Thread: Budget Family 4WD

Had good chat with Marllon (MBraga) this morning. We'll help him get sorted with right vehicle for the grade 3 outdoor, mountain and southern river terrains he wants to visit. Also had a good yarn with hunting team members last night - all of whom are also 20-30 year canterbury 4wd club members - all done 100s of offroad tracks. Guidelines same from all of us. One of these boys is head mechanic for big diesel workshop in Chch - works on the 4x4s every day.

Advice - No cars, crossovers, softroaders in this country. Not even Suzuki Grand Vitara with partial ladder subframe and hi/low ratio - too many limitations. Limitations that could get you into serious trouble. These soft SUVs have limited suspension travel, poor articulation, low ground clearance, thin spindly CVs/steering rods/tie rods etc, water susceptibility, small thin tyres. In short they're unsuitable for often rutted tracks, banks, wet conditions, uneven ground, deeper and rocky rivers - with boulders you may not see. Old landies also no. Landrover club wouldn't even have them on its club trips as they are too fragile - special outings for them. Know them very well - learned to drive in them back in the south Waikato.

Marllon needs a 4x4 truck or he stays home. I like the toyota petrol 6s - 2.7 (3RZ - thanks for that tip No 3), 3.4 and 4.0. Possibilities - but very hard on petrol as day to day drivers - though this equation changing by the day. Key issue is water susceptibility. Would need it proven electrics/electronics can be 100% water sealed as at times rivers can be 3 feet and more in spots. Not No 3s experience. Mountain rivers no place for sudden limp mode. Diesel shop mate gets drowned trucks in and can easily be $15k fix. And no quads except in select terrains - Canterbury rivers may be 1 foot deep on way in, and with storm in mountains be 3 feet deep on way out. Even lightweight trucks like little suzukis can be seen doing 180s in the current.

Recommendation given terrain and requirements and budget is 90s to early 2000 trucks. Much better ground clearance, ladder chassis, stronger drivetrains, often LSD, less electronics, better entry/departure angles, better articulation, much bigger tyres - in short designed for this terrain - with mods. And models we've given him to think about are 92-96 (4JG2) Bighorn, Mitsi Challenger, Toyota Surf/Prado e.g.

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/c...9?bof=XpnYWRcF

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/c...6?bof=XpnYWRcF

https://www.trademe.co.nz/a/motors/c...7?bof=XpnYWRcF

Not a fan of Surf 1kz motors - they really are prone to cracking heads. But risk can be much reduced by keeping radiator/cooling system flushed then fitting bigbore to reduce EGT/pyros. Challengers parts now - something to look into.

Old 80 series VX Cruisers good wagons - three of our team run them. Their's are set for very tough terrain with modified suspension, 4" lifts, front and rear lockers, max articulation (ramp index 700+), full recovery setups, tuned motors, 33s-35s tyres etc.. In the terrain in which we offroad, and even in some of our hunting areas in the mountains it is good to have all the advantages