Innehållsförteckning för April 2017 från NZ4WD

On the face of it this month’s Editorial has little to do with 4WDs and 4WDing per se. But bear with me. Like columnist, and lifelong 4WDist Peter Vahry, I despair of the idiots who bring our recreation into disrepute. Whether it is one idiot ripping up a fragile sand dune or swamp, or another getting his suburban SUV stuck in a muddy inlet it all feeds a public (mis)conception that the rest of us are tarred with the same brush. No matter that most of us are ordinary everyday taxpaying family types who – literally – just want to have a bit of harmless fun, to Facebook fanatics, newspaper nanas, radio rednecks and TV tyros, we are all mindless morons intent on ripping up sports grounds and grass verges.…

Impressed (go on, admit it, you were)) by the Range Rover Sport ad shown on TV here in February? You know, the one where a bloke blasts down a ski slope in what looks like a standard raspberry red Range Rover Sport? Even if you are not, there’s a decent enough story behind the ad for anyone into four-wheeling. Switzerland’s Inferno Mürren is one of the oldest and most challenging downhill ski runs in the world and it was chosen (in the off-season!) by Range Rover to showcase the off-road abilities of the Terrain Response-equipped Sport model. Speeds of up to 155 km/h, 75 percent gradients and a 2,170 metre descent over a 14.9 km course were all part of the challenge accepted by Top Gear’s most famous ex-Stig, race…

It’s almost here so make sure Sunday March 26 is clear. That’s the day Dan Cowper is running this year’s Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge. The only event of its kind in New Zealand, the Suzuki Challenge was created and is hosted by Dan’s business, CowperTrucks. Held at 2278 SH3 Turakina (near Whanganui, Ed) it will feature the best of the best drivers and 4x4 Trials competition vehicles in the country. Vehicles and crews have been personally invited to test their skills against 12 extreme 4x4 courses. This year FMX superstar Levi Sherwood is also locked and loaded as the Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge 2017 guest driver. Levi will be one of the 10 competing drivers and will pedal the current NZ1 CowperTruck. Steep hills, vertical banks, massive jumps, mud and…

Q) That’s an interesting looking G-Wagen Sean. Let’s start this off with the basics like specific model, year of manufacture, spec, etc. A) Thanks. It’s a 1983 280GE with basically only two options from the factory, one being the rev counter and the other being the extra seat in the back. Other than that, no aircon or electric windows, etc. Having said that, the standard options include diff locks, and that’s what really matters. Under the hood is the rather bullet-proof Mercedes M110 2.8 litre six-cylinder petrol motor. This one has done over half a million kms and is still going strong. This version for the G Wagen has lower compression ratio than the saloon version, so on a good day you’ll see a mighty 150hp (11kWs). Needless to say…

It was when I was back ‘home’ in Gore for the annual Hokonui Moonshine mountain bike race a couple of years ago now that Toyota’s evergreen LC 70 Land Cruiser stopped me in my tracks. I had just parked my rental car outside the local Toyota dealer and couldn’t miss the reference to a ‘Turbo-diesel V8’ in the signwriting on the window. That led me to linger and cast an admiring eye over the anachronistic cab/chassis beast behind the glass and idly think, ‘man if I was a farmer that’s what I’d buy!’ Fast forward however many years and after a long launch drive on and off-road, and weekend towing exercise from Auckland to Taupo and return I’m even more convinced! The 70 series is what Toyota classifies as its…

It was ten years ago that I took an almost new Nissan Patrol (Whale) on its first long distance Safari, the Motu. Back then it was very, very, standard. Ten years later that’s no longer the case thanks to a 2” lift, lockers, a front bar winch and additional power outlets plus a collection of radios, not to mention some 280,000 km under the belt. The Motu School East Cape 4WD Safari is now well established on the local tagalong calendar and this year I left Eke (tahuna, Ed) the Thursday morning before all packed, with a fully serviced Whale headed out into the wet morning (yes, it's always raining in Eke!) The first stop was for some additional supplies then it was a pleasant drive with very little traffic…

We left Wellington early for a run over the Rimutaka Hills and up SH2 to Eketahuna. There we turned onto Alfredton Road and headed for morning tea at the Alfredton Domain, a very pleasant reserve with good parking well clear of the road. We then followed the scenic but slow and windy Route 52 past Pongaroa before turning off onto an unsealed road for the final run to our lunch stop at the relatively unknown Wainui Falls. Although sunny and mild, it was rather breezy so we took our lunch down the short but quite steep walking track to the base of the falls for a more sheltered break. As usual the falls were quite spectacular, a fantastic place for a very peaceful lunch. Back at the car we continued…

