Toyota Hilux LN106R

boris mikilchuck

boris mikilchuck

Active Member
Good Points

Solid front axle

Leaf springs

2.8 Litre Diesel Engine (3L)

Good fuel economy

Good ground clearance and lots of travel


Bad Points

None


What mods have you done?

Awning


What mods are on the list to do?

32” BFG Muddies

Alloy Rims

Canopy

Safari Snorkel

Front e-locker

UHF

Spotties

Dual Battery setup

Water tank

Extended diff breathers

Recaro front seats

I’m sure I will think of other things…..


Why did you buy this vehicle?

To go on 4WD trips and as a project to tinker with in between work and study. Mostly touring with the occasional hardcore track



How often do you go off road?

I like to do at least a couple of trips per year and hit the tracks whenever I am on holidays.


What will your next vehicle be?

I don’t plan on getting rid of the hilux any time soon :)
 
boris mikilchuck

boris mikilchuck

Active Member
After searching high and low for about 2 years I finally found an Immaculate 1994 Toyota Hilux LN106R. For those of you who are familiar with this model this is quite difficult as most of them are ex-mining vehicles and are either flogged or full of rust. This hilux was originally owned by the blue mountains council for the first two years of its life before having the same meticulous owner for the next 20 years of its life until I bought it. The hilux had been rarely driven, always garaged and well maintained with 315 000 km on the clock (that’s nothing for these engines).

The previous owner had also fitted an ARB bulbar, sidebars, sliders, TJM rear bar, roof racks and a 2 inch lift kit however other than this the hilux was completely stock.

After initially taking the hilux for a few trips to Blacksmiths beach I noticed a strange noise coming from the front of the engine. Thinking this was probably a loose timing belt I removed the plastic timing belt cover only to find that the noise was not coming from the timing belt but the harmonic balancer rubbing against the timing cover. If left unattended a worn harmonic balancer can shear the key on the crankshaft causing major problems so I’m glad I fixed it when I did.

Further driving also revealed that the hilux was blowing copious amounts of thick black smoke when accelerating or under light load. Suspecting this may have been caused by the fuel injectors I decided to ring the previous owner to see if they had ever been replaced and he told me that they had not. I then took the old girl to a Diesel mechanic to have the injectors replaced which completely eliminated the smoke and made the engine run much better (slightly better fuel economy and a bit more power). The radio antenna was also broken and was easily replaced and I have so far fitted an awning.
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2luxes

Well-Known Member
Absolutely beautiful Boris. Mine is not quite that good but I love it. My later 2003 Lux is like new but the old 106 is my favorite. I worked on them at two Toyota dealers when they were new. I told my wife soon after buying it that if I ever win Lotto I will have it professional restored no matter what it costs. She is still trying to understand why but she enjoys riding in it, that is providing it is not going over car park speed humps.
 
boris mikilchuck

boris mikilchuck

Active Member
2luxes said:
Absolutely beautiful Boris. Mine is not quite that good but I love it. My later 2003 Lux is like new but the old 106 is my favorite. I worked on them at two Toyota dealers when they were new. I told my wife soon after buying it that if I ever win Lotto I will have it professional restored no matter what it costs. She is still trying to understand why but she enjoys riding in it, that is providing it is not going over car park speed humps.
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Thanks 2luxes. I was lucky to find one in this condition as they are getting pretty rare these days. The later hiluxes from 1998 to 2005 were also a pretty good truck especially the ones with the 5L motor, unfortunately after that they started going downhill rapidly. I hope you win lotto and restore your hilux hahaha, they are likely to go up in value one day
 
boris mikilchuck

boris mikilchuck

Active Member
About time I did an update.

Recently purchased some LED spotties and a UHF radio (the bare necessities) for my hilux and installed them. Instead of wiring up the spotlights using the standard relay given I ordered a heavier duty one and installed a terminal block for a fridge and other accessories I might need to power in the future. A dual battery setup is also in the pipeline.

After being inspired by the ARB project LN106 built for the recent ARB icons trip I went out and got myself 4 alloy rims. While not actually Bathurst globes they are a similar style made in Australia in the 1980s by “Performance Industries”. Got them in pretty ordinary condition so had them sandblasted and painted them silver. Planning to fit a set of 32’ BFG Mud Terrain TA KM2s.
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boris mikilchuck

boris mikilchuck

Active Member
Took the old girl for a run up Turon way to check out Central West 4WD park with @zacistan . The hilux performed flawlessly even on the tracks that were rated "very difficult". The only issue I had was that the engine temp guage would climb into the red when going up long hills and when crawling along slowly with the air con on however these issues are easily fixed. For anyone who hasnt been to Central West 4WD park I would recommend it, lots of good tracks and campsites.
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phs

phs

Well-Known Member
Nice Hilux,
Alway been a fan of these older live front end Hiluxs

Looks like Very clean too, I am sure it will serve you well for many year to come.
 
boris mikilchuck

boris mikilchuck

Active Member
After coming back from the Turon trip I decided to overhaul the cooling system and replace the engine mounts (I noticed the gearstick was moving around a lot and the engine was moving when starting). Overheating is common in the LN106 so aftermarket alloy radiators are readily available. Another common upgrade is fitting a 2L-T thermostat.

To my surprise the engine mounts were completely destroyed, one of them had totally broken so I replaced them both. I then chucked in the new alloy radiator which fitted perfectly along with all new pipes and new 2L-T thermostat
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loose cannon

Well-Known Member
Looks like you got a good one.
Tough as old boots. I had an '88, sold it with 367k on the clock, new owner has put another 20k and still purring like a kitten.
Mine wasn't as pretty as yours, it's a Kimberley special, but it loved a good run through a desert.:)

Sorry to photobomb your thread but mine makes yours look even better:D

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boris mikilchuck

boris mikilchuck

Active Member
loose cannon said:
Looks like you got a good one.
Tough as old boots. I had an '88, sold it with 367k on the clock, new owner has put another 20k and still purring like a kitten.
Mine wasn't as pretty as yours, it's a Kimberley special, but it loved a good run through a desert.:)

Sorry to photobomb your thread but mine makes yours look even better:D

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Your hilux looks in pretty good condition for one of the earlier ln106s :), the single cabs are good for long distance touring with plenty of room in the back. Good to hear she is still purring. I love the 2.8s, they are so simple and reliable. With a bit of love and regular oil changes it should get up to 500k without any dramas (I know of one that did a million kms).
 
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