod and Trentmeyer23 for all your input. The car is at the mechanics where it first showed the problem. I don't have access to doing any of this stuff in his workshop for obvious reasons but I am going to copy and paste all this useful info into an email and send it to him. From now on I reckon I will be doing 5000 to 7500 km oil changes myself. Does that mean changing the oil filter on oil change too?

If I changed the oil every 5000 it would be every two and a half months. That's a lot of oil!

Oil done every 15,000 kms. No flush put in it.

Yeah, mech did that while I was there; no oil pressure at all! Zilch! Concerned now!

The car has done mostly highway driving (I leave for work at 4.30am and come home around 1pm) about 80kms a day on a 110kmh highway with almost no traffic and the oil light has not been on at all during that time, only on warm up. It seemed to just come on at the mechanics. He's a good mate of mine, nothing shifty or suss about him and he goes out of his way to make sure things are right on his own time, always been like that, so he's not trying to make a quick buck (in fact he's so booked up you gotta wait a month to get it). Weird place for it to happen. Still reckon rebuild's looming if the light has been out most of the time?

Oil light has been staying on for half a minute on start up. Noticed it would go away once I hit around 2000 revs. This has been happening for a while. Thought it was the sensor and no biggie. Took the car in for a routine service yesterday and the mech said the oil light wouldn't go off and the car got rough and stalled. When I turned up today to check it out, it wouldn't go out and stalled on a short rev session with mech under bonnet. Just wondering if anyone out there has had a similar experience. He replaced the sensor so it's not that. It could be a blocked take-up with something in the mesh or a dead oil pump. The engine was rebuilt 40 thou ago and is a 3.0 liter aspirated diesel. It's a 99 SR5 dual cab. anyone know a rough cost of oil pump replacement. Lot of labour in it.

Have a 99 Hilux SR5 with muddies on it at the moment which are being worn with lots of highway driving. Looking to get some all terrain tyres but don't have a lot to spend. Have noticed a lot of brands that I have never heard of with cheap tyres but am cautious having had cheap tyres on another car which didn't last. Any suggestions on a decent quality tyre without going to a BF Goodrich, Cooper or Micky Thompson type brand? I am located in South Australia

Have an 02 Extra Cab ute with a tray size of 1850mm wide by 2100mm long with a window protector and am looking for a canopy. Preferably one with a window on each side and a large window at the back for quick access to tools. Does anyone make them standard for this size? Or know of someone selling one? I can only seem to find canopies for tub utes on the net.