Known issues with Telstra pods

[Cuppa]

No mate I don't, will see if I can find out any info.

Thanks Stropp. If it helps ...... Servicing was done at Kittles in Alice Springs. Vehicle ID was 764833 (rego no?).
At 135000kms in April 2010 the service record says 'Front diff crack'. I'm pretty sure I phoned & spoke to someone at Kittles before I bought the vehicle & got told a new diff had been fitted. Certainly there is no evidence of an crack having been repaired.

Whoever drove it obviously used it pretty hard, there are several occurrences of 'repair steering' in the service history.
I'm assuming a vehicle is allocated to one person rather than being in a shared pool?

Cuppa

[DX grunt]

Cuppa I have probably been in your pod as I worked for the big T in Darwin and used to go to Alice and help out with the bush jobs, still have a mate in gipsland driving a Telstra pod as he still works for them.

My service book says most servicing was done in Broome/Kununurra. There's a lot done at Duncan Nissan, too. Which makes me wonder if it was based in Perth and used as a 'country car' when the need arose?

[Stropp]

The Telstra vehicles are allocated to one person but can be used by others as the need arises, so like when I was working out of Darwin and went to Alice to cover one of the guys on holidays I would use their vehicle. Will see if I can contact one of the Alice boys and find out.

[DX grunt]

All guvvie vehicles are sold as one owner - but don't specify how many drivers!! lolol

[Cuppa]

Well I've had a bit of a win.
I mentioned previously that my pod suffered with creaking sounds whenever I drove on uneven ground. This had existed since I first bought the vehicle & I have been concerned that stress was being placed on the aluminium pod when the chassis rails flex, & that sooner or later I would see the pod start cracking somewhere.

I determined to rubber mount the pod I stead of the solid metal to metal fixing it had.

In doing this I lifted the whole pod by about 10mm (12mm conveyor belt rubber slightly compressed)

I have just returned from a test drive in which I took the vehicle on ground more uneven than I have previously done .......... And not a single creak, YAY, WOOHOO!

Having looked at another podologist's vehicle yesterday I noted his was solidly mounted, & he doesn't get any creaking sounds, so I now think that the issue was that the pod's lower support beam was touching the top of the shock mounts on both sides. Inserting the rubber has created a gap above the shock mounts which had worn a groove a few millimeters deep into the aluminium support beam.



Another issue worth checking for owners of the Rossco variety of ex Telstra pods.
The under tray toolbox on the passenger side is attached to the pod with 4 bolts through it's top & one near the bottom of the steel mudguard.
The top 4 bolt into threads just cut into aluminium & I found two of these had stripped & a third was a bit dodgy. My initial efforts to rectify this was to drill out the holes & fit nutserts. When removing the toolbox to raise the pod I found a couple of the nutserts were beginning to pull out (I carry a 3kg gas bottle in the box). When the box is in place there is no access to use nuts/bolts/washers.
This time I have replaced the box using an additional bracket at the front held by 3 more nutserts, 3 additional bolts through the steel mudguard, & 3 longer bolts through from above the tray, with a length of angle iron both above the tray & inside the box for additional strength. Hopefully this will keep everything in place. There is no doubt that without the additional attachments the box was waiting to fall off on a corrugated road somewhere.


I was surprised that the thing was only bolted into aluminium.

Cuppa

[threedogs]

Should never have metal to metal if possible, You may find some used timber to insulate them. Personally I'd be placing some very thick conveyor belt..It not
rocket cooking, use rubber and cut some spares for later

[Cuppa]

Hi TD,
Sounds like you are advising me to do what I've just done?

Cupparooni the creak buster.

[Sir Roofy]

Good on ya cuppa glad you solved the problem and looking at another pod must have given you
some insperation

[Cuppa]

Good on ya cuppa glad you solved the problem and looking at another pod must have given you
some insperation

Nah, it was talking to it's owner Roofy!

[Sir Roofy]

nah, it was talking to it's owner roofy!

i knew that lol