So a lot has happened in the past few months. I've finished the lift kit, swapped the MN tub for the ML, put Ride-Rite Airbags in and pulled them out again, put on the new MCC Jack Bar AND I even managed to clean the car
Firstly:
The Lift Kit.This is probably one of the most noticeable improvements you can make on any vehicle. Thankfully, working for Ultimate definitely has it's perks
So over the last couple of months I've been slowly going through, changing the different parts of the suspension (firstly rear shocks, then front struts, and finally springs) so that I could learn and understand how much of a vital role each part plays in a well set-up suspension system. Believe me, when you change one part at a time, you definitely notice the difference between the old and new. The car rides much smoother over bumps and corrugations, and has much more flexibility offroad. Definitely happy with the new set-up, especially since I was able to customise it to exactly what I wanted: good on-road handling with LOTS of flex
Front Strut (Red Braided Lines in the picture as well):
Next up:
The Tub Swap.I'd seen ag9111 do this to his MN triton and how well it had turned out. Since I'd damaged the rear of my MN tray a few times, I felt it was time to go. The biggest hassle was getting hold of a new tub, but once I'd found it I made the most of that opportunity. Many dollars and man hours later, the tubs had been swapped over from the long MN tray to a short ML tray. I even managed to score the factory GLX-R flares and hard-lid as well!
Installing the new tray wasn't terribly difficult, just undo the 6 bolts holding it on and lift it off with a fork-lift. I've still got the old tray at home, am trying to get rid of it now
Before:
Mid-swap (This is totally legal to drive around in... right?... right?.... anybody?...) :
After:
It doesn't look like much from those two photos, but it makes one hell of a difference when you're trying to park in a carpark. No more twisting of the head to see how much further you can go before the rear-bar makes contact with the wall behind you. Those of you who are slightly more observant (chopper-bovine) will also notice the new MCC Jack Bar on the back of the car. I didn't like the look of it at first, but I've had it on there for about a week and a half now and I love it. It just looks so mean
Finally:
The Airbags.Now this is definitely one of the more controversial topics in the entire of newtriton.net history (aside from the lockers "debate" and the 3.2 vs. 2.5HP war). Honestly, I never had a chance to really use the Airbags properly, but I could definitely tell that they were there. Even with the lowest recommended 5psi in each airbag, they made the car corner stiffer (but only barely). With 10psi in them, the roll when cornering was greatly reduced. They were fitted to the vehicle for the Sydney 4WD and Adventure Show (those of you who went along to the Ultimate Suspension stand would no doubt have seen my truck on display) so that we could tell people that we DO fit them, but only where necessary. For my vehicle, they were a display-only fitment. They have since been removed, though I have no doubt that whoever gets them will be happy with the set-up we've provided. For what they are, they're a fantastic piece of equipment
when used properly.Airbags Installed:
Last but not least:
I CLEANED IT! Here's a picture of her as she sits now. Was taken at the 4wd Show, and yes I finally got to use my ramps