4wd26 2008 ML auto- now with 4.6 gears and rear disc brakes

[4wd26]

http://www.jwspeaker.com/products/led-headlight-model-516/
they have changed there website around since yesterday, but defiantly a version for 12 volt

[coughy]

Looky what i found today 26
http://www.ozled.com.au/Products.php?i=1

[4wd26]

Big day at glasshouse


Not bad articulation from the rear considering those are big tyres

And a little stopover on the way home
Picked up another confluence

[coughy]

that first picky is a doozy m8 looks like fun was had by all

[VALERIO]

That looks like a really good playground

[4wd26]

Finally got around to putting on the newish rims, might as well wear these down rather than expensive muddies
FJ cruiser rims +15 offset 17x7.5"

[NowForThe5th]

26, can you get a photo down the side of the car so we can see where tyre is in relation to wheel arch mould?

[4wd26]

Tread not showing with 265/70/17 tyres
Just a bit of sidewall bulge

May be a bit of tread showing with 285 wide but think acceptable mainly due to the steeper straight edge of a mud tyre to sidewall profile

[NowForThe5th]

Ta mate. Confirms what I had imagined - that +15 is borderline, but still legal.

[4wd26]

been a bit busy over the last few weeks planning and this weekend getting things done

like usual I like to do things a bit different to the norm, and I have lived without a dual battery or draw system for the past 8 years stubborn or just not convinced of the benefits.

nothing like a desert trip where you need some fuel and a esky just won't do to get you moving on projects.

I had drawers and rear wheel carriers in my 105 series cruiser and they were great, but also had limitations to usable space.


so having a few years and a bit of experience behind me I went on the look for something that fitted MY use

came to the conclusion of something removable was the primary goal, a place to put some stuff (dual battery, protected wiring, compressor and tank, and other bits and bobs.

liked the look of something like this accessible through the ARB side canopy window- which I have replaced and have maxtrax mounted

the side up high in a canopy is really wasted space

so what could I do to combine all these ideas.



some inspiration.....

So commission a Slide out unit- buy some slides that are removable
slide is 1000x1000 and fits the fridge (60lt evakool fiberglass dual zone and a large storage box)

Yet still fit 120lts of Gerry cans across the headboard- over the axle
still not decided whether to get a tray tank from brown davis or just use the jerries when required.....

anyway designed and built it to take into account either option.

so place all the stuff in the rear and measure


basic design/ layout


tray in 100mm sides 2.5 alloy pretty strong- yet light


Along the way need to drop the spare tyre- look around as I had stuffed the factory wheel winder bar- as the winch mechanism don't like turning with mud and dust and chain links twisted.....

found that a 25mm square bar will work in a pinch - shove it in tight.




find a socket that fits and down the tyre goes....

also found time to nutsert the snorkel down tight, it had been driving me nuts for years the plastic "nut" had pulled through the hole..... had to improvise the nutsert a little to make it shorter as there is not a lot of room in the pillar.


working out angles, heights and locations was time consuming


getting there


looking better


frame and tray done

more to go......




couldn't get the spare tyre to fit on the opposite sidewall and get everything to fit..... not much in it but didn't go.

wiring done today- paid professional

I had done most of the work, but could never get my redarc 1225 to work, so paid the professionals to tell me that the unit was stuffed (internal fault)

@#$#%#
so I paid someone to do the wiring, really a check, confirm that I was correct and the unit that I had paid $600 for didn't work- I have stuffed around trying to get it to work off the alternator or solar for the past 18 months- reckon that it may have had a hand in stuffing the previous battery as well......

so a new 1225 (as I had the wiring for that unit) and paid for a relay to autochange for the solar input......$^&$W^*Y%

but getting there
switch above the tailgate for the compressor, outlet will be external near the numberplate
open the rear window hit the switch


Still have to build a sidewall and shelf unit, but that may have to wait until after the simpson trip

oh and I fabed up a proper tyre lowerer with a wheel nut matching the size of the alloy rims using solid rod and a tent peg as the pin. I'm not dodgey enough to rely on the square box section, although it was a close thing

[al coholic]

I like where you are going with this design, well done

When is your Simpson trip?