The Waiouru round of the Club Truck Challenge (CTC) is run as a two-day event to take into account of the distance people have to travel to get there. Stouty and Marty from the Desert Defenders Club supplied a beautiful campsite at the rally site and a good number of us enjoyed the scorching summer evening in our tents and campers. Mark, Brendan, Lee and Ross had pegged out the first set of seven hazards on Saturday morning and we ran them in the afternoon. The first hazard turned out to be a bog even though most of the terrain is volcanic sand which drains well. An early run is the only chance of a good score in these conditions so Shona almost got through for a 20 and Ross…

Is off road racing going through a time of change? You’d have to say yes, for a variety of reasons. The rise of the UTV classes has brought ‘off-the-shelf’ racing to the sport and in about 50 per cent of the average entry list the names are new to the sport. That’s a good thing. In the North Island the Kiwitruck youth category is going great guns, and kids are graduating into the regular classes. However, there is not much happening in some of those classes, which suggests the time is coming when we need to look seriously at structure and define exactly what makes a class viable and what makes it eligible to run at championship level. Class five, class seven, class nine are all in this situation, and…

Wealthy UK industrialist – and keen 4x4 user – Jim Ratcliffe, Chairman of chemical giant Ineos, has confirmed his widely rumoured intention to build an all-new ‘uncompromising’ off-roader to take the place of Land Rover’s recently discontinued Defender. Ratcliffe – and his fellow executives at Ineos – believe that there is now a gap in the market for a hard-core off-road capable 4x4 following JLR’s decision to cease production of the Land Rover Defender and the chairman says it is prepared to invest “many hundreds of millions” of pounds producing such a vehicle – hopefully – in the UK. “This is a fantastically exciting project,” says Ratcliffe. “We want to build the world’s purest 4x4 and are aiming it at explorers, farmers and off-road enthusiasts across the globe.” Following the…

Fans of Jeep’s already tough-looking and torqueing Grand Cherokee rejoice, the even stauncher Trailhawk version is on its way here. Grand Cherokee Trailhawk models are equipped with a host of standard off-road features, including Jeep’s Quadra-Drive II 4x4 system with rear Electronic Limited Slip Differential (ELSD), a unique version of Grand Cherokee’s Quadra-Lift air suspension – developed for Trailhawk – that offers improved articulation and total suspension travel, as well as Selec-Speed Control with Hill Ascent Control. Skid plates and a Trailhawk-specific anti-glare hood decal are also standard. Approach angles on the Jeep Grand Cherokee are 29.8 degrees or 36.1 degrees when the lower front fascia is removed for severe off-roading, while the breakover angle is 27.1 degrees and the departure angle is 22.8 degrees. Grand Cherokee Trailhawk models offer…

Trust Lamborghini. As one of the world’s preeminent sports car builders its soon-to-be-officially unveiled Urus SUV was going to have to be different from the cookie-cutter norm. How different is currently the subject of heated speculation after word leaked out last month that its twin-turbo 4.0 litre petrol V8 engine was going to produce close to 450kWs (or just on 600hp in the old money!) Lamborghini is not exactly new to the high-performance SUV game, of course having built and sold the LM002 (as featured recently in these pages) back in the early 1990s. And the first Urus concept car was shown at a motor show back in 2012. The LM002 was more Hummer than Huracan though. The Urus is closer to a sports car, albeit one which sits and…

Looking for some styling inspiration for your new Holden Colorado? Then you need look no further than the US of A where Chevrolet produce this limited edition ZR2 model. Compared to a standard Colorado, the ZR2 features a much wider track and a lift kit. Functional rockers have been added for better performance over rocks and obstacles, and the front and rear bumpers have been modified for better off-road clearance. Then there are the front and rear electronic locking differentials, and first off-road application of Chevrolet’s Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSVTM) damper technology. So, it’s way more than the typical dress-up kit! Visually, the production version of the Colorado ZR2 closely resembles the concept shown at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Consumer response to that concept was so…

March 18-19th 2017 Hokianga Safari 2017; Hosted by the Kauri Coast 4WD Club of Dargaville. There will be tracks for both club shinys and tuff trucks. The Safari will be based in Waimamaku crossing private land, both coastal and inland that isn’t accessible to the public and will be predominately off-road. Full day of 4x4in on Saturday and half day Sunday. This is a self-catering safari so unlike previous years no will be meals provided. There will be BBQ’s available and there is also a kitchen in the complex. Full camping facilities available. Cost $100 per vehicle. Limited to 60 vehicles. Fundraising for the Northland Rescue Helicopter. For more information contact Ron or Chrissy Phone 09 405 8316. To register email info@kauricoast4wdclub.co.nz March 26th 2017 Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge; The…

