THE UTE RUMBLES OVER THE TOP OF THE SLUSH, RATHER THAN SINK INTO IT
surfaces. With the tracks fitted to the 1Hz-powered Cruiser the 50mm suspension lift becomes a substantial 200mm, and there’s an ARB compressor on-board with ARB diff locks (front and rear). An aftermarket turbo and intercooler has been fitted to the engine, along with a suitably chunky exhaust. It certainly sounded the part as we idled out of the shed, the subdued turbo whistle building in intensity as we picked up speed on the grass. The ride may be pretty harsh on-road, but out in the paddock it was smooth, and the Cruiser just glided over lumps and bumps that’d usually have wheels juddering in their wheel arches.
I smacked the right pedal as we dropped into a slushy creek bed and was rewarded with a spray of mud up the side. The truck just rumbled over the top of slush rather than sink into it, hurling a couple of very satisfying muddy rooster tails into the air behind me. Unsurprisingly, I was grinning like a fool by this stage.
If the Cruiser was fitted with wheels it would’ve still made it through most of the places we took it, but it wouldn’t have done it as quickly or as easily. The only obstacles that posed any challenge to the Mattracks were large rocks, as the tracks tended to butt up against a boulder rather than roll over the top of it like an off-road tyre running low air pressures would.
On my drive we clambered down soft, sandy creek beds and river tributaries, as well as wallowed in a bit of mud and, with the diff locks only needed on a couple of occasions, the Cruiser was effortless, with the units planting the truck solidly on the ground.
The CFA’S aforementioned Land Cruiser was tested for lateral stability in Victoria, where it reached a cross-slope angle of 50 degrees before threatening to tip. This was very apparent while clambering through the bush, as it remains stable and inspires confidence. They aren’t cheap, though. Depending on the US dollar exchange rate at the time, you’d be looking at about AU$55,000 to fit a set.