[4wd26]

Thanks took a long time and lots of internet searching to decide that I could fit something and be good for trips and still make it work for everyday duties- rubbish to the tip/ kids bikes etc where you need room.

Simpson trip is Thursday next week for nearly 2 weeks
early season- but QLD school holidays so the boy is coming along.

shame that there has been a lot of rain around Birdsville and lower areas of SA, so nearly all access roads are currently closed, AND now a cyclone threat in the Gulf which feeds all the rivers and Lake Eyre

could put a few trips on hold this year with a late opening to the Cape and mid year flooding of the Desert systems, if they get the rain......

hope we are good though- week and a bit to dry out the current wet conditions

[har05l]

It's good to see that owners with the older ml's are still willing to modify instead of buying new and starting again.

Need to catch up again soon mate

[4wd26]

It's good to see that owners with the older ml's are still willing to modify instead of buying new and starting again.

Need to catch up again soon mate

Yep need to catch up
Just about used my personal leave allowance away from the wife already this year with some work trips and now the Simpson

Will see what happens

I have way too much $$$ invested in this triton now to sell, nearing 80k over the years if I was honest

If I was to sell I'd need to spend that or more to get something I would be happy with, reality is not a lot of big news in the dual cab markets has happened, only electronic traction aids which I'm not too fussed with.

The triton was one of the original game changers in terms of comfort, ride and off-road ability

Next vehicle will be something of a toy, still like the Iveco daily, but that will wait until I don't need a daily driver, triton will have keep chugging along for the next 8 years and 200,000kms

[RHKTriton]

The ml should be a good platform to keep building on. I'd come to that point in life where I'd rather personalise my rig than keep feeding finance institutions for the ret of my life.

My current interest is possibly modifying the tub into a hybrid tub/tray and have slip modules for work, etc.

[4wd26]

Nearly home
Epic trip

Out across the desert, French line double crossing first vehicle to use the WAA line for the season was interesting

Report to follow

[ag9111]

First vehicl wow.
How was the sand. Hard from the rain or soft from being baked all summer.

[4wd26]

sand was neutral

certainly not any better for the rain, that made no difference, it even showered while we were there and it was the same.

the biggest difference was limited vehicles IMO making the tracks drivable

We followed maybe 5 vehicles (they were in front of us) and one was towing a tvan

the tracks were noticeably better when we diverted/ backtracked to the WAA line and were the first through

amazing when we again hit the French line and then crossed paths with 2 landcruiser dual cabs towing MCD at12, the tracks back to Birdsville were pretty chopped up, once the bounce starts/ chop very hard to stop it.

so even if close to first across others are towing and chopping the tracks up. (the dual cabs were newbies to the desert and towing heavy campers........)

one thing about this year that was very different was the road was better from Birdsville, the winds over the summer were easterly, meaning the steep sections were facing you coming from Mt Dare.

The group went through to the Simpson NP Boundary in the West then returned to Birdsville- using around 160lts for the double crossing with around 20lts spare

[4wd26]

Been playing around with my Christmas present
Changing the interior of the car to match the new head unit just need to infill

[coughy]

is it any good 26? i hate the mmcs but still to find anything worth doing the hassle change oover with?

[4wd26]

Yeah not a bad unit best part is the hdmi connection so that it works as s monitor of the phone/ tablet pc

This means that I can run ozi explorer or hems mapping yet still have good sound quality, Bluetooth is also first rate

[4wd26]

Bloody hot on bribie island today
But doing our bit for the country we love


Cleanup Australia Day

[coughy]

yes good work m8 now have a shave lol

[4wd26]

Yeah I'm a bit rough around the edges, going scruffy for passport photo wonder if I will be let in anywhere- I have never left Australia (or got a passport) before now......



got my stuff together for a little drone footage on the beach at Bribie, the phantom 4 makes it so easy- this was the first time I have used active tracking mode- it just follows you.

[snakesoup]

that's cool!! what's one of them worth mate?