Nissan Patrol 4x4 (Africa)

Thanks Dave. I was just lucky to be at the right place at the right time. This afternoon I removed the rear propshaft and tightened the loose splash cover under the gearbox and all the noises and vibrations are a thing of the past. I'm going to sent the propshaft to Propshaft Master for refurbishment later this week. I spoke to the previous owner this afteenoon (Canadian working for the UN in Botswana) and she confirmed that the vehicle had an oil chnage every 5000km, a minor service every 1000km and a major service every 3000km under a UN contract with a local garage. I have their number and am hoping to get all the service details shortly.

jissis!!! thats nice! I know exactly where that is, garage on the right as you head towards broadacres right? they had a short wheel base GU ZD30 there too last year, going for about R130 000 or so, gold-ish colour, stood there for ages though as it was an import and okes couldn't get the paperwork sorted. Your GQ looks way way way meaner though, hell that thing is the bomb! Soooooooo much potential. Thanks for posting pics.

Ps: This is definitely a heap stronger than your old 3.5 Cruiser shorty mate, and although i love those cruisers, i reckon you gonna have the time of your life with those coils, as the cruiser had leafs remember, this is a different animal now

Adrianjvr wrote:

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That's a VERY lekker Troll!!! Lucky bugger!

Me likes.

very very nice !!!
that lever you spoke about is to disconnect one side of the anti roll bar but my friend Peter will give you a reply tonight!

ek is JALOERS ... punt - Maar welkom hier Bru - en mag daai girlie vir jou jarrrrrrrre se plesier gee,,,

Hello Adrian

Nice car man, congrats!

The sway bar disconnect system is covered in the Max Ellery's manual I have. I bought the manual from Motorbooks in Joburg, and it covers your SWB car as well as the LWB like mine and the cab-chassis.

Unfortunately it just has a picture of the gizmo from the outside, and does not explain how it works or how to dismantle it. What I do know about it is the following: It (the box of fancy trickery) bolts onto the chassis on the driver's side and it simultaneously replaces the one vertical link from the chassis to the anti-rollbar itself. It is cable-operated from the lever in the footwel. All the Y60 (GQ) and Y61 (GU)'s have the necessary bracket on the chassis.

An interesting thing is that Jeep are very chuffed with themselves because they have now introduced a similar system in the Wrangler Rubicon, while the Patrols have had it since whenever, and I actually the idea is even older than that.

However I suppose the important question is what does it do, and what is the value of such a system? In effect the link between the chassis and the anti-rolbar is made longer but the connection with the chassis mounting point can be disconnected, so that the link can slide up and down when the system is activated. In the Jeep Rubicon this is supposed to allow as much as 28% more wheel movement in cross-axle situations. However in the Patrol (dependent of course on spring rates and how the vehicle is loaded) I doubt there is quite as much effect, however in your shorty it might very well make a lot of difference.

My car is a 1996 LWB petrol, and unfortunately it does not have this system. It is fitted with OME suspension, but I do not know exactly what as it was done by a previous owner. I have toyed with the idea of making one for some time, and as part of my fiddling in this connection I tried to measure how much difference it would make to my car. What I did was to jack the rear end of my car up under the tow bar, and then measure the length of the rear shocks in that position. I then drove it to my nearest 4x4 track and parked it on a cross-axle whith 2 wheels in the air, and measured the shocks again. The extended one measured almost exactly the same, and on the compressed side the axle was in contact with the bump-stop rubber. However I have noticed that when I drive my car over a less severe cross-axle, such as an angled speedbump the front wheels go over the bump without really moving the cab, but when the rear axle goes over the bump, the body sways, and I beleive this system will reduce that effect and thus give you a smoother ride on rough dirt roads at moderate to low speeds.

Regards
Peter

Below a pic of after market disconects. I am having some made for my Troll. I already have some extended bump stop for the rear in but want to increase the articulation on demand.


Regards

Grant wrote:Below a pic of after market disconects. I am having some made for my Troll. I already have some extended bump stop for the rear in but want to increase the articulation on demand.

Regards

It looks like my prayers have been answered!

Is the fabricator taking orders? How do you get the necessary cables for hooking it up?

jhey Russs - ju mieen dis vhan?? Not to worri - he is in the Family of Trollers - and 'ttended the DYNO Day [dunno the outputs but it is a BEAUTY...]