Mod Your Motor

Congratulations, you’ve just bought a 4x4 and you want to go off and explore the UK’s network of green-lanes, and perhaps the odd weekend at a Pay and Play site, but what are the first modifications you should consider?

As the saying goes, how long is a piece of string?

You can spend an absolute fortune these days on a lot of trick gear for your 4x4, but do you really need to?

In this, the first part of building a capable 4x4, I want to look at the very basics. On most green lanes in the UK, do you really need an expedition equipped 4x4?

Not really, I know a few Dacia Duster and Fiat Panda owners who enjoy ‘laning with just a few simple modifications.

In fact, if you’re a regular reader of this fine monthly mag, you’ll know that I never shy away from taking a standard SUV or crossover green-laning.

Assuming you’ve just purchased a bog standard 4x4 which is in good mechanical condition, what are the first three investments you should make? In my humble opinion it’s tyres, suspension and recovery points.

Recovery points are relatively easy to sort out, but tyres and suspension can cause quite a headache, how? Well, you can’t decide on your suspension package until you know what tyre size you’re going to run. Also, you can’t decide on the spring rate until you know the weight of your accessories. See, it’s a bit of a conundrum, and don’t even get me started on brake upgrades!

For now though, let’s just focus on the basics, you’ve bought a standard 4x4 and you want to drive some green-lanes and get a bit more adventurous at Play & Play sites.

RUBBER

Yup, tyres. As the only thing that (should) be in contact with the ground, a decent set of tyres is one of the first things I’d buy for my new 4x4.

Trouble is, there’s so many to choose from; mud terrain or all terrain, and don’t even get me started on all the different sizes. It all depends on the sort of terrain you’re planning on driving. For decades I’ve used BFGoodrich All Terrains and they were faultless, whilst covering epic on-road mileage, too. I now run BFGoodrich KM3 Mud Terrains on Deux Smurf, our 1996 Toyota Surf, and I have no complaints.

If you’re doing a lot of road miles, and it’s your daily car, then I’d probably opt for all terrains as you’ll get better road grip and mpg. If it’s a weekend 4x4 and you want to enjoy the challenge of Pay and Play sites, then muds. That said, over the years I’ve witnessed mud terrains struggle to find grip on slippery steps on green lanes, yet the

next vehicle managed fine on standard road tyres. Adding to the headache, some tyre manufacturers, like Cooper, offer 3 different types of all terrain tyres.

What about sizes?

The temptation is to go for the biggest tyres you can fit under your arches. Why? Well they look good, for a start. Is that it? Of course not, a larger diameter tyre will give you slightly better ground clearance as well as a bigger footprint, meaning there’s more of the tyre is on the ground and therefore better you’ll have more grip.

So is bigger always better? Not always. bigger tyres can cause extra stress on your mechanicals, especially if you have wheels with a wider offset, and they’ll alter your gearing too, so low range work won’t be as, well, low range.

The opposite side to that is when you’re driving along at a decent speed they’ll act as an overdrive lowing

the revs, but with a greater rolling resistance your engine will be working harder, especially off-road.

Having a bigger footprint from a large diameter tyre sounds good until you find yourself on soft mud and you’re not going anywhere, whereas a skinnier tyre can dig through the surface and find grip, so it really is a compromise.

On-road manners are important, if you choose a tyre size the same, or fractionally bigger than that of your vehicle’s standard size, then it will stop and handle as it should.

When it comes to the types of tyres to use for green-laning, my opinion is that you don’t need a set of Insa Turbos or other aggressive tyres as they can cause far too much damage, leave them for P&P sites.

One more thought on tyres, it’s definitely worth investing in a full size spare.

SUSPENSION

Let’s get a myth out of the way first, a suspension lift will not give you better ground clearance, it’ll only improve your approach and departure angles, as you’re only lifting the body and chassis and not your axles. However, it will allow you to fit larger diameter tyres that will increase the space below your axles.

