Kirkynut's Jimny (aka Daddy's Tractor) - The Evolution continues...

Max Headroom wrote: Those lights are REALLY neat.

Cheers. They're not very effective at the moment though, what with the battery being as dead as a dodo!

Kirkynut

New Numax battery has just arrived and been put on charge. Here's to another 8 years of loyal service I hope.

The only thing is that when the last one arrived, I had to put the fluid in it. This one came with it in. So how long has it been stored wet? Will that effect its lifetime?

Kirkynut

Edit: All charged up and now fitted - all ready for the sneaky second winter - like we had last spring!

I've just renewed my insurance and have changed back to Adrian Flux. I had to list all my modifications so as I have compiled a definitive list I thought I may as well post it here:

1. 3” suspension lift using Big Jimny springs, Rough Country +2” shock absorbers, KAP Suzuki HD adjustable panhard rods, Off Road Armoury Castor Correction Radius Arms and Super Pro poly bushes
2. Anti-Roll Bar removed
3. Extended braided brake hoses
4. Rockwatt Rocklobster transfer box with 4.1-1 ratio to correct gearing for larger tyres with speedo correction ring, using Samurai front prop-shaft on the rear and mounted in a Rockwatt Rock Bucket with bolt through mount
5. Custom made metal winch bumper bolted to front chassis with Superwinch EP9000 winch, plasma rope and hawse. Recovery hoop welded to bumper
6. Off Road Armoury heavy duty metal bumper – rear number plate moved to spare wheel mount disc with light, original rear lights mounted in bumper in original location
7. Custom external roll cage mounted to custom welded on rock sliders that are welded to the chassis and onto rear bumper
8. 215/80/15 Malatesta Kaiman tyres on original steel wheels
9. Fixed front hubs replaced free-wheeling hubs. Associated vacuum pipes removed and blocked
10. Extended transmission breathers
11. Front driving lamps on brackets switched with main beam
12. Waffle boards and ground anchor bolted onto roof of external roll cage
13. CB with external cage mounted aerial which is used for the car radio aerial via switching box
14. Sony CD Radio to replace original radio
15. X Eng cage mounted lights on rear of cage acting as work lights independently switched via their own relay
16. Extended rear wheel mount on back door to mount larger spare wheel with larger tyre
17. HD fuel tank guard
18. Front brake disc stone guards removed
19. Scangauge 2 engine gauge and DTC reader
20. Towbar with recovery hoop welded to it
21. Strengthened front lashing eye to act as an extra recovery point

Kirkynut

I had a bit of time today before I had to pick our boy up from the child minder's after a hospital appointment, so I pulled the panels out which are originally covers for the OE front speakers. I've mounted bigger speakers on these covers though in an effort to improve sound but they still sounded tinny and with no depth.

I had some inch thick foam as packing for something electrical I saved, so popped that behind the panel and speaker. It pushed against the back of the speaker nicely and I used a bolt to self tap into the hole that little plastic rivet goes into to secure it in place nicely.

The result is a far better sound, albeit not 100% as I only have Pioneer speakers there, which were quite cheap.

I think I'll upgrade them and maybe add an MDF mounting ring to stiffen it up a bit more, which will also improve the aesthetics of the fitting.

I might even go all out and add rear speakers, a cross over and tweeters.

None of that is worth doing before I change my tyres though. I bought the Kaimans many years ago for when I was mud plugging through our local club's off road site when I was really into hard core off road stuff.

Things have changed though and those tyres are very noisy now! People look round to see what's coming down the road because they are so noisy! They've worn oddly too! My boy is pointing out that some blocks have worn lower than others in the picture below:



So the car feels like it's driving on 50 pences! As I roll to a stop at a junction you can feel the car going up and down on the different height blocks of tread!

I want some different wheels for the new tyres though. I've a few ideas but want something a little different to the norm.

Tyres will likely be MAXXIS Buckshots as they seem to be keenly priced, they're a new Mud Terrain and not a remould and they're available in 235/75/15 that I'll be plumping for to replace my 215/80/15's that are extreme remoulds, so a little bigger than the size they're sold as when new.

I might even have the white writing on the outside!

Part of me wants BFG Muds as I want quality and quietness from them but people are telling me that the Maxxis are not loud. I've had Kumho KL71's before but want something a bit grippier off road.

I'll balance them will balancing beads, as is my liking.

Kirkynut

I had buckshots on my Maverick for a while. They were quite loud. They were a bit of a hand full in the wet. They didn't really get any further through the woods where I helped a keeper any better than his trooper on all terrains. They were also prone to losing tread blocks on some of the more rocky lanes further up Dales.

Had some Maxxis 764's (fairly noisy), Cooper STT pro are good, but I prefer the Toyo open country on J999MNY currently. Soo quiet for a mud tyre