V8 Coily SAS - Project BigDick

[HiMuZuLux]

The 7-seater I bought with a blown V6 is just too nice to pull apart so I think I'll do the obvious and just make it insanely big and powerful ;D

I started pulling the head apart on the V6, and snapped a head bolt and then started thinking... which is what bought me to this point... so...



The plan:
Motor: either Lexus 4.0 V8 or Holden 304 V8
Trans: Toyota 5-speed (no comments please , they are cheap, reliable and easy to do the next bit to)
Transfer: Advance Adaptors dual w. W56 transfer cases
Rear axle: standard back end
Rear suspension: MaxiTrac 2" lifted coils and longer shocks, spring spacers if req'd depending on front lift
Front axle: Hilux w. matching diff (4.5?)
Front suspension: Range Rover front radius arms and coils, suitable shocks (probably Rancho 9000s)
Steering: DeRanged hi-steer arms and custom tierod
Driveshafts: rear, stock. front, custom d-cardan Hilux
Wheels/Tyres: Steel 15x8 and Simex 36" extremes

Have I forgotten anything? I'll be using IFS stubs the same as I had on my Hilux, and as Yarno used on his MU to give the same width in the front as the Isuzu axle, and as I am going for a few more ponies in this one I expect I won't need to go the low diffs as I did in the MU - so I can stick to the factory 4.5, which means I can keep the rear axle which means much less work... and the factory coil rear axle looks like it will articulate very impressively with little or no work - its a simple and nice design.

Its going to be a 2-week project, just like the MU so I should be driving it by mid next year ;D Although I think most of the problems I had with the SAS in a bighorn are probably sorted, and with no motor/trans while I do the SAS it should be pretty easy to get all the grinding done.

Any thoughts or comments? I'm interested in getting a range of ideas re: the repower - other motors I have considered: Commodore V6, Rover V8 (3.5 or 3.9), P76 V8, 350 Chev, 3Y 2-litre 4 cylinder Toyota (just cos there is one lying on the floor beside the truck at the moment )... all options considered - and if you have something that would work and is for sale then all the better

Steve

[geeves]

In the name of keeping it simple why not use whatever trans comes with the engine and just mate the hilux transfer case to the back. I dont know the holden engine but the computer that controls the engine also controls the auto and gets upset if it cant see it. I suspect late model holdens are the same.
Sounds an interesting project.

[HiMuZuLux]

I'll probably use a MegaSquirt to run the engine, so I'm not too worried about the computer side of things... and I don't want an auto, especially not with big tyres as they tend to suck the power up then spit it out all at once when you finally feed it enough juice to climb over whatever you were up against... they are a bit surgey for the rock crawling style of offroading I have started to play in.

Also starting to look at a 3.8V6 option... bulletproof, compact, powerful... not as pretty sounding as the V8, but then not as thirsty either ;D

Steve

[mulover]

Hey steve, sounds like a heap of fun!! Will be most interested in seeing the front converted to coils as i would love to do this to the mu!!!

[HiMuZuLux]

Yeah, I was considering it for the MU, but wanted to keep it all leafs for stability being so short. The bighorn will need to be a little softer since its for the family as well... but that aside, the family will need to be able to climb past the 40" BFG Krawler KAs and make their way into the cab if they want to come ;D

Awww, who am I kidding... I actually enjoy having my family along, so I will give them a boost into the cab

Steve

[geeves]

I have seen pictures of coil over Amigos with articulation to die for Im not joking when I say you could stand under the front bumper. Cant remember where

[HiMuZuLux]

Michaels one... mjw.com/amigo/index.shtml

Its just sick... but theres about NZ$1400 per corner just in the struts! I'd like to do it... I just can't justify the expense...

