Solid Axle Swap - Isuzu MU

Thats one mean project and looks like it will go well. How are you getting on with the certifier or will this be off road only?

Biggest problem in the brake test is overheating the brakes.
Fit kevlar or metal pads and make sure the vents in the disks are clean and you should be ok. How do the hilux disks, callipers, compare size wize to the Mu ones.
You might be safer to use the Hilux master if it fits Then all your brake hardware matches so easier to certify.
When my father in law built a kit car (xk120 Jag) he had to prove that the master cylinder he used was the same size as the master cylinder off the car that donated the other brake conponents.
good luck

Yep, brakes-wise I'm running a brand new set of vented Hilux rotors on the front axle, and late-model big 4-pot calipers which I will fit new pads from the Lucas range that Repco is just starting to push.

Properly bedded in, these pads have done extremely well (in fact they aced it) in the alpine testing in Europe which is a pretty greuling downhill test using big German cars. I'm hoping this will be good in the front, but the rears are 10" shoes and drums which is where my worry is.

They are good brakes, but not good in repeated heavy braking, even with clean drums and new well-bedded shoes - so I am considering doing a disk conversion on the rear which means I will also need to figure out a handbrake.

I was going to use a driveshaft mounted one similar to what is often used on the Hilux vehicles, but theres just nowhere to mount the caliper on the back of the MU T/C so I may end up using something like Subaru front calipers which have a mechanical actuator for the handbrake... I'll worry about that more once I get there.

I also have ABS in this truck, so I will need to probably pull all that out and replace the brake lines - either that or just leave it there and pretend it doesn't exist - which I don't think will pass cert. Anyone want to swap out their standard brake lines for an ABS system (I'd also want a couple of beers on the deal since the ABS system is probably worth a bit )

Hopefully the master cylinder will have the volume to fill the big 4-pots in the front, I don't really want to have to retro-fit the Hilux system in - too much in the way of hard work... I have enough hard work to do

As for the crossmember, you are welcome to come have a look if you are near Chch... or I can take some measurements and more photos for you - its designed to fit between the chassis rails, and I am going to weld a couple of chunky pieces of angle to the inside of the rails, then use some big beefy high-tensile bolts to hold it together so it can be easily removed when required. It cost about $160 including angle and bolts from my engineer and is made from 16mm x 100mm flat mild-steel bar

regards

Steve

Haha... yeah, I'm with you there Harry.

when I bought my MU it had no handbrake at all. I pulled the back axle apart to find the inner seals gone on both sides (and the outers, and the bearings with a bit more play than I'd like - but more on that further on)

The handbrake components were soaked in oil - bugger, new brake pads and wheel bearing kits... I'm a toyota man, so I was thinking $150 worth of parts... because on a Toyota thats what it would be, or within cooee anyway.

I went to the local Isuzu agent, and got my first shock. The 4 seals alone cost me around $80! Sheesh! Toyota seals are $4-$5 each normally... although enough of that...

The reason I only got seals was that I was quoted $180 per side for wheel bearing kits - three times what Toyota ones... oh, there I go again... Anyway, I already had thoughts of Toyota axles so I just figured seals would do for now.

Then I priced brake shoes - $257... and he wasn't sure, but he seemed to think that was PER SIDE!!!

Oh, and another thing - the abs ring on the rear axles... it doubles as the retainer ring for the bearings which means it needs to be replaced with the bearings. $197 PER PAIR!

by this stage I was starting to think I'd bought a lemon, but hey, this is a great opportunity to fit some real hardware under the truck

So, long story short... Hilux axles are a cheap repair to a VERY expensive rebuild option.

Steve

Hello to HiMuZuLux - the project looks very interesting - there is another front axle swap at 4wd Upgrades here in chch - the white lwb bighorn out the front on Blenheim road- it certainly looks mighty.

Simple have to answer your cheek however re Isuzus sucking offroad ;D. I don't have a mu but have had a swb bighorn for some years - very similar vehicle. Has 70ml lift, lsd and 32s. Now, have done over 100 trips/tracks in the bighorn with Canterbury Rec 4wd club, Landrover club, Isuzu club, mates etc and compared it with about every other make on many many occasions - esp the varieties of Toyota.

Have to uphold the little Isuzu here and can tell you - no opinions - straight experience here - I have never seen it outperformed by a Toyota OF SAME SPECS - this through tough southern mountain tracks, west coast etc.

On the other hand, to my initial surprise, have seen my bighorn the best truck on many occasions on club trips - in slick ice and snow going up the Old Man Range, up long muddy climbs up to lake Mystery, up 80-100 meter very steep loose gravel climbs near Alexandra, up the stamper hill on the Serpentine, Poolburn grass slopes etc. True.

