Innehållsförteckning för June 2023 från NZ4WD

NEWS Are these the biggest tyres ever? Specialist 44-inch treads for ice and snow driving aren't often seen in New Zealand – we simply don't have enough frozen trails. Arctic Trucks Iceland has been an innovator in the design and reengineering of modern 4x4 vehicles for polar exploration and travel for over 30 years. When the company was asked to transform a stock 2017 Toyota Tacoma Double Cab TRD Pro into a one-of-a-kind rig on 44s, they were both qualified and eager to oblige. Gisli Jonsson, director of engineering at Arctic Trucks, was put to the task of building something extra special for the client, who had envisioned a truck that could be used as a daily driver and also be capable of traversing glaciers on weekend off-road adventures. Jonsson…

14 MAY Suzuki Extreme 4x4 Challenge Held at 2278 SH3 Turakina, it will feature the top 10 drivers from the 2022/2023 National 4x4 Trials season. Starts 9.00am. Again the top 10 drivers and vehicles will get automatic entry meaning only the best from the NZFWDA National series drivers & 4x4 Trials competition vehicles in the country are eligible. We are proud to have Suzuki back on board as our naming rights sponsor, as they have been for the last seven years. With awesome spectator viewing, live commentary, steep hills, vertical banks, massive jumps, mud and speed, combined with good food, easy spectator viewing and live commentary all makes for a fantastic day out with mates and family. Lock the date in your diaries now. Adults $20, Family $60. Hot food…

Many 4WDers quite enjoy driving through deep water. It's kinda dramatic, can be a lot of fun, as long as the vehicle is properly prepped. The same prep work that allows enthusiasts to tackle fords and long mud bogs for fun will also help a vehicle survive floods and cyclones. Without such provisions, an encounter with deep water can damage the vehicle and put occupants at risk. It doesn't take long for H20 to find its way into vital electrical components, stopping the vehicle dead. Here are a few areas where some modifications will help waterproof a 4WD. Fit specialist seals to keep dirt, grime, and water from entering axle tubes and destroying critical components. Typically, these seal bodies are made from T6 aluminium with two internal O-ring grooves to…

4WD PRODUCT Ironman 4X4 offers a full range of automotive accessories including bull bars, suspension upgrades, side steps and rails, rear bars, underbody protection, lights, winches, snorkels and camping gear. The company's replacement winch bull bars are designed, engineered and tested in Australia. Every Ironman 4X4 bull bar is carefully crafted from premium grade materials and components to deliver the most comprehensive frontal protection and styling available Ironman 4X4 bull bars are carefully modelled using 3D vehicle scanning techniques to achieve optimal cosmetic design whilst providing maximum vehicle collision protection. All bars are made from the highest quality SPHC oil and pickled steel (not mild steel) to give maximum strength and rust resistance. The finish on Ironman 4x4 bull bars is top quality using the AKZO NOBEL powder coat system,…

Weekend Drive With the massive storm damage in the far north caused by all the unstable weather over the first couple of months of the year, we decided to make our summer touring trip a recce for a touring journey we are planning to run with the 4WD club to go from Cape Egmont lighthouse to East Cape lighthouse. Checking on the government websites and a call to a campground we planned to use confirmed that we could at least get to Whakatane and probably on around the coast to Te Araroa – enough for an interesting trip. Our first two days were fairly routine since we were heading for Oakura, just south of New Plymouth and there are very few alternatives to the main highway, except the Surf Highway…

H2 (hydrogen, technically H2 but suffix slow to type!), was for a time used for efficient long-distance transport. The flying machines were ‘dirigibles' - a big word for big balloons. They were massive and able to transport tons of cargo and passengers over vast distances, albeit slowly due to their bulk, powered by petrol aero engines. Hailed as a major triumph, there was a snag. H2 is flammable. The infamous Hindenburg disaster was just one of the fires that caused H2 to fade from the picture. It was soon replaced by helium, the next lightest gas (H2 has mass of 1, helium 4). The advent of more powerful petrol-powered aircraft made the balloons obsolete. H2 rises! This is opposite to all our other fuels – petrol, diesel, kero, methane, LPG,…

