4x4 Parts from Oz to Africa for my new Troopy

what are you doing in Ghana Gil?

Hi Andrew, I am GM of a large timber company - but we are progressive (i.e. FSC controlled wood certified) and into all sorts of stuff from tourism to carvings to natural sweetner extraction. We run a fleet of 'cruisers and Nissans - my new troopy is to be my private expedition vehicle - have a Defender which me and the G/F love, but it has to go... amazing off road (diff locks and lifted etc) but as a serious trip tool I cannot be arsed with the unreliability issues. Although saying that we did one trip to Timbuctu which ended up with us leaving two girls on the Mali border with a 80 series L/C with a dropped valve and two girls to wait it out while we organised a replacement motor - Mali border to south Ghana in basically 24 hours with a busted turbo hose... Defender made it but had about 5 various breakdowns on that one...
Cheers,
Gil

gilghana
We have a great Member here in Oz called Willem and if he sees your post he will set you right ,He lived in South Africa, but I see you want high quality products, then I would surely recomend ARB Rhino Bars, [no Kangaroo's in Africa] so it has to ba a Rhino bar, If you want high quality then you must be prepared to pay, if not buy a lower quality that will break.

Doug

Personally I would ditch the high end audio system and put the money towards the suspension. There is so much noise happening in a troopy at the best of times that any sound system above the sh'box they come with is an overkill.

A sound system will not help your vehicles articulation when the worst comes to the worst.

Also noted that "tyres" were absent from your list.....

Cheers GaryInOz,
take your point about the suspension, but my thinking is the original Toyo set up is not bad out of the box - drove a 79 ute in the rainforest for a couple of years - my only real issue was with leaf springs protruding well below the axle - certainly clearance/articulation was nothing like a Defender with 2" OME lift and big tyres, but okay for expedition use I reckon it will do (for now!). The tyres I am a bit spoilt for choice - Troopies here come with a Dunlop copy of Michelin 'XS' Desert tyre on split rims. Not too much a fan of the tyre for general use (which includes mud/little bit asphalt/lots of gravel roads) so these will be changed sharpish. I then have the tantilising choices of Std 105 series steel wheels, GX steel wheels, Goodyear 265 ATs, 265 BF Goodridge MT, 235 road grippers - all 'cause we have a fleet of 105 cruisers and a few years wheel swaps and a big tyre store! Of course I guess there is a lot to be said for the 235s on the standard splits! (even have seen a set of 40mm rim spacers knocking around in the store...) Stereo - well my own feeling is that if noises are kept under control then it has to be done. Of course lockers would be pretty high on my wish list... Here you can't get factory ones so ARB would be probly innevitable at some point.
Cheers, Gil

HI Gil,

The big killer on getting stuff there is as always the freight unless of course you have stuff shipped there all the time with your work. Bottom line is with the major accessory manufacturers you at least know what you are getting. It is a lot of money to part with and then months later possibly when you get it it is not what you thought.

DAvid

Have you tried Northern Off road equipment :

5 Susan Street, Strydom Park, Randburg, Gauteng
Contact details
Telephone: 011 791 1611
Fax: 011 792 9395
Email: northernoffroad@intekom.co.za

Maybe a bonnet mounted LMG might be a good idea in Africa .

Willie

Hi Gil,

Talk to these guys: www.4wdservice.com.au

32 Alexander Avenue
TAREN POINT NSW 2229
CONTACT
Phone: +61 02 9526 1881
Fax +61 2 9540 2745

I forget the guys name, but I used to get my cruiser servcied here when I lived in Sydney, one time when I was there he was organising for parts to be sent to Africa for an existing customer on tour.
He can supply all Toyota parts and also all the extra's you could want and his prices were cheaper than dealing with Toyota / ARB / TJM directly.

Good luck

Thanks for the advice guys - I will get in touch with your recommendations,
Gil