The Toyotas are good trucks but we've definitely found again and again that the heavy 3.4 and 3.5s will bog down quicker in ice, slick mud and gravel, and also found the major problem with the surfs and hiluxs was the chronic lack of grunt of the 2.4s and 2.8s - esp in steep climbs. Have seen a 2.4T surf struggle over a grass ascent barely making it in 4wd 1st. My bighorn then powered over the top in 2nd - and in 2wd. , and this before I tuned my 2.8 to 150-160hp. My experience on th real capability of Isuzus confirmed by many mates in rover club who have developed their bighorn lwbs further with lokkas, body lifts etc. During our recent April club trip on the Old Man Range, the Isuzus had to tow both toyota and nissan up some heavy bog bits.

The one huge asset offroading for the bighorn/mu is excellent power to weight ratio. Takes a little while to learn to use this properly but it is a great advantage in many offroad circumstances - you can power up and over situations which will stop the heavy (including Safaris) or low powered vehicles. Another vehicle that has this is the little soft-top 90-92 pajero - does very well, but not tough mechanically.

I like some of the toyotas - good sturdy trucks, but the 2.4T/2.8s do suck a bit on road, esp when you put bigger tyres on them. 2.8 hilux needs a turbo bolted onto it to bring it up to good climb performance. Then you've got a very good truck. Like also the ground clearance and the extra help of the beam axle though have never been stopped from going somewhere by independent front.

So just a few thoughts from experience there Steve ;D Couldn't let that comment slide through. Note your mu looks standard while the hilux looks modified. Mu MUST HAVE AT LEAST 70ml BODY LIFT to get transfer case off ground, but once you've got some height, take some time to learn to use the lightness and power - different equation altogether - and you'll find you've got a great little buggy. Cheers Mike.

Oh, and James - Fenner bought his last wheel bearing kits from me

Seals I often buy genuine because they are really cheap - wheel bearing kits I buy after-market... and so do Toyota according to the service manager at Cooke Howlison Toyota in Dunedin...

At the time I priced that gear I didn't have much choice... I'd pulled the axles apart thinking I was going to have to do some cleaning and adjusting, not a full rebuild. I had a friend driving me around to get parts and she was in a hurry... so we just went to Rangiora Mazda - it was close and convenient.

When are yuo bringing your MU in for this swap, by the way?

Steve

Well, I have a spare car you can borrow while we do the conversion, but having said that it would be VERY handy to have a local mate with a lathe and a mill

I got all the front crossmember welding done this weekend and ran out of time just as I was ready to fit the axle under the springs... so the ride height will be determined tomorrow...

I am about ready to move to the back and leave the steering for a few days - but theres a rock-crawling trip this coming weekend I'd love to test the rig on so I'm going to do as much as I can this week. Initially if I can get the front and back suspension finished then all I need is steering and drive... minor things ;D

might need your lathe skills mid-week to make a driveshaft adaptor tho... whats your workload like?

Steve

Day 8

Well, had to get some engineering work done for a couple of things reasonably fundamental to the truck actually going, and going around corners.

The driveshaft and steering

For steering, I have initially decided to go with the most simple option, which I believe should be certifiable,... but I don't have $500ish to throw at a crossover Y arm from OZ so I've made one.

This is from an idea throw at me by Mike (SupraSurf) who saw it used on a Cruiser somewhere up north. Basically is uses 4 longer studs, machined from high-tensile bolts and a spare steering arm flipped on top of the existing one, all locked together by the usual cone washers and 4 machined spacers to separate them.



another angle:


Now all I need is the right balljoint for the tierod - I have used the rod off a 40-series cruiser which is almost the perfect length, but I need to somehow fit an Isuzu balljoint to the steering box end... but Isuzu balljoints have a threaded sleeve and the tierod for Toys is also a threaded sleeve of considerably different size... I'm going ball joint shopping tomorrow Apparently a Ford F250 one might do, I'm looking forward to looking through boxes for hours

The next thing was the driveshaft. As the truck is going to be lifted more in the bum, I need a pretty high angle driveshaft so opted to use a double-cardan on the gearbox output to sort that, and I need a Hilux UJ at the diff end for the Hilux diff... well... starting to sound like a Hilux front driveshaft, just a bit longer... easy, I have a couple of those - well, one is in my hilux... so damn, I only really have one.

Enter the miracle! Just Cruisers (beside Lineside Automotive) had a broken driveshaft with a good double cardan which he couldn't sell me, but he could swap it for beer I love buying stuff with beer... Thanks Just Cruisers.

So, armed with that and an old rear driveshaft I went to my trusty engineer and had it 'glued together' in accrodance with proper driveshaft gluing rules, of course - there are a lot of requirements and things relating to driveshafts as I have found out.

Here they are side by side:


And the adaptor to mate the driveshaft to the gearbox output:


I'm hoping to get that bolted up tomorrow, and then with the draglink sorted I can drive it No brakes... but hey, I said it once and I'll say it again... I don't need no stinkin brakes

Steve

Hows the conversion comming along. We havnt heard anything for a while. Just ran across this on a Pajero forum (no Im not converting to the dark side) that looked quite good. Its also useing coils rather than leaves. I like the pic near the end od one wheel on top of an oil barrel the other 3 firmly on the ground.
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