I am considering buying a CRdi 2.9 diesel Terracan I will be doing occasional offroad in sand and some rough dirt travel but 90 % bitumen. I will do about 5oooK year pulling a camper trailer weighing about 1200kg. All up i will average between 25 and 30000 k per year
Can someone advise whether it is worth spending the extra $2K on the trek n tow pack option offered here in Oz in light of the miles i will do or will the standard suspension package be fine.
thanks
Des

Hi Des I tow a "camper van" weighing 1200kg and also have three additional adults and all other bits and pieces loaded in the back, my towing mileage is approx 2000 miles per year. We do not get this towing pack option in Scotland but I find whilst the rear sags slightly (50mm) when towing the suspension copes very well with the weight causing no handling problems. My car also does approx 40000 MILES per year fully loaded no probs as yet (31000 miles showing).

hope it helps, Hammy

Hi,

I am currently considering a Terracan and from all the info I have pulled off the net and read I would definately get it. A good article is in 4x4 Australia (current April 2005) where they comment that the difference is excellent.

Brent

Thanks for the responses. I have read reports saying how good the extra pack is for towing etc but i was wondering whetehr that was journalistc speak for some mototing writers who have really high expectations about how vehicles will tow.
interestingly enough, a local Hyundai salesman here on the coast told me he didn't think it was worth the money!
I'd love to be bale to drive one to see if i can tell the difference but all the ones around the coast here have the standard suspension which i must admit in the short test drive i have had so far was fine
thanks
Des

I have one on order with the Trek and Tow kit but not due till 26/4 so cannot tell you what it is like. I have similar requirements to you. Based on the reports and what I experienced with a Jackaroo with standard suspension I opted to get the upgrade. Another pointer is the aftermarket suspension kits available for all makes and models and the vast number they sell which tells you the factory fit is not that good. Another option is one of the after market kits, there are 2 that I know of and Tough Dog are about to release one, all of these are cheaper than the Trek and Tow.
Cheers
Mike

Hi all,

Just took delivery of the Hyundai Terracan CRDi (non Highlander) with the Trek 'n' Tow pack. Something that suprised me was that it was delivered with an Astra heavy duty tow bar. As far as I can tell this isn't mentioned in the brochures etc.

I'm very happy with the ride (compared to non Trek 'n' Tow that I test drove)... I would say it was definately worth it :)

All up, on road, it cost me AUS$41,200 including Trek 'n' Tow and a cargo mat.

G'Day Aussie Dog,

Check out the aftermarket options first. To give you an idea, I had my suspension upgraded by TJM in Sydney, which gave me 4 new shockies, heavy duty rear coils for towing my camper trailer, the torsion bars and bump stops adjusted which resulted in a 40mm lift at the front and 45mm at the back. All up cost $900. This upgrade plus an All Terrain tyre has improved the performance offroad greatly.

Cheers,
Carmo

Hi Ausie Dog
I have Trek 'n' Tow kit on my CRDi. Much better handling than standard setup and about 50mm lift at rear end. Front springs a still a bit soft for my liking. Take Carmo's advise and look around at other after market setups (usually at better than half the price!) as well, keeping in mind warranty issues.
Cheers
Brad

I have owned two Terracans, one was in a ding but that's another story.

Overall happy, but on second car I invested in 50mm raised springs and upgraded shocks ~ $1000 total with new wheel alignment. I live in the North of Western Australia and our roads are really trying lets say.

It stopped the car bottoming out, and rides a lot smoother/more stable on bad dirt roads. Also stops bashing on rocks when 4WDing.

Also put 245/70 R16 A/T tyres on to get a more common size and not have the numerous puntures on the standard ones.

Aussiedog

I would go for any suspension upgrade you feel comfortable getting. The stock suspension is bad. Thats not an overstatement. Anybody who has driven a stock suspension Terracan on the open road in outback Australia will agree with this. With a good load in the rear or a decent camper or trailer in tow, the front end gets very light and "jigly". The "jiglyness" is the worst trate IMO. It is definitely accentuated by Aussie roads. We have pretty terrible roads. I do alot of work around the world and I have seen that we have very avergae roads with my own eyes. One of the Yanks I worked with said that nowhere in america would an american put up with the roads we have everywhere in Oz. Thats why Amercian imported cars have standard suspension setups changed or upgraded for import to Oz.

Back to the topic, I have put a set of Kings (30mm lift/30% stiffer than stock) rear coils in mine and I can honestly say that the difference that it makes to the car on the open road is amazing. Its a changed beast for sure. I wanted to do the Koni shocks aswell for my big trip to Broome earlier this year but it didn't fit in the budget. I will do this eventually because people rave about the changes that makes to the cars also.

With the new Kings springs in the rear, I hauled the 3 kids, all their junk + mine and the wife's all the way to Broome and back. It was such an improvement over the ride characteristics of my Denmark trip the year before its led me to say that the 215AUD it cost me to put the springs in the back of my Terracan was the best 200 bucks I've spent in a long long time. Thats the truth of it.

Hello,

Where can I order a kit same that you described, for a Terracan 2.9 (2006/2007) ?
"50mm raised springs and upgraded shocks ~ $1000 total"

Regards ...



This post has been edited by Xtreme64: Dec 12 2006, 07:16 PM

Hi Extreme64

In Australia one of the most recent and warmly recieved developments for the Terracan has been the Ironman Suspension:
http://www.ironmansuspension.com/
for a South American contact try:
http://www.ironmansuspension.com/contactsouthamerica.html

Cheers
Brad