Thunderbolts High/Way Summer Preparations

[MB]

G’day NP.com.au Team,
Just recently crossed Thunderbolts Way - NSW, East to North/West for my first time.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/70.jpg
A truly beautiful scenic highway run and one of our major cut throughs from the Pacific back inland to the New England/Oxley Highways.
An honest Thunderbolt word of warning here though Good Caravanning folks, “Be Prepared” East<>West<>East either way “Scouts Honour” :-) !
Unfortunately witnessed some very sizeable Caravans, most noticeably smelt them stinking hot in brake shoe horror descending way way too fast past me whilst climbing only its first 12% gradient in the old GQ.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/71.jpg
So summer steep and demanding those mountains are the old faithful unladen ute started just licking its limits and decided to give her a passionate high idle water pump/fan spinning rest for a few minutes to regain composure:-)
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/72.jpg
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/73.jpg
This is a serious climb and worthy of respect from whichever direction you travel folks, so much so the locals have kindly made pit stops if ever in full summer needed.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/74.jpg
Carson’s Lookout is magnificent folks and well worth the pre-planning/smart gearing choices [emoji106][emoji106]
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/75.jpghttp://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/76.jpg
Take care, stay safe!












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[rusty_nail]

Mate! Have travelled that road many a time, it's the quickest/less trafficy way from sydney to armidale. The lookout is spectacular, it's especially amazing in the dead of night on a clear night sky.

Famously that area was where malcolm naden evaded police for many years until being caught around 5 years ago. Great pies at nowendoc, just of the road and great camping along the rivers on the north side of the road.

I also got stuck halfway up the hill beading to Uralla, about 10 years ago. Mudslide on the road completely covered the road and made it impassable.

http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forums/images/imported/2019/12/79.jpg

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[VK2FMIA]

Yep, been up & down that road a few times - my neck of the woods(well, the ar$e end of it). Some great tracks thru the scrub to the north of the highway. Takes nearly 3 days to drive the tracks from Gloucester to Armidale. Spent a lot of time touring & camping around that area when Nadin was on the loose. They caught him not far from where we had camped 2 weeks before.

[Cuppa]

It was heading south on that road in our rear drum braked Patrol, towing the Tvan, approx 5 tonne all up, which convinced me to shell out for EBC Yellow stuff pads for the front. The Greenstuff pads I had in at the time didn't let us down, but I felt pads with a higher temp rating were a good idea!

[MB]

They definitely sound like great pads thanks Cuppa mate, would be very reassuring having them onboard down that ripper mountain for sure!
Any chance when time kindly permits of a linky to them please, would be very keen to look into them for the family GU 2001 wagon fronts as Mrs MB is soon upgrading to a bigger float for her Nags in our home hills.
Cheers!


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[jack]

They definitely sound like great pads thanks Cuppa mate, would be very reassuring having them onboard down that ripper mountain for sure!
Any chance when time kindly permits of a linky to them please, would be very keen to look into them for the family GU 2001 wagon fronts as Mrs MB is soon upgrading to a bigger float for her Nags in our home hills.
Cheers!


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Hi Mark,

Pretty sure that Cuppa will reply as well, I’ve also got these pads on his recommendation. Coupled with the dimpled and slotted rotors they have preformed exceptionally well. Got them at the start of the year and they’ve been through some pretty rugged country towing a 2.5 ton van.
Got mine from sparesbox.com.au, was the best price in Aus and very easy to deal with. I’d highly recommend the brakes and the supplier.

[Cuppa]

Hi Mark,
I bought mine direct from the Aussie distributor, RDA brakes in Keysborough, Vic. but only fitted them recently after eventually wearing out a set of Greenstuff 6000 pads. They were happy to supply me direct by mail. Contact was Nick Fahey. nfahey@rdabrakes.com.au. I also have the rda dimpled & slotted discs.

The Yellowstuff series were originally made for Race/trackday use on cars, but have since morphed into truck use & they have pads to suit Patrols.


https://brakesdirect.com.au/ebc
http://rdabrakes.com.au/page/Products-EBC-Brake-pads.aspx
https://ebcbrakes.com/product/yellowstuff-street-and-track-pads/
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/EBC-YELLOWSTUFF-Front-Rear-Brake-Pads-NISSAN-PATROL-GU-/271595734423 (gives part nos for Patrol)

Not cheap, but combined with the dimpled/slotted rotors they would be hard to beat.One day I might get around to fitting braided lines too.

[MB]

Awesome Cuppa mate, thank you heaps here, safely appreciated [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]


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[jack]

Hi Mark,
I bought mine direct from the Aussie distributor, RDA brakes in Keysborough, Vic. but only fitted them recently after eventually wearing out a set of Greenstuff 6000 pads. They were happy to supply me direct by mail. Contact was Nick Fahey. nfahey@rdabrakes.com.au. I also have the rda dimpled & slotted discs.

The Yellowstuff series were originally made for Race/trackday use on cars, but have since morphed into truck use & they have pads to suit Patrols.


https://brakesdirect.com.au/ebc
http://rdabrakes.com.au/page/Products-EBC-Brake-pads.aspx
https://ebcbrakes.com/product/yellowstuff-street-and-track-pads/
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/EBC-YELLOWSTUFF-Front-Rear-Brake-Pads-NISSAN-PATROL-GU-/271595734423 (gives part nos for Patrol)

Not cheap, but combined with the dimpled/slotted rotors they would be hard to beat.One day I might get around to fitting braided lines too.

Hi Cuppa,

When I tried the distributor direct in Feb they no longer sold direct to the public. They sent me to the local agent who was nearly twice the price of what I eventually paid.

MB thinking back I think I only got the rotors from sparesbox and the pads from eBay.

Cheers

[MB]

Cheers Jack Mate!


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