5 off-road travelling tips you don't usually hear

(1) One of the best “recovery” items you can carry with you is a credit card.

Serious!

Don’t like them? Don’t want one? We understand, but if you are stuck somewhere and have access to a phone, you can usually order up (like a pizza) the help you require, whether it be a spare part to be air-freighted out of a major city, a towing service, or to pay a mechanic for an unexpected repair.
And, these days, you can’t even book a spot at a caravan park, or a motel, without first providing your credit card details as a deposit

If you don’t trust yourself not to use it for another type of emergency (like running out of beer) freeze the card in a big block of ice and keep it in the bottom of your Engel. That’ll give you at least half an hour to think about it.

(2) Have a budget.

Fairly regularly we receive phone call from people travelling around Australia, who have busted their original suspension, or a brand or solution we don’t sell.

When they calculate the cost of the right product, they often freak out. They don’t have the money. They’ve spent it, and they’re wondering how they will get home.

Without raining on the spirit of adventure, travelling on-road or off, costs money. Include Murphy’s Law in your budget and plans, and your touring should be relaxed and fun.

(3) Check out your jack before you head away.

On a 4WD wagon with a suspension kit and taller tyres, the factory-supplied jack may not be suitable due to the new contact raised height.

If you face this problem in the middle of the bush (or anywhere really) a simple wheel change can become a major drama. So, test your jack for suitability and reach to the axle, chassis or specified jacking points.

Hi-Lift style jacks are popular with 4WD owners because of the extended point they can lift from. These jacks are a great product, but can also be like a ‘brown snake’ in the hands of the inexperienced. Check these free Hi-Lift training clips here.

(4) Sleep is unique. Rest before you head away.

You see the ads on TV, but few people take driver fatigue seriously.

This time of year, the risk increases. You’re working hard, there’s the pre-Christmas madness. You’re juggling extra responsibility. You might be planning for Christmas and its festivities and you’re also going away. If you’re like me, by the time you get to Christmas day – you feel stuffed.

People don't necessarily become fatigued from driving – they're already tired when they get behind the wheel. Long hours, shift work, lack of sleep, and physically demanding roles all take their toll on drivers. So to have a safe (and more enjoyable) journey, try to get more rest in the weeks before the big trip.

(5) Test all your gear before you head away. Know how to use it.

Suspension, an electrical product, something inflatable, something waterproof, anything with a function – Make the time to test it before you head away.

Say you’ve purchased a respected tyre compressor pump kit, which you keep brand new in its box until it’s time to use it. You’re proud of your purchase. It’s known to be a great product. Then, after some beach work, you pull the pump out to re-inflate the tyres and when you flick the switch –nothing!...It doesn’t work…You’re the one in a thousand.

You’re warranty card is not much good to you right now.

You have bought a quality electric self-recovery winch (good idea). You pay for professional fitting, and everything is done really nicely…

Then, you get snagged in the middle of nowhere, with no way out expect for the pulling power of the winch. No problem…. You get out, plug in the controller, attached the cable to a suitable tree with the right gear. You go to power up the winch and there’s nothing. No power. Dead.

Little do you know that all is good (or it would be) if you knew that the winch was also fitted with a manual isolator switch mounted (somewhere) under the bonnet. Its purpose is to prevent the winch being operated unduly. A quick flick would have put you back in business.

In this case ‘knowledge’ really is ‘power’.

Rancho RS9000X or RS9000XL - What is the difference?

Good question.

The Rancho RS9000XL shocks supersede the RS9000X as a series.

The RS9000XL stands out from the crowd: New look (nice metallic silver finish). New graphics (Charlie would approve). New packaging.

All new Rancho RS9000XL shocks have a beefier 18mm hardened and double-chromed shaft. Plus, the 9000XL shocks are supplied in 3 different body diameters. These are 55mm, 60mm, and 'super-duper' 70mm. Which size you get is application specific. You don't get to choose.

For example, the shocks for a 1999-2004 Ford F250 feature the 70mm body shocks front and rear. The shocks for a raised coil-sprung Nissan Patrol have 55mm body shocks at the front, and 70mm body shocks at the rear.

The 55mm body units are generally over-size compared to original-equipment shocks. A fatter shock body means more oil-content. More oil content means greater heat dissipation, so your shocks can perform at their best for longer.

The 60mm body units look really tough, and the 70mm body units look like the rockets on a military tank.

Finally, the new Rancho RS9000XL shocks are gas-charged. This means that the shocks contain nitrogen gas to pressurize the oil within the shock body. This pressure helps prevent the oil from boiling when the shock is working hard and means optimum performance in off-road conditions.

Gas-charged shocks can provide faster damping reaction times than foam-cell shocks.

For a gas-charged shock to provide great long-term performance, top seal retention is everything and the quality, fit and function has to be just right.

Bilstein gets it right with their gas-charged shocks and they provide long-term performance.

