PLAYDOH'S 120 D4D build up

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

I've been cruising PP for a few weeks checking out everyone's build ups reading, learning and planning..

I recently became part owner with the bank on a 2009 Prado 120 D4D manual with very low k's and so the fun begins........

At the moment I work in Arnhem Land which borders Kakadu National park, so the roads are rough and I'm doing regular water crossings. As a stock standard vehicle I'm impressed with the Prado so far but there is heaps of gear to help make it that much better and prevent break downs.

I've currently got seven weeks leave so I'm taking the time to get some mods done as well as research into what I want to do next.

Mods so far:
Bull bar
Sheep skin seat covers
tow bar

Immediate mods planned
Snorkel
Scan gaugeII - are these worth it, or even useful..? Any comment on these appreciated
Turbo timer - on its way
Tires - new wheels possibly
Floor mats
Diff breathers
Its a 7 seater, so most likely pull the very back seats out
UHF
Tinting

Long term mods planned
Suspension lift
Steel bull bar - Either XROX or colour coded Sahara bar - still cant make up my mind
bash plates
Rock sliders
Maybe an exhaust
Maybe a Roof rack

And a picture of the Prado in Arnhem Land before the mods start........

[foxclan Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close foxclan]

Welcome to the forum Playdoh
Must be tough working in the top end?
Good list of future mods planned, keep the pics coming.
Cheers Troy

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

Earlier this week I got down to ARB and booked in the Prado for a Snorkel to be done which will happen in a few weeks time.

First thing I got into was the diff breathers, its a little disappointing the rear diff not even having just a small extension hose at least up to the chassis rails. I dropped into ENZED and picked up some gear for the job. I told the guys what my plans where and they also came up with these small Polyethylene Silencer/breathers, so that saved me going to another shop.

Here is all the gear I picked up ready to be fitted up


Pulled through ready to be mounted up


I'm now looking at some thing that I can join these together and hold still near the fire wall. I will most likely get some ignition lead separators to do the job.

[Case Member Find all posts View Profile Close Case]

Cool, I will have to do something similar haven't even looked at if the rear diff had an extension on it

case

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

Also during the week my eBay purchase turned up, Newpro Turbo timer plug and play kit, the install was a pretty basic job with a small amount of trimming to fit the digital display into one of the blanks. Had some help from Steve (8608) who came and helped me get the trip off without breaking things.

Here is all the gear unwrapped ready to go in.


Installed everything back together, currently set on 1minute timer

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

Had the Snorkel fitted up at ARB today, which gives me another mod ticked off the list for the Prado. The battery tray they ordered was the wrong one, so waiting a little longer for that one.

Still not decided on what tyres I want/need to fit up over the standard ones now. I've been given a good price on the Wrangler MTR's and I have not been to physically see a set of Cooper tyres to really make the choice on them either.

Snorkel fitted up ... yep looks the same as all the other Safari snorkels fitted I'm sure ..

[Noobie Banned Find all posts View Profile Close Noobie]

Oenpelli boy hey?? That's what it looks like from the photo.

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

yeah mate that's where the photo was taken.. plenty more to come in the future as well.

How long since you have been out that way?

[pambs Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pambs]

Can you share the ebay link for the turbo timer? I found various options for our car and cant understand the difference

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

Can you share the ebay link for the turbo timer?

I found a couple of versions, but the plug and play comes with everything you need. I have put a link of the same re-listed item as what I got.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....#ht_5512wt_958

[pambs Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close pambs]

great, thank you very much!!!

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

Little bit of an update since its been a while;

Fitted up dual Battery tray, still deciding on battery management system.

I'd been looking around at lift kits and what people have been using on Pradopoint. I figured if I lift the Prado I would keep the coil rates as close to possible as before, combined with a good strut and shock to keep the Prado from being to 'boaty" on the road. The data base that had been collected on coil rates, heights as well as travel and compression of shocks and struts for the Prado was a great deal of help doing this... 8) Using that and looking at what was standard on the Prado I was able to find the coils I wanted. I planned on having my lower control arms fitted as well but Superior had none on shelf so they are on order. So far happy with how its turned out, the ride back through Arnhem Land was very comfortable, and whilst I was cruising along nicely with the new Bilsteins keeping control of every thing I suddenly started getting a heavier and heavier pull to the right.... thinking I had all ready broken something I stuck my head out the window, to find I had wrecked a tyre. I think the tyres considering what they are have done well to hold up this long. But now I am on the hunt for a decent tyre to get me through the wet season and into the dry next year. I'm torn between a mud tyre and an all terrain, I'm worried about the noise and loss of fuel economy with a mud tyre, and worried I'll spike a tyre easily again with an A/T or not be happy with them through the wet.

I went with Dobinson C59-302 for the front, and Dobinson C59-325 up back.


BL - Before lift


AL - After lift








link for coil rates -
http://www.pradopoint.com/showthread...sion-Database&

[Prado BB Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Prado BB]

coming along very nicely. What made you want to change the lower control arms?

Cheers

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

The lower control arms have bigger bushes, look far stronger, and allow for bigger lift if needed in the future.

[PLAYDOH Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PLAYDOH]

Fitted the lower control arms, I think some upper control arms to match the lower strength are now in order, to make for superior out bush reliability.





Out for a suspension run see how it all rides, mud tyres to be fitted soon.