One of the great things about owning a 4WD is the almost limitless range of upgrade options you have.
Check out the car park at any winch, trials or club truck event and you’re sure to find examples of even the most prosaic 4x4 rocking aftermarket wheels, tyres, suspension, snorkel and – more and more – a lift kit.
With that in mind we decided to come up with a couple of ‘what if?’ scenarios based round popular Kiwi trucks at opposite ends of the spectrum; our current 4x4 Ute and overall 4x4 of The Year, the Ford Ranger XLT, and a cheap ‘n cheerful Toyota Hilux Surf 4x4.
For comment we went to New Zealand EFS (Enhanced 4WD Suspension) importer and distributor Phil Clark at Silverdale (Auckland) specialist Force4 and Stewart McLellan at New Zealand Ironman 4x4 importer Terraquip NZ Ltd.
Here are the questions we asked them to answer.
- I am a self-employed tradesman who wants to increase the capability of my brand new Ford Ranger XLT 4WD. I still want to drive it every day but want to do some mild off-roading, take the wife and kids on charity tagalongs and – of course – still be able to tow the boat. I’m thinking I need springs, shocks and perhaps an uprated steering damper. What products (a package, perhaps) from your range do you recommend and how much is it going to cost? Also what is your advice as to what I should be looking at/for?
- Same goes for a second-hand Toyota Hilux Surf owned by a 22-year-old plumber just out of his apprenticeship. This time he is on a really tight budget and wants the biggest possible bang for his buck in terms of extending the off-roadability and looks of his truck. Again this is his daily-driver so it has to be able to be warranted and registered.
Phil Clark – Force4 – EFS option
Ford Ranger PX
“Advice first! Especially with a new vehicle it’s important to understand the options and differing qualities of kits available on the market. The last thing you would really want is to take a new vehicle and actually decrease its handling capabilities or alternatively provide issues with steering geometry and alignment that may cause you issues in the long run and likely require extra expenditure on componentry to remedy.
Toyota Surf 130
Top-of-the-line Ford Ranger, or bargain-basement second, third, fourth or fifth hand Toyota Surf, the same intro info applies…so you’re looking for a warranty, you don’t want to exceed factory geometry limitations, and you’re still best to focus on product quality and tuning to provide a lifted ride which will exceed factory equipment.
Stewart McLellan - Terraquip NZ Ltd - Ironman 4x4 option
Ford Ranger PX
The thing that makes Ironman leaf and coil springs unique is that they are designed to give options for matching driving style and vehicle use. Generally most 4×4 owners are totally obsessed by how much lift they can achieve for a vehicle.
Ironman 4×4 suspension however concentrates on improving ride, handling, comfort and control while also providing lift. These design concerns are made without compromising safety and will make driving your vehicle a pleasure.
Toyota Surf 130
First up we would have to compliment the owner for his amazing taste in vehicles! We are picking that he would have an LN130 Surf and on this model we would recommend a 45mm lift to keep it outside certification requirements.
The great thing about our product is the fact that it is available in 160 countries worldwide and as a result of the quantities we produce, our product is very competitively priced. So for our young apprentice, we can offer great quality at an awesome price.
To read the full story in the August 2015 issue of NZ4WD go to Zinio.com (on sale July 20) or purchase your own hard copy at the Adrenalin store.
