11 minute read
4WD
HULK 4X4 IMPRESSES AT 4X4 SHOWS
The brand recently exhibited its wide range in Sydney and Melbourne
CoolDrive Auto Parts says its own Hulk 4x4 brand continues to go from strength to strength with an impressive showing at the recent National 4x4 Outdoors Shows in Sydney and Melbourne. The 210 square metre stand provided plenty of space to showcase the Hulk 4x4 range, which included displays of its industry-leading products fitted to a number of four-wheel-drive vehicles. Exhibited on stand – and on the vehicles – were Hulk 4x4 products including driving lights, recovery gear, brake upgrades and accessories, as well as a full range of Hulk 4x4 merchandise. “The National 4x4 Outdoors Shows are some of the most attended outdoor Expos in Australia, providing the perfect opportunity for us to showcase the HULK 4X4 range and CoolDrive’s extensive 4WD products,” CoolDrive Auto Parts Product Manager – Hulk 4x4, Jason Lock, said. “Hulk 4x4 is one of the fastest growing brands within the local off-road and 4WD market, with industry-leading, hard-wearing innovative gear across the range – and visitors to our stand were truly impressed with what we had to offer.” The Hulk 4x4 stand also showcased other products from leading CoolDrive brands including lighting options from Ignite such as lightbars, driving lights, and LED globes, Jayrad radiators, Bremtec brake upgrades and the Black Series alternators part of the Jaylec range. “We had our expert team on stand every day connecting with attendees, providing hands-on demonstrations and also getting direct insight from consumers as to what they want from their outdoor products and accessories,” Jason said. “All of us at Hulk 4x4 are enthusiasts ourselves and it was fantastic to be at the Expos this year and we look forward to exhibiting at similar events in the future.” The Hulk 4x4 product range has reportedly been precisely designed for premium performance in Australia and New Zealand’s unique conditions and is available from Hulk 4x4 distributors across both countries. Product categories covered by the brand include Air, Wheel and Tyre Accessories, Caravan and Trailer Equipment, Cargo Management, Electrical, Lighting, Recovery Equipment, Touring and Camping, Underbody, as well as Vehicle Protection. For further information or to become a distributor, visit www.cooldrive.com.au and www.hulk4x4.com.au
ULTIMATE TOW ELECTRIC BRAKE CONTROLLER
The new product has been recently launched by Bendix
Bendix says it has applied its many decades of braking expertise to develop the new 12V Ultimate Tow Electric Brake Controller, providing additional braking control and enhanced safety for drivers who regularly tow heavier trailers or caravans. Developed, fully programmed and tested from an Australian facility, Bendix says Ultimate Tow features its own unique braking algorithm, ensuring superior performance and reliability in demanding local conditions. By law, trailers with a gross trailer mass (the weight of the trailer with everything in it) of between 750kg and 2,000kg are required to be fitted with either a mechanical or electrical braking system. And anything over 2,000kg needs to have an electric, or electric over hydraulic brake and an electric ‘break-away’ controller. Breakaway systems are designed to activate the trailer or caravan’s electric brakes if they decouple from the tow vehicle. When hitched to trailers and caravans with electric brakes, the electric brake controller’s purpose is to activate and control the braking force supplied by the electric brakes in the caravan or trailer whenever the driver in the tow vehicle applies the brakes. The controller allows braking to be easily modulated by adjusting the dial left for a lower setting or right for maximum setting. This adjustment might be needed when descending steep hills or mountain roads, providing the driver with additional controlled braking capacity. Bendix Ultimate Tow also features an override function – if the driver notices that the trailer/ caravan is swaying, they press the same dial to engage the override. This applies the trailer brakes independently without the tow vehicle brakes needing to be on, pulling the trailer or caravan into line and minimising the swaying affect. Other safety features include an open circuit and trailer disconnection indicator. Ultimate Tow is suitable for installation in a wide range of popular vehicles and is compatible with the ALKO ESC systems fitted to many caravans and trailers. The unit offers a compact, remote head and OEM-style finish with built-in LED for easy access during nighttime driving and attractive aesthetics. Installing Ultimate Tow is also simple – only a single small hole is required for the remote head and it can be located in the smallest of knock-out dash panels. Bendix says positioning is made even easier with the included 1.28m of cabling, which allows greater flexibility to mount the control unit in a variety of under dash or under seat locations. The control unit features rugged aluminium construction and can be installed on any angle. Everything required to fit Ultimate Tow is also provided within the kit, so there’ll be no unexpected trips to the auto shop mid-job. Bendix Ultimate Tow is available from leading automotive, 4x4 and camping stockists across Australia and New Zealand, and is covered by a generous three-year warranty. For more information free call the Bendix Brake Advice Centre on 1800 819 666 or +61 3 5327 0211 from overseas (8am-5pm Monday to Friday EST), e-mail brakeadvicecentre@bendix.com.au or visit www.bendix.com.au
HAMER 4X4 PLANS EXPANSION
The company has been a manufacturer and global player since 1994
Hamer 4x4 has been distributing front and rear end vehicle protection products such as bull bars, rear bars and side steps in Australia for the last five years. The company says the sleek and integrated design of Hamer’s accessories range makes its products stand apart from traditional bull bars. Despite being different in their designs, the range has also been designed to cope with Australia’s rough offroad conditions. Hamer 4x4 says its products have been gracefully welcomed by 4WD and Overland vehicle owners. It notes that aesthetics combined with functionality seem to be key in the decision-making process these days and states that these areas are something “Hamer has nailed thanks to its talented and inspired engineering team.” A large proportion of the R&D process is conducted here in Australia to comply and test products to the ADR (Australian Design Rules) Standard, to keep occupants safe and maintain vehicle integrity. Further, Hamer says it has an extensive vehicle model range, covering the popular 4x4 utes and overland vehicles all the way to small vehicles such as the Suzuki Jimny. Following its modest start in the country five years ago, supported mainly by a network of dealers, Hamer is now ready to go to the next stage. The decision has been made to implant the company’s headquarters and distribution centre in Keysborough (Melbourne), seeing it operate as an independent entity and trading as Hamer Offroad Pty Ltd. Hamer 4x4 has also made a commitment to increase its stock holding, allowing it to respond to rising demand for Hamer products and support its distributor network Australia-wide. As part of its expansion, Hamer 4x4 recently appointed Pol Golard in the position of Country Manager. Thanks to his valuable 4WD industry experience, Pol will assist Hamer 4x4 with its expansion plans. Hamer is currently on the lookout for more distributors, especially in regional/ rural areas to satisfy customer demands wherever they are located. If you wish to become a Hamer distributor, call 1300 545 554 or email sales@hamer4x4.com.au