UTE BUYER'S GUIDE Much has been said and written about the ‘next-Gen' Ranger. For this duel we chose the popular XLT spec, leaving the Sport and Wildtrak high-spec versions aside on the basis that the XLT is ‘ute enough' for those looking for a working truck. It arrives on 17-inch alloys and 255/70 all-terrain Goodyear Wranglers. NZ4WD was well impressed with the ‘next-Gen' Ranger at its launch in mid-2022. Our subsequent longer tests of new Ranger have not dispelled our first impressions, and it is fair to say the V6 Ranger Sport is an early fave. The next-Gen Ranger continues to make waves, gain a reputation, and be right at the top for sales alongside Toyota's HiLux. But is it still a practical workhorse and a decent off-roader? Or like…

UTE ACCESSORY GUIDE When it comes to off-roading or delivering heavy materials to a construction site, having the right tyres on a 4WD vehicle can make all the difference. The Nexen range of 4WD tyres provides excellent performance, durability, and safety for drivers in a variety of conditions. What sets Nexen tyres apart from other brands is their impressive track record as the original equipment tyre of choice for 58 of the world's leading car manufacturers, including Porsche, Audi, Hyundai, Skoda, Kia, Mitsubishi, RAM and Suzuki. This is a testament to the quality and reliability of Nexen tyres, as well as the trust that the automotive industry places in them. Nexen offers a full replacement warranty that covers any manufacturing defects for a period of five years from the date…

UTE ACCESSORY GUIDE Innovative solutions for every adventure Yakima's story is more of a journey, because they've never been good at sitting still. After all, the company says its people don't have ‘wild sides'; they have wild souls. For more than four decades, the company's trusted solutions have transformed the way people travel. Yakima is a leader in the category, packing heritage, safety, design sensibility, and street smarts into every product. Originally founded in the Pacific Northwest, USA and now with a home base across the ditch in Australia, they've got the great outdoors at their doorstep. From creeks to peaks, beaches to bush, the grounds they roam make them feel at home. Together with their network of respected retailers and distributors around the globe, they give everyone the freedom…

NEWS We are not really sure about this one. At first glance it looks like one of those lame April 1 “jokes”. But then… American media are mourning the death of the Jeep Cherokee. The Cherokee has been in production for 49 straight years, first as a body-onframe SUV before evolving into the unibody XJ generation that so many 4WD fans know and love. Built between 1984 and 2001, it was an incredible hit for the brand, so much so that values have skyrocketed as collectors attempt to cash in on the retro design and nostalgia factor. In New Zealand, older Cherokees are a common sight on classic offroad trails, and a number are ‘Trailer Queens', deregistered fun trucks. Jeep stopped selling the XJ in America in 2001, though the…

NEWS The article in last month's NZ4WD about Land Rover's 101 Forward Control 4WD stirred some responses from the fans of Britain's finest. We were reminded of a star-studded part of the 101's history: its movie career. Movie props are perhaps not wise investments as real cars, but they can deliver something better: a slice of pop culture and the knowledge of owning a custom piece of machinery. In Dallas, Texas, there's one of the Land Rover City Cabs used in the original Judge Dredd movie for sale. The 1995 movie starred Sylvester Stallone as the judge. The City Cabs were all custom made for the post-apocalyptic universe in the film and were all tough, reliable, aggressive in design, and supposedly comfortable and tech-packed on the inside. Land Rover's designers…

April 21 was a watershed weekend for 4WD enthusiasts: the first ever 4X4 Outdoor Expo, organised at Kumeu by Chris and Carissa Ballantyne. A year and a half in the planning, the 4X4 Outdoor Expo saw an impressive turnout of 4,500 general admissions despite decidedly average weather. Exhibitors were delighted with the turnout, some reporting three month's revenue made up in the three days of the event. Carissa Ballantyne said it was great to see a host of volunteers turning out to help with setting up sites, organising the various ‘lanes' and marshalling traffic over the weekend. “It really set the tone for what we were looking to do. We wanted an event which the 4WD community could feel was truly theirs and which was supported accordingly. There is a…

MY 4WD Dominic Barnes has a deep-seated love of 4WDing and an equal passion for the original military/civilian offroader, the Jeep. With the help of friends and family, he has created Simple Green, a tough track and offroad-only Jeep. Dom takes up the story: “After wheeling the life out of a very well-built yellow CJ5 that had been purchased from Wellington, and realising it was becoming very tired, the concept was born of a very basic, simple early Jeep that could be taken anywhere and not fussed over, that was easy to maintain and repair with off the shelf parts. Back in 2013, a ratty, rusty rolling Jeep Wrangler “YJ” was purchased off TradeMe, sight unseen. A five-hour road trip was made to rural Gisborne from the Waikato to collect…

