 | Home > My Defender > Nuggets 110 Aussie Crew Cab Tourer Build |
 
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| nugge t Member Since: 03 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 50  
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Finally got the roof rack done and dusted so it was time to move onto a bullbar. Had a look at what was available commercially and nothing was what I wanted so I decided to build my own.
My concept was for a steel bar with a centre loop which would follow the radiator/grille lines, take a winch, provision for a ladder rack and a couple of other things I still have up my sleeve. To make the job a bit easier, I managed to get my digits on a raw channel with brackets not welded in.  [/URL][/img]
Unfortunately it had indicator slots which I didn't want, and the winch slot was not where I needed it so the first job was to fill in the holes. [/URL][/img]
The brackets sit on the inside of the chassis rails so positioning was important. I also added a bit of extra strengthening. A plate to sit against the end of the chassis rail and also a plate to bolt a recovery point through. This plate was also braced back to the bracket later for even more strength. [/URL][/img]
Unfortunately the winch, whilst fitting between the brackets, would not centre properly so I modified the bracket. [/URL][/img]
A spacer and new plate section was added later to maintain the strength of the bracket. I decided to machine my own Hawes fairlead which would have a front plate and rear plate so there is a fairlead on both sides and the 2 halves would be bolted together, sandwiching the bar between them...pic later of that one...and would also incorporate the number plate. First up it was time to cut the new slot. [/URL][/img]
A bracket to hold the winch control box and the access hole for the engage lever [/URL][/img]
Time to slip it on and check everything was going to work. Position of the centre tube and also the ladder rack hole finalised. [/URL][/img]
Centre tube welded in with a bit of extra bracing for the really big roos! [/URL][/img]
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Starting to all come together [/URL][/img]
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1st Nov 2014 7:15pm |
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| nugge t Member Since: 03 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 50
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The tedious but important part...preparing for powder coating and trying to make my welds look half decent.
You can also see the thickness of the steel where the recovery hook bolts on. 4mm channel with a 10mm plate behind sound enable a decent recovery. [/URL][/img]
Time to start machining the fairlead parts [/URL][/img]
Whilst I was in protection mode, decided to make my own bash plate as well. [/URL][/img]
And of course bash plates need brackets.... [/URL][/img]
While everything was off being powder coated, I fitted the headlight guards which finish of the frontal protection. [/URL][/img]
Will update once everything is back from powder coating and being fitted. Everything is back from powder coating so time to bring it all together... First up is to fit the fairlead [/URL][/img]
I made the fairlead to go either side of the bars front channel so that there would be a lead in for the rope on both sides, would add strength as the channel is sandwiched giving a larger foot print and the winch bolts through the whole lot, again adding strength. [/URL][/img]
Fit the sleeve for the single post ladder rack....removable so I will only put it in when needed but will come in really handy when picking up lengths of steel etc [/URL][/img]
Some front recovery eyelets. You can see in later photos that there is a lot of strengthening behind these points as well as bracing back to the brackets.
fitting the winch and control box. I will be having dash mounted controls as well as the remote, which I have re-positioned into the top of the bar for ease of use.
Here you can see some of the extra steel and bracing for the recovery eyelet
 it....might as well throw it on..
And with the bash plate and diff guard
Still a couple of small things to do as well as hook up the winch but getting there. Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated |
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1st Nov 2014 7:19pm |
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| nugge t Member Since: 03 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 50
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Managed to get away for a few days. My son was on his way back from Cape York in his Patrol ute 4.2TD with 3" lift and we met up at Kinkuna just south of Bundaberg..beautiful little spot that we frequent.
While Wendy set up camp the hunters and gatherers threw in a line…fish turned out to be pretty safe although we though we might almost had hit one with the sinker when casting ??!!!!?????
Wendy set up tent
And kitchen
Jake threw the fancy style swag out for him and Alyce
Nothing like campfire cooking and the tripod got another workout here
Dishes were still there in the morning but there is one advantage of being the photographer...
Went for a trundle along the beach
Don't you hate it when you realise too late that you should have walked it first! Water on Wendy's side was almost to the top of the seat box.
Pretty happy about now that I had already fitted the Ebox which raised the electrics from under the driver’s seat…..
No problem getting water in the 110 but forgetting I had put my 6 week old laptop on the floor in the back so it wouldn't bounce off the seat proved to be an expensive forget.....
Thought it was worth the effort to try to dry it out....it wasn't!
