A man after my own heart! I'll be making my own looms too, and adding a number of additional cores for extra widgets :) Great thread too - watched :)

It's good practice to use a blob of RTV sealant on those areas that aren't horizontally flat, including where the half moon is.

Both the axles are now complete :) Despite the caliper mounting bracket adaptors (Salisbury drums to discs conversion) being fabricated to the correct dimensions, I had to grind off some of the caliper mounting bracket in order to clear the inside of the discs, thereby allowing the hub...

Thanks for everyone’s feedback. Given that it doesn’t point me clearly in one direction however, especially when other sources of info are considered, I’m just going to have to bit the bullet and choose a setup. I’m not convinced that OEM shocks and springs will do the job given the amount of...

Most of Africa! I'll be carrying spares whatever setup I go for; I'm not comfortable with not having certain parts to replace there and then, especially if stranded in the middle of god-only-knows where. I've just decided that I'm not going to go for a lift, so I need a suspension setup that...

Good point - the trouble is that there are so many different perspectives, and it's difficult to know which one is most closely aligned with my requirements. Someone else on here is having their vehicle modded by Foley SV for a virtually identical purpose; they are fitting HD springs with rear...

Just visited the bundutop site...wow!

Hi Clifford - good to hear from you again and thanks for the quick reply. Twin rear shocks are certainly an option for me as well, although I'll need to look into what, if any, chassis modifications are required. The thinking behind helper air bags is to cushion the spring such that its...

650 - 850 kilos I would have thought - I can't weigh it all as I haven't got anywhere near all of it yet :-D I wouldn't want to be operating near the limits of any given component's tolerances, so I'm trying to build in some margin. Twin rear shocks are also potentially on the cards.

Right, I've read shedloads of threads all over the shop, but haven't been able to make my mind up. My 110 will be overlanding with two people and a significant amount of weight onboard, e.g. roof tent, spares, extra fuel, lots of water, and so on and so forth. I am considering a 1-2" lift...

Can you elaborate on your suspension setup please? I'm at a crossroads with mine and not sure whether to go for a 2" lift as well as HD springs etc, or just the latter and helper airbags.

Thanks - it's been an aspiration of mine for some time too! The front axle(see attached photo) is pretty much there now - shame I've had to fit the original ****ty wheels for now. I can't really progress the rear axle any further til I've got the disc bolts, which I forgot to order :-( This...

This afternoon was productive - apart from torquing the hub nuts, fitting the pads and drive members, the front axle is pretty much complete - oh, and the axle grease needs to go in! See the attached photo. I'll finish that tomorrow and set about finishing the rear axle as well.

I've managed to borrow a spring balance gauge so will sort the preload out tomorrow, as well as fitting the diff (new nuts have arrived), half shafts and hubs. The really good news is that the rear brake caliper bracket adaptors have FINALLY been fabricated - hurrah! I will now be able to...

You need to use something like Mordant Solution to prepare a galvanised surface for paint. There are a few threads about how to apply it.

Not much progress to report today, although the new swivels housings were assembled and fitted (see attached file). I'll need to borrow/purchase a spring balance and dial gauge to set the swivel preloaded and end float fairly soon too. The diff will go in once I've hoovered/cleaned inside the...

If used correctly, then absolutely. The tap will generally follow the path of least resistance if aligned properly.

Even if painting or blasting the axle, you'll need to tap the threads to clear the muck out of them. nobber - there's no issue at all from a structural perspective - the zinc is just a coating, and as long as the bolts are torqued up, all will be fine. I went for the sandblast, etch and paint...

So today I finished painting the front axle, and then I set about reinstalled the studs - what a PITA that was! It took approximately 1.5 hours to get all 10 in - in hindsight I'd have refitted them before the new diff pan went in - there really wasn't much room to knock them in at all. Another...

Thanks guys - she's definitely a keeper! More photos will be provided in the next few days :)