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Gold Hunting 4WD


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Upgraded from a Toyota Troop carrier(28yrs old) back in 2012 to a Hilux 4WD. Heading off this morn to new prospective area hit a bump not a jarring jolt going slowly in low range. Front strut busted limped home and removed photo below.

 

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Independent suspension, nice ride but not impressed but I do know I`m going back there, the Goddess of Gold is trying to keep me away.

 

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Oh hell. Yall get all the good Toyotas in Australia!! You could start a business importing all those badass diesel landcruisers and trucks to the USA. Not kidding man, we would LOVE what you guys get!

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Yeah the Cruisers are tough and the Hiluxs were until that put those bloody ifs on front. You folks don`t have them over there?

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Yeah the Cruisers are tough and the Hiluxs were until that put those bloody ifs on front. You folks don`t have them over there?

Im running a 2004 hilux diesel Vic

I've never had any thing break like that and I've done 340 000km now nearly all hard bush driving and corrugated dirt freeway.

And it has a constant minimum load of 500kg due to my custom canopy with solar system, fridge, freezer, 300l of diesel 80l petrol, 120l water ect ect, plus all the gear needed for an extended trip so its not unusual to be over 900kg.

The ifs has never given me any problems, but I'm a stickler when it comes to maintaining it!

For example every 100000km I change all suspension bushes, shocks, springs, wheel bearings front/rear, ball joints, belts, clutch, fluids, ect ect.

The only things I've had break on me is 1x rear diff and 1x spigot bearing and clutch and 1 rear wheel bearing.

Replacing wear components BEFORE they break is much preferable to replacing them when they break in the middle of farken know where stuck on some steap ass hill!

Ive found that if you minus about 30% off the usual life of the componant and replace it at that interval that you will never have many problems.

And it is infact cheaper to do this maintenance like I do rather than waiting until it breaks which will oftern be before the usual service life of the part.

HILUX un bloody breakable......... Oh yea!

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I did the same with my Tacoma (is it the US version of a Hilux?) and a Bilstein strut trying to push across a steep wall wash in 4 low going too fast.

 

It's hanging on the wall in the service bay at Les Schwab Tire in Winnemucca, the kid that took it out said it was the first they'd seen snapped in half like that.

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Dale, Hilux has just had its 30000km service and is fitted out much same as yours, solar panels, lots of weight etc. After 28 years of totally breakdown free cruising in a Troopie, other than ripping out a flexible break hose, chasing that yellow stuff. Which I`d sealed off with a piece of gold to maintain brakes till I got the new hose.

 At about 6000ks I punctured the CV joints protective rubber boot in the Hilux, no gotta agree to disagree it ain`t as unbreakable as the troopie, nor as the non IFS 86 Hilux I had. Reckon you`d get a friendly discussion with Tremain over this too. But I`m a wee rough on my gear. :rolleyes:

 

Just an addition there was a few changes made in 05 to the front struts on the Hilux, that might explain this break. Perhaps the diameter of the steel was larger on your model, mine is 16mm to the bush.

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My next car is goig to be a tubo cruiser as they carry the heavy load's that we constantly carry a lot better but the hilux has been very good to me!

You might be interesed to know that I get all of my spare parts from Don Kyat 4x4 spares.

They are MUCH cheaper than any other spare part company and go out of their way to help you.

Like express couriering parts to you in remote contry towns.

And their parts are all top quality.

Example for $35aud I can buy a sevice kit that has: oil filter, air filter, fuel filter, injector cleaner.

You'd be lucky to get the oil filter alone for that at any other part place!

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Yeah Don Kyat is tops, bought most of my spares for bus business I had for 20 years. But I`ve PMed you with a small ask. Yes I regret going from a Cruiser should have got the a new Troppie, but my old Hilux was a beauty, could wrap its wheels around a lamp post and climb it. Well almost.

Don`t get me wrong I like the comfort of the new Hilux, and have ordered a set of EHD Bilstein struts complete for front, but I am disappointed if I had hit bump at speed could understand. Unfortunately just feel they are only occasional 4WDs now, made for a different market than prospectors.

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