So it’s not just me! At the local ‘relaunch’ of the LC 70, Toyota New Zealand sales & marketing manager Steve Prangnell confirmed that as far as buyers go here, the single biggest LC 70 ‘user group’ is ‘those associated with the rural sector.’ “Farmers, fencers, weed-sprayers, builders, contractors, when Kiwis need a tough vehicle, LC 70 is the go-to machine,” he said. That said, the biggest ‘single customer’ is mining company Solid Energy, the state-owned coal mining company with mines in the Waikato, on the West Coast and in Southland. The county’s biggest gold miner, Oceania Gold, also buys LC 70s in bulk, for use at its Macraes’ operation in East Otago, Reefton on the West Coast, and Waihi in the North Island. Together the two companies currently have…

I’ve bought and sold enough vehicles in my life to know the value of a regular (and verifiable) service history. Yet circumstances have forced the odd lapse which – sadly – I have ended up paying through the nose for. There was the ‘deal-too-good-to-be-true’ involving (ouch, the pain is still raw) a Subaru Legacy, and more recently the ‘shit-I-can’t-afford-that’ choice where I delayed a cambelt replacement when I was ‘between jobs’ and short of money only to lunch the engine less than 12 months later (and back earning) when the water pump failed. I raise these two issues willingly because I know I am not alone. Years ago I bought a Mazda 626 station wagen off a mate who – in three years of ownership – had collected over $12,000…

The ARB Air Locker has been internationally synonymous with traction since 1988, becoming the mainstay traction aid for 4WDers, dirt racers, rock crawlers and government agencies around the world. Delivering traction on demand at the flick of a dash mounted switch, ARB Air Lockers allow owners to drive at a slower and more controlled pace, even in the harshest terrain ARB remains focussed on evolving the Air Locker design, the latest examples featuring forged gears, timed gearing and two-piece design, as well as an industry leading five-year warranty. Forged gears, which deliver increased load carrying capacity and strength, are typically found in the most demanding applications, including heavy duty industrial, commercial, race car and agricultural transmissions. In the Air Locker, the phenomenal amount of force applied to the gears means…

There seems to be an interesting evolution of some of those New Zealand four wheelers who a few years ago were rather ‘anti organisation’, but almost without realising it they appear to becoming organised. By establishing websites and social media identities, surely they might have to consider themselves as ‘organised’? As a long time commentator on the need for responsibility in our recreation, it is also good to note the encouragement of that too. In an ideal world, it would be great to have more integration of all four wheelers to create a unified voice for 4x4 recreation in NZ. At present we have the New Zealand Four Wheel Drive Association Inc. (NZFWDA) and Combined 4WD Clubs Inc.as the faces of ‘organised ‘ four wheeling. The NZFWDA has reasonably good…

Isuzu has introduced a upgraded D-Max utility which should be arriving in showrooms around the country as this issue of NZ4WD hits the shelves. There are nine models in the new range which features a new full Euro5 compatible version of the company’s signature 3.0 litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine mated to new now six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. The new RT87 model is immediately distinguishable form the RT85 it replaces by a new, sharper-edged nose and bonnet, new headlights and a new grille. Other changes/improvements include a major engine fettle which has unleashed an extra 50Nms more torque, the addition of Hill Decent Control software as standard, and an upgrade from 17 inch to 18 inch dia. alloy wheels on applicable models. Inside there is a new seven in.…

CoolDrive has further expanded its 4x4 and off-road offerings with the inclusion of HULK 4WD products. The top quality products from HULK are specifically designed to complement the growing 4WD movement in New Zealand, providing the accessories needed to completely fit-out off-road vehicles. The 22-item-strong product range includes everything consumers could need in lifting and recovery equipment including complete kits and accessories, winch extension straps, snatch blocks and heavy duty jacks with air compressors and tyre management gauges also available. Sure to be popular are the HU100K Essential and HU200K Complete Recovery Kits which, in one specially designed heavy-duty storage bag, contain all the products needed to extract any 4WD from any terrain. Included in both kits as standard is an 8,000kg MBS snatch strap, two 4.75t WLL bow shackles…

