Adventure-grade upgrades: Simple 4x4 modifications for better off-road performance

Many off-road capable 4x4s don’t see a whiff of hard-core off-roading or even mild off-road touring. The 4x4 manufacturers know that fitting suspension lift kits, off-road tyres and strong brakes for a laden 4x4 doesn’t suit most customers, so they simply don’t do it.

If you want these things, you have to head to a factory-approved accessory catalogue or the aftermarket. Flicking through such a 4x4 accessory catalogue is mind-boggling; what and how much of it do you need to get the best improvements in your off-road 4x4?

It really depends on your budget and what you plan to do; but if like most of us you want to explore bush tracks with the vehicle loaded with the family and all their camping gear or towing a camper or caravan – or even carry your tools of trade around -there are a few go-to preliminary modifications or improvements you should consider before you head out for the first time.

The essential basic modification for any 4x4 used off-road are All-Terrain tyres (or Mud-Terrains, if you’re seriously mud-plugging and can put up with the diminished grip and extra noise) suspension and braking improvements.

If you spend the majority of your driving in the city, the best tyre compromise is an All-Terrain tyre. Because this is more of a marketing term than a strict parameter of intended tyre use, try to get an All-Terrain tyre specified as Light Truck-rated, with at least six-ply sidewalls – this will be a stronger, more puncture-resistant tyre for off-roading.

Even the best off-road tyre can still be damaged beyond repair, so don’t forget to also upgrade your spare tyre to the same spec.

An off-road suspension kit is usually referred to as a ‘lift kit’ and includes beefed-up springs and dampers to make a 4x4 ride and handle better when all loaded up, and usually raises the static suspension height by up to 15mm. This may sound like an unnecessary expense, but even if you’re just going off-road touring and camping it’ll make a big difference to comfort and safety.

Vehicle suspension straight from the factory (especially as the vehicle ages) is never better than a compromise; it’s fine for most light touring but when loaded up on a corrugated back road, not so much. A 4x4’s factory suspension is not designed first and foremost for loaded-up off-road touring.

A suspension lift kit gives you more ground clearance off-road when unladen, but the reality is it drops to around factory clearance specs when loaded up. Still, a standard suspension will also sit lower when full of people and gear – so you then won’t even have as much as factory-quoted (unladen) ground clearance when you really need it.

A 4x4 that is inevitably carrying much more weight on board with accessories, camping gear or work tools will put more strain on the brakes. One of the biggest improvements to your brake system you can add is for when you’ve already stopped.

For anyone who has tried to rely on a drum or drum-in-disc park brake to hold a heavily laden 4x4 on a steep incline after pulling out of a water crossing will understand. You just can’t always trust the park brake to hold. If it’s a manual transmission 4x4, putting it in gear and switch off the engine as a back-up gets tedious when you need to make multiple stops, for example to check upcoming terrain or open and shut farm gates.

Here’s where the Bendix Ultimate 4WD Electric Secondary Park Brake is an easy and cost-effective way to maximise braking performance, if you have a LandCruiser 76, 78 and 79 Series. The new Bendix Ultimate 4WD Electric Secondary Park Brake is a simple fitment of a single piston caliper on each back brake disc, that doesn’t interfere with the existing Toyota park brake, keeping the vehicle’s hydraulic mechanism, pad shape and original park brake for hassle-free maintenance.

There’s also the new Ultimate 4WD Electric Park Brake (EPB) with Drum-to-Disc conversion kit for 2015-on N80 Toyota HiLux models. It has a factory-looking park brake button and an ‘Auto-on’ function so the park brake turns on automatically under certain operating conditions like when a door is open, or when the vehicle is placed in park and so on. Because the kit includes the rear disc brake conversion, it’s also a big overall braking improvement over the standard rear drum set up.

Bendix has plenty of other brake improvement gear for 4x4s, doing a heap of local research and development to suit local needs. The Bendix Ultimate 4WD Brake Upgrade Kit with its upgrades brake pads and rotors and braided brake lines gives standard brakes a big boost in stopping power for many 4x4s such as Ranger and Hilux.

The additional consistent strength of ceramic brake pads and the Ultimate slotted rotors nets a dependable, strong brake pedal feel. The bonus is a reduction in brake dust and braking noise along with thermal stability in high temperatures and therefore resistance to brake fade.

An even heavier-duty upgrade for braking peace of mind is the Bendix Ultimate 4WD Big Brake Upgrade Kits, which includes specially compounded high-performance ceramic material brake pads for even better stopping power in extreme conditions. As well as Bendix Ultimate 4WD Disc Brake Rotors and calipers, all of it designed and developed specifically for exact model fitment for selected 4x4 wagons and utes and for Australia’s demanding Outback conditions.

Even though there’s plenty more you could do to get your 4x4 built ready for any bush escape, these are among the basic requirements to ensure you have a hassle-free, safe Outback or bush weekend touring adventure.

To find out more about the range of Bendix brake products, head to their website.