Mod your Motor

Last month I waffled on about how to prepare a standard 4x4 to tackle 90% of the UK greenlanes and the odd Pay & Play site, by keeping it as near standard as possible and only changing the tyres, suspension and adding good quality recovery points. If you were paying attention, at the end I also suggested getting some off-road training lessons to teach you about you and your vehicle's limitations, as well as recovery techniques.

It’s always good to hear feedback, and some of you questioned the need for new suspension, which is fair enough. I included suspension because having had numerous 4x4s in the past that ran on original suspension, I learnt quickly the transformation fitting new springs, and even leafs made, not just off-road, but on-road, too.

As an example, I fitted new Pedders suspension to Deux Smurf before lock down, and not only has her on road handing been transformed, but she flexes better whilst green-laning which in turn means that all four tyres are in contact with the ground with less chance of wheel-spin and the loss of traction.

Well, how long is a piece of string, as the saying goes, let’s begin with damage control.

Protection

I’m not taking about fitting huge bull bars and winch bumpers, though I’m not against them, but protecting your vehicle from damage is always a good idea, so let’s start with the basics; protecting your undercarriage.

Hidden rocks can do a lot of damage, whether they’re under water in a mild looking stream, or in the centre of muddy ruts, and generally speaking it’s the steering that gets it first. Companies like Ratel-X Industries over in Rossendale make decent looking steering guards for Defenders and Discoverys.

Next of course are your diffs, the lowest part of your 4x4 if you have a traditional beam axle 4x4, and they’re just hanging there without a care in the world, until the rock that you managed to avoid with your steering decides to have a meet and greet!

There are a few different types of diff guards on the market, the tyre that you can attach with a hefty bolt or two, to those that are welded into position. Don’t skimp and just buy one for your front, buy two, both diffs matter.

Fuel tank guards are the next thing to consider. Yes, busting a hole in your rear diff can be a pain, but at least you can disconnect your rear drive a limp to safety, but when you’ve just lost a full tank of unleaded, or veg oil, that’s a serious amount of money you now have soaking into the ground. If you have a Defender you can buy rear corner bumperettes that

prevent your rear wings from getting damaged when you’re edging off a large rock. These are a worthy investment, especially if you have a 110.

The side steps on Deux Smurf are exactly that, steps, they’re only used for standing on when I’m securing our open canoe to the roof bars, I’d expect them to bend like a banana if I relied on them to protect her sills whilst driving over rocks. There are many companies out there who supply and will even fit a pair of sill, or rock sliders, and they can be really useful.

Light guards can be effective at protecting expensive new HID headlamps and the like, but I’ve seen too many get ripped off when a stubborn branch becomes trapped inside the guard and the light, which equates to bodywork damage.

What about Bush cables? You know, those two highly strung wires that are attached between a wing and a roof rack. Well, they’re designed to protect your windscreen from getting penetrated by errant branches, so if you’re constantly driving through heavy bush they’re ideal, but they’re illegal, apparently, for road use, and depending on your MOT tester will be a fail, so be careful. They’re also good for decapitating zombies and hanging out wet undies to dry…

Snorkels

Now I’m not particularly keen on wading through deep water, not only can it bugger up your bearings and brakes, but you never know what’s lurking in the depths. If water is deep enough that you need a snorkel, then I’d recommend buying a boat! That said, a snorkel is also useful for when driving in dusty conditions, so if you’re planning on a lot of Saharan adventures, it maybe worth an investment.

On the subject of deep water, axle, or diff breathers are worth their weight in gold, and it doesn’t have to be deep water for them to be useful in, either.

When you drive through a puddle that is near or above diff height, you are dunking a hot diff into cold water, and when you dunk something hot into cold water, it shrinks, am I right lads?

A diff breather, which is a long piece of tubing that runs from your diff to somewhere high in the engine bay, allows for hot air to exit when your diff gets dunked in water as opposed to through the seals.

Lockers

Finally, for this month at least, let’s talk about after market diff locks, though I guess this only applies to older 4x4s, as newer vehicles often come equipped with decent traction aids, and even front and rear diff locks, in the case of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

Locking the diffs prevents wheel spin by sending equal drive to both wheels on an axis, regardless of terrain or traction, so with front and rear diff lockers (either selectable or automatic) you’ll be able to crawl through most obstacles with little or no wheel spin.

I keep thinking that, at some point I should get a rear locker fitted to Deux Smurf, it’s an extra bit of security that’s the difference between getting through, or up an obstacle without using too much power and momentum that can inevitably lead to breaking something. But I’ve driven her along some gnarly lanes and she manages just fine.

Next month I’ll take a look at what things you should carry in your 4x4, whether it’s for an afternoon’s greenlaning mooch, or longer.

Disclaimer - again, I’m not an expert and make sure you tell your insurance company.