What did you do with your Grenadier today?

[C'mon tae grips]

Installed OEM grab handle on driver side to help wife get in and out. I heard previous complaints about price of grab handle caps, they may have come down. My prices below in GBP ex VAT:

As grab handle caps were LH, swapped top and bottom round. Check first as you have to take the handle back off if you put them in the wrong hole - which is why the job was 5mins.

 

[LRNAD90]

I like the idea of the Grab handle on the driver's side, but have to wonder if it was not omitted for crash safety standards? When you watch crash tests, particularly offset tests, The head of the crash test dummy always heads for that area. Many cars now deploy the side curtains along with the front as a result, but that could be a pretty hard blunt object (with low cross section) to bang your head into. And I'd imagine the shorter you are/closer to the wheel, the worse it would be..

On that note, the billet aluminum handles sold by after market are probably orders of magnitude worse in this situation..

 

[Heet33]

Added two more Leitner cross bars and added the Molle panels; waiting on rotopax mounts.

 

[TK42one]

Added SPP overland skid plates. Still need to put on the fuel tank cover. Happy with them but they are a pretty penny. Couple of gotchas without the instructions and I did have to wobble out the transmission cover holes. I bought bare and had them powdercoated locally.

 

[C'mon tae grips]

I like the idea of the Grab handle on the driver's side, but have to wonder if it was not omitted for crash safety standards? When you watch crash tests, particularly offset tests, The head of the crash test dummy always heads for that area. Many cars now deploy the side curtains along with the front as a result, but that could be a pretty hard blunt object (with low cross section) to bang your head into. And I'd imagine the shorter you are/closer to the wheel, the worse it would be..

On that note, the billet aluminum handles sold by after market are probably orders of magnitude worse in this situation..

You’re most probably right. However, it was the Ineos dealer who sold it to me, and didn’t mention anything. Also there is already one on the passenger side, plus the driver has the benefit of the steering wheel airbag. Hope I never find out which one of us is right.

 

[DVA Mechanics]

Playing around with a prototype idea today... thoughts?

 

[LRNAD90]

You’re most probably right. However, it was the Ineos dealer who sold it to me, and didn’t mention anything. Also there is already one on the passenger side, plus the driver has the benefit of the steering wheel airbag. Hope I never find out which one of us is right.

Passenger side has a much larger airbag that helps prevent the head moving off to the side (think of hitting a pillow dead center, verses toward the edge). I wouldn't expect the Ineos dealer to know/care they are just selling parts. Here is a video of a Toyota 4 Runner that illustrates how the head sort of 'grazes' off the side of the driver's airbag and heads toward the pillar.

I hope no one ever has to find out, but odds are someone will. Its your family, and your decision, just wanted to make it know for you (or anyone else) that may not have thought about this reality before they decide to do the same..

 

[CrazyOldMan]

Passenger side has a much larger airbag that helps prevent the head moving off to the side (think of hitting a pillow dead center, verses toward the edge). I wouldn't expect the Ineos dealer to know/care they are just selling parts. Here is a video of a Toyota 4 Runner that illustrates how the head sort of 'grazes' off the side of the driver's airbag and heads toward the pillar.

View attachment 7885559

I hope no one ever has to find out, but odds are someone will. Its your family, and your decision, just wanted to make it know for you (or anyone else) that may not have thought about this reality before they decide to do the same..

View: https://youtu.be/TfE93xON8jk?si=7eoxzzCFSP9lAR9f

 

[MurphyMurph]

Yesterday I took the pups up into the hills for a little snow driving and mountain viewing. I brought all the stuff to make a hot cup of aero press coffee…except the bottom piece that holds the filter disc.

It was fun cruising around in low range and working the lockers a bit. Still impressed how well this thing handles any terrain you throw at it.

 

[Emil]

I like the idea of the Grab handle on the driver's side, but have to wonder if it was not omitted for crash safety standards? When you watch crash tests, particularly offset tests, The head of the crash test dummy always heads for that area. Many cars now deploy the side curtains along with the front as a result, but that could be a pretty hard blunt object (with low cross section) to bang your head into. And I'd imagine the shorter you are/closer to the wheel, the worse it would be..

