Old member finally introducing himself

[jwfchase]

So, finally some pictures of my van, though I seem to have neglected including myself again! These pictures are all post-lift, post- new Goodyear Duratrac tires...

I meant to put some before/after pictures, but hey, we all know what a stock Delica looks like right? So without further adieu, here's introducing Honu II (Honu was a 1990 Blue/White Exceed- much prettier than Honu II, but lacking things like limited slip diff, and rear shoulder belts...) surveying her home territory of Kamloops, BC

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Showing off the new claws:

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Another view of the shoes- still some work to do putting on mudflaps, since this photo the wells have been rubberized undercoated though. And yes, like jfarsang mentioned in an earlier thread, these tires do fit HUGE. Even with cutting bashing, removing etc., there are still a couple rub issues (minor)

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Child #2 fast asleep after rattling up the trail to this spot.

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So, here she is- I do have some more photos to post regarding the lift and the tires, that I will have to do in the future when I have some more time. A massive huge thank you to jfarsang and Luna-Sea for heaps of assistance via telephone and PM's, and thank you to both of them for managing to find/build/send a lift kit so I could get these tires on!

Jamie

[jwfchase]

And, shortly after taking these photos, I took her into Knowles Exhaust in Kamloops, where they did a great job putting on a 2 1/4 to 2 1/2 side exit exhaust. That night I crawled underneath and cautiously turned up the boost a couple turns (I don't have a boost gauge or a pyro yet), I had been seeing some very high temps on the coolant gauge after steep climbs. The next day we drove to Canmore, and I couldn't believe the difference. Flats and moderate climbs saw absolutely no temperature increase, while easily maintaining speed with way less throttle. The engine did start to get too warm on a few of the steeper hills, but as soon as I eased off, the temperature dropped back down so fast I could actually see the needle moving. Love it!

[FalcoColumbarius]

Well..... uh.....

Welcome to Delica Canada !

Nice ride, JW.

Falco.

[jwfchase]

And when I mentioned about these tires fitting huge... here is a photo of where the upper A-arm sits in relation to the inside of the tire. These are 31" tires on rims that I bought from another trusted delica.ca member who also ran 31" tires on them with no such clearance issues. The tires don't quite rub unless cornering, and at least then it's a rounded edge (the paint has been cleaned off the side of the A-arm!)- but I think I will be looking for either some different rims with 1/4" different offset, or possibly the dreaded and much maligned spacers, again, just 1/4" thick- though I'd need to replace the lugs with 1/4" longer ones.

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(the duct tape was to cover up the hole where the grease nipple goes, since at this point I had removed the old grease nipple to do the lift, but didn't have a replacement in there yet and I wanted to keep the crud out)

The tire lugs also brush against the sway bar in front of the tire if I crank the wheel all the way over ( so I try not to crank it!)

Pretty sweet tires though!

[fexlboi]

Nice ride and finally welcome!

And when I mentioned about these tires fitting huge... here is a photo of where the upper A-arm sits in relation to the inside of the tire. These are 31" tires on rims that I bought from another trusted delica.ca member who also ran 31" tires on them with no such clearance issues. The tires don't quite rub unless cornering, and at least then it's a rounded edge (the paint has been cleaned off the side of the A-arm!)- but I think I will be looking for either some different rims with 1/4" different offset, or possibly the dreaed and much maligned spacers, again, just 1/4" thick- though I'd need to replace the lugs with 1/4" longer ones.
(the duct tape was to cover up the hole where the grease nipple goes, since at this point I had removed the old grease nipple to do the lift, but didn't have a replacement in there yet and I wanted to keep the crud out)
The tire lugs also brush against the sway bar in front of the tire if I crank the wheel all the way over ( so I try not to crank it!)

Wow, that's crazy (and dangerous too). You should get different rims asap. Do you air-down for offroading?

[jwfchase]

I haven't had to air down yet- and as for the rubbing- after a couple thousand km's so far, it has just barely rubbed the blueing off the raised white letters on the inside, but the letters themselves haven't been affected yet- so it definitely rubs, but no harder than brushing a curb on the outside- not that I'm trying to minimize the necessity of fixing the problem.

[jessef]

Finally some good pics !

I ran those rims with BFG AT 31's and they weren't rubbing. Close but not quite there.

The duratrac's puff out more on 7" wide rims. That's why they run on the swaybar/arm.

The rim is a Toyota 15x7 4.75" backspace which is the same backspacing as a stock 15x6 mitsu rim.

Because it's just a hair of a rub at full lock, I would put 1/4" spacers.

Any more than 1/4" and then it will not be safe in my eyes.

With a 1/4" spacer, you will still have the turns needed on the stud threads for the correct torque for the wheels.

I've seen a number of L300/L400 and pajero's with 1/4" spacers.

Either that or get different 31's ... Just kidding

[trialsmaster2]

Great pics, Jamie. That is one bad ass looking Delica you've got there! I was already thinking I have to explore around Kamloops one of these days when I was driving through the other day...this just confirms it

Actually, I was wondering if I saw you fueling up a couple of firetrucks next to the Brick and that former Mercedes dealership when I was coming through Kamloops mid afternoon this past Saturday (April 3rd)? I driving our Delica and we were being followed by a JDM motorhome based on an Isuzu Rodeo frame.

