WK2 Trailhawk Out & About

[Wanderer]

Well just returned from an epic 10,000km trip from the Sunshine Coast, Birdsville, Big Red & QAA Line, K1 Line 1/2 French Line, Knolls Track, Rigg Road, Delhousie (needed a swim) to Mt Dare, Mt Dare to Finke, Uluru, Alice and surrounds, Chambers Pillar,Alice for a new tyre then up the Stuart to Litchfield NP from Daly River end via the 4WD track to Surprise Crk, to Mary River NP & Kakadu NP, Cahill Crossing, Jim Jim Falls, Gunlom Falls (needed another swim), Mataranka then down the Barkly Stock Route from Elliot & via Raniken Rd to Camooweal, up to Lawn Hill & return via Gregory Downs to Concurry then to home Sunshine Coast...Just short of 5 Weeks and car full of red dirt & one stuffed BFG...The Trailhawk did all I asked and then some..I'm impressed especially since the French line was the worst I see it in this my 7th crossing and the Mt Dare road was something else: all rocks...absolute shocker..Better to have done the by-pass via Hamilton Stn.

[timsarg]

you can't post an awesome trip like that without photo's . Not fair

[Hoppy99]

Yes pics please, that sounds like a great trip.

[08crd]

Originally Posted by Wanderer

Well just returned from an epic 10,000km trip from the Sunshine Coast, Birdsville, Big Red & QAA Line, K1 Line 1/2 French Line, Knolls Track, Rigg Road, Delhousie (needed a swim) to Mt Dare, Mt Dare to Finke, Uluru, Alice and surrounds, Chambers Pillar,Alice for a new tyre then up the Stuart to Litchfield NP from Daly River end via the 4WD track to Surprise Crk, to Mary River NP & Kakadu NP, Cahill Crossing, Jim Jim Falls, Gunlom Falls (needed another swim), Mataranka then down the Barkly Stock Route from Elliot & via Raniken Rd to Camooweal, up to Lawn Hill & return via Gregory Downs to Concurry then to home Sunshine Coast...Just short of 5 Weeks and car full of red dirt & one stuffed BFG...The Trailhawk did all I asked and then some..I'm impressed especially since the French line was the worst I see it in this my 7th crossing and the Mt Dare road was something else: all rocks...absolute shocker..Better to have done the by-pass via Hamilton Stn.

So how did you find the air suspension, after being one of the last die hard spring boys, to change? lol

[Wanderer]

Originally Posted by 08crd

So how did you find the air suspension, after being one of the last die hard spring boys, to change? lol

Mate..haven't heard from you for some time...How is it in the West??..Think you last changed the Commander for a WK2.

Air suspension??…Great on corrugations...Best ride ever (pity there is no way of disabling the auto lowering in the menu)...Chambers Pillar & Jim Jim Falls were some of the worst I've seen and I go up Cape York nearly every year & have done the Tanami & Plenty...Wrecked the BFG on the Chambers Pillar road...Trouble with the 60 profile tyres is that at air-down pressures for corrugated roads doesn't leave much to flex when hitting pot holes and bull dust wallows & of course the TPMS has already alarmed at these pressures so no more warning if there is further/sudden air loss...The French Line highlighted one issue with air suspension in that the shocky damping isn't that great for the severe rough ups and downs and the car tends to "Porpoise" alarmingly... Like I've said, "The French Line is the worst I've seen in seven trips", but then who does this track every day??...The other thing & this goes for all WK2s is the best way to do the desert is in Sand Mode to disable ESC/ESP and leave it in high range.. Low range above a rev/speed limit tends to cut engine power when really needed and stalled like on the second dune after Bid Red - backed off , selected high range and did it with ease & rest of the desert in high range (mate in his WK2 Laredo had the same loss of power in low range on Big Red)...Low gear in the 8 speed box was more than capable of doing the job...Leave low range for crawling obstacles...Another issue is that between dunes the vehicle auto lowers OR1 to Normal (Aero if enough speed up) when between dunes and getting up speed to tackle a them or along high crown dirt tracks (saved by the UNeek front lower bash plate on several occasions)...This is where I should have installed the LLAMS module before the trip..At about $570 would have been worth it.

Photos??...They are coming next post after I wash the beast for the umpteenth time and still the red dirt seeps out..

PS: For the die hard steel spring owners: I believe that air suspension is now only be available on Trailhawk and up...No longer and option for Laredo & Limited models..Steel is it.

[SnakeDoctor]

I've still got steel springs in mine, love belting down the beach at higher than OR2 height at full speeds without being concerned about it lowering.

Next time i'd definitely go for the air, just for the better ability to handle different weights.

[timsarg]

Originally Posted by SnakeDoctor

I've still got steel springs in mine, love belting down the beach at higher than OR2 height at full speeds without being concerned about it lowering.

Next time i'd definitely go for the air, just for the better ability to handle different weights.

i'm still deciding which way i will go for my next car . both have their advantages . I still feel offroad springs win everytime, especially if in sand and dirt . I don't think there are many instances where the air and rear locker is that much more of an advantage over coils apart from ride comfort