Speaking of expense... $40 only half filled my wee runabout Hyundai today... used to only need $45 to fill it! What the hell has happened to fuel prices? Might have to look at a 1200cc Starlet motor rather than the V8

Steve

[geeves]

buy a still from the local home brew shop and run it on ethanol

[HiMuZuLux]

I used to run my Subaru ute on avgas... when I was in the airforce... Airtrainers used to be water-checked every morning... book said 1 litre of fuel from each wing tank to be drained and checked for water... 18 aircraft... all hangered, so never any water... 36 litres of fuel per day... ;D

Ah, those were the days... I stockpiled some for christmas one year... drove all the way across the country with about 220-odd litres of avgas in the tray of the ute... thank god I never hit anything... they would still be talking about the kaboom ;D

Might be worth looking into tho, then I can go the whole hog... 454cu inch big-block with blower... 1500HP, 44" boggers... gotta stop now, drooling again

Steve

[caffa]

LOL

[JustinW]

How about a later model V6 commodore that comes factory with a supercharger

[HiMuZuLux]

Well I guess I should update this a little... its been forever, but I've made some progress...

Ok, the plan is mostly intact: my initial thoughts are in black, with the current plan in red:

And will be going with this:
Motor: either Lexus 4.0 V8 or Holden 304 V8
Trans: Toyota 5-speed actually going to stick with the stock Holden TH700R-4 4-stage auto
Transfer: Advance Adaptors dual w. W56 transfer cases Advance adaptors TH700->Hilux transfer case (leaves the option of dual cases in the future)
Rear axle: standard back end yep
Rear suspension: MaxiTrac 2" lifted coils and longer shocks, spring spacers if req'd depending on front lift yep, should need about 1-2" of extra lift, keeping this one low if I can
Front axle: Hilux w. matching diff (4.5?) Anyone know the 3.2V6 diff ratio off-hand?
Front suspension: Range Rover front radius arms and coils, suitable shocks (probably Rancho 9000s) yep again... will use Prado coils as they are nice and tight-wound tho... not much room between the chassis rails and the wheels
Steering: DeRanged hi-steer arms and custom tierod close, will be using custom 4340 Chrome Moly CNC'd locally made arms
Driveshafts: rear, stock. front, custom d-cardan Hilux actually will probably just modify the MU shafts (both double-cardan) to suit
Wheels/Tyres: Steel 15x8 and Simex 36" extremes yep


Pics of progress on suspension to follow...

Steve

[HiMuZuLux]

Here it is at my mates place (the shed is not an option any more... so working where I can... our house is on the market and apparently bits of cars on the front lawn make houses less sellable



I stripped the front stuff down and got as much disconnected as I could in the engine bay ready to start chopping... I really need some of the IFS crap out of the way to make space to get to the engine... its like sardines against the chassis rails and firewall... damn clever little jappy fellows...





And heres the exhaust system I was gifted (Zip, Zero, Nada ) to try and make fit... its an HSV 3" stainless mandrel bent Monaro coupe system that was surplus to requirements... I'm pretty sure I can modify everything in the truck to make damn sure I can use that



Its a start... more to come...

Steve

[HiMuZuLux]

Oh, and the motor... 304 Holden injected V8, 165kw and 385Nm of torque

[HiMuZuLux]

I've got a little bit done... not as much as I would have hoped, but then thats par for the course with my projects anyway

I've made plates for the Rangie radius arms, and am using some thick washers either side of the bushes to give a little more spacing for them to twist...



and here are the arms sitting roughly in position - ignore the mess on the chassis rails, I've got some cleaning up to do there... been focusing on the suspension details...





Steve

[HiMuZuLux]

Oh, and the chassis mounts for the radius arms... I've used the original chassis mounts from a range rover chassis, and mounted them to some beefy angle ready to weld to the Bighorn... then I'll use some plate to gusset the mounts for extra strength.

The passenger side mount:


And sitting in position on the chassis:


Steve

[HiMuZuLux]

Heres the axle with the radius arm mounts welded on, and a spring sitting roughly in place.

I'm using Prado springs rather than the range rover ones as they are about 1.5" smaller in diameter, and the Isuzu chassis rails are miles apart, meaning I have less room between them and the tyres than I would on a Hilux... so the smaller springs give me more room...

I'll use some 50x75 box to help position the spring mount, and use that as the basis for mounting the panhard rod pin as well...



Steve

[geeves]

Impressive

[caffa]

Great to hear the update Steve. Thanks for sharing. Can be a pain when the house is on the market ...

[mooman]

Thats 1 interesting project!! keep the piks coming, lookin awesome..