80 series landcruiser

[stinky-stabi]

i have a 80 series which we have owned for over ten years an in that time been up the beach many many times but in the last month i have been up there the last four weeks in a row which got me in cleaning mode after the first trip found copius amounts of sand in the rear right quarter(like 5ltr bucket full) and the rear seat belt is covered as well , so last week end took off panel to see where it was coming from whilst heading up the beach but could not see anything , but when up there its full ...all bungs are in and there is no holes any where ????? gettn sick of washn the car inside with the hose....any suggestions from anybody who has had this problem????

[rockfisho]

Hi Stabi, I'm a member of OFfroad80s as well and i did a post there. But i have had a similar problem to you mate, i think i know where you are thinking of, (behind the panel concealing the jack and tool kit, and the same on the other side..

I went through exactly the same seaching process. There is actually a hole that lets it in there, well more of a gap in the welding, It is the air vent for the car. However it is very hard to find.
I'll try to explain it as best i can. the metal on the inner sides of it curls aroud the pillar where the seatbelts are mounted, at the bottom of this right at the bottom of the pocket is the hole (it is mounted ont he back side and you really have to squeeze hard to get your hand down ther to find it.

That leads down underneath the car to a hole about 7x8cms, this is tucked up just above and infront of the towbar and is directly behind the wheels, hence why the sand gets shot in there. For the record mine was filled with mud, gravel and alot of water. There is not much yuo can do to prevent sand getting in there, as it is best not to seal it up, but if you drop the bung out of the area and regularly push the sand out, it should be ok.

I put some aluminium with some holes drilled in it to hopefully block a bit of the sand, but i doubt itll work that well, and also let the water out.

cheers

Owen

[rockfisho]

Oh forgot to add, The reason i didnt seal it up is because you will inevitebly get water in there, through a leak or something, but it is not the lowest point, hence cannot drain and neither evaporate if you block it up. I put a series of small holes, in, but they wont stop the sand haha,

[stinky-stabi]

thanx rockfisho...will investigate....it took me years to work out where the water used to come from in the back ,,,was the bloody jack holder get wet from above and splashing out of holder,,,fixed with drill
ps ,, i only get it on the drivers side and only of recently ???