New Hilux test drive offroad - Bullbar don't get !

isnt price up and quality down typical of all now though?

Agree on the US thing though.. I think its all part of a bigger plan thats been in place for 15 yrs to hand Aussie over to bush.. surely howards nose is far enough up bushs bush to be 1 person.

thats why we call him Bonsai - 'cos he's a little bush

Alex H,

:-) like that one LOL

Value is in the eye of the beholder, but I reckon $37,000 for a Navara with a bullbar (the Nissan one looks pretty good) and $1,000 free fuel is a cracking deal.

Standard SR5 4X4 is around $50,000 + onroads + extras. There's not THAT much between them I don't think.

Also, have you seen the reviews? Saying how good it is off road? Yet people who drive them, first thing they say is "great on the road, better than the old one, but they've sacrificed off road for it".

As for quality, time will tell whether moving production from Japan to Thailand will matter. Probably not, but time will tell.

I think the SR5 looks OK, but the lower spec'd ones are a bit iffy. Mind you, I reckon anyone who has one probably LOVES it. They look much nicer inside.

Cheers,

Smocky.

>> thats why I'm going with 17", that will give the thing a 5-6" lift also

how does bigger rims give you 5inch of lift??

Especially since the rims are only 2inches bigger. That is a 1 inch lift, assuming tyre profile remains the same. But tyre profile will have to be smaller, I would think, or you will need a body lift to fit them under the truck.

$50k or so is a new GU ute............

Tell me which is stronger.

Good point Gary, although that isn't a dual cab :)

"Also, have you seen the reviews? Saying how good it is off road? Yet people who drive them, first thing they say is "great on the road, better than the old one, but they've sacrificed off road for it". "

I have only looked at one review that was in 4x4 Australia. I was quite surprised when in their sum up they said that the Hilux isn't what it used to be. They said that if you want a capable bush ute to go and buy a Navara or Rodeo!
Toyota mustn't have paid them their dues this time LOL

Gary: the Kia is stronger :P

Ute: I agree, I think by lookin at it, it doesnt even give the appearance of being anything like offroad capability the older models.
But then again, I await to see how Darrens (go_offroad) turns out....

I KNEW IT!! Who else would buy a landie....... Its les Hiddens!!

ROFLMAO

It's still a comercial vehicle mate. You can put a tonne in the back and over two in the trailer... How many trucks do you see with disc brakes on the back? Discs can't handle the heat generated by those loads at a reasonable price/size. Even 'homie' rims won't make it a sports car.

F250s are a 1 tonne ute and they have disc brakes all round. They weigh in at 3.3 tonne empty in the dual cab too. Although there is a sizeable price difference.

However as for discs not being able to handle the heat with those loads, how is it that the front discs which do most of the braking can handle it but they couldn't on the rear?

No its not a commercial ute , its now an action utility vehicle or some similar marketing dribble.

What is the combined vehicle weight rated at ?
i suppose with a ton in the tray it needs 2 in a trailer to even out the chassis bending (just ask eric!!)

Utemad - spot on with the discs , if disc brakes wern't superior in all aspects , then why are all the new trucks using them ?

Drum brakes belong back in the 70's

I couldnt help but laugh when we got a new 2wd hilux in 96, gee whiz, drum brakes AND a carby to boot :-))

i could expect drums on the povo pack but not on the you beaut sr5 model.

It'll be the front diffs that give up, Toyota has never been one for overengineering in that area

Griddo, I hope they replace the CV for you too as driving it around with a split boot will permantally damage it very quickly! If they can't supply you the boot, they will have to supply you the CV to boot! (if you get what I mean! LOL)

Jeff

The prado one fitted

Toyota where haveing a bit of a nervous time as i wanted them to lend me a vehicle for 6-8 weeks while they got the new cv boot in. Giving a demo vehicle to a mining company for that time makes them look really second hand really quickly

But all resolved

For a quick and more permanent fix, you could look at Mecatech boots. Supposed to be a new compound that is extreamely more durable than conventional rubber. They are soo stretchy that there is no dissasembly of the CV!! They can stretch the small end of the boot over the large end!!!

Have a look at the Website Mecatech
I spoke to the Aust dist and he was very informative but havent needed to buy any yet, email mecatech@bigpond.com. I think they were selling for around $30 a boot!

Might tie you over and maybe even fix you problem permanently, just depends if Toyota dont mind you fitting an arftermarket boot (warranty)!

Matt.

Matt

Thanks for the info but Toyota have fixed the problem, used a prado boot.

Toyota where suggesting using an aftermarket boot as a permanet fix, if they could get one to fit

Doesn't really matter anymore as only have until end of next week and then i am going to a full time office position with another company. No more bashing 4by's, 8x8 amphibious buggies and 4x4 motor bikes around the country side

Buggar (pardon the pun) sounds like youu have been demoted Griddo, sorry to hear that you wont be able to bash 4bys, 8x8 amphib buggies or quads around the country!!!!

