Gadgets and weight reduction.
Submitted: Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 18:39
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Peter_n_Margaret
Willem raised the issue of broken bits caused by overweight vehicles in another thread.
A couple of years ago I started a weight reduction programme and it resulted in a few bits and pieces that may be of interest to others. Many of you would have seen some of these before.
1. Bead breaker (
pic below)
2 pieces of 12mm aluminium welded together.
It easily breaks any bead, even my 305/70R 19.5s, and it is ¼ the weight of most other bead breakers.
2. Tyre to tyre air adaptor. (
pic below)
I run my tyres at a maximum of 65psi on the bitumen, but they have a safe capacity of 115psi, so that is what I run my spares at. There is enough air in a spare to inflate a flat or blow the dust out of the tool box or ….. without even starting the compressor. Blow them up at the
truck stop when we get fuel.
3. Air compressor accumulator (no
pic).
When I built the camper section on the OKA, I sealed the 2 chassis rails. They are my air accumulator. I have seen the same done using a bull bar and a trailer chassis.
4. Pumping diesel from a 200L drum (top item in
pic below)
This cap attaches to a length of fuel hose and the air hose from the compressor. Pretty easy job. Just don’t put too much pressure in the drum.
5. My EMERGENCY ONLY air compressor (bottom item in
pic above).
Not sure if I should explain this one.
Air hose QC on the left hand end, LPG gas fitting (LH thread) on the other end.
Do NOT do this. No correspondence will be entered into.
If you like any of these, post a new one for us to share.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome
Reply By: Willem - Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 21:34
Tuesday, Jan 06, 2009 at 21:34
Peter
I have removed all the rear seats and replaced them with a mishmash of stylised MDF which constitutes my storage. I carry the fridge, 20lt water, 4x shockies, tools and stuff and trolley jack in the vehicle. Last time I weighed the GQ fully laded with fuel et al it came in at 2570. Add two humans and a dog and we are just under the GVM of 2800kg
I have ordinary tyrepliers as I only run 7.50 x 16 tyres. Only one spare for truck and one spare for trailer and some tubes.
Gadgets? Not much:
Homemade Tanami Pump
2 x Jaycar 12v electric pumps good for cooking and also for showers
Staun tyre deflators which I don't use. Find the stick works far better...lol
Rugged Toolroll which includes a saw, hammer, pick and axe
Still thinking about compressor with tank. For the mean time compressor will do
The rest of the gear is carried in the trailer.
Cheers
AnswerID:
342952
Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY-(MURRAY)(Vic) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 09:13
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 09:13
Gday Willem
Hope that Xmas and New Year all went
well.
I was just hopeing that i could get a drawing of the stick that you use to deflate the tyres ??
Murray
FollowupID:
610716
Follow Up By: Willem - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 14:10
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 14:10
Hello Muzbry Murray Vic (strange surname that)
I will do better still. here is a photo of one
Image Could Not Be Found
My friend, if you tilt your head for'rard and look down on to the ground, you may see one that could gelp you on your way
Cheers, Grommit's dad
FollowupID:
610782
Follow Up By: Member - MUZBRY-(MURRAY)(Vic) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 15:11
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 15:11
Dearest Willem
While in the bush last week, i saw a stick exactly like the one in the photo , as i didn't need it at the time, i know where it is for next trip.
Little Wes and i went up to
Licola and turned right on to Mt Margret track.We headed south and stayed in a spot that we have not been to before. Very nice and quiet. Two creeks running and the odd mozzi.
Little Ben went with Wes , and they seemed to have a good time together.
Its as bit hard for me to keep up with them , but who cares. They wate for me to
cook their meals , so i am never far behind.
Santa gave me a new sleeping bag. As i can never get warm, i now have a -5-10 bag which is like a sauna .
Now i am off to
cook for them again as it is Wed night and the kids all turn up for a freebie
Murray
FollowupID:
610793
Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 16:54
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 16:54
Willem!!