Raptor protective coatings are the solution for protecting and restoring 4WD work and off-road vehicles. Raptor has become a household name across the world and has earned a reputation as the go-to product for protecting vehicles from off-road abuse and daily wear and tear. Raptor is five times thicker than standard automotive paints and dries to a tough textured finish. Standard paintwork can't withstand the punishment that comes with serious off-road driving. Raptor is different; its highly scratch and abrasion resistant properties make it perfect for protecting against damage from harsh abuse. Raptor is an incredibly versatile protective coating that offers excellent resistance to UV, corrosion, and chemicals. It adheres to a wide range of materials including metal, concrete, wood, plastics, and composites, making it perfect for custom cars, chassis,…

COLUMN Super event, super forests, great racing. Nelson club, ‘small but mighty', has quite a reputation for its endurance races. The forests south-west of town have seen some epic battles over the years, and a few of us have fallen foul of the tricky corners and brows over the years. It's the quality of the racing, though, that keeps us coming back. It draws some top talent from up north too. Among the 37 entries confirmed for the club's round of the championship were northern raider Brendon Midgely, stepping up to class one with the ex-Brad Prout Jimco Chev; Ash Kelly wheeling out Tony McCall's old Cougar VW and Trevor Cooper in his enormous Jimco. Trev's partner Arlene entered in class eight too. UTV weirdness: up north there are massive…

I had hoped to have an update from the Department of Conservation (DoC) about the plans for the large slip on the 42 Traverse before the deadline for this column, but it's not yet arrived. However, with the route closed for winter to 4WDs from the end of April, we can only hope that there might be access again from 1 December. It was very evident from the array of vehicles at the initial 4×4 Outdoor Expo held at Auckland's Kumeu Showgrounds in April, that a ‘touring' route like the 42 Traverse would be sorely missed if it is not reinstated. There were rooftop tents and ‘overlanding' equipment evident all over the show. The 4×4 Outdoor Expo appeared to be a success, with over 4000 visitors over the weekend, 60…

New models, wider specification choices, and no sign yet of the ‘death' of the internal combustion engine. It's no surprise that New Zealand's roads and trails are thick with utes – mostly diesel powered, mostly double cab, mostly 4WD. These vehicles sum up the Kiwi lifestyle and psyche like no other. Every month, the sales charts are blitzed by DDC utes, Ford and Toyota usually taking top spot though Mitsubishi has occasionally sneaked into view. A big part of the reason for this is the ever-increasing capability of utes in an offroad or gravel road setting, and the sheer sophistication of the leading DDC utes on road and in an urban setting. Not long ago, a diff lock was way too specialised to be offered as standard. Fox and Bilstein…

UTE BUYER'S GUIDE Once it was the upstart, the young contender, taking on the establishment. These days the D-Max is well and truly proven and winning hearts and minds among owners who need their ute to be tough enough to handle some rough work and still buff up pretty smart afterward. The D-Max is well-and-truly ensconced as our third top-selling dual cab these days, behind only the Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger. For those who want a dual-cab workhorse that doubles as a second family car, it offers plenty. Our LS D-Max arrived on 18-inch alloy wheels (7.5 inches wide) and 265/60 Goodyear H/T Wranglers. Dynamically it's well sorted even without a load in the tray, ironing out main road and gravel imperfections nicely with good noise suppression and a…

New Zealand ute accessory manufacturer Utemaster is among the first to release accessories for the new 2023 Volkswagen Amarok. With showroom stock of the Amarok heading out to VW's dealer network this month, owners will be able to customise their new utes with canopies. Load lids and much more. For more than 13 years, Utemaster has been a leader in New Zealand's ute accessory market, manufacturing products built for the Kiwi lifestyle. The company's products are designed to help get work done and make adventuring easier, making them a favourite among ute owners. Utemaster uses state of the art technology to test and verify products before they are released to the market. This means that customers can be assured that the products they buy are of high quality and meet…