Jake found a bit more water...boys will be boys
And a little playpen where the wombat holes tested suspension travel
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1st Nov 2014 8:11pm |
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| nugge t Member Since: 03 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 50
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The 110 in current camping mode when the weather got a bit ordinary at Salvator Rosa
Snug as a bug in a rug. Fitted a Rono roof console on the weekend with a GME TX4500 UHF. Will be fitting a Tyre dog Tyre Monitoring system as well and the control panel will be mounted on the top RHS of the console as well.
Decided to fit a snorkel but wasn't fussed with the original pipe work so decided to make a few mods. Don’t mean to be overly critical but seriously the original duct work is shameful….you could drive a Rangie through the gaps it is so bad. All push together blow moulded plastic with no securing clamps or sealing. No wonder they only call it a raised air intake,,,sure as hell isn’t a sealed system. This is a huge problem in Australia where people fit a snorkel thinking they can safely do water crossings and the factory duct from the snorkel to the air filter box leaks like a sieve!!!!!!!!!!! First up was to make a new air box for the inside of the guard with provision for a flexible pipe to connect it direct to the air box.
Cut the hole for where it fits against the guard and insert rivnuts for fixing
Turned up a boss and weld in place for the flexible pipe
Then turned up a boss for the air box end
Joined it all up with some TPR 76mm Ducting pipe and bob's your uncle
Used a Safari snorkel [
Because I do a lot of remote touring with lots of dust, I like to run a Sy Klone pre cleaner. Essentially it has a spinning element in it which firstly draws air in but then the heavier particles spin to the outside of the unit and are ejected faster than David Warner at a night club. This in turns keeps the air filter much cleaner in extremely dusty conditions. The other issue I have with standard snorkel heads is that they let rain/water in. The Sy Klone draws from underneath, eliminating that problem. One problem when fitting to a Defender is that the head unit hits the roof so I made up a longer ally adaptor to give clearance.
STAGE TWO…. Wasn’t ever happy with the the box that I made in quick time when fitting the snorkel..pretty agricultural. Also when I posted it, a lots of guys asked if I would make them one so thought I would see how it would machining them…. Did it as a box with a lid using an o-ring to seal it
Click image to enlarge Does exactly the same job but looks a lot better, even if you can not see it!!!!! Unfortunately it is a very expensive option as well so I decided to look at a way of trying to make it more affordable for forum dwellers. The end result is a kit which is moulded from polyurethane and I sell from my web page http://www.nuggetstuff.com Hope that doesn’t get me in trouble with the mods but I think people can see the progression of how it developed and the benefits, especially for anyone likely to do be doing water crossings. Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated |
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2nd Nov 2014 9:51pm |
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| nugge t Member Since: 03 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 50
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Not the most hard core mod ever done but probably the most important one I will ever do. If the chief cook and bottle washer want a vanity mirror, it is a vanity mirror she gets, with lights.
Found a VW something sun visor on ebay, stripped out the mirror assembly and inserted it into the original Defender one.
She is wrapped and as all blokes know, if she is happy, we are happy. Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated |
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4th Nov 2014 8:33pm |
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| shaggydog Member Since: 12 Aug 2012 Location: Kent Posts: 3347  
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Fantastic Build, Keep the updates coming they are brilliant.
Good to see some hardcore fabricating skills and not being afraid to drill holes and stick proper kit on! Running Restoration Thread http://www.defender2.net/forum/post323197.html#323197 Self confessed mileage hunter  |
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4th Nov 2014 8:49pm |
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| nugge t Member Since: 03 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 50
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The current project has been a work in process for the last couple of months. I can honestly say that it has been the most time consuming of any project I have done on any of my trucks.
I am still in the process of making the infill panels to finish the job, but to help it all make a bit more sense, this is where I am currently at.
Back to the beginning.....this is the build from the start... Trying to use OziExplorer on a small screen has always been a 3 corner jack in the reg grundies and I decided to fix it once and for all. Concept which is slowly turning into reality..... install an in car pc with as big a screen as possible which will not only run Ozi Explorer but also be navigator, radio, music, rear view camera and engine diagnostics. Google is my friend and eventually all the goodies started to arrive from the USA and Germany. Starting by the ariel and working anti clockwise we have....10.4" open frame(ie I will make a surround to suit) VGA touch screen, rear view camera, OB11 engine diagnostic, pc box with blue tooth USB stick on top, HD Radio unit, Blue tooth phone connector and navigator. A later addition was a USB hub with an additional 6 USB connections. I won't go into all of the technical detail of each unit but would be happy supply answers to any questions. I will list a bit of info on the pc which has 140GB SSD hard drive and is fan less, both important issues in a 4WD as the SSD hard drive won't skip etc and dust will not be attracted to a fan. The unit also has a special delayed starting/shut down facility and runs Windows XP.
