What repairs have you done out in the Bundu to make it home ?
Once had Nissan Hardbody gearbox locked on a hunting trip. Field stripped the box jammed it in 4th gear and drove it all the way back home.
Whoopa 2016 Ignus broke the front traction bar on the little Patrol damaging a brake line. Cleaned it wound copper wire around the damaged section and soldered it. Thinking of it we still need to replace that brake line
Broke a TCase mount on the SJ410, fixed it with blou draad from a handy farm fence.
Broke a TCase mount on the Jimny, fixed it with a block of wood (it was a branch before being carved with a leatherman), Power bar and cable ties.
My second trip to 3 Provinces my Fortuner's starter packed up by the camp side. We tried to repair it but no luck. Being an auto, what can you do. Got hold of the SIL and the new day at 5pm he had the new starter there. Installed by 7 and the next day played again.
We went Ice climbing in Lesotho in 2002.
After a very snowy and frozen few days the Rocky decided to start pushing water out of the weep hole on the water pump.
As we were on the homeward leg we decided to make a temp repair in Fouriesburg and head for home.
The repair held up for about 4 months while a new water pump was imported as the dealers had not stock....
Only ever had to repair an accelerator cable that snapped half way through De Wildt. Lost my electrical "choc block" for some electrical circuit as it was used to "join" the cable.
Not a case of being able to repair, but, managed to coax the Hardbody home after drowning it at Rust De Winter. Four bent conrods (10-12bar compression across 4 cylinders). Water pump threw a shaft seal 10km out of camp and I had to stop every 10-15km to fill with water. The last stretch from Dieplsoot to Roodepoort, there were just no garages to stop at and fill up anymore, so just drove the 2.7 to destruction the last 40km. Yet the next day, he started up again and drove onto the flatbed
David vd Merwe
1997 2.7TD Nissan Sani SFA
150mm Lift, 33" rubber, dual transfer cases
Remember one from many Moons ago. Deep in the Kalahari many moons ago my FJ 45 Cruiser broke a center bolt on the left front spring pack. This caused the left side of the diff to move forward. Loosened the U bolts and moved the diff back into position.
Did not have a bolt the size of the center bolt to replace it. Only thing that had the same size were the shaft of a star screwdriver. Hammered the screwdriver into the center bolt hole, cut it of with a Hacksaw. Completed the trip and drive home.
Did a Namib trip in 2011 with the now famous Simon Wearne from Voetspore. He told me a story of a guy that ruined a prop shaft deep in the desert on one of his trips. They found that the cattle rails of one of the 4x4`s in the group had the same size as the ruined prop shaft. They cut a length of tubing from the rails.
Replaced the shaft tubing with that from the cattle rails. Welded the shaft with batteries and welding rods. Owner completed the last 300km with this make shift prop shaft.
On one trip a guy in a 280? Isuzu had his alternator pack-up.
Unlike many 4*4s it has little battery load
(electrical pumps, turbos, fans etc)
so by tying his 100w solar panel on roof
and charging battery on the run , without alternator, travelled on for over 10 days overlanding.
As I see it :
A typical alternator delivers about 120A/12V
(alternator sizes gen 60A multiples...)
Solar panel ...
5A/20V ... say 100W
so one can consider std battery load call
of cars units and assess whats possible.
... Famous Fiver VoorLoper ...
... Veni Vidi Vici ...
Did a Namib trip in 2011 with the now famous Simon Wearne from Voetspore. He told me a story of a guy that ruined a prop shaft deep in the desert on one of his trips. They found that the cattle rails of one of the 4x4`s in the group had the same size as the ruined prop shaft. They cut a length of tubing from the rails.
Replaced the shaft tubing with that from the cattle rails. Welded the shaft with batteries and welding rods. Owner completed the last 300km with this make shift prop shaft.
I would have called Simon out on this one... I doubt you would get very far without it either destroying itself being unbalanced or destroying something else due to vibration
I had to cable tie my bumper on recently when I ripped my mudflap off.
The mudflap helps hold the bumper, at that point, in place.
I'm sorry I don't have a more technical story too tell - it's a Toyota thing - you'll never understand.
I understand MalMan - When a Toyota packs up in the Bundu, there is no way the owner can fix anything technical himself. That is why there are spare parts and Toyota mechanics behind every bush and under every tree throughout Africa
I refuse to be POLITICALLY CORRECT to impress others - Deal with it
FLEX is UNDERRATED
Did a Namib trip in 2011 with the now famous Simon Wearne from Voetspore. He told me a story of a guy that ruined a prop shaft deep in the desert on one of his trips. They found that the cattle rails of one of the 4x4`s in the group had the same size as the ruined prop shaft. They cut a length of tubing from the rails.
Replaced the shaft tubing with that from the cattle rails. Welded the shaft with batteries and welding rods. Owner completed the last 300km with this make shift prop shaft.
I would have called Simon out on this one... I doubt you would get very far without it either destroying itself being unbalanced or destroying something else due to vibration
If I can remember correctly the cattle rail tube was a tight fit over the usable parts of the OEM prop shaft tubing. They used a highlift jack chassis to line up for welding.
Anthony Forgey and Jaco Jeep repaired a prop shaft this way on the August River Trip. They completed the trip and drive home. There were some pics of this repair on some groups. Maybe we should ask them to post them here.
An knowall Ozzy suspension guy changed
the back springs on my RR Classic 2-Door
about 20 years ago.
when I was half way btwn Hotazel and Van Steynsrus I found he hadnt tightened
the radial arm eye-bolts as one came off ...
back universal broke and end of propshaft
came through back floor of car ...
I detached rest of prop and drove rest of
way to Upington on front prop only.
... but like PopEye without his spinach,
the classic had very limited capability
till back prop was also fixed !
(... thanks Hedgehog Popeye corrected !)
Last edited by BushWacker on Mon Dec 24, 2018 6:37 pm, edited 4 times in total.
... Famous Fiver VoorLoper ...
... Veni Vidi Vici ...
