Toying With The Idea Of a Gen4 H6

my04tone

Forum Founder - RIP Tony
Joined
Nov 27, 2010
Messages
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Location
Melbourne S.E, Australia
As per the title, these things are catching my eye in the auto model, and with a braked tow weight of 1800kg might just do me instead of a bigger 4x4.

I know a front bar is available for them
I know i can replace the springs
i know i can put some lift blocks in
i know i can do everything i have done to my Foz

Oh i know here we go again..

Any thoughts on the project?
 
Terrible approach and departure angles even with front and rear bar. Weak rear captive nuts get ripped out by lift blocks, would need a braced kit like Nacha does.
 
Terrible approach and departure angles even with front and rear bar. Weak rear captive nuts get ripped out by lift blocks, would need a braced kit like Nacha does.

Dont intend to go that hard, its more for towing on Outback roads and some bush tracks, to get me to metal detecting spots, more so than getting in and out of creek beds climbing sand hills and doing hard core 4x4 tracks etc, you could say i am well and truly over all that :iconwink: . I also have Nachas gear in my Foz so it would be an easy transition if i went down that road.

What i envisage is the cars no1 job will be to tour and tow a caravan probably 16ft or so, jacking the car up a bit offers a better towing angle between the van and the car without using WD hitch etc like iam doing now with the Foz. Even if i just went the HD Kings, they work fine on the setup i have now even before i put the subtle kit in. The bar is for animal strikes more than for approach and departure angles, i wont have a rear bar on the car, i can carry Jerries and spares on the caravan, its better to tow than stow you know :) .

I am also looking at a troop carrier :lol:
 
The outback would be a good upgrade, the h6 is s reliable motor also.
However more room from a bigger 4wd is always a bonus. Id be looking for something turbo diesel if iy we're me. They will always tow better than s petrol and return decent fuel economy.
 
Great cars, mountains of torque, the 5spd auto is a good box. Use a fair amount of fuel though. Would be fantastic for any light-moderate offroading with just a bit of lift.

Would serve you well I think.
 
The outback would be a good upgrade, the h6 is s reliable motor also.
However more room from a bigger 4wd is always a bonus. Id be looking for something turbo diesel if iy we're me. They will always tow better than s petrol and return decent fuel economy.

Been looking at Factory Turbo Diesel GXL 100 series Landcruisers, and the troop carrier, these cars are still on my list and although they are roomy they cost a pretty penny to buy and run and still have alot of K's on them

Looking at the twin cab 2010 Rodeo/ Dmax, nice truck plenty of grunt in the turbo diesel, probably the pick of the bunch for fuel economy.

2007-2010 gen 4 Pajero is being looked at ut i am unsure on their reliability lots of conflicting reports.

Heres what i would really like but dont have the cash to throw at it.
https://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Toyota-Landcruiser-2010/SSE-AD-2621452/?Cr=0&sdmvc=1

And of course the H6 Gen 4, 1800kg towing, i wont be towing a monster, not my thing but it gives me 400kg on the Foz.

And the Forester isnt going anywhere Richard :iconwink:

Davidov thats what i was thinking, tonnes of torque nice auto would tow a 16ft van with ease

Still kicking tyres but there are some bargains to be had in the Outback.
 
Refinement is a million miles ahead of the Foz and it really is a great on road and dirt road traveller. likes a drink though - more than a XT Foz. There have been many times when I have regretted not going that way when I finally decided between the two when I got my XT. Looking back I made the wrong decision.
 
Gidday Tony

The Troopie looks nice, with lots of useful (and expensive ... ) extras and base specs for the vehicle. Lots of bread for a vehicle with 246,000 Kms on it though!
 
Not sure if you would like a LC. Sure they can tow a house but you dont need that. I think you would be disappointed with how huge they are coming from a Foz, esp in traffic & parking. Plus as you said they are expensive to buy even with a lot of kms on them, plus very expensive to run. Great reliability though.

For towing an auto is miles ahead of a MT, dont know what the auto in the Gen 4 is like though. The H6 is a winner & although a little thirsty I think you would love it.

I'd recommend some test drives to get acquainted with each model you're looking at
 
Refinement is a million miles ahead of the Foz and it really is a great on road and dirt road traveller. likes a drink though - more than a XT Foz. There have been many times when I have regretted not going that way when I finally decided between the two when I got my XT. Looking back I made the wrong decision.

I also love the extra room inside the Outback, lots of space up back in comparison to the Forester, but i do manage to cram alot in the back of my Foz, its amazing what i can get in there :lol:

Ratbag all the Toyota Landcruisers are pricey and usually have buckets of K's on them, thats because they go and go, my mates troopy has 600k on it. That 2010 Troopy is actually good value but for < half that price i could put myself into a 4x4 Delica for remote bush camping and or buy a small offroad camper and a car.

We are thinking of buying a Caravan, thats why i want a bigger tow car.
 
Maybe a small 4x4 truck and put a custom camper on the back and maybe a motorbike on the back too?
 
Had a look at the TD 80 Series? Not that expensive compared to the 100 series or troopies.

Would love one of the newish troopies!
 
I think a gen 4 for your needs sounds like a better option than a cruiser or big 4wd. For the price you'd pay for the outback it would absolutely destroy a land cruiser of the same price in almost every single way. Especially comfort, size, refinement etc.
 
Maybe a small 4x4 truck and put a custom camper on the back and maybe a motorbike on the back too?

