So you have just bought your self a new rig !! or you already own one capable of off road driving but you have so many idea's about look, performance and comfort. Where do you start? I suggest before you start you convince the "other half" that the vehicle needs these upgrades . This is usually the biggest hurdle to get started. Iv always found telling your other half about the fun times to be had in the future always helps as they start picturing themselves in your vehicle on this mad adventure!!
Anyways once you have conquered that mountain its time to start modifying and using the credit card for something worthwhile.
Depending on the make and model you own will depend on the upgrades you may need. The first two things for any serious off road driver is going to be a minimum 2 inch lift kit and some bigger tires. A lot of guys get this wrong from the start, they go and get BIG off road wheels straight up. They often see other models around with a big size on and think their rig can have them too. Unfortunately the tire guys won't usually tell you this but you always need a lift first . This way your new rubber won't rub on anything and you can actually size up the rubber to the vehicle instead of the other way round. So many guys get this wrong to start with, they end up having rubbing issues or have to spend more wasted dollars on rectifying it. So lets look at some different lift kits around . You can go a lift spacing kit or a lift suspension kit. The two do the same thing but are very different. A lift spacing kit is a cheap way to lift your vehicle. It uses the stock suspension and simply places longer swing arms on leaves with lifting blocks and spacing blocks on coil towers. This sort of kit will set you back a couple of hundred dollars depending on the brand and model of your off road vehicle.
The second option will be a aftermarket brand suspension kit , which will come with all new springs and coils with longer swing arms the lot. this is a completely new suspension set up . These types of kits usually come with a couple of options or stages in lift. Often the higher the stage the bigger the lift. these lift kits can start at around $1200 and the sky is the limit when it comes to custom setups . The cost will depend on the quality and brand and location and where you will want to go with it . You never want to go the cheapest but you still want to have a budget in mind. You can always save a bit of money by fitting them yourself if you have the know how or capabilities to. Either way a well known decent kit will set you back $1800- $2000, plus a install fee of around $400. This can vary depending on the shocks you choose and the spring load . This is a big decision when it comes to picking the right spring kit. Your retailer should help you with this choice but its always good to know where you want to go with your modifications . Depending on what mods you want like bull bars and canopies will determine the strength and resisting ability of the springs needed. choose the wrong kit and you will have a kidney rattler or a really bouncy sagging ride. The weight you intend on adding with your mods is a big factor when ordering your suspension so have a good idea of where you will be going in the future with your mods especially if you are going to do it over a few months or years. Id also advise you do your research in online forums about the particular product you are going for to get a idea of how other customers have been treated and feel on the product itself.
Moving on to wheels, wheels as mentioned before come in all shapes and sizes for a lot of different uses. Again depending on your vehicle it will depend on the set up you are able to put on your rig. My suggestion for sizes and price stick with a 16 inch rim . Tire suppliers tend to stock a lot of sizes and brands in off road tires in this 16 inch rim size. They also tend to be a lot cheaper then their bigger cousins the increasingly more popular 17 and 18 inch rims as a lot of new car manufacturers are releasing now. So if you have the luxury of spending the extra money o a new set of off road wheels you can also customise the size much more easily to be legal and fit your vehicle with the look you want to . Having to stick with the stock rims will reduce the amount of costuming you can do with your wheels. The stock rims will restrict the width of the tire you will be able to purchase and may even with the size as well depending with what your local tire dealer has in stock. Moving forwards looking for a off road tire there is a few things to keep in mind :
1 the cost
2 the use
3 the quality
Cost is usually what drives most people, all the big branded names are going to be the most expensive off the bat . but there is other option out there if you don't mind having a cheaper but just as capable tire on your car. If you like a particular brand ask your local supplier if that brand owns a cheaper tire thats similar, often the big companies will own small named tires but make them almost identical to their branded ones so it pays to ask a few questions.
The use of the tire is defiantly what is going to decide the grade or type of tire you will want , for instance if you are going to be heading off road once a month id suggest a all terrain tire. If your a hard core off road driver a few times a week id suggest a mud terrain tire. The difference between the two are fairly unique. The all terrain tires are more suited to on road driving , but also have deep rutted tread for the occasional off road trip , these tires will perform better on the road but are almost as capable off road. Mud terrain tires are exactly that. These tires are built to move mud similar to a tractor wheel. They work on big rutted treads with added side grabbers which help on slippery muddy off road tracks. These tire can still be driven on road but don't perform as well as the all terrain in the wet or while cornering or stopping. The mud terrain tire also tend to be pretty loud on the road and typically have whining sound when driving on tarmac.
The quality of the tyre will defiantly have a big impact on the reliability you want . A high quality tire will be a good mix of soft and hard rubber getting you at least 70-90000 kms a set. Cheaper models may use a harder rubber which will give you a better mileage but will very unsure on the tarmac in wet or sudden stopping conditions .These also might tend to rip of nobs or tread rutts from being too hard. A softer tire will always have better on road performance but won't last very long off road or with general use. They tend to also get cut away or slices in them from heavy off road driving.
Check these links to some great priced tires from big brand manufacturers page link for a off road tire and wheels
Off road BF Goodrich Mud terrains
off road Mickey thompson BAJA mtz radial
Toyo , open country mud terrain
In the next blog we will be discussing bull bars and 12 volt winches with dual battery set ups .
No comments:
Post a Comment