Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i NZ4WD

It is wholly appropriate – in this case anyway – that it was one of New Zealand’s greatest home-grown comedic characters, Fred Dagg, who told it to us straight – we don’t know how lucky we are! Comedians it seems can do that in this country; and yes I am well aware of the irony in pointing out the fact. Because my own colleagues in the mainstream media seem hell-bent on digging up and gleefully highlighting the bad – be it climate change, Ihumatao, immigration, or the latest crooked ‘financial advisor’s’ pathetic Ponzi scheme, you’d think that New Zealand was already a long way down the road to ‘hell in a handcart.’ I, however, beg to differ. And I will use what NZ4WD’s off-road racing columnist Bryan Chang jokingly (or…

Land Rover is making life even more comfortable for man’s best friend on car journeys. With half of Land Rover owners thought to be dog owners, the business has launched a range of premium Pet Packs to help their four-legged friends travel in the lap of luxury. Each Pet Pack includes a selection of specially chosen accessories to suit a range of requirements. They include a premium quilted load space liner to protect against paw prints, a foldable pet carrier, access ramp, spill-resistant water bowl and a portable rinse system for those muddy walks. “Our customers told us that the comfort of their dogs on car journeys is crucial,’ said company product marketing manager Finbar McFall. “They are part of the family and we recognise that. Our new Pet Packs…

The Ironman 4x4 brand and product range is well established at home in Australia and now in at least 20 other countries around the world, including New Zealand. The company makes, markets and sells – literally – everything anyone might need to both improve their 4x4 and enhance the experience of getting out and enjoying the great outdoors in it. Check out the company’s dedicated New Zealand website (at www.ironman4x4.co.nz), click on the Catalogue button along the top of the page and see for yourself. Better still, if you live within driving distance of Hamilton – or are visiting, say, for Fieldays – you can get a tantalising snapshot of what Ironman 4x4 has to offer at the company’s latest ‘Destination Store,’ Ironman 4x4 Hamilton, at 289 Kahikatea Drive, Frankton.…

Terrain Tamer has recently released a new parabolic leaf spring for Toyota Hilux KUN25/26 and GGN25 models, utilising the same parabolic design as the popular spring released for Land Cruiser models in 2018, and adding to their extensive existing suspension range. Applying modern technology to a wellestablished idea to provide a quieter and more comfortable ride, Terrain Tamer’s parabolic design contains fewer leaves than regular leaf springs and gets its name from the tapered ‘parabolic design.’ In this case ‘parabolic’ describes the fact that the spring is thicker in the centre and thinner toward the ends, rather than the usual linear design. Eliminating the weight of often heavy, thick traditional leaf packs, the parabolic design dramatically reduces the unsprung weight of the vehicle. The parabolic design also works to help…

The MR Triton’s new front end styling treatment falls under the banner of Mitsubishi’s “Dynamic Shield Concept”, which MR Project director Koichi Namaki describes as giving “expression both to the powerful performance sought in a pickup truck and to the peace of mind that stems from its role in protecting both vehicle and occupants”.It certainly looks tougher than before, with a total front end redesign that sees the headlights located higher and a more pronounced grille surrounded by thick chrome sections. Daytime running lamps (DRL) are now housed in the headlight units and they use a distinctive design signature that echoes the styling of the grille. The side and rear of the Triton have also been given minor makeovers. The cargo bed is deeper thanks to a lower bottom edge…

In days gone-by the humble dual cab ute was primarily used by tradies and farmers because of their ruggedness and ability to carry passengers as well as tools and equipment. However, in recent years the product and market has changed, and the dual cab has become a vehicle style of choice for recreation and four wheeling, drivers with towing requirements and now even city slickers are on board. The rise of the dual cab can be put down to a few reasons such as their size and flexibility, but mostly the safety and luxury features that were previously only available in large SUVs. With an endless list of potential accessories and modifications available, it can be a daunting process when looking to spec out your new dual cab 4x4, and…

Four-wheeling generally has connotations of blokes driving their often modified vehicles through mud and attempting steep climbs up clay tracks. That’s certainly the situation in many cases, but there is a growing trend towards a bit of gender equality. There has always, of course, been a few ladies who’ve ignored any gender bias and demonstrated that they’re more than equal to any challenge behind the wheel of a 4x4. These days though, there are now more, getting out there on their own terms. Admittedly, the arrival of power steering did improve the ability of a wider cross section of participants to steer through those soft and rutted soils that comprise many of our venues for four wheeling in New Zealand. As the owner of a 1953 Series One 80” Land…

A few weeks after taking out the enduro at Christchurch’s Mainland Challenge, Nelson’s Greg Winn also took victory at the second southern round, the 2019 Youngs Automotive Ruff’n’Tuff 250. A one-day endurance race in the production pine forests south-west of Nelson, this was home territory for the big southerner and he clawed back from an opening-lap crash that stopped the race to overtake the whole field. He now leads the southern regional championship by one point from Taranaki class three driver Brendon Old, 108-107. The top three finishers on the day were all Nelson drivers. Driving his Scorpion Chev V8 race car, Winn survived a first-lap crash and subsequent slow roll-over that was part of a multi-car incident which forced organisers to red flag the race and restart for a…

