Japanese Mini Trucks (Kei Trucks)
Kei Trucks / Mini Trucks 軽トラック means Light Truck
In general they are a street legal, versatile truck with a 6ft flat bed with sides that is more than 4ft wide. They can get around in spaces that golf carts or “Mules” can only usually go. They can turn into a flat top that works great as a table or portable work bench for sawing lumber in your yard or working on projects. They are available with 4 wheel drive, automatic or manual transmissions. Can trave at highway speeds from 50MPH to 80MPH depending on the model. They are great for trips to Lowes / Home Depot and can carry up to 16ft lumber. You can use them for doing yard work collecting and dragging sticks and branches or even load a motorcycle in the back.
There are several brands of Kei Truck Honda, Daihatsu(Toyota), Mitsubishi, Subaru, Suzuki, Mazda (Suzuki)
Daihatsu
If you are wanting a great farm truck for off road that won’t get stuck easily, you probably want to get a Daihatsu Climber. They are center engine mounted trucks that have good ground clearance with 4WD high and low range. They are commonplace to see on farms in Japan in all kinds of terrain and definately a tough truck. Maintaince wise they are pretty easy to work on with a somewhat traditional looking engine setup you would see in a rear wheel drive vehicle with a transfer case. They have solid rear axels, disc brakes in the front, drum in the rear. The radiator and front of the engine sits below the drivers and passenger seats with access from inside the cab by flipping the seats up. This makes them less ideal for driving on the road long distances because vibration is easily transferred to your seat and it can get warm on a longer trip. They also are not the fastest kei trucks, some only reaching about 50MPH. This is why I recommend other options for someone who wants to primarly use their truck on the road.
Subaru
My favorite truck for street Use is the Subaru Sambar. They are available in 4WD as well and have a super low gear on the manual transmission version just left of 1st on the shifter. They have 4 wheel indipendent suspension and ride good on the road at speed topping out at over 70MPH on some. The truck is also available with a Super Charger which gives it more power and increased top speed as fast as 80MPH. I think they are one of the most roomy cabs in the mini trucks if not the most. The engine is mounted at the very back of the truck with access from the bed with a large panel which is removable with, from the rear with the folding bumper it has, and from the right side by removing the rear tire. Of all the trucks I think it is the easiest to work on because of easy access. The timing belt and water pump are quite easily changed in less than an hour. Its almost as easy as changing a fan belt. Since the engine is in the back of the truck, vibration and heat from the engine in the cab is not an issue. They ride quite and cool unlike some other trucks. One disadvantage to the easy access and cool riding rear engine is ground clearance. The Sambar has probably the lowes ground clearance of all the trucks and can get high centered when in deep ruts off road. Thata aside the 4WD is pretty capable.
Honda
Another truck that works well on the street is the Honda Acty, everyone’s favorite brand. They usually have better take off speed than some others and come in 2 Wheel Drive or All Wheel Drive. Not quite as good as the 4WD in other trucks but it still helps. There is no Low Range (like Diahatsu, Suzuki, Mitsubishi have) and no Super Low gear on the shifter (like Subaru). The Hondas drive nice and have an engine that sits in the rear but with more clearance than the Subarus have. You can get them with or without AC as others. They are also available with a manual transmission as well as automatic. They are well built trucks that don’t usually give many problems. The engine is accessed from a hatch in the bed. On most, you can check the oil level from a dipstick inside the left rear fender. It is threaded and unscrews. To fill the oil up there is a tube and cap at the left side of the bed near the rear of the truck. Don’t confuse this with the gas cap! The gas cap is near the cab on the drivers side.
Suzuki / Mazda
The Suzuki Carry is a long popular Kei Truck that is pretty good on and off road. It has 4 wheel drive with high and low range. Comes with a manual or automatic transmission. They have decent pickup and go for the kei trucks matched with good off road peformance. The engine is located just behind the cab with access from the bed as well as under the driver and passenger seats. The Mazda kei truck you see are made by Suzuki and are just rebranded. Ther are some slight cosmetic differences but they are essentailly the same truck.
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Minicab is available with 4 wheel drive with high and low range. It typically comes with a manual transmission but is avaiable in with an automatic in newer models. The engine is located just behind the cab of the truck and is accessed from a hatch in the bed as well as from under the drivers and passenger seats. They have decent clearance for offroad.
Overall there are vairous brands of Kei Trucks that are out there and any of them will serve you well. But you may find you like one brand better than others. Give us a call and we can help you find a truck you will love.
352-434-0094
sales@mikesjdm.com