I have a small truck its called a Forester :ebiggrin:

Sarge yeh i have checked the 80 series many times, $18,000 for a TD, and they are getting pretty long in the tooth, although there are a couple of good ones out there.

Davidov i drive alot of cars in my occupation, some of those Landcruisers are pretty comfy cars, but not to the level of the Outback i agree.

My list probably reads
Landcruiser 105 series with a 1HZ turbo and Auto just cant justify the price

Troopy probably going back to my Army days and wanting a real truck, these things a bullet proof, manual only.

2010 Dmax/ Colorado nice twin cab still doesnt help me if i want to sleep in it.

Outback H6 we all know what its like

Now its 5am here into the Forester and off to the goldfields for a bash around the bush :lol:
 
To each her/his own.

I love my IV generation OB except for the front bumper. I have done some classic moderate trails, never had a problem with the rear. The front will occasionally require you to build rocks or dump rocks into a narrow, deep drainage. This is about the one advantage a Forester has over the OB except where the latter is too big (see my Hey Joe Canyon warning on the OB forum, I barely got out w/o drama--and it was either out with no issues or out with A LOT of drama). But I got there because of a navigational mistake. The OB is still much smaller than a lot of what people take on trails in the US.

Other than that, the IV gen OB will be a massive upgrade in terms of traction and power. In the absence of X-mode you will still need to master the break pedal to descent challenging hills. But I do not think that a manual Forester with DR is set low enough to allow you to use the LR alone on really steep hills. I know the one I saw in action (a US Legacy with Aussie DR) could not.

Here is all I feel is necessary for mine:

#1. 0.5 spacers. 0.75 make the alignment tricky. 1.00 make it impossible w/o a separate kit, which repositions the rear wheel in the center of the well. This is what I was told by Primitive's owner. In my case, the Subaru dealer installed the 0.5 spacers, finding them to fit very well. They told me the alignment was a breeze.

#2. 225-65-17 tires. I still do not have those. However, I checked how they would fit. The rear, surprisingly, is just fine. All spacers push the rear wheels FW, but there was no rubbing. Up front, this size tires will require removing of the splash guards or trimming a bit their inner corner.

#3. Skid plates. I have Primitive's full set. They look great, by which I mean that they cover so much: the whole front, the AT with the two CATS, and the rear differential. They are also quite sturdy. Of course, a serious hit could still result in vehicle damage, skid plates or not. But they have deflected countless gravel and small stones from the undercarriage already.

I am not personally interested in any other mods. Once I have the larger tires, I will be able to go everywhere I want to go. And, honestly, there is just one road/trail that I really want to do for which I know I do need that extra clearance. For the rest, it is more about convenience of use than actual need. As for the tougher trails, virtually all of them can be hiked. An unexpected super rough spot in the middle of nowhere is a different story, but patience, some rocks, and a spotter can go a long way, as you know better than I do:)

THE SUSPENSION IS FABULOUS! The comfort it allows over off-pavement and even rocks is astonishing.

I do not understand the, well, lack of understanding:iconwink: that newer models find on this forum. Albeit heavier and bigger than their predecessors, they feature AWD systems that are vastly superior. The H6 5 EAT is also as reliable a powertrain as one can hope to purchase these days. That matters a great deal to me.

Also, the OB has a very good clearance at rocker panel. With 0.5 spacers and a notch larger tires, it would be close to a full foot. That is pretty good. It actually has a bit more clearance there than the new Foz.

All in all, the front bumper is pretty much the one worry I have. Although it is sometimes annoying, it is not THAT much of a worry. And let's not forget that the Forester's 24-25 degree AA is nothing to write home about either (30 deg plus on dedicated off-roaders, 40+ on the Wrangler...).
 
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I have added Prado to the list and the Pajero bringing up the rear.

I understand whats required to lift a Subaru and the inherant changes that need to be made and also get the best front and rear clearance possible. I would definately for a start be getting a SubaXreme front bar and plate then sorting out the rubber and the HD shockers.

I belted the Foz through the bush yesterday, i was told by a guy in an 80series that to get where i wanted to go i would need a 4x4, so with that i proceeded to not only negotiate the track but own it, he was amazed that i not only passed him, but had a brew going by the time he got to me at the top.
 
I belted the Foz through the bush yesterday, i was told by a guy in an 80series that to get where i wanted to go i would need a 4x4, so with that i proceeded to not only negotiate the track but own it, he was amazed that i not only passed him, but had a brew going by the time he got to me at the top.

Awesome! :monkeydance::rotfl:
 
I've got a Gen4 OBK and its going great in the bush.

You're right about the approach angles. I had that problem on my Gen3 Outback so I solved it with SubaXtreme front & rear bars which improve it substantially.

The Gen4 is a really refined car. The steering is much more precise than my Gen3 and after having it tuned, the H6 is a really sweet motor with plenty of low down torque to climb hills, rock steps etc.
 
I took my stock forester to places it shouldnt have gone, well i think it should of, but the wife disagrees, its the driver not the car that gets it in and out and all the mods in the world cant be exchanged for experience.

I looked at a H6 yesterday, very nice inside with plenty of room, sure it looks too low :iconwink: needs a bar for sure, but it would do the job required, and thats to become a long distance tourer capable of towing a 16ft van and i can sit in comfort all day, then go offroad exploring, i have the Foz i can do hardcore in any day of the week if i feel the urge.

I would be straight to my exhaust guy after the bar, i like the sound of the H6 without restrictions :lildevil: it also gives me some more herbs.
 
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