Rancho gets it right with the new RS9000XL and we put our money where our mouth is on warranty.

Where most of the shock brands in Australia feature a 2-year/40,000km warranty (whichever comes first), 4WD1 offers (on approved fitments) a 3-year warranty with no limit to the kilometres travelled within the 3-year period.

We realize that a lot of people these days travel 40 and 50,000km per year, so a 2-year/40,000km warranty is not much of an offer at all.

We would not want to offer the warranty that we do if the product was going to come back to us - especially given our roads and user type.

All the other amazing features of the 9000X and RS9000XL shocks are the same. You can find out more here

Easter Holiday 2010

Somewhere on the mid-north coast of NSW.

How to photograph your 4WD

Whether it’s for a classified ad or the shed wall, here's a few tips to make an image of your pride and joy worthy of going “straight to the pool room”…

(1) Clean your 4WD really well. Scrub the wheels of brake dust and wash under the guards and flares too. Dress the tyres and bumpers with Amor-All protectant (we’re not a sponsor). Clean the inside of your windows of grease and smear.

Presentation is everything. Pretend your vehicle is going for a job interview.

(2) Pro-photographers can take hundreds of shots to get “one” they really like. The idea is that "film" is cheap, but time and opportunity is expensive.

Here’s some reverse-psychology for you and me…When taking photos of your 4WD, imagine every shot will cost you $50. Yep. 50 bucks a pop.

Basically, this helps you think about the shot you are taking, whether it be the lighting, the background, or general composition. Does the bonnet of your vehicle have a telegraph pole growing out of it? Does the back of your car look jacked 4 inches more than the front? Can you see yourself in the reflection of the paintwork?...

(3) The best time to take photos of your 4WD is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. At these times, the light is softer and more diffused. This means that the vehicle will be more evenly lit (little or no shadows) so you can see more detail and the shot looks natural and relaxed.

Taking photos of your car in the middle of a hot day is a tough gig. Everywhere is reflection and glare. High-lights are contrasted by dark spots and shadows. Your camera (any type) does not have the same ability as the human eye to interpret such a wide latitude in lighting conditions.

Often, an overcast day is better than a sunny one to take good vehicle shots.

(4) Backgrounds or settings should help the vehicle to stand out, rather than compete for attention. A clean, clear blue sky is always a winner. If you had a bright red vehicle, a green bush scrub background can work.

If you don’t have a good background to work with and your camera has manually adjustable exposure settings, you may be able to set the aperture wide enough to blur the background and make the 4WD (which remains in focus) stand out.

(5) Get on your knees… Or better still – your belly. Avoid taking pictures from normal eye stance. Getting a bird’s-eye view (or an ant’s) makes for an attention-grabbing, dynamic shot. Regular success comes from shooting at a 30’ to 45-degree angle from vehicles front bumper ends while crouched. This allows you to depict the whole vehicle, and improve it aesthetically.

(6) Fill the frame. It’s all about the car. Make your fourby take up the whole picture space.

Experiment with some different angles, both horizontally and laterally. Some angled shots can really bring some extra dimension to the photo and the sense of movement or readiness to “go”. Other angles may simply make your vehicle look sad or bogged down, or stuck on a hill. Look at the shots in the magazines or on car manufactures websites.

What compositions and angles are they shooting at?

(7) Try your flash…Even in daylight, using your camera’s fill-flash or forced-flash can help increase visual detail and provide a more even exposure.

These tips don’t cover everything about photographing your 4WD, but are a good start to getting some nice results.

Below are some examples I have taken recently. If you have some pics that you would like to share with us, please email them to me a kirk@4wd1.com

4WD1 - An armoured vehicle specialist.

4WD1 has a reputation as a specialist to the armoured vehicle sector for up-rated suspension systems.

When you think ‘armoured 4wd’, it’s easy to conjure up images of a Landcruiser/military tank cross-over, complete with side-guns and ceramic shields. In fact, most armored 4WD vehicles (from the outside) look absolutely stock. The protection plating is usually behind the vehicle’s body panels, and can include replacement flooring, plus the use of specialized window glass.

While the vehicles may look like they just rolled off the showroom floor, in the case of say, a 105 series Toyota Landcruiser, a typical B6 conversion adds about 800kg. Add 5 blokes and their gear, and it’s easy to get past the 1200kg mark, hence the need to compensate for the extra weight and change in vehicle dynamics.

Good armoured-vehicle conversion specialists and sales companies work to an internationally recognized standard, and have their work independently tested and certified. The work is graded to a specific level of protection.

The European standard uses an alpha-numeric description (levels B4, B6 etc). You don’t have to be smart to work out that the greater the level of protection, the larger the caliber and velocity of projectile that can be defended, and that the more serious the threat, the more comprehensive the armor protection must be.

