OKA

OKA – putting the 4x4 truck into Western Australia

Nature abhors a vacuum – and no more so than in the vehicle market!

Back in 1986 a group of interested West Australian mine-site executives met over a beer to swap notes and realising they all lacked a 3 tonne payload go-anywhere 4x4, suitable for their mine sites, agreed on their ideal specifications. The same executives formed a consortium and the OKA company was born.

Having established the basic blueprints, A comprehensive market study was undertaken covering 1,200 mining and exploration companies, Local, State and Federal Government departments, agricultural, military and other potential user groups. The input from this survey established the parameters of the OKA design. In 1987 work on a prototype commenced. The first prototype was tested in 1988 and many other prototypes were built and tested until 1992.

The original prototype - which still exists today at OKA headquarters - was not so different from the OKA we know today. Originally designed with a GVW of 6.0 tonnes, the truck sat lower on 16" wheels, but from the outset the original product development team of around 30 engineers laid down a design which has stayed largely unchanged in its architecture. In an era when the supply chain in the Perth area was very restricted, simplicity of manufacture was a key consideration. The cab was designed from the outset to meets ROPS certification– fundamental in protecting drivers in dangerous mining locations - and was formed from simple brake pressed panels on a high strength tubular steel skeleton. The chassis frame was designed to be much more rigid than those found on typical on-road trucks and its all-welded construction using square box-section components remains largely unchanged in the latest incarnations.

Supply chain challenges meant that OKA also manufactured a high proportion of the components – from cargo trays seat squabs. Power for the original "XT" range - which entered commercial scale production in 1992 - was provided by a 4 cylinder 110hp Perkins Phaser engine, produced in Perkins' UK Peterborough factory. The original 5 speed gearbox was supplied by Spicer (UK) and Dana USA provided the axle sets.

A steady process of continuous product improvement led to the launch of a second range, and the "LT" - with a remote mounted transfer case and some cab layout differences - was launched in 1995. Meanwhile commercially, OKA's shareholders changed and its current holding company Reymer Pty Ltd took over ownership in 2000.

EURO 3 legislation saw a demand for a new power train and the 3.9 litre Cummins ISBe 170 hp (125kW) engine provided a high torque economical solution which foreshadowed the installation of today's EURO5 4.5 litre Cummins ISBe5 185 hp (136 kW) engine. Fitment of the Cummins ISBe range of engines coincided with the launch of "NT" range, which also saw the fitment of the Allison automatic gearbox – specified today by almost all customers.

OKA is one of the world's leading nche truck assembles. Of all the trucks produced, a majority are still in use today and OKA's very active spare parts department provides excellent back–up for the many customers who telephone or call-in at their Bibra Lake (WA) plant each day. By concentrating on one 4x4 model, OKA have been able to keep abreast of trends – a talented design team finding creative solutions to low volume manufacture.