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latest picture: February 23, 2015

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Replacing axle housing, body work and repairs in Cape Town/South Africa

Flashback:

1st damage: October 15th, 2014:
Our LandCruiser is mechanically in good shape and still shining in its sparkling sky-blue color, when on July 1st, 2014, we enter Namibia on the African Continent for the second time after 1992. However, exactly 106 days after arrival, on October 15th, 2014, - the eve of our 30th travel anniversary day – our luck seems to turn, ending within an inch our epic journey around the world. It happens in our 181st country – Angola – two years after its “second rejuvenation” in Miri/Sarawak/East Malaysia in fall 2012. Between Huambo and Benguela the short side shaft breaks suddenly, we loose the rear back wheel, roll down a slope, almost overturn, but finally come to a ruggedly halt on the spring package in the red soil. The fender is dented and paint splintered away. Emil is installing on the soft ground with considerable difficulties a spare axle, a remnant from our “first rejuvenation”.

136  Angola: On the eve of our 30-years

anniversary “on the road”, Oct. 15th, 2014:

Our LandCruiser looses a wheel. We

crash down an embankment and get

stuck in the red soft soil …..

902  ….. Emil is contemplating the

damage together with residents of

the thatched village where the

loose wheel stopped after

a few hundred yards …..

901  ….. the first movement is to jack-up

the LandCruiser with our “highlift”, which

we have not used for a very long time –

not an easy target in the soft soil that

the heavy car doesn’t crash down

2nd damage: January 24th, 2015:
With the same spare axle replaced in Angola we confidently continue from Angola to Namibia and further on to South Africa. There, on South African soil, on January 24th, 2015, it happens for the second time: After only 2’312 miles (= 93.2 driving hours) since the first incidence near Huambo, our LandCruiser looses again a wheel, exactly the same as in Angola. We are on our way on a tarmac road from Clanwilliam (Western Cape) to the Cederberg mountains, when it crashes after 2½ miles: Again a broken side shaft. Luckily there is hardly any traffic so that once more we have a close shave. But now the damage at the fender looks serious. Emil replaces now our last spare shaft – another is ordered in Johannesburg!

801  South Africa: On the way from

Clanwilliam to the Cederberg Mountains

it crashes again, just 2’312 miles

(= 93.2 driving hours) since the

first axle fracture in Angola .....

802  ….. already in his “fatigues”,

Emil secures the spot with a triangle.

Fortunately it is on a straight

mountain stretch with little traffic …..

803  ….. then Emil starts his work

underneath the LandCruiser. At

least this time it is on stable ground.

Around a dozen cars stop

offering us help

How could that happen twice in a row? There must be something very wrong with it! Did they eventually sell us shafts that were welded on, turned or even from China? Or is the cause somewhere else, may be at the axle housing, which on the level of the differential has a very tiny crack that looses dropwise oil, and where some say it might be slightly bent? Our psychological stress on the road is immense although we are driving very slowly. Who guarantees us that it won’t happen a third time and this time fatal? Should we eventually change to a “Fullfloating System”, presumed we would find one to an affordable price? (costs US$ 1’200 second hand, too expensive for us).

 

Our Savior: The „LandCruiser Club Southern Africa“:

 

In this difficult phase we get some confidence in our deadlocked situation via the „LandCruiser Club Southern Africa”. Through its forum, we get in contact with Adolf Hüster – an absolute stroke of luck. With his tireless personal engagement, together with the generous support of further club members, the ball starts rolling: Bennie Smit donates us a used „Semi-Floating“ axle housing complete with two shafts and back plate; Johann of J.B.’s Auto Repairs takes over the replacement and a part of its costs; Gordon of Auto Magic carries out the flattening and repaint of the heavily dented fender; other club members donate money for some of the workshop jobs. That the two side shafts, which were ordered and paid by us at Gemini Parts in Johannesburg, are taken for free to Cape Town, is an additional welcome and appreciated act of friendship.

Our LandCruiser is put in shape as follows:

February 12th, 2015:
After 9’805 miles we spend our LandCruiser at the Salt River Springworks the front main spring leaf, broken already back in Azerbaijan (ZAR 1300, inclusive 6 new PU bushings = US$ 113):

804  Salt River Springworks in Cape

Town: Emil examines the broken main

spring leaf fixed with clamps in Azerbaijan.

It held like this for 9'805 miles …..

805  ….. fresh from the production:

The spring leaf pack with the

new main spring leaf …..

806  ….. the mechanic re-installs the

spring pack and in addition exchanges

6 crumbled PU-bushings. Complete

length of the repair: 4 hours

February 13th, 2015:
Johann of J.B.’s Auto Repairs installs the axle housing with the two shafts, donated by Bennie Smit:

807  In the workshop of J.B.’s Auto

Repairs: Johann – the owner – studies

the stumps of our two broken side shafts.

What was probably the cause?

808  Emil inspects the tiny crack at

our demounted axle housing where

constantly a wee bit of oil was

dripping off

809  Bennie Smit – the donator of the

used “semi floating” axle casing complete

with two axles and back plate – is

informed by Emil about the accident

810  Our LandCruiser is jacked-up by

Johann jun. of J.B.’s Auto Repairs and

his workshop employee. Johann sen. is

supervising it

811  Our damaged and the donated axle

housing: Our axle casing ran over 442’733

miles (= 19’719 driving hours). How many

miles might have the donated one?

812  Almost finished:

The axle housing is mounted

813  Johann jun. is tinkering with the

differential that still has to be inserted

814  We pose in front of the logo of

the “LandCruiser Club Southern Africa”

– the “savior” in our difficult situation

815  A huge thankyou to our supporters

regarding the axle housing in the workshop

of J.B.’s Auto Repairs: (from right) Bennie

Smit, Ellen and Adolf Hüster and

Johann sen. In front: Johann jun.

Together with Adolf Hüster and his wife Ellen, who came from Johannesburg, we celebrate this installation with a Braai at Johann and Marnette’s place.

 

February 14th, 2015:
Adolf Hüster invites us to a lunch together with other LCCSA members at the Bloubergstrand near Cape Town.

February 19th, 2015:
We spend our LandCruiser at R & D Offroad four new ‘Old Man Emu Sport’ shock absorbers (ZAR 8339 / = US$ 707):

816  Emil with a cup of coffee at the workshop

of R & D Offroad, where we ordered four new

shock absorbers ‘Old Man Emu Sport’ …..

February 20th and 23rd, 2015:
Gordon of Auto Magic takes over the flattening and the spraying of the heavily damaged right rear fender. Hennie – his panel beater – does an excellent job:

818  Assessing the damage of the heavily

dented fender with Gordon (striped T-shirt)

of Auto Magic and his panel beater Hennie

819  Hennie flattening with high pressure,

supported by a wooden slat pushed

into the cavity of the taillights

820  ….. Hennie grinding …..

821  ….. regrinding fine .....

822  ….. puttying .....

823  Gordon, Hennie and Emil

contemplating the excellent panel

beating job before spraying …..

824  ….. Hennie sprays the fender after

the car is protected by plastic sheets

825  ….. drying the paint

with a radiant heater

826  ….. finally our LandCruiser is driving

out of the workshop of Auto Magic –

again in its “former-time glory”

Our psychological stress has (hopefully) ended. With growing confidence into our LandCruiser we are heading for new adventures. We thank the „LandCruiser Club Southern Africa“ heartily for the financial as well as for the moral support. Without both we would have been quite lost! What a blessing that LandCruiser fan communities do exist and they are also ready to help out!

More websites from Southern Africa:

Namibia Part 1 – from Walvis Bay to Windhoek

Angola Part 1 – September 26th to October 4th, 2014

Angola Part 2 – October 4th to 22nd, 2014

The unusual 30th Travel Anniversary in Angola

Namibia Part 2 – from Windhoek to the Angolan border and back again

South Africa Part 1 – from the Namibia border to Cape Town