If i send you a stamped , self addressed envelope, can you send me a suitable deflating stick?? Michael
| Patrol 4.2TDi 2003
Retired 2016 and now Out and About!
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Follow Up By: Willem - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 20:31
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 20:31
Michael
You have too much idle time on your hands!!!!!
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610889
Follow Up By: Rick (S.A.) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 21:41
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 21:41
Pssst...........Willie
Don't tell anyone, but all up with:
65 L water
190 L fuel
tucker for 2 weeks
cooking eqpt
spares (heaps), jacks, tools, 2 x air compressors (oldie mounted under bonnet) etc
extras like twin wheel carrier, bull bar, drawer set, roof rack
12 V fridge + 50 L esky
2 blokes
other assorted crap
........................3.8 t on weighbridge.
I drive and brake accordingly.
Cheers
PS why oh why do I consume a lot of fuel - could it possibly be weight related? - Hahahaha
FollowupID:
610917
Reply By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 16:06
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 16:06
Hi Peter
Over weight has long been an issue I try to warn people about.
Have seen countless examples of it and its damage.
Ideas like you show can really save weight if done right.
Compressed air from the spare is great for blow dust out of things.
In my own car , I don't add anything without reducing weight elsewhere and car weighs less than original despite many additional features. By going carefully through the car we have removed over 100kg including things like the 2nd radiator fan which hasn't proved to be required and replacing many bolts which are just longer than they need to be.
The result of all this is that the car doesn't need raising and hence you don't add several Kg in bigger coils springs etc.
Things like steel Bullbars are rarely worth there weight and just looking at your picture I see a haymen reese towbar , the Nissan version of it weighs in at some 20kgs and things like this just constantly build up weight.
I only tow a lightweight trailer for bikes and then only occaisionly and have constructed a version that weighs only 3kg.
I like the look of your tyre remover but everytime I have seen those sorts of things used in bad conditions they have been hard work so for that purpose we have a handmade copy of tyrepliers that weighs in at only 2kg and which can also be used as a tyrelever.
As a small contribution to your weight saving ideas I'd like to add my method of carrying a garden shovel which is attached to the back spare tyre of my Patrol.
To do this we simply drilled a hole in the shovel handle and used a 200mm section of 1/4 inch threaded rod which attaches from the spare wheel stud hole to the hole in the shovel handle , weighs nothing and cost 80c.
AnswerID:
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 17:41
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 17:41
I now use my spare wheel as an air resevior and it works a treat but only at 65PSI as the maximum pressure on the sidewall is 65PSI. saves a few kilos and is about 100 litres instead on the usual 10 or 15 litres.. MichaelImage Could Not Be Found
| Patrol 4.2TDi 2003
Retired 2016 and now Out and About!
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 18:00
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 18:00
Hi Micheal
They look like BFG AT , if so you have fallen victim to the bad wording on the tyre.
65 is the minimum pressure required to support that load.
From memory the wording is something like max load 1xxx kg at 65 psi cold.
I.E. you need 65 to support that load and typical use is to add 10% more pressure to support that load.
You may then ask why do I use 30psi or so normally , the reason you can use low pressures is because the cars weight is a lot less than max load , i.e. a 3000kg car has about 750kg load per wheel
so needs less air.
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 18:05
Wednesday, Jan 07, 2009 at 18:05
Thanks Robin, I will re look at that. im sure it said max 65psi, but i will have another look. It would be nice to get it up to 100psi.. Michael.
| Patrol 4.2TDi 2003
Retired 2016 and now Out and About!
Somewhere you want to explore ? There is no time like the present.Member
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FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: jocker - Thursday, Jan 08, 2009 at 10:35
Thursday, Jan 08, 2009 at 10:35
No need to over inflate your tyres..... that will add to the weight...laugh!
You risk stretching the tyre under light loads and after all you DO
check your pressures now and again DONT you.
Another suggestion.. throw out any unwanted ballast..wives and kids come to mind.
Cheers all.
FollowupID:
610985