Losh's VR Ute build thread

[losh1971]

Achillies ATR Sport 225/50/16s. Fun in the wet, especially on the ute but only if your ready for it to slide.... Couple of times they let go last winter, when I wasn't expecting it.

 

[losh1971]

Why would I want a locker on the road??? Wouldn't that make it a bastard to drive. It has an LSD but the cones need machining. I asked about getting it done but the diff bloke wasn't keen on just machining the cones, he wanted to re-bearing it at the same time. Trouble is bearings are good and the pinion is not leaking so he said just leave it until it needs an overhaul.

 

[harrop.senator]

Shim it yourself it's a half hour job max once removed lol.

Depends on who you ask I've dailied many cars with lockers. Should've seen everyone state the Mrs down when she'd rock up to ag shows trailer full of hosts in a cammed vs with a locker lol. I just meant you'd be hard pushed to chew a pair in six months without one.

Are sport I've never really had issues with you just have to use your right foot. They have been on my Mrs car front and rear with short gears , machined LSD that used to chiro in carparks first couple thousand KMs and manual no dramas.

What's the tread wear rating on them? I think they're 240 which means they should be fairly soft.

I've never understood the whole dangerous rear tyres in the wet. I think drivers more to do with it then anything else no offense. Either just pushing a car with an LSD and no weight in the back to much on transitions or not paying attention.

I've had cars that spin 4th and 5th gear in the wet when I want to drive around on $70 tyres and no dramas unless I wanted them with stiff as **** coilovers and double sway bars lol.

 

[losh1971]

The road I drive on when leaving home is fairly smooth and in the wet it becomes pretty slippery. Totally my fault because I was in a hurry and pushed it too hard, they are not real soft. They chip more than wear because of the roads I drive on. I have Champs on the front and they feel far better. Online reviews bagged the Champs saying awful in the wet and wear out in no time. But I have had mine on 12 months and they have another 12months at least left in them. Tiny bit of edge wear and feathering because I push it a bit hard on my way home but that's nothing. I read your write up about shimming the cones but I'd rather not because I have always had someone else work on my diffs. I have a mate in Adelaide who would machine it for me and be ok not doing a full rebuild, I suspect.

 

[harrop.senator]

Yeah fair enough I've had some mates run 12s with manual turbos and 2.1 60's on achilles usually grip up top of second hahah.

Just shim the cones. Stop being a scaredy cat. Your not messing with any gear mesh or clearances. It's only nuts n bolts!

Pop the axles don't even need to remove shoes lol. Undo back cover. Pry centre out (longest part of the job as weight always gravities down compared to when diffs put n pulling up square) and rattle the crown bolts off.

Left shim stays on left side right side on right side.

Once you split the LSD it's practically washers a couple springs and cone's.

To put it in perspective I think I could drive in drive out an LSD shim up in a quicker time then ring slap ride in ride out on a faired multi cylinder 2 banger.

On your first crack it may take you half a day and thats being honest. I do them in about 2.5 hours n 2 hours is pulling the centre out and getting it back in. That and getting the ring gear back on is the longest process lol.

The LSD unit is nuts and bolts dude. I don't even bother with torque specs if you can remove a diff centre you can shim one. You just need a vice and a grinder.

 

[losh1971]

Wire brushed the Pacies today. Just have the Y pipe to wire brush and they're ready to sandblast where the brush couldn't reach. Then they will be ready for paint.

 

[Wozza]

Wire brushed the Pacies today. Just have the Y pipe to wire brush and they're ready to sandblast where the brush couldn't reach. Then they will be ready for paint.

You do realize that within 6mths they will be looking the same as they do now ...but I cant talk, just come in after hand painting nearly 80 spokes on me bike lol

 

[losh1971]

They looked pretty bad Wozza brown patches over light blue didn't look nice at all. I will give them a good coat of matt black paint before fitting them and hopefully they will look good for some time. Once I get them on I can always slip one side off and sandblast and repaint if need be then do the other side in a week or two after that.

 

[losh1971]

On another note I went to tap out the dent just in front of the tail light where the end of the tub is and the only access is the side panel over 200mm away. Now I need to get a slide hammer with tapered end on it and drill a hole behind the moulding and screw the fitting in and pull it out that way. Or pay 100 bucks and see if the Ding Doctor can get it out with his special tools. Thinking I'd rather do it myself and just add a skim of bog to just finish it off.

 

[Wozza]

Yeah I know but it never lasts.....main issue with heat paint is ppl don't bake it before fitting em, pretty hard finding an oven big enough for exhausts ... the only way to do the job once and forget is to ceramic coat em...cost a bit though....