SPRINGS ’N’ THINGS
ON the suspension front, Jeremy has perfectly straddled the fine line between weekend warrior and hardcore tourer. Up front, Fox Shocks two-inch lifted struts give a boost in ride quality and altitude. To save the CV joints from grenading themselves under assault from 656Nm, Jeremy has fitted a Phat Bars diff drop to get the CVS back on a safer angle. They’re paired up with Caloffroad tube upper control arms, and PSR high-clearance CV boots let the suspension extend to full droop without anything rubbing.
Moving up the back, the stock springs have been replaced with 600kg constantload-carrying leaf springs from EFS, while an airbag load helper allows Jeremy to dial the ride height in perfectly and level the rear suspension at camp. While the welder was out, a hybrid 80 Series/hilux rear axle was pieced together, and a PSR chassis brace kit installed for maximum strength. A pair of matching Fox Shocks in the rear smooth out the bumps. Shoehorned in to the wheel arches are 35-inch Maxxis RAZR Mud Terrains wrapped around 16x8 0-offset Fuel Boost alloy wheels – a 50mm body-lift kit giving the necessary clearance. DBA upgraded brakes help reign in the big mud tyres, with drilled and slotted rotors up front and upgraded drums in the rear.
Back on the outside and the Hilux has had an extensive overhaul with no expense spared. The tip of the spear is the iconic Muzz Bar up front. It’s colour-coded to the OEM Toyota silver with a blacked-out radiator hoop. Taking pride of place up top are a pair of laser beams disguised as driving lights, with a pair of Baja Designs LP9S front and centre. Hiding beneath it, tucked inside the bar, is a matching Baja Designs S8 20-inch light bar ensuring Jeremy has ample light no matter how dark the tracks get. Poking out from the polished alloy fairlead is a synthetic winch line wrapped around 12,000lb of Runva pulling power.
Moving along the flanks, Jeremy has extensively up-armoured the Hilux. Highclearance bash plates from Phat Bars cover the Toyota’s soft bits, while Southern Cross Fabworks rock sliders sit high and tight to the body to not only make entry and exit easier but also guard vulnerable sill panels. Up top, a flat rack from RhinoRack provides additional storage as well as housing many permanent accessories. A 40-inch Baja Designs S8 light bar occupies the front spot, while Maxtrax, a high-lift jack, shovel and Stedi camp lights fill out the rest of the rack.