The Alpine Triton

[alpine triton]

Since I have had the MN for 2 months now I thought I had better post up what has been done to it so far......
Picked up from dealer with side steps, tinted windows, floor mats and headlight protectors
Then after a month it went to ARB for a winch bar, rear bar, snorkel, smooth canopy, tub liner and trade roof rack and while it was there I had the XD9000 off the Patrol checked, greased and installed with the bar (with the associated in/out dash switch and isolation switch).
I went out and bought a set of BF Goodrich KM2's last week which will go under the triton when the Ultimate lift arrives (being ordered this week).
Still sitting in the shed and waiting to go on at some stage soon are an ARB awning, compressor and a set of lightforce 240 blitz's.
Photo's so far




Can't wait to get everything sorted and get in some snow driving this winter
Adam

[Dunga71]

Welcome Adam truck looks great,terrific colour White

[Duck]

Bloody hell that is a lot of mod in 2 months Good job, you'll run out of toys to add to the beast soon.Keep the pictures coming

[alpine triton]

Thanks guys, as it is my first new 4x4 I want to get it sorted to do the type of 4x4ing, fishing and hunting trips that I like to do fairly quickly. It needs to be pretty capable straight up to get into all those good little spots tucked away in the Vic high country especially over the winter months
The cash will run dry sooner or later though.......unfortunately
Adam

[Jimboz]

G,day, what part of the Vic High Country are you in???

[mattz]

Welcome to Newtriton.
Nice list of mods
Have a look around and I'm sure you'll find more.

[alpine triton]

G,day, what part of the Vic High Country are you in???

From Mt Beauty originally but now living just out of Wodonga but I spend a bit of time over at Swift's Creek, Omeo, Benambra and Corryong hunting, fishing and 4x4ing
Not too far a drive to those areas from here
That reminds me, when the lift and tyres are in/on I must get back over your way for a look around
Adam

[alpine triton]

Welcome to Newtriton.
Nice list of mods
Have a look around and I'm sure you'll find more.

Thanks mattz
Ultimate kit ordered today (thanks Brendan ), can't wait
Adam

[Cowboy Dave]

Corryong seems like a nice little town. Man from Snowy river museum is down that way isn't it?

Might have to get some pointers from you as to the best 4wd tracks down that way.

[Jimboz]

From Mt Beauty originally but now living just out of Wodonga but I spend a bit of time over at Swift's Creek, Omeo, Benambra and Corryong hunting, fishing and 4x4ing
Not too far a drive to those areas from here
That reminds me, when the lift and tyres are in/on I must get back over your way for a look around
Adam

alpine triton

Posts: 11
Joined: Sun Mar 31, 2013 6:40 pm
Location: North East Victoria

Give us a yell if your coming over, would like to meet up. The Omeo highway through the Mitta is real good now, only 11Ks left to seal!!! Jim

[alpine triton]

That's right Cowboy Dave, man from snowy river museum is in Corryong and is well worth a look if you are in the area
There are a few track around Corryong, but the real fun starts about an hour or so south of there
Jimboz, will let you know when I am over that way next and we'll see if we can catch up
Regarding the Omeo Highway - another road ruined by laying tarmac on it if you ask me, where's the adventure in 3 hours of tarmac???
Only the Benambra-Corryong road to go and all the fun will be over......
Adam

[alpine triton]

Ultimate Kit arrived today
Gets fitted next week along with the tyres, I am currently dismantling (destroying - bloody clips!) the centre console to hide the main body of the GME TX 3520, with the remote head going in the change tray between the gearstick and the dash (decided to try and save $150 and put it in myself).
Will post some pics when I get it right
Adam

[baito]

I mounted my remote unit under the drivers seat, but mine just has a remote mike with all controls on that so but easier, good luck with it, I just wired in my ipf hid spotties

Cheers

[alpine triton]

I thought about under the seat Baito, I'm not sure if the speaker will be loud enough being hidden under the centre console or not?
Might still go that way yet
I am going to have a crack at the driving lights once the UHF gets sorted
Good lights make a difference don't they!
Adam

[baito]

Yeah mate I can't live without a decent set of d lights, your speaker should be fine in the dash, I had one in the hilux dash and it was fine, mine has a speaker in the mike as well.

Cheers

[Dunga71]

I have seen the external speaker mounted between the head rest and the top of the seat,I would have put mine there but the rest is always fully down,I ended up sitting it in the tray at the front of the centre console
viewtopic.php?f=51&t=9503&start=25#p272313

[alpine triton]

I ended up putting the main unit under the passenger seat, with the head sitting in the small tray in front of the gear sticks, even works when I tested the setup
Just have to wait for the ultra bond to set on the broken console clips then I can put the centre console back together.
Tyres and suspension go on next Wednesday and Thursday so I am getting pretty keen to see how it will stand
Slowly getting there, once all that is finished it's only the compressor, driving lights and dual battery to go
Adam

[alpine triton]

Well, ultimate suspension and tyres have been on for about a month, just had the 1000k bolt and nut tighten and check by the mechanics who installed it - all ok there.
Ended up with 35mm lift in the front, with 50mm lift in the rear over the standard suspension with all the accessories.
Tyres and lift have transformed the car!
Massive increase in ground clearance/sill clearance as well as approach/departure angles
Thanks to Brendan at Ultimate for a quality product that works!
Took the triton for it's first (and probably last) snow trip this winter on Saturday
A bit of snow from about 1300m and upwards, mostly on the south faces of the peaks
Also threw in a nice little river crossing just to make it more fun, got to the top of the wheel arches at the deepest point.



