Hi from Gerrit L

[Gerrit Loubser]

Hi Guys,

I don't own a Hilux, but I have been reading some interesting threads here, so I decided to join.

My current ride is a (recently acquired) Land Cruiser 80 VX 4.5 EFI Automatic and we also own a Pajero DiD LWB Automatic, that has given us fantastic service over the last six years or so (it is currently on 276 000 km and going as well as ever; lifetime fuel economy value around 9 km/l), but will have to be replaced somewhere in the not all too distant future (no idea at the moment what would be worthy of stepping into those shoes).

Previously I have owned two 3.5 V6 DOHC Pajeros and a (sadly missed) Nissan Patrol 4.5E GRX Manual.

We stay in Richards Bay, where I work as a design engineer for Bell Equipment. I work in the articulated dump truck division, so I get to play with some nice 6x6 toys from time to time :) .

[GI Jane]

Welcome Gerrit, Happy you decided to join us. There are a number of non hilux drivers on the forum, and there is lots of interesting topics that you will enjoy...trip reports, mods etc...

[Thunder02]

Welcome Gerrit,i'm sure you will fit in well with the rest of us with your cruiser Not just vehicle info here but a lot of trail and trip reports,as GI Jane has said.Great place to do research.Maybe you can put some hilux trates into those 6x6 Bell's you are developing
Enjoy

[Mud Dog]

Welcome aboard, Gerrit!

we also own a Pajero DiD LWB Automatic, ..................., but will have to be replaced somewhere in the not all too distant future (no idea at the moment what would be worthy of stepping into those shoes).

With a bit of luck there will be a Hilux or a Prado to fill that gap when the time comes.

[Gerrit Loubser]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Here is a picture of our new baby. It was unveiled earlier this year at an earthmoving/construction equipment show in France and will be in mass production next year (we are currently completing the pre-production batch).

[Mud Dog]

Thanks for the warm welcome.

Here is a picture of our new baby. It was unveiled earlier this year at an earthmoving/construction equipment show in France and will be in mass production next year (we are currently completing the pre-production batch).

Looks great! One thing I always wondered about is how well those rear wheel bearings and tyres stand up the sideways stresses of scuffing on turns, especially with a short wheel base and an articulated vehicle on top of it. Of course all rear double axle vehicles have this issue, but it's less pronounced with a longer wheel base although I've seen some serious tyre flexing with horse & trailer setups, which is almost similar to articulated.

[Gerrit Loubser]

Mud Dog, you are right, the lateral loads can be quite large, especially on the middle axle (lateral load can be of the same magnitude as the weight on the axle), but the components are sized to suit . Obviously the lateral loads are transmitted not only through the wheel bearings, but also through all components on the load path (including wheel rims, stub shafts, axle housing, Panhard rod and rear chassis). The scuffing load case is one of the more challenging ones to overcome as far as other vehicle components are concerned, but the wheel bearings can be specced to take the heat relatively easily.

[Family_Dog]

Howdy Gerard, welcome to the forum!

My guess is that one of those trucks would need a 4Y engine as a starter motor for the big diesel... ;)


-F_D

[CasKru]

Welkom Gerrit. Hoop jy geniet dit hier

[Gerrit Loubser]

Thanks Guys .

My guess is that one of those trucks would need a 4Y engine as a starter motor for the big diesel... ;)

F/D, ours are not quite that big. The starter motors are a bit bigger than those found on a passenger car, but their power ratings lie in the 5 kW to 7 kW range.

[HennieJ2]

A real hearty welcome to Gerrit - I "know" him from the Cruza club and I can vouch that this guy is real tech guru - A definite asset to the Hilux club, as with his wealth of knowledge, he has PLENTY of advice to offer.

... and now the "brain drain" can start

WELCOME


Hennie

[Gerrit Loubser]

Eish Hennie, you are too generous with the praise.

Thanks for the welcome.

[Donkey]

Gerrit welcome here by us, I'm sure you'll enjoy our company.
From us in the south - Donkey

[Haboob]

Welcome aboard Gerrit!

[JEEPIE]

welcome gerrit
i dont own a hilux either ( we must be the clever one's . ha ha ha )

[Gerrit Loubser]

:wink2:

[pietpetoors]

Welcome Gerrit, you have an interesting job. Do you design the mechanics or also the look (exterior)

[Gerrit Loubser]

Piet, I work in the team that is responsible for the vehicle structures (chassis, articulation joint, bin, walking beams, axle housings, mudguards, fuel tank, etc.). Our new product development department is divided into different teams that are each responsible for a different functional area of the machine, so we have teams for:
* The drive line
* The hydraulic & pneumatic systems
* The electrical and electronic systems
* The cab & composite parts
* The suspension
* The internal axle components and hydraulic cylinders
* The vehicle structures
* Product validation and verification

Obviously the machine operates as a unit, so the efforts of all the teams are coordinated by a project leader. The design is also developed by way of many cross functional design reviews and discussions, so most team members have a fair idea of what is cooking in other functional areas than their own.

We in the structures team have to understand how the other systems introduce loads into the structures and also how loads are generated due to vehicle dynamics and vehicle operation in order to be able to design the structures to be sufficiently durable, yet light enough to make the machine energy efficient. We also get to design the back bone that all the other teams use to hang their bits on .

We don't build our own engines or transmissions (we use world class items from the likes of Mercedes Benz and Allison, that have been rigorously tested and proven in our application), but we do pretty much everything else.

[jacques kotze]

Welkom Gerrit, Flippen interresante werk wat jy het.

[Gerrit Loubser]

Do you design the mechanics or also the look (exterior)

I just realised that I actually did not really answer this question, Piet.

We are fortunate in the sense that we cooperate with a company called Global Composites. They are based in Pietermaritzburg and manufacture our cabs. They are also basically the same company that used to make the Nissan Sani wagon and double cab bodies. When Nissan decided that they could do better by canning the Sani and importing the Terrano (big mistake, by the way), they were effectively left out to dry, which is when the relationship with our company moved into high gear. In any case, one of the guys at Global Composites is an accomplished vehicle stylist and we use him extensively to develop the vehicle styling. We do have a styling panel that includes several cross functional team leaders that work together with the vehicle stylist to define the final vehicle styling and I am fortunate to be a part of this. So I suppose you could say I have a bit of a finger in the design of the mechanics and the styling.

[JEEPIE]

hi gerrit
and you call that work ?
sounds more like playing all day long.

[Pora]

Hay Gerrit

welcome to the forum lots and lots can be learned here

Love the new look on the b30 really stands out
i worked at bell in jetpark for about a year and my dads been there for 14 years

really good trucks

hope you enjoy the forum :)

[Gerrit Loubser]

Thanks Pora. Small world hey.

[Gerrit Loubser]

hi gerrit
and you call that work ?
sounds more like playing all day long.

I really enjoy my job tremendously, but we do graft jolly hard .

[JEEPIE]

theres now a good balance
works hard and enjoys the job
you must be 1 of the lucky few ive heard about