When your chief opposition – Peugeot - claims a podium clean sweep at this year’s Dakar Rally in South America you could be forgiven for slipping away and licking your wounds. Not Toyota. Instead, the Japanese carmaker has come out accentuating the positive with its tough-as V8-powered, South Africa-built Hilux 4x4s utes. Spaniards Nani Roma and co-driver Alex Haro Bravo (#305) finished fourth and won the Improved Production class in a double cab Hilux with the similar ute #302 of South Africans Giniel de Villiers, and Dirk von Zitzewitz reaching the Buenos Aires finish in fifth place. “We are happy to be in the top ten,” said von Zitzewitz. “We have learnt a lot about the 4WD Hilux and there is room for improvement.” Meanwhile, in the Standard Production Diesel…

British marques, it would seem, are somewhat cursed by the weight of history behind them. Certain subsets of fans of “classic” British marques manage to get themselves all worked up and bent out of shape when something happens that reminds them that their favourite car maker ISN’T stuck in a time bubble back around 1967 or so. Something like the release of a new, modern vehicle wearing the name of said manufacturer. Land Rover (now owned by the Indians) can’t make anything modern without “purists” crying that it “isn’t a proper Land Rover!” even though it very much IS a Land Rover simply because it is made by the company called Land Rover. And Mini (now owned by the Germans) suffers from a similar frothing, indignant rage from the “purists”…

Professional servicing at regular mileage or use intervals is the key to a long and hopefully trouble-free life of 4WD ownership. Like everything, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, so as an active owner you also have a role to play. To whit: • Read your vehicle’s manual from front to back. There will be stuff in there you thought you knew (but didn’t) as well as stuff that could save your wallet or even your life. Think of it as your first line of defence. • Go online and see if you can find a Haynes (or similar) service manual for your vehicle either direct from the publisher or from Trade Me, Amazon or eBay. It’s harder for us with all the Jap imports available…

Flashlube have released a range of vehicle specific fitting kits, to assist with the correct installation of their Catch Can Pro unit and help combat any damage caused by carbon build up in modern diesel engines. Environmental laws prevent modern engines from releasing oil mist or blow-by into the atmosphere, forcing it to be recirculated back into the combustion chamber. The by-product of this process can be a hard carbon substance which gradually builds up around the walls of the vehicle's EGR valve, inlet manifold, turbo bearings and intercooler, causing a severe loss of power and efficiency, and potentially expensive engine damage. Manufactured under licence in Germany, the Flashlube Catch Can Pro works to prevent this build up by filtering out any oil mist before it has the chance to…

Ironman 4x4 has a complete range of products to help you get a grip. These range from the simple and cost-effective – the Speedy tyre deflator – to the hi-tech, a Harrop/Eaton E-Locker diff lock. Diff locks Ironman 4x4 NZ sells the state-of-the-art diff lock, ‘The Harrop/Eaton E-Locker.’ Manufactured in Australia in conjunction with Eaton Corporation and Harrop Engineering, the ‘E Locker’ is a new-age electromagnetic design which is maintenance free. They have been engineered to capture 100 percent of the available torque sending it equally to both ends of the axle. There is no need for an air compressor and these diff locks are seriously tough having been tested in off-road racing and competition trucks. Total Traction by Treds Designed to improve traction in sand, mud and snow, Total…

Over the holiday break I stayed home. Instead of going away I launched into a much needed complete 4WD strip-down and rebuild. The old Rangie needed attention. Body off, motor and gearbox out. It took ages. Wheels off, man those big tyres take up some room when stacked! Suspension apart, all joints checked, overhauled, lubed. Both diffs overhauled and adjusted. CVs too, stripped and cleaned. Drive-shafts checked. Shockies opened and valving modified. Hubs cleaned up, new wheel-bearings all round. Power steering upgraded. Motor and gearbox replaced. That was a mission, choosing the best options. Ratios too high or too low? Balancing power against economy, weight and size to fit available space. Optimising cooling. Modifying wiring and connectors. Many hours were spent on my 3D CAD system matching up dimensions, working…

Our monthly feature showcases 4WDs doing just about anything except rolling over or burning! We will award a grand prize of a set of four Kumho 4x4 tyres in the NZ4WD Annual issue. This contest is open to all readers who are not professional photographers. IMPORTANT: Photographs must have been taken by the person entering them, or have the photographer’s written permission. Email your digital images and a detailed caption to: editor@NZ4WD.co.nz Send your prints and detailed captions to: Your4s with Kumho, PO Box 65-092, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0754. Be sure to include your postal address! Submitting photos The basics: as with any photo, there’s no substitute for an image that’s sharp – in focus and free of camera shake. It should be well-exposed. Size and type The ideal submission…