UTE ACCESSORY GUIDE Whether your 4x4 drive is for work, exploring off-road or even a little of both, the legendary range of Goodyear Wrangler tyres have a tyre to suit every adventure. Goodyear has a long history of innovation in off-road tyre technology and that innovation is reflected in the Wrangler tyre range. Goodyear Wrangler tyres are highly regarded around the world by 4x4 enthusiasts and the choice as original equipment by many vehicle manufacturers. You'll find Goodyear Wranglers fitted up on many of New Zealand's most popular 4x4s like the Ford Ranger and Ford Everest and Land Rover Defender. The top performer is the Goodyear Wrangler DuraTrac, well known for its aggressive tread design and superior off-road traction making it a popular choice for off-road adventure-seekers. Wrangler DuraTrac features…

NEWS While the Wrangler is a relatively new breed of Jeep, its CJ predecessor goes back nearly a century. An evolution of the Willys-Overland MB, the first CJs gave off-road enthusiasts and farmers a rugged machine much like the ones they may have used to climb over ruts and obstacles in Europe. The CJ kept seeing updates over the years until the Wrangler arrived in the 1980s. Keeping with tradition, Jeep's Wrangler is seeing timely updates, too. Taking the Wrangler into the modern, fuel-conscious marketplace, the folks at Jeep have turned the off-roading Wrangler into a plug-in hybrid with the introduction of the Wrangler 4xe. This powertrain blends a pair of electric motors with a turbocharged 2.0-litre I4 mill. This powertrain combines to send 375 hp to the wheels.…

First, take your road-based 4WD Chev Colorado. Then chop off all the bodywork (sorry, design team). Add a gnarly roll cage and basic engine cover (that's ‘hood' to our American friends). Buy up a poultice of mil-spec olive-green paint. Then press ‘go' on the production line. The US Army has signed off on full-rate production for the GM Defense Infantry Squad Vehicle (ISV), a specialised infantry carrier based on the last-generation Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 platform. GM Defense, the defence contracting arm of General Motors, was initially awarded a USD $214.3 million contract to produce 2065 ISV units back in 2020. In the time since, GM has managed to deliver more than 300 examples of the Infantry Squad Vehicle to 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, according to GM Defense. The ISV…

PRODUCT Inspiration can start in the strangest of places. For James and Dave, the team behind Kohi Campers, the idea took shape at their local golf club over a few nineteenth hole celebrations. “The business started in about 2016,” says James, “Dave and I were looking for a camping solution for Kiwis to embrace their big backyard which meant four-wheel-drive capability, the ability to tow holiday toys, camp and yet at the same time retain the functionality and practicality of an everyday vehicle.” After extensive research, Kohi Campers decided to collaborate with an American company which has produced slide-on's since the 60s and which has kept up with mobile accommodation trends ever since. As such, the interiors are practical, ingenious in their design and built with quality materials and the…

These are New Zealand's only 300kg dynamic roof load capacity canopies, load tested to a ute-crushing 2,500kg, but they weigh less than many plastic or fibreglass canopies! Bushtech's unrivalled frame strength isn't only about roof loads, it also enables superior side access. Many 4WDers today are looking to put heavier hardshell roof tents on top of their vehicles. Check out the EEZI-AWN Sword family-size hard shell roof tent pictured. This jumbo South African roof tent is a beast that we'd not try to put on many other canopies. More rooftop apartment than rooftop tent, we've tested the Sword with a family of five. It's important to consider not only the weight of the tent, roof rack and awning, but in this case the weight of a whole family up top…

Adventure NZ It was just a boys' weekend away. Something easy, something to unwind with and most importantly, somewhere new to explore. We got a heck of a lot more than we bargained for. Rob and I are both Queenstown locals and have spent many hours roaming the back roads of Queenstown and Glenorchy both out of personal interest and due to our jobs. One spot we had always touched on but never fully had a chance to explore was the Rees Valley. The Rees Valley is a 1.5 hour drive north-west of Queenstown. Following the Glenorchy road will see you most of the way there. It is primarily made up of huge farmland that covers a vast area of back country tucked in behind both Glenorchy and Queenstown. A…

4WD Sport New Zealanders Raana Horan and Mike Connor have raced to their first off-road racing win in Australia, taking out the Wentworth Shire Pooncarie Desert Dash. In what was an eