Further with this story.
Mud terrains got fitted up not long after the above. Talk about a difference straight away. First trip away and I manage to get further up the track – and then bent the side steps, bulbar and down the drivers side of the vehicle when I slid into a tree whilst climbing a muddy trail!!! The muddies I fitted were Hankook MT’s (235/85 R16). This necessitated a slight adjustment of my steering locks to stop the inside of the tyres scrubbing. The tyres I have now been using for a few years. I normally get between 20-30thou out of a set. But at $175 I’m happy with running them all of the time.
Just before I left Sydney, I managed to bend the steering rod quite significantly whilst out at Newnes. To the point that I bent the metal bracket that is meant to protect it – hint for newcomers – it doesn’t protect it!!!
Anyway Maxi-Drive came to the rescue with their heavy duty track rod. This rod is thicker for the length of it, but tapers down to the original size of 23mm for the last 40mm for the clamps. Makes a good difference and I haven’t had any issues since it’s been fitted.
Whilst in the NT the transfer case decided to literally melt all of it’s gears. The only things left that where any good was the case and the centre diff lock. Again Maxi-Drive where the company I turned too. I fitted discovery high range gears, and the straight-cut low range gears that Maxi-Drive make. The result was a better vehicle on the highways, but more importantly a way better vehicle off-road with a low range to be envious off. I loved the result.
Since then I had a really good run until I got to Canberra. There whilst climbing a muddy hill the rear axle decided to call it a day. I again turned to Maxi-Drive (can you tell I’m really gunna miss them). I fitted their machined axles and drive flanges into the rear end. They are made out of high alloy, double refined aviation steel. At the same time I changed the rear wheel bearings from grease lubricated to being oil lubricated from the diff. Time will tell if this works better than the old system, but between this modification and the drive flanges, it sure as hell has got rid of a lot of ‘slop’ in the rear end, and it seems to be keeping the water and mud out better.
For those that don’t know yet, I managed to blow either the front diff or axles last week playing. I’m not sure what it is yet, as I haven’t stripped it down. Due to the demise of Maxi-Drive, I was crapping myself about spare parts. Thankfully Barry is still making them under his own company now and I can still get them.
Diff lock options though have now changed to ARB. But that’s life and it’s not a bad second option that’s for sure.