I decided to mount the screen between the round AC vents, sacrificing the fixed vents and clock. With a bit of good, well a lot of good luck, there would also be room for the pc box with a bit of modification to the AC ducting. Heart in throat, that inevitable point of no return had been reached and it was eyes closed and air saw ahead....
Eyes open and all good so far
That worked so well it was time to remove the centre part of the ducts....
Blocking off the centre ducts has actually meant better air flow through the adjustable vents so it has actually worked better than I thought. Silicon is my friend and the big screws were just a safety to stop it all dropping into the duct. They were removed once the silicon set.
I'll keep this pretty short as I am not sure there is much interest in this type of mod. Next was to machine the screen surround, and mounting frame
making the most of every nook and cranny is a must and the space in front of the passenger was too tempting to pass up.
assembling the radio unit
First assembly of the screen. The pc sits in the cradle under the screen. On the passenger side is the 6 port USB hub, fuse box and relay
more wire than a space shuttle
Close to finished. machined up a little mould to make the radio slot infill
Whilst the Defender infill looked good, I decided that space would actually be a great place to mount the scan gauge so I made up a mould and moulded a polyurethane holder for it to try and keep it all looking as original as possible.
The final product in use on a trip. The final moulding filled in the gaps around the screen and made it look like a pro job.
Was paid the ultimate compliment on this trip when I arrived in Perth, I put the truck in for a service. When I went to collect it the Service Manager was waiting wanting to know how I had got the factory navigation system because they had not been advise by LR that it was even available!!! I was pretty happy with that. Admin note: this post has had its images recovered from a money grabbing photo hosting site and reinstated |
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5th Nov 2014 10:40pm |
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| alwoodley72 Member Since: 14 Mar 2010 Location: salisbury, wilts Posts: 724  
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Fantastic!.. You are a very skilled chap, many thanks for sharing your truck with us!..
Cheers Alex |
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5th Nov 2014 11:34pm |
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| Venomator Member Since: 25 Aug 2014 Location: Peterborough Posts: 2087
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WOWSAS... 
Cracking work on the entire project, but the SatNav addition has blown my mind, a superb addition extremely brilliantly executed...
Does the entire screen slide/fold down into the dash for protection/to hide from prying eyes when not in use/parked up?... 
Rog...
The GREEN One... MY2016 Urban Truck Build Thread - http://www.defender2.net/forum/topic40548....al[/color] |
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6th Nov 2014 9:00am |
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| steve E Member Since: 06 Mar 2011 Location: Tenby Posts: 2073 
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As my daughter would say "maze ball" think that means amazing.
Really enjoying your thread and the skills you have as an engineer are astounding. Look forward to what evers coming next |
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6th Nov 2014 9:09am |
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| L90Andy Member Since: 29 May 2014 Location: Stratford-Upon-Avon Posts: 717 
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Wish I had a workshop like that. Oh and your skills too! Very nice indeed.
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6th Nov 2014 4:28pm |
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| nugge t Member Since: 03 Apr 2014 Location: Brisbane Posts: 50
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Thanks guys. Just a handyman who enjoys playing. I have been on a steep learning curve with milling over the last few years as I don't have a trade background. Started with a little Chinese mill but out grew it pretty quickly and upgraded to a programmable 3 axis machine which has been challenging and certainly kept the grey matter ticking over as I got up to speed with the programming and 3D design. Luckily I have access to a great tool maker who has helped me enormously.
Being able to draw in 3D and the mill have opened up the design aspect unbelievably as we tend to design to how we can manufacture. The original idea of the screen was to have to slide up and down in the dash but there were a couple of problems. The first was space, surprise surprise. The bigger the screen the harder to find room for it to retract, and I was greedy and wanted the biggest screen I could. The second was that the accentuators...small rams...had a 90 decibel noise rating and I need 2. Didn't fancy putting ear muffs on every time I started the car! The 3rd was that quieter accentuators were available but from memory they were about AUD1,000 each so I eventually decided to make it permanent...it is not as if anyone would be able to rip it out of the dash...it was bolted in. |
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6th Nov 2014 8:26pm |
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| chewy7 Member Since: 19 May 2013 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 34
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Big fan of your work Wayne! Gotta order some of your stuff when bender is closer to being on the road!
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7th Nov 2014 9:52am |
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| Fabio Member Since: 05 Aug 2011 Location: Somerset Posts: 589  
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Thank you for sharing!!
Great looking 110!! |
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7th Nov 2014 4:28pm |
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