Glad they got it sorted on the Lux, I thought the Lux was a prado 120(suspension, running gear) as far as that is concerned, guess it just needed someone to try and confirm it!

Just as a side note, Im pretty sure the Mecatch boots only come in the two sizes needed, small for passenger cars and large for 4bys!

Goodluck with the new position!

Matt.

One thing with drums. You get a better hand brake hold. Helpful when stuck on the side of that cliff!!

Disagree Norm

Give me a transmission hand brake anyday.

And Terra .. 5" increase over std would send the authorities and insurance companies apoplectic.

Cheers

Rosco! What type of brake do you think is hanging off the back of your transmission......its a DRUM brake!! Im pretty sure that is what Norm was saying..a drum brake is more effective over a disc brake when used as a parkbrake!!

Nothin like loading up all your UJs everytime you need to use your handbrake and its great when that pi$$y little bit of felt in the rear output lets all you transmission oil leak out into your hanbrake shoes!!

Yeah....love that Rover parkbrake! hahahahahahaha

Work on them every day, at least they keep my employed!

Matt.

G'day Matt

On re-reading Norm's missive I would have thought it obvious he was referring to the rear drums for the h/brake.

As for the rear seal leting go, I must be dead lucky ... never happened to me in 4 vehicles.

Cheers

Yep you are right on...he is referring to a rear drum brake, I just assumed you must know that the hanbrake YOU were referring to IS a DRUM brake!!

You are telling him how great your transmission brake is and it is fundamentally the same brake!!

Now Rosco, dont get me wrong and get all defensive, I dont mind rovers, they make great tractors-you-can-drive-into-the-village.

hahha

Matt.

Defensive ... me ... never.

Matt me old son. One thing you should have learned by now is we Landy drivers have no reason to be plauged with doubt or self conciousness about the decisions we make in life.

HAHAHAHAHA

On the other hand ... when it comes to our cobbers from the other side of the fence. I place some faith in the sage words of a wise man by the name of Jules Henri Poincare .......................

"To doubt everything, or to believe everything
Are two equally convenient solutions ....
Both dispense with the necessity of reflection"

Cheers cobber ..... :o)

Now Rosco, me old man. Has there ever been a group in the history of the 4wd that could be more defensive or protective of the descision in life to own/drive a Landrover???

For all those that have ever waged into the 'Toyota/ Nissan" debate, it pales into insignificance the second you denounce a Landrover!

Never has there been the ability to provoke such hearty, healthy yet totally biased debate from such a vocal minority, Harold Scruby eat your heart out!

Actually, maybe that is where he gets the strength to wage his fruitless war on 4wds, from the blind dedication and absolute passion of all Landrover owners. Who could not admire them?

So alas, my good man, I am yet to understand why a group who is without " reason to be plauged with doubt or self conciousness about the decisions we(they) make in life" would be so quick to rush to their defence?

Ahh a quaint little bunch, life would be less without them!

Well said old mate ... and whilst I may not agree, I'll defend to the death your right to speak ...... hmmm, think I've heard that one somewhere before ..... must have been one of my Landie cobbers.

Who else would be so forgiving of all you ... mere mortals.

;-]

Touche

After driving nothing but cruisers for 4 years i am well qualified to tell youse all Handbrakes are for woosies!!

And here gentlemen, we have an excellent example of that unusual species of which we speak.

;-)

You are spot on Terra, I just dont think anyone is used to hearing the rolling dia used to compare tyres. Usually width, profile and dia tend to be more commonly used when desribing a tyre.
eg is you someone you increased the tyre 2" they would jump to width or dia (29", 31", 33", 35" etc) but when someone earlier mentioned 5" (circumference)it threw a few!
Matt.

That's a lot of extra cash on a +$50k truck to get some ground clearance.

Not to mention anything above 15% is illegal in NSW.

I think in a few months, the pros and cons of the Hilux will be known and the enthusiasts will have worked out how to trick them up.

If I remember the topic of this thread, it was something about which ute to buy.

Oops, better make that "Hilux off road" :)

Still, the point is that the old Hilux was great off road stock standard. This new one is substantially less capable as standard I think is what people are saying.

Cheers,

Smocky.

Hound. I'm interested in what you have done. How did you get the 60mm lift? How much is chassis and how much body? All the suspension experts tell me I will only get 30 to 40mm max lift in the chassis. Also, ARB keeps telling me their bullbar isn't available yet. Probably early August. Which shop did yours come from?

Way to go Hound, that's what it needs, would be great then. The ARB bar what is its approach angle like ? The Toyota bullbar stuck out something cronic out the front & acted as a dozer blade & also had no protection underneath from stick coming up from underneath etc. I thought Toyota would have come up with a centre diff lock like the Prado's & KZN185 Surfs - the SR I drove did not. Would love to see a picture of the bullbar in place.
Cheers Jeff