Thread: Budget Family 4WD

You don't see a whole lot of modern utes at 4wd club nights though more coming as earlier trucks disappear. But preference is still 1990s to 2000 trucks. Less electronics, much less to go wrong in the rivers, often stronger build, easily modified. For example - of six long term 4wd mates there are two 90s Bighorns modded as mine, one 90s prado modded as mine, and three VX series 80 cruisers - all six are 1990-96. By preference.

A good sound condition 1992-1997 Isuzu Bighorn with 3.1 TD (4JG2) might cost $5k to $15k. Never buy the 97-2000 Bighorn/Wizard with the 3.0 (4JX1) motor - absolute crapper of a motor. In standard road setup the 90s Bighorns will do fine in selected dry conditions, but will be useless once you hit mud,wet clay, snow, wet terrain, soft river beds etc. Setup costs to bring this truck to general offroad competence and club spec safety spec - roughly:

* Rims (wider for bigger tyres) = anywhere from $200 a set on trademe or to $750 for a set of white spoke steels. Must get right offset. Note you cannot change tyre size much without encountering certification issues.
* Set of mudgrips = allow $12-1500 after trade-ins.
* Suspension lift for IFS vehicle (most aren't beam axle now) = Say $600 for taller eg coils and altering torsion bars on front (and if poss doing balljoint flip on A arm to recentre CVs some.)
* Snorkel - often $150 or less from Hawker Supplies on trademe, plus $300 or so to fit = $450.
* Breather tubes fitted to diffs, gearbox etc and run up out of way into engine bay etc to prevent water ingress - $150 tubes and labour
* Rear LSD - Isuzu limited diffs very good esp with Redline Heavy Duty Shockproof oil in them. Have had front and rear lockers, air lockers, E lockers, auto lockers, and a good isuzu lsd 95% as good. Experience. Cost maybe $450 and $150 to fit with oils = $600. Aussie auto Lokka nearer a grand fitted - good value locker esp for rear.
* Safety hooks - rated hooks bolted through front chassis member and held on with 8.8 standard high tensile 12mm bolts. Factory hooks weak. For rear, if you have a heavy duty towbar securely bolted either side to chassis, then remove towball and use a rated D shackle. NEVER try extracting someone in a pressure tow using towball. Low rated, break off like a missile, and kill people - happened in Southland while back. Costs say $250 allowing for some front chassis plate mods.
* Recovery gear - an 8-11meter 8000kg minimum 'snatch strap', and a longer heavy towrope. Also some kind of ground anchor. Cost = $3-400. Note if you're travelling together someone else may have a winch. Winch not necessary - have never had one - but useful on one of the trucks.
* A PLB if travelling alone.

So your truck might cost you say $7k, and mods might be $4.5k - if you don't do work yourself or have a mate to do some. These simple mods - esp if you can fit 32" or 33" tyres - will bring truck up to moderate club spec. Make a very significant difference from standard road capabilities. Chatting with mate tonight who is currently president of Canterbury Combined 4wd Clubs, and he and I would agree on these points. There's a lot more too covering variety of weather and terrain conditions etc which comes with years - but every club man starts with training days. I've just asked him to get Cantab combined clubs to consider a list of offroading advices anyone can access - sites like this one where alot of blokes use 4wds. Help stop some of the 'accidents' that happen so often. We'll see..