Builds The Mule: My OM617 swap and other improvements (1 Viewer)

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actually boarding my garage walls as we speak! my 11 year old is helping
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actually boarding my garage walls as we speak! my 11 year old is helping View attachment 3214112
Looks good! My oldest son just turned 12. They're actually functional now, haha. Jack helped me all yesterday afternoon getting the heater plumbed. He even had his first "can you please hold the flashlight steady / quit shining it in my eyes" moment.
 
Reference photos:

Maxxis RZR MT 33x10.50R15, 4" HFS lift, 1.5" shackles
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Proud of this newly minted 12 year old!
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Well crap

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In the tech realm, the Vintage Air II with defrost worked magnificently. I highly recommend it.
 
That will leave a slight mark ;-
Baselined the fluids Saturday and she wheeled all day Sunday and drove 250 miles back on Monday. Yes, however, marks were left.
 
Well crap

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Been there and done that. Yeah it sucks, but being a Land Cruiser, they pull upright and still drive/function. At least you were using it for what it was made for.
 
i feel for you. thats not a fun result of having a fun time! hopefully you’ll “buff” it out! hope you didn’t suffer any injuries yourself!
 
Do you ever feel with the 4.56's and 33's that you don't are too low geared in the differentials? I suspect with the OD trans and the torque of the diesel, the answer is no, but just curious. Love the look of this truck, white is my new favorite 40 color. I'm so sorry about the flop and subsequent body damage. Cheers to you for actually using the rig though, ultimately thats what we should all be doing!
 
Do you ever feel with the 4.56's and 33's that you don't are too low geared in the differentials? I suspect with the OD trans and the torque of the diesel, the answer is no, but just curious. Love the look of this truck, white is my new favorite 40 color. I'm so sorry about the flop and subsequent body damage. Cheers to you for actually using the rig though, ultimately thats what we should all be doing!

Yes I do feel I'm geared too low sometimes, especially with 6.34 first gear, but with the NV4500 wide ratios it performs much better than with 4.11s. I think I've mentioned before that @orangefj45 warned me about the NV4500 being a poor choice for the OM617, but I was too dumb to 1) understand what he meant and 2) take the advice.

I will say this, however, my favorite trail gear is 4 LO, 3rd and 4th gear. The OM617 doesn't have much balls, but it seems to really let it maximize the torque available.
 
Some easy hill climb action:

 
Just read through your thread, fantastic swap and great to see you have it out on the trails years later. I have a soft spot for the OM617, the one that came in my old G-Wagen was a real monster. If you're ever feeling the need for more power it isn't too hard to accomplish. Mine had 7.5mm IP elements, 314 nozzles and a Holset HX30 turbo. It made 17-18 psi and approximately 160-170hp, enough to feel peppy in a 5100lb G with 37" tires. I recently picked up an old 300D for a project, the NA 617 doesn't feel quite as good!
 
Here's some more video of trail 22. I have no idea how we made this line work. Shout out to DLC member Ryan for keeping me from going full idiot:

 

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