2 wheel drive hilux ute

Submitted: Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 17:06
ThreadID: 132820 Views:4588 Replies:6 FollowUps:8
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Hi
I pretty cash strapped and also want to camp off the track. Sick of crowded campgrounds. I was wondering if a 2nd hd hilux would do the trick. I certainly don't want hard core outback stuff just the average dirt road. Would the hilux be a good economical choice. I'd really apprec your thoughts.
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Reply By: Paul E6 - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 17:11

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 17:11
sure, I used to do it all the time in my old rodeo and also a work triton. you just gotta keep out of the boggy stuff.
Now get ready for all the answers from the "experts".
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Follow Up By: pop2jocem - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 17:18

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 17:18
Looks like we have had one already....lol.

I do agree though. It's amazing where you can go with a 2WD with good ground clearance.
As Paul said, keep out of the soft stuff.

Cheers
Pop
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Follow Up By: John M96 - Wednesday, Jun 22, 2016 at 14:28

Wednesday, Jun 22, 2016 at 14:28
Many thanks.
Cheers

John
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Reply By: aussiedingo (River Rina) - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 18:10

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 18:10
Hello John, in 1995 I went to the Birdsville races in a1978 Falcon wagon, then decided to do the whole Birdsville track (then it was a goat track!) to Adelaide, home to Brisbane via Broken Hill, Louth, all in 8 days, great trip - only 5 punctures due to normal road tyres & no ground clearance, I carried spare tubes - check the pic's . now maybe genuine maxtrax 'n maybe a uhf radio &/or epirb

"the only thing constant in my life is change"




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Follow Up By: John M96 - Wednesday, Jun 22, 2016 at 14:31

Wednesday, Jun 22, 2016 at 14:31
Wow what a trip. With the kids!
Very inspiring adventure
John
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Reply By: Ron N - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 18:57

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 18:57
The simple answer is Yes and Yes. The 2WD Hiluxes are cheap to buy, cheap enough to run, cheap to insure and register, and they're unbreakable.

I currently run a 2.7L 2WD Hilux Workmate for a run-around ute, it's not especially economical on petrol, but I hammer it pretty hard, too. It gets about 10L/100kms.
It carries 800kgs O.K., but it's certainly no 1-tonner.

If you upgrade the wheels and tyres to a larger size to improve ground clearance and flotation, the 2WD Hilux will go 98% of where you might want to go.

I recently hauled a broken-down caravan straight off the road into the bush, and across an area of scrubby bush and flat rocks, and the Hilux didn't bat an eyelid, apart from a bit of a scrabble climbing through the roadside drain.

I have a steel tray on my Hilux and it's not much smaller than the Landcruiser tray. The steel tray makes the 2WD Hilux handle better, they can be a bit skittish in the back end with an alloy tray, when empty.

Cheers, Ron.
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Follow Up By: John M96 - Wednesday, Jun 22, 2016 at 14:32

Wednesday, Jun 22, 2016 at 14:32
Great advice
Thanks Ron
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Reply By: MUZBRY- Life member(Vic) - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 19:48

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 19:48
Gday John
There must be dozens / tens( metric for dozens) of the forum people that have driven around Australia in two wheel drives. My first trip from Perth to Sydney via Darwin in 1965 was in a 1951 holden and very few sealed roads. Go for it with the hilux and enjoy.
Muzbry
Great place to be Mt Blue Rag 27/12/2012

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Follow Up By: Ron N - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 20:25

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 20:25
Yep, did Perth-Darwin-Port Augusta-Perth with a mate in 1969 in a bog-standard HK Holden ute, loaded to the hilt.
We had the latest in suspension improvements, though! - pump-up rear shock absorbers!

We meandered and criss-crossed through the Murchison, the Pilbara and the Kimberley on roads that would be marked "4WD only" today!

Most of the "Highways" were little more than corrugated tracks!
The NW Coastal Hwy from Yannarie River Northwards was just 2 wheel ruts across the plains!

The corrugations, the bulldust, the gibbers, the constant creek crossings (you could count the number of bridges over the rivers on one hand through all of W.A.) - and the potholes - were endless and mind-boggling in their volume and size.
The potholes on the Nullarbor were things you often had to swerve around, not drive through!

Yet the old HK ute did it all, just fine. We never got bogged once and we only had a couple of flats.

All we took was a big tent, plenty of spare petrol, 60 litres of water, plenty of food, and a toolbox with a good range of tools.
We did the entire trip in a month, and I seem to recall we covered well over 10,000kms.
The only problem we encountered was a stripped timing gear - which had to happen about halfway between Alice Springs and Coober Pedy!

I hitched a ride with a passing truckie in an old wooden-cabbed, tandem drive Foden, to Coober Pedy - where I managed to acquire a new timing gear! - then I hitch-hiked back again to the ute, and we replaced the timing gear by the side of the road, without even pulling the motor out!

Those were the "good old days", remember? LOL

Cheers, Ron.
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Reply By: Batt's - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 21:11

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 21:11
As mentioned you can go lots of places in a 2WD thousands of kilometers of drivable tracks out there forestry tracks national parks as long as you have reasonably good tyres. Also remember if you do get stuck having an air compressor and tyre gauge can be a handy you can let all your tyres down drive out pump them back up if you're lucky. Quite often if you're going to be on gravel roads for trips dropping around 10psi out of your tyres and driving to suit with help avoid punctures from stones. Also having a limited slip diff will get you out of trouble quite often. If your going out camping you'll probably have a tomahawk or axe so if you do get stuck you can cut down small trees, branches to put under your wheels. Make sure you have a good jack and something like a thick piece of ply around 300mm x 300mm for example to put it on if you need to change a tyre on soft ground.
AnswerID: 601666

Follow Up By: Paul E6 - Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 22:29

Monday, Jun 20, 2016 at 22:29
Ah, here it is.??
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Follow Up By: Batt's - Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016 at 10:29

Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016 at 10:29
Does that mean good or bad you need to expand your comment a bit more, explain what you mean and what you have based you reply on.
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Reply By: swampy - Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016 at 12:57

Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016 at 12:57
hi
First install 15x6.5 or 15x 7 inch wheels with 235/75/15 All Terrain tyres
Have good condition not sagged springs F and R
Good shocks
Fit a LSD limited slip diff centre to rear axle
Run appropiate tyre pressures
Done this to a early Mitsubishi Triton and 2012 hilux 2wd
Have a 4x2 Hi chassis 3.0ltr Ranger also big tyres and LSD from factory

tomo
AnswerID: 601686

Follow Up By: Batt's - Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016 at 13:55

Tuesday, Jun 21, 2016 at 13:55
It's amazing where you can go with just an lsd and some good tyres we could get to some good out of the way camping spots up north qld in the early 90's with a mate who had done this to a 2WD rodeo.
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