Aaron

[jwfchase]

Great pics, Jamie. That is one bad ass looking Delica you've got there! I was already thinking I have to explore around Kamloops one of these days when I was driving through the other day...this just confirms it

Actually, I was wondering if I saw you fueling up a couple of firetrucks next to the Brick and that former Mercedes dealership when I was coming through Kamloops mid afternoon this past Saturday (April 3rd)? I driving our Delica and we were being followed by a JDM motorhome based on an Isuzu Rodeo frame.

Aaron

Thanks Aaron, and nope, wasn't me- I was in Canmore (BTW snelson, do you drive a white Deli?), and I don't work out of the hall that fuels up there. When some more of the snow melts we'll have to have you up for some driving/biking!

[trialsmaster2]

Great pics, Jamie. That is one bad ass looking Delica you've got there! I was already thinking I have to explore around Kamloops one of these days when I was driving through the other day...this just confirms it

Actually, I was wondering if I saw you fueling up a couple of firetrucks next to the Brick and that former Mercedes dealership when I was coming through Kamloops mid afternoon this past Saturday (April 3rd)? I driving our Delica and we were being followed by a JDM motorhome based on an Isuzu Rodeo frame.

Aaron

Thanks Aaron, and nope, wasn't me- I was in Canmore (BTW snelson, do you drive a white Deli?), and I don't work out of the hall that fuels up there. When some more of the snow melts we'll have to have you up for some driving/biking!

Right on! I'd be up for some 4X4ing and/or biking in the not too distant future.

[deLOOKA]

Rims!

[Luna-Sea]

Wow!
Looking Suppah Kickass!
The Loops is such a nice backdrop for pics.

Side exhaust really makes the deli a different animal eh?
I love the lower growl and being able to see the pipe in
the rear view to figure air-fuel mixture on the fly.

I don't know if airing down will make the sidewall stick out more
on the top or no but I would wait until your tire rub is fixed.

Please do that soon eh!

The 1/4 inch spacer would be a shim,like a "doughnut" with holes
that you use your stock studs as long as there are a lot of threads
left for the lugs to bite on.

Like these,just a pic I pulled off google

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For more than that the spacer is also called a "wheel adapter"
It uses you stock studs and lugs to secure a thicker "doughnut",
which has another set of Studs to Lug to.

These are lug centric toyota ones made by Spidertrax available
from North Shore Off Road,I am not sure if the hub centric ones would
fit better,but this is just to give you an idea.

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I do know that both of these types need to be properly torqued and then re-torqued,
to ensure proper seating.

If anyone takes huge exception to spacers or wheel adapter let's start a new
thread and joust it out there,not wreck this member ride thread

When you do go out,you may need to trim a bit more and possibly even put flares of
some sort on to stay legal.

Of course a different rim with different backspacing and perhaps 8inch may be more desirable in the long run,you would probably have do flares with that solution too.

Always a bit more dialing in to get it perfect eh!

Love how its evolving in meaty beastly fashion!

Right F'n ON!
Post some side exhaust pics!

[snelson]

Hey JWF - yup that's me in the white delica in Canmore - the one with all the rusty freckles on the front - man have to get at those once the warmer weather shows up.

There's been a few new-in-town delicas I've seen around - one with a big windshield sticker (forget if it's Frozen Ocean of something like that) who I always get a nice Delica wave from .

I don't remember seeing yours though - I'm sure I'd have remembered cause that lift and rubber look wicked.

[jwfchase]

Actually it was my wife that spotted you, she's a fellow Prince George expat.

Thanks all for the comments on the photos-- actually there's kind of a funny story there...

... the evening prior to me taking these pics, my wife and I loaded up the kids for an evening picnic. I totally freaked my wife out driving up to this spot, it was only the promise that there was an awesome viewpoint ahead, and besides, I'd been up there in the van before without her, I knew it was no big deal to get there even though it may have looked a little steep to her... so after a small debate, up we went, and she was impressed by the view (it's only a 5 min drive off the pavement). We ate our dinner in the van and then went for a short walk to an even higher viewpoint (where I ended up parking the following day for the pictures I posted). My 3 year old daughter was impressed with the view (and hunting for little yellow flowers), as was my wife. We basically had a 270 degree vista of the city below us. The evening light was absolutely stunning- it had been a gorgeous day, and the colours and contours of the hills were really showing with the low angle of the sun. There we were, me, my wife and our two daughters having a beautiful evening.
"Boy, I sure wish we had brought the camera up here!", said I.
"Me too," replied my wife... she then cracked up laughing when she looked over at me and realized I was not looking at her beautiful face, or at my gorgeous daughters, or at the magnificent panorama...

...I was staring back at the van, perfectly illuminated by the evening sun...

(so I went back the next day and took these pictures... but they weren`t quite as good ...)

[jwfchase]

These ones warn that they should not be used off-road, but do these look right otherwise?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/MRG-2376/