Motor Crazy - Tracking an Obsession With Motor Vehicles

How to Make Sure That Your 4x4 Is Ready for Your First Adventure

23 September 2018

Johnny Richardson

If you have a winding, unpaved drive that leads from the public road to your residence, you may not need to worry if your standard car or truck can deal with this. If you only venture onto gravel-filled country roads occasionally, you may be able to get away with a "stock" four-wheel-drive vehicle from your dealer. However, if you have some exciting adventures planned that will take you deep into the Bush on a regular basis, you need to take a long and hard look at the 4x4 that you just acquired. Why do you need to upgrade some of the components fitted to take into account your plans?

Being Prepared

As you embark on your first adventure, you may be surprised to find that not all of these roads are well maintained. If you're carrying a full load of people together with tents and other supplies for a weekend trip, your vehicle will bottom out a lot and be rather difficult to drive. You may find that it is not as responsive as you would like and difficult to manoeuvre through any steep incline.

How to Lift Properly

In this case, you need to consider fitting a lift kit to get you out of trouble and to make your vehicle more flexible in all driving conditions. Note, that you should not go overboard here and think that you need to elevate the vehicle as high as possible. You will still need to ensure that the centre of gravity is as low to the ground as it can be so that it is still stable when you're driving it on a paved highway.

You'll also need to be careful when you fit this lift kit so that it does not place undue stress on your drivetrain and in particular the CV joints. If you lift the vehicle too high in relation to drive shaft angle, those joints will wear out very quickly.

Don't Shortcut

Some people may be tempted to put spacers in between the top mount and the suspension strut on each corner. This may be a low-cost way to achieve the same objective, but it will play havoc with your suspension geometry and may not be fully legal in your jurisdiction.

Working in Harmony

To achieve the right balance, you will need to pair the shock absorbers, struts and springs carefully and ensure that each component is matched with the other. Remember, all of these pieces have to work together in harmony, and you cannot take a "piecemeal" approach to a successful lift.

Doing It the Right Way

Take advice from people who have done this before, so that you don't find out the hard way that you've made a mistake. Talk with suspension experts who can suggest the exact components necessary to transform your vehicle and set you down the right road.

For more information, contact a company like Tony's Auto Wreckers.

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