Land Rover’s all-new Defender has been put through its paces (which you can check out here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9l0DbNgl2g) in the desert near Dubai under the watchful eye of all-terrain experts from the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). As part of its global testing programme, Land Rover engineers demonstrated the vehicle’s breadth of capability to their IFRC counterparts both on and off road, before the IFRC fleet experts took to the wheel to test the vehicle for themselves on the region’s desert sand dunes and the twisty tarmac of Dubai’s Jebel Jais highway, as they wound their way up the tallest mountain in the United Arab Emirates. The test in Dubai coincides with the renewal of Land Rover’s global partnership with the IFRC – a relationship that…

If you drink as much coffee as the Editor of this fine magazine here is a news item just for you. Spanish car and SUV maker SEAT is offering buyers in the UK a special Handpresso coffee-making device which will fit neatly into the twin cup holders between the front seats in any SEAT model and dispense 50ml of hot, fresh espresso per use in under three minutes. According to research conducted by the company two in five British motorists say they drink coffee whilst driving. The Handpresso machine comes with two sturdy glasses, meaning users can also help the environment by doing away for the need for take-away coffee cups. An estimated 2.5 billion of which are thrown away in the UK alone each year. The Handpresso is powered…

Peter Munro Commercials (PMC) are located at 137 Blenheim Road, Riccarton, Christchurch with a workshop in Culverden which services the local and wider North Canterbury area. The company was established in 1996 and over the years the business has changed from a commercial vehicles sales and repairs operation to one predominantly selling and fitting 4x4 accessories from market leading brands like ARB, OME, and ALIARC. ARB invests substantially in research, design and testing products ensuring they remain an innovator in the industry and the team at PMC are proud to be associated with the finest 4WD accessories in the world. The team has a wealth of practical, hands-on knowledge and experience in four-wheel-driving, and the use of vehicles in rural and off-road applications, and their passion, enthusiasm and unrivalled product…

River crossings. Gravel tracks. Those ‘secret’ little-used trails. They come with a pretty common and constant danger to your 4x4 tyres. (Sharp) sticks and stones may not break your bones but a puncture won’t help your day! So what do you do? How do you avoid getting punctures? The tracks you drive on are the tracks you drive on. Which means you have put a lot of faith in your tyres to do what you bought them to do and handle it. A number of tyre manufacturers have taken a ‘more bulk’ approach to the design and construction of their tyres. This is pretty much what it sounds like. They bulk up the tyre with more rubber, the theory being the bulk is enough to resist anything sharp. But there’s…

I’d been exploring. Familiar territory but trying the dead end roads we tend to miss when travelling more common loop routes. Nice winter day. Fresh snow on mountains, clear and still below. Lunch in the sun. Perfick, as Pop Larkin (David Jason) said in a TV drama. Next day, however – NEWS FLASH – ‘Boy dies in 4WD rolled in Clyde River’ (Mid Canterbury), ‘Stranded people rescued from 4WD in Poerua River’ (West Coast), ‘Stranded people rescued from 4WD at Waimakariri River’ (North Canterbury). Heavy rain had been predicted in the catchments of those rivers. There have been many other similar incidents. Just a few years back I attended the inquest of a young 4WDer’s death in a flooded West Coast river. These people shouldn’t have been messing in such…

The Club Truck Challenge (CTC) is a competition run in the same way as 4x4 Trials or the Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge. You are scored on your progress through short driving tests that are designed to be impossible. Any variation of 4WD vehicle with low ratio is allowed to compete in the CTC provided that the vehicle is registered and has a WOF. To keep the playing field level there are four classes to let you better compete against similarly capable machines. These classes are divided by traction control device and level of modification i.e. • Class 1: Open differentials/no traction aids. • Class 2: Non-controlled tractions aids like auto lockers or limited slip diffs. • Class 3: Controlled traction aids or limited slip diffs. • Class 4: Adjustable traction…

4x4Explorer website main man Richard Soult and his (by now much modified) Toyota Prado are a familiar sight in NZ4WD. Richard is on a mission to help 4WD owners get to see what he believes is the ‘real New Zealand’ and his website has already helped hundreds of Kiwis (plus the odd Aussie and assorted adventurers from points further afield) find tracks and trails they otherwise might have missed. Right now Richard is somewhere in Europe, scoping out Overlanding opportunities in the Mitsubishi Shogun (Pajero) you see here. Originally he was going to buy a second circa ‘96-98 Prado but when he got to his Northern Hemisphere base in the UK discovered that the second-hand stock which was available was either way too high in the kms, or had suffered…

