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2014 Tamiya Mountain Rider Re-Release

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My Hilux is done.

It's mostly stock, except for the 12mm Hex Conversion from RC4WD, the wheels and tyres, stickers, which I made myself, and the front bumper, for which I used a high lift jack on the stock bumper mounts, which are dyed black. Also added lights and a TLU-01 and TLU-02. Took the TLU-02 back out because the indicators started annoying me really badly.

I can't seem to copy/paste into this editor, so rather than re-type a wall of text and images, you can read more about the build at https://www.wittenburg.co.uk/entry.aspx?id=51d49de6-e0f3-4054-acf6-325f668040b5

Tamiya-Hilux-Lights-Front.jpg

The thing I'm hoping to still do to it are a custom back bumper - something inoffensive but cool, and to either widen the front track, or narrow the rear. While I haven't found much useful information online, it seems widening the front is more realistic, because the rear is constrained by the chassis width. Has anyone done this to a 2012 Bruiser or the 2014 Mountain Rider?

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Which tires & wheels are those ?

I've been considering the hex adapter for my next Mountaineer to get some better 2.2 wheels/tires from RC4WD myself.

Those you have look like 1.9's .

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Is the number plate from Gauteng Province or Gangsta's Paradise?

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If possible I would go with trying to shorten the rear, the offset looks a little off at the back, slightly unrealistic compared to the front. Maybe some rc4wd tf2 or similar axles would be easier to retrofit unless you are machining down the hex adapters or something.

Beautiful hilux though, you've done a nice job B)

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That looks great, nice touches.

These hex adapters off ebay were interesting;

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But not with WT01 wheels lol :blink: ...

med_gallery_28308_3720_311525.jpg

That'll widen your front track if you fit them to the front pmsl!

med_gallery_28308_3720_815659.jpg

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This is what it looks like on beadlock option rims with HPI Yokohama Geolander tyres for a more scale look than standard but still on 2.2 rims;

med_gallery_28308_3720_228627.jpg

med_gallery_28308_3720_320008.jpg

I've also bought some Proline Mashers but no pics of that yet.

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Thanks for those photos. I actually have a similar set of hex adapters, but without that cone part so I think slightly less offset. I bought them because I read somewhere that the RC4WD hex conversion kit is not entirely reliable. Should maybe try them on the front (easier to change the front, too). Not a fan of wide tires on the Hilux though - they make it look like a monster truck, but without enough lift I think the truck starts to look a little comical. Which is why I went with 1.55.

Just had a look at my hex adapters -

aluhex.jpg

The thread seems to go all the way down that cylinder with the hex on it. Might have a go at grinding the cylinder down into a hex shape, and then narrowing the adapter... Will have to fit a wheel to it and see what's possible.

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looking at your adapter.

if you ground it down, and then narrowed the adapter. How would you keep the new hex wheel on?

Think you need the internal thread to put a screw in it to secure the hex type wheel.

I could be wrong as I don't have one in front of me

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The thread goes all the way down from the hex-shaped part to the bottom of the first cylinder-shaped part beneath the hex shape. Not sure I'm explaining that well. Either way, if the wheel fits around the adapter after it's ground down, there will definitely still be enough thread left for a screw. That said, the RC4WD axles will poke through that hole, and the wheel would be secured to the axle with a nut, rather than a screw.

I'll play with it next week (going to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend).

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I wish you hadn't totalled up how much you spent on your hilux. :blink:

Good information tho :)

Building a bruiser at the moment, and don't want to think how much money is in it. :wacko:

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So I was going through photos and had a look at the ones I took on the Southbank. Those wide-track rear wheels make me cringe :-(

HiluxSouthbankBeach.jpg

HiluxDoughnuts.jpg

They just stick out too much. Catch the wrong angles, like in these pics, and it's so many types of wrong. Long story short I'm taking the plunge and narrowing the back axles as described in the YSS Crawlers blog post further up this thread. Step one is complete - just ordered a replacement rear axle, and Metal Parts Bag A. I want a contingency in case the cutting or drilling go south. The bigger problem is that I don't have the tools to drill the holes into the shafts, or cut the axles, collars and hubs. Approach A is to man up and learn, and then use the tools at London Hackspace (http://london.hackspace.org). Approach B is to find someone that can do it for me. I'll pursue approach B and if I haven't found anyone by the time the replacement parts arrive, I'll go with A.

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Or you could just buy the RC4WD Bruiseruptor rear axle. I know, it means throwing money at the problem, but sometimes its just worth it. That said, I don't know how long the RC4WD axles will last, and I would much rather have the option to open the diff if I ever wanted to.

Now, man up soldier, and make sure to post pics of the process.:-)

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Thanks man, didn't know about the Bruiseruptor axles. Yes, keeping the option for an open diff is appealing (the Hilux shunts like a bat out of badword in 2WD high, which is great fun). And the stronger RC4WD axle is discontinued :-(

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