On that note, the billet aluminum handles sold by after market are probably orders of magnitude worse in this situation..

Another aspect maybe worthy of note - in some jurisdictions, it is not permitted to install accessories that obstruct the driver's view, whereby the area to be kept clear may be defined differently in different markets. I assume that Ineos decided against the handle for a reason. Maybe it impedes the airbag, maybe it obstructs the view, maybe they wanted to sell handles at huge mark-ups aftermarket, maybe they wanted to save on costs…). Necessary comfort I guess could only provide a statement by Ineos that airbag safety was not the reason.

 

[Tazzieman]

The humidity causing an almost instant coating of surface rust on any machined surface.

My brother spend 6 months each year fixing and tuning pianos in the NT. Imagine the horrors he experiences!
But lots of interesting remote travel as well as the sweatbox of Darwin.

 

[CrazyOldMan]

My brother spend 6 months each year fixing and tuning pianos in the NT. Imagine the horrors he experiences!
But lots of interesting remote travel as well as the sweatbox of Darwin.

View: https://youtu.be/Q0ZEmLosVXE?si=LcMnU_0PswaRYrkL

 

[pmatusov]

Just unloaded the truck after a 2500-mile trip to the Rockies in Colorado.

 

[C'mon tae grips]

Passenger side has a much larger airbag that helps prevent the head moving off to the side (think of hitting a pillow dead center, verses toward the edge). I wouldn't expect the Ineos dealer to know/care they are just selling parts. Here is a video of a Toyota 4 Runner that illustrates how the head sort of 'grazes' off the side of the driver's airbag and heads toward the pillar.

View attachment 7885559

I hope no one ever has to find out, but odds are someone will. Its your family, and your decision, just wanted to make it know for you (or anyone else) that may not have thought about this reality before they decide to do the same..

So I went and asked Ineos:

I think if I was driving over rough terrain, I might have both hands on the steering wheel...

 

[NQ94]

A follow up to the above.

Thank you to everyone who reacted or commented to my post. It's heartwarming that so many took the time to read it.
Today is Australia Day and our 2025 National Australian of the Year is Neale Daniher, a former sportsman who has been in steady decline since 2013 due to MND. Neale has used his public profile to raise awareness and funds for MND. He's generated over A$100M and still going. A worthy recipient of AotY.

My wife and I have spent the weekend photo-cataloging my friend's shed. It is an Aladdin's Cave of engineering and automotive treasures going back 80+ years.

Edited for privacy.

Nice collection of old workshop and technical manuals. I hope someone can preserve them as many old manuals were thrown out, worthless to most people. I see them as written technical history that are a valuable source of information about evolution of automotive repair techniques and lost skills. I collected mechanical and engine manuals for years from prior to my apprenticeship, I have diesel books right back to the 30' but stopped when I moved to North Queensland because the f'ing Aisin Geckos that get into everything, especially bookshelves, nest and damage stuff and the humidity can be a killer on some of the old glues used for binding. It's nice to have them on display for the occasional look instead of in sealed boxes.

 

[parb]

I had some failures today. Not really something I can blame on a vendor or on myself but nonetheless a series of unfortunate events...

Tried to install the rival gas tank skid plate. It is incompatible with the rival gen1 transfer skid plate so they sent me a new one. Gen2 of course.

The new transfer skid plate is isn't compatible with my dissent off-road rock sliders, they use a bolt through frame for their slider which is in the same location that rival wants to add a bracket .

I could probably have taken off the bolt and jammed the bracket into the same bolt as slider but that would have required really getting into the slider and removing it partially. I didn't really like that, the slider took many hours to install by dissent, and I'm not going to be any faster. And I really think it's perfect as it is.

Plus I didn't like the new skid plate for the transfer case. I kind of preferred the long plate that was in the first generation. I decided that the factory steel gas tank skid plate from stock is strong enough, at least for now.

So onto the front where I installed new control arms skid plates. Needed a new cross bar for the transmission skid plate. That took a bit of effort, but it worked. I swear I didn't think the front control arms skid plate would fit but the do, you kind of slide them on from the rear, pushing toward the front. Fun and games...