Nuts
and
BOLTS
M
odifying your set-up to tackle
the great outdoors is just part of
the game these days. Sure, you
can head for the scrub with a
bog-stock vehicle and a camper trailer dragged
straight off the showroom floor, but a few well
appointed upgrades and accessories could make
your adventure more comfortable and a lot
safer in the long run, especially when it comes
to your tow vehicle. While most people tend
to lash out on fancy pants 12V upgrades and
flash looking camping gizmos for their camper
trailer, the poor old 4WD could benefit from
a few modifications and accessories too. The
big question is – where do you start? And what
can realistically wait until you win the Lotto? To
help clear the fogginess, we thought we’d take a
closer look at the kind of upgrades your 4WD will
need to totally revolutionise the way it performs
on your next adventure, without going to the
extreme!TYPES OF TYRES
Most brand new 4WDs are fitted with a set
of Highway Terrain tyres. They’re cheap and
perform well on the bitumen, which is where
you’ll test drive one before you buy it, right?
The problem is they’re about as unseemly as
camouflaged underwear when it comes to
offroad touring, with things like all terrain grip,
puncture resistance and strength taking a dive.
So it makes sense to upgrade to some tougher
rubber. Believe it or not, there are actually
quite a few things to consider before you lay
down your hard earned cash. For example,
most people like to increase the tyre’s size
over factory fitted dimensions. The benefit is
usually increased ground clearance and a larger
footprint for added traction. The downside
can be decreased acceleration, inaccurate
speedometer, diminished braking capacity and
extra load or stress applied to wheel bearing
and driveline components. Not to mention the
added weight of big tyres, and there’s a good
chance the spare tyre won’t fit the undercarriage
mount anymore either. What’s the answer?
Well, for touring purposes a size increase of an
ch or two seems to be the best compromise.
nd thanks to a million Australian Design Rules
nd regulations, you really don’t want to stray
oo far from standard these days anyway. Plus,
atching your vehicles tyres to your camperin
An
an
to
mA
aWhen choosing your next set of tyres be realistic
about what you actually require