NARVA EXPANDS HEAVY DUTY RV ACCESSORIES RANGE
Narva has continued to grow its already extensive range of Heavy-Duty RV (HDRV) accessories, with the introduction of ten new 50A connectors which combine two popular accessories within a single mount. The new releases are designed to provide vehicle owners with additional versatility, while catering to the increasing array of electrical devices that Australia’s four-wheel-drive, camping and marine communities are equipping themselves with. Narva says these accessories feature its market-leading quality, including premium ABS housings for reliability and longevity no matter if fitted inside or outside the vehicle. Also assisting performance are tough, removeable dust covers. Other benefits include extra-long mounting screws that ensure the 50A connector won’t pull the unit from the mounting surface, while a stylish facia plate conceals the mounting screws for a clean installation finish. Bearing the Narva ‘HDRV’ logo, the latest accessories are designed and constructed for constant, daily operation, so Narva says users can rest assured of superior, long-term performance. The new range can be purchased from leading automotive, transport, caravanning, four-wheel drive and marine outlets nation-wide. For more information, visit www.narva.com.au
ELECTRIC SECONDARY PARK BRAKE
Pedders asks: what is your back-up for a park brake failure?
The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series is used beyond the manufacturer’s design parameters in many situations. Pedders Suspension and Brakes has redesigned the OE brake caliper of the Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series to incorporate an electric park brake (EPB) as seen on many new cars on the market.
An innovative solution
The mechanical park brake, brake disc, pad, and caliper piston remain the same as OE, so as to not affect the Australian Design Rules compliance of the vehicle. When the switch is applied, the redesigned brake caliper locks the brake pads against the brake disc, preventing the vehicle from moving. The new Electric Secondary Park Brake gives its best performance during emergency and difficult situations, with Pedders Suspension and Brakes saying this once more proves the company’s ongoing commitment to improving overall brake system performance and driver safety and comfort.
Key features and benefits: • Firm and secure hold • Auto safe engagement • Unobtrusive cabin switch • Cost effective installation • Greater hold for loaded and armoured vehicles • Completely independent of OE Pedders Suspension and Brakes is an Australian family-owned company that has been operating since 1950. For more information, visit www.pedders.com.au
4X4 DEALERS ATTEND UNIQUE ADVENTURE TOUR
12 TJM Dealers and Distributors from across Southeast Asia recently participated in a tour like no other
Dealers and distributors from across Southeast Asia recently descended on Australia to take part in a unique road trip hosted by 4x4 adventure brand, TJM. Taking the lead were teams from Thailand, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and of course, TJM Australia. The tour was held in both Melbourne and Brisbane over a two-week period. The trip concluded at the spectacular Moreton Island where the team enjoyed four wheeled driving on the beach, night kayaking, sand boarding down the dunes and some amazing Asian style cuisine in the remote and pristine wilderness of the Island. The aim of the tour was not only for dealers across the region to get a better understanding of TJM products, but to also bring a diverse group of people together to improve communication within the organisation and to encourage different ways of thinking to further enhance a global approach to product innovation. Whilst in Melbourne the team headed off to the 4x4 Outdoors Show to see the TJM brand in action. They also discussed ideation across the region and the cross-pollination activities that underpinned business growth in each of the countries. In addition to this they undertook factory tours and experienced some of the more unique aspects of four-wheel driving in Australia. Shamsul from TJM in Malaysia spoke about the experience and what they took away. “It was the first time I had been to Australia and had the opportunity to camp on the beach, Moreton Island was simply stunning and if I have the opportunity I’d love to go back,” Shamsul said. “For me, one of the best things about this trip was the factory tour, understanding more about the unique strengths of TJM products and learning about how they’re sold in the Australian market. “At home in the Philippines we have been working with TJM products for about five years and we’ve seen our business go from strength to strength. I can’t wait to implement the ideas, strategy, and knowledge that I gained from the tour and continue to see our business grow.” Group General Manager, Greg Kelly, from TJM parent company Aeroklas Asia Pacific Group, discussed the tour and the importance of bringing diverse groups of people together to foster innovation. “To be at the forefront of our industry we need to be constantly working on ideas that will enhance the off-roading experience for our four-wheel drive customers,” Greg said. “To achieve this, we need to explore different ways of thinking about our products and services. Bringing dealers from across the region offers a host of perspectives and sheds a whole new light on how we develop, manufacture, distribute and market our products. “We’ve found if we embrace diversity and work hard to connect and communicate, we can unlock real innovation and develop products and services that are unmatched by our competitors. “I’d like to thank all the dealers that took part and I look forward to seeing some of the great ideas developed during our time together come to life. “We’re already planning next year’s dealer tour and will be taking it off-road once again to another outstanding destination.” For more information, visit www.aeroklas.com.au
