Land Cruiser Off-Road: What We Need to Know

[PixelMagic]

I caught the off roading bug from my friend who is a 4 wheeling wizard in a 4 Runner. However, this will be my first 4WD vehicle and I know I have lots to learn. I'm going to share some links that helped me and hopefully will be of interest to other newbies. I hope others on our forum will join in with links and advice to the critical knowledge base we all need to get safely to and from our off road adventures. Suggestions on videos, books, off road courses and clubs as well as off road expo events will be appreciated.

Herewith are my first contributions:






Thanks in advance to the experts among us for sharing your knowledge.

Mark

 

[LC-120]

This is an interesting subject. If my old school Landcruiser Prado 120 has very simple (but still very efficient ) off-road features, the 2024 model has a lot more. In addition to the basic Center DiffLock, Low Gear, Rear DiffLock the 2024 model gets:

2nd ECT (Electronically controlled Transmission) for starting in 2nd gear on slipery conditions.
Crawling feature - a cruise control for very low speed.
SDM - Stabiliser Disconnect Mechanism for the front wheels when you navigate rocky terrain
Multi-Terrain Select Off-road driving support can be selected from six modes depending on the road surface; can also be operated in high range (H4) for use in even more off-road driving situations.

The EPS - Electric Power Steering - and Multi-Terrain Monitor are making off-road driving easier also.

Did I forget anything?

It is a matter of knowledge and experience to understand and use them efficiently. Do not overestimate your off-road driving capability and your vehicle. Take it easy step-by-step.