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I just got back after spending a week as a passenger at the Australian Jeep club's annual Camp Coffs. There were well over 200 Jeeps with pretty much every model covered. These guys really are passionate about their 4WD's and wheeling. I had a chance to attend a run with several Willy's jeeps as old as 1942. These guys aren't afraid to use them. The vehicle I was in was my mates tricked up JK Wrangler LWB, so we attended the Moderate+ and Hard runs. Most tracks were deeply rutted, steep clay hills with rock steps, but made note of some of the track names which I thought the Prado could manage without total destruction :lol:
There were some heavily modified vehicles and some stockos with just tyre upgrades and the results were surprising. On one track, some of the modifieds broke steering arms and uni joints while one stocko TJ made it up with a bit of persistance. So much came down to driver ability, timing and wheel placement. Some guys with heavy right feet made for good entertainment but the loud crunches and sounds of metallic failure made my skin crawl.
My mate has a Turbo Diesel JK with 35 inch BFG KM2's, twin lockers and a mild lift, and made it through the tracks without any damage or needing to be winched. One of the hills we went down was so steep that we lifted the back wheels a couple of times. I was so jealous of the low range crawling that the diesel manual had going down hills. I figured the engine braking my petrol Auto has in low first, was equivalent to his low 3rd. There would be no way I could have gone down that hill without setting the brake pads on fire.
I love my Prado, but if I had the money to keep a Jeep running, they are the ultimate off-road vehicle out of the box.
There were some heavily modified vehicles and some stockos with just tyre upgrades and the results were surprising. On one track, some of the modifieds broke steering arms and uni joints while one stocko TJ made it up with a bit of persistance. So much came down to driver ability, timing and wheel placement. Some guys with heavy right feet made for good entertainment but the loud crunches and sounds of metallic failure made my skin crawl.
My mate has a Turbo Diesel JK with 35 inch BFG KM2's, twin lockers and a mild lift, and made it through the tracks without any damage or needing to be winched. One of the hills we went down was so steep that we lifted the back wheels a couple of times. I was so jealous of the low range crawling that the diesel manual had going down hills. I figured the engine braking my petrol Auto has in low first, was equivalent to his low 3rd. There would be no way I could have gone down that hill without setting the brake pads on fire.
I love my Prado, but if I had the money to keep a Jeep running, they are the ultimate off-road vehicle out of the box.
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