Then spent the next half an hour getting stuck on the climb back out, very steep with loose shale and rock steps thrown in for good measure (the patrol had previously driven this hill 3 out of 3 times). Two lots of winching later and the top of the steep section was reached.
Note to self: ALWAYS remember to turn the ASC off when you turn the car off and on again when in the bush!!!!
Very unnerving to have the car basically stall right when you need the power and momentum the most
Took all day Sunday stewing over what happened and finally it clicked last night after reading a lot of stuff on diff lock and reduction gears
Every other trip I have consciously turned ASC off when putting it into 4x4, but with the multiple stops for snow play, tree cutting, river crossing etc it just got missed.
Otherwise had a good shakedown, the suspension is fantastic, the tyres go really well, the only possible downside is the slight loss of "go" with the bigger tyres, but it will still pull 100 in 4th up long, steep climbs on the road.
Can't want for the next trips to get a bit more handle on how the car behaves in the bush
Adam

[alpine triton]

Not much happening mod wise after moving into another (buying) house 12 months ago. Now looking at getting a front locker in to give the triton a bit more of a chance to get up those steep, muddy, water bar strewn tracks that we get up here (especially when they are covered in snow during the winter!!).
Looking at an Eaton E-locker at this stage
Anyone running a front air or E locker in a 2103 MN??
Adam

[alpine triton]

A couple of snaps from last winters' snow trip with the boys



Looking forard to next winter (and this summer of course!!)
Adam

[alpine triton]

The latest addition to the Triton has been a set of Kelly Safari TSR's in May. They have now done 3500kms on tarmac, red clay, gravel and snow in the last month and I have to say that I am very impressed with them so far. They were originally bought because we had a trip planned to the Flinders' Ranges and I didn't want to drive a brand new set of BF Goodrich KM2's there and back again. From reports that the local tyrepower dealer has been getting most people are getting 60,000kms out of them or maybe even a little more, so hopefully they will last me about 4 years at that rate.






Unfortunately, I managed to stake the left rear tyre with a piece of mountain ash on Thursday while driving on a tarmac road so I have had to order another one as the sidewall took the hit and not the tread
Other than that they have really surprised me with how well they grip on the road, especially on the winding mountain road that I drive all the time and they have also excelled in the mud and snow. I don't think my BF KM2's that I previously had did any better than the Kelly's have been going (actually think the BF's weren't as good on the road).

Here is a few photos of the snow test I took the tyres on last weekend.




Slowly getting the hang of getting the best out of the traction control with the Triton.
The next step is to decide whether to put another $5-6,000 or so into it for a front locker, 2.7 low range gears, secondary fuel filter, scangauge/EDS and some decent side steps.

Adam

[explorer.dave]

I've got the Kelly TSR 265/75/16's on mine and while l can't compare them to other MT's / AT's they have served me well, they are very good in the mud (which is something that l do try to avoid) and good on the sand / road. Never had a chance to try them in the snow so good to hear they went well.
They are certainly stone grabbers though.

[alpine triton]

I've got the Kelly TSR 265/75/16's on mine and while l can't compare them to other MT's / AT's they have served me well, they are very good in the mud (which is something that l do try to avoid) and good on the sand / road. Never had a chance to try them in the snow so good to hear they went well.
They are certainly stone grabbers though.

Yep, they grab stones alright - you can hear them being shot out into the guards
They are about as close as you can get to a dedicated Muddy without actually getting a Muddy if you know what I mean
Adam

[alpine triton]

It has been a while since I have posted here as nothing much has changed with the triton with the exception of adding the secondary fuel filter to the engine bay and relocating the compressor into the tub to run off the second battery.
As I will own the triton soon I am now starting to look at options in regards to keeping it or getting something else.

Given the issues/hassles/shortcomings of the current crop of diesel twin cab utes if I were to ditch the triton it would probably be for a GU 4.2TD patrol with auto conversion if funds permit. If for some reason I end up having to keep the triton once I own it I plan to kick another 5-7K into it to finish it off and then drive it into the ground.
Given the mods I have already done to it the remaining things I was looking at doing to it were (bearing in mind the majority of it's off road work is in the Vic high country)
1. 2.7 to 1 low range reduction gears and:
2. ARB air locker or DP chip

I know there has been a lot of debate over front vs rear locker for the triton and IFS utes in general but if I went the locker I was leaning towards the rear one as I would still have TC operating on the front diff (less worry about doing CV's etc).
Just wondering what people's thoughts are on going with these mods, especially if they have gone don a similar path with their own triton.
Thanks in advance.
Adam.

[L200Shogun]

Reduction gears are always good off road.
From on here a front locker will take you further, A rear is a lot less hassle and still helps take you a lot of places.
Air vs E locker might be another question.
DP chips are very expensive new for what they are. I would pass.
This looks like a proper tuning shop might be worth a thought
https://www.dieselsmart.shop/product-pa ... lug-n-plug