Ever wondered how ‘the other half’ (i.e. 4x4 enthusiasts who live ‘up over’ in Europe) live? Well, wonder no longer, because in July, Europe’s annual Jeep Owners Group (J.O.G.) get-together – Camp Jeep – took place in San Martino di Castrozza, Italy. The Camp Jeep area was set up using 100 cubic metres of tree trunks, totalling 250 tons of wood, all sourced from trees which collapsed in the neighbouring forests during storms in October last year. Activities on offer included off-road adventures with instructors from the Jeep Academy as well as outdoor sports, barbecues, children’s activities, live concerts and a Jeep parade. This year’s Camp Jeep broke all existing attendance records thanks to the 1500 from all over Europe, Africa and even as far afield as Japan who turned…

Australian-based global aftermarket 4WD suspension specialist Old Man Emu (OME) offers a range of tuned and matched integrated suspension systems to ensure the right suspension is available to suit how the vehicle is outfitted and the conditions it will encounter. The company’s latest engineered solution – available now from OME/ARB outlets around the country – is for Suzuki’s new Jimny. OME notes that the Jimny is a unique vehicle with suspension development for it presenting a number of different challenges to what is normally seen by the OME engineers more used to working with SUVs and Dual Cab Utilities. The Jimny has a short wheelbase, narrow track, is lightweight and subsequently has its own set of unique handling characteristics, prompting OME’s engineers to focus on a package to accentuate a…

It doesn’t seem to matter what sort of recreational event you rock up to these days; if you have to tow your race, drift or drag car, or kart, road, dirt – and yes even your mountain - bike (MTB) to or from a track, park or paddock, the ‘car’ park will be chock full of modern turbo-diesel utes. Where once there would have been a mix of big Aussie six cylinder and V8-powered sedans, the odd LWB Toyota Land Cruiser ‘station wagon’ and a smattering of light Japanese work trucks it is now wall-to-wall 4x4 TD DCs. I am as guilty as the next guy of course, cottoning on to the combination of tough long-wheelbase/ladder chassis/ up-to 3500kg (braked) capacity, convenience of a carrying your bits and pieces in…

Organised by Offlimits, a charitable trust, that raises funds for New Zealand soldiers and/or their families, Ice Buster is one of two events for adventurous Kiwi offroaders, the other being Winter Buster for the side by side and quad bike fraternity. Obviosuly, everyone who enters either hopes for real alpine winter conditions such as snow and ice on the ground for the event, but that is dependent on Mother Nature and what she delivers on the day. As part of the complete experience participants can choose the ‘live in’ option which means staying in the army barracks and having hot meals provided in the main mess as well as a packed lunch each morning. This year there were over 85 4WDs and 80 side by sides and something like 358…

The Year was 1999. Papakura Auto Electrical Ltd decided it needed to grow its business. Enter ARB 4x4 Accessories. With the help of Autokraft, the North Island distributor for ARB product, Auckland 4x4 was created as a division of Papakura Auto Electrical Ltd. 1999 was a totally different market than what it is today. Nissan GQ and Toyota 60 and 80 Series’ wagons were the staple diet as far as 4WDs were concerned. Plus there was a whole different club scene with a lot of DIY builds based around Jeeps, Suzukis and 40 Series Land Cruisers. Fast forward  Fast forward to 2019 and Auckland 4x4 is still here and ARB 4x4 accessories have become a major part of the business. Unlike back in 1999, however, the 4WD flavour is Utes;…

Peace of Mind is what you will enjoy if you outfit your ute with a new Airplex Tailgate Lock. The Tailgate lock is a truly revolutionary product allowing you to sync your tailgate with your existing vehicle remote. The unit works by engaging and disengaging your existing handle when your vehicle locks and unlocks, giving peace of mind knowing that when your vehicle is locked, so is your tailgate. As such, the Airplex Tailgate Lock is the perfect addition to any Ute, with or without an existing barrel lock. Works with Factory Remote The Tailgate Lock by Airplex fully integrates with your existing factory key and runs in sync with your vehicles preprogrammed key functionality. This also includes working with proximity sensors door handles and automatic timed lock functions. Easy…

If off-road racing’s glamour classes are an accurate measure, New Zealand’s economy is in great health. After 22 unlimited-class race cars headed up the Woodhill 100 grid in early June, ten were entered for the opening southern round of the 2019 championship at Christchurch. The championship has been opened up to allow competitors to race in both islands, responding to strong demand from the top racers for more competition and new tracks to race on. At the event, at West Melton, southwest of Christchurch, class one for unlimited race cars was a perfect example of the popularity of the class, the wisdom of the rule change and the vibrant health of the economy. The day of the million-dollar grid has well and truly arrived. Fraser leads Though local racer Jacob…

No doubt about it, a good set of wheels will transform the appearance of your vehicle and the bigger the offset the more purposeful the stance is likely to be. Most standard rims are a positive offset which means that most of the rim is behind the hub face tucking them inside the guards reducing the load on wheel bearings and stub axles because the weight of the vehicle is inside the centre line of the rims. Aftermarket wheels (On the other hand) usually have a lower, zero, or even negative offset which helps increase stability on and off-road and are popular for off-roading because they allow for a better turning circle, especially when larger and wider tyres are fitted. The downside is that they place more stress on hubs…