If you’ve just bought your second hand 4x4 off a forecourt, chances are it’s still on its original suspension. If you’re planning on the occasional easy green-lane and the usual commute, then a new suspension package maybe a bit excessive, maybe all you’ll you require are new shocks. But if you fancy more regular adventures with tents and other camping kit in the back, then a full kit is a worthy consideration.

1”, 2” or taller? Generally speaking, a 2” lift is the highest you can go without having to spend extra money on brake lines, castor angles and so on.

Like tyres, there are plenty of companies out there selling all manner of different set ups, so it’s worth doing your homework. If you’ve bought a 6-year old Mitsubishi Shogun for example, reach out to other Shogun owners and ask what they’re using. That’s exactly what I did when I ordered new suspension for Deux Smurf, the vast majority of owners suggested Pedders, and so far they weren’t wrong.

Once you know the make you want, chat to them and tell them what you want to do with your 4x4 and the weight it’s likely to carry, then they’ll be able to choose a package that’s right for you.

I was chatting to Russ at Ardventures (https:// ardventures.co.uk), he’s just bought a brand new Toyota Land Cruiser, and his first purchase was a set of BFGoodrich KM3s tyres, his second was a 2” Iron Man suspension kit. On his tours, Russ always carries spares, fridges and many other essential bits ’n’ bobs, so a better suspension package was definitely on the cards.

It would be remiss of me not to mention OEM suspension. Manufacturers rigorously test their 4x4s, so buying standard suspension from the manufacture isn’t always a bad thing. Put it this way, if you’re in the middle of Morocco and you snap a shock absorber, the chances of finding a main dealer with a standard replacement is better than something fancy.

RECOVERY POINTS

You now have the tyres and the clearance which will get you to most places, but if you explore for long enough, eventually you’ll need to be recovered, or recover someone else, we’ve all been there, whether that’s by winch or snatch.

When it comes to vehicle recovery it’s always important to remember that it’s bloomin’ dangerous. Seriously, the amount of shackles and ropes I’ve witnessed breaking and smashing through windscreens has been far too common over the years. People have died from simple recoveries that have gone wrong.

The most important thing to know about recovery points are that tie-down hooks are not recovery points. All they’re good for are attachment points to secure a static vehicle for transport. Being made out of thin steel they are not intended to take sudden loads and will break very quickly under any heavy load and transform it into an airborne missile. It’s a similar story with the towing eyes that you screw into the bumpers of modern vehicles. Towing yes, snatch recovery, no.

Here’s something controversial, another big no-no is using a towball to attach a recovery rope or strap to. Why? They’re only designed to tow trailers and don’t take the sudden sheer load applied when used in recovery. I know what a lot of you are going to say here, “But I’ve been using my towball for years without mishap.” Yes but no, please stop!

Photograph courtesy of RH & IR Cradock Ltd.

There are a multitude of types and styles of front and rear recovery points out there to choose from with varying strengths, so I recommend you do some homework on what’s the best for your 4x4. Again, email or talk to the manufacturers, they should know best.

By now you should have a fairly capable 4x4, and the only thing you need to worry about now is the nut behind the wheel! If you’re new to the 4x4 world I firmly believe you should first invest in some training as you’ll be amazed at what a standard 4x4 can achieve with a competent driver at the helm. Any fool can get from A to B in a monster truck and a heavy right foot, but it takes skill to do it in a standard truck.

Another consideration is to join your local 4x4 Response Team, not only will you receive up-to-date first aid and recovery training, but you’ll get a warm, fuzzy feeling when you’re out in dire conditions helping others.

Of course, it goes without saying that if you make any modifications to your vehicle you should inform your insurance company, you might be surprised by how little it will affect your premium.

Next month I’ll take look at what other modifications you can make to you 4x4 if you want to venture further afield.

Here comes the disclaimer… The above are my thoughts and snippets of experience that I’ve gleaned from over 30 years of driving 4x4s, I am not an expert! For expert advice about tyres, suspension and rated recovery points, speak to the manufactures, their sales teams, and as I mentioned above, invest in some training.