It is interesting to note that demand for armoured 4wd vehicles is not limited to use by the military, but includes peace-keeping forces, security firms, and ‘high-profilers’ for their political position, business or celebrity.

In the fist decade of the “noughties”, war and terror around the world, plus the expansion of industry into countries with turbulent political environments, has seen demand for armour-protected passenger vehicles increase significantly.

The increase in demand has brought many opportunists to the market. Not all firms being equal in their performance. There are plenty of small work shops and ex “chop-shops” grabbing the current opportunity. It’s like “pimp-my-ride” for some, rather than the business of saving lives.

As one of our North American customers says, “So many stereo and trim installers look at an armoured car and say “Hey I can do that”, not knowing a thing about armour or vehicle integration…It is truly scary to see some of the vehicles we have to “compete” against with buyers that decide on price alone….not experience and certified testing results…”

Similarly, if you’re an armoured vehicle conversion specialist, service shop, or parts supplier for armoured vehicles, 4WD1 is not the cheapest place to procure new suspension components.

The key to good performance from the suspension is the quality, combined with the bore-size of the shocks or struts, and the appropriateness of the springs' rating (stiffness).

In the case of the typical armoured vehicle conversion, it’s not just the guys in balaclavas that are the enemy – it’s the new curb weight, together with use on unsealed roads.

Rancho RS9000XL shocks | What is the best setting and how to adjust them.

Sam’s not only smiling for the camera. He’s adjusting the ride-firmness of his front Rancho shocks. They’re RS9000XL’s, and as you can see, you just reach in, twirl a dial, and it’s done.

RS9000, RS9000X or RS9000XL shocks have a small ride-adjustment knob fitted to their base. You simply turn the knob with your fingers. No special tools are needed, and you don't need to remove the shock from the vehicle in order to make the adjustments.

Usually it takes 60 seconds to go around and adjust all four units.

The adjustment knob has numbered settings embossed into its face. There are nine positions to choose from. The change in stiffness is no gimmick. There is about 800% difference between the softest setting and the firmest.

Number 1 (softest setting) can be set by twisting the knob as far as possible anti-clockwise. Firmer settings are achieved then by turning the knob clockwise. Position 9 is the firmest.

After you have been off-roading, chances are they could be covered with dirt, grime, or mud, making it hard to see the numbers embossed on the ride-adjustment knob, or the alignment arrow mark stamped into the shock body.

Don't worry. Remember, twisting the knob as far as you can go anti-clockwise takes you to the softest setting (number 1). Then, you can feel the clicks when turning clock-wise from there ( 2-3-4-5' etc.) so you will know which setting you are at. This means that even with your eyes closed, you can adjust the shocks precisely to your personal preference.
Which settings are best for certain purposes?

Usually you make adjustments to the shock, based on four variables.

(1) The amount of weight or load carried. This includes accessories fitted, passengers, gear, tools and towing. Extra weight places greater demand on your 4WD's springs, requiring more control or damping from the shocks to ensure good stability. Typically, under heavier loads, you are using a setting between positions 5-9.

(2) The speed you are traveling verses the terrain type. For example, highway and freeway driving is typically high-speed work and the roads are smooth. In this instance, look to firmer settings for more sports-car like handling. Firmer settings provide better control at high speed, and because the roads are smooth, little spring action is required - so tight control over the springs is OK.

(3) Inherent characteristics in a vehicle type. Like people, most vehicles have their quirks. Suspension systems not excluded. (Too soft. Too stiff. Too jerky etc.) On some vehicles with IFS (independent front suspension) there’s often complaint about how soft the front-end control and handling is. With the Rancho adjustable shocks fitted, you can dial the units firmer to compensate to a reasonable degree. Or, if the vehicle's springs are notably stiff, you can soften the shocks in a lot of circumstances, for a much more comfortable ride.

(4) A combination of all the above. Driving on gravel and corrugated roads often requires good control and handling (firmer settings), yet some 'give' in the suspension (softer settings) is also required or the vehicle may track and skitter.

To achieve the best compromise between control and comfort, the load in the vehicle, the speed you are traveling at, and the inherent characteristics of the vehicle all play a part in deciding which settings are ideal.

From experience, in any situation, you are always looking for as comfortable as possible, while maintaining good stability. Mantra... You are always looking for as comfortable as possible, while maintaining good stability.

I recommend that when you first receive your Rancho RS9000XL shocks, set them to mid-range (position 5). This is probably closest to the amount of control you get from the original factory-fitted shocks. Then, from this mid-range setting you can simply 'up' or 'down' the shocks according to your needs.

Don't be afraid to try different settings front/rear. Usually our customers will play with the shocks like a kid with a new toy for a few days. Then they will have confidence in the settings that they choose.

If externally ride-adjustable shocks sound too complicated, too fiddly or too much hassle, remember only a little bit of experience is required before you master the settings.
Plus, if you purchase another type of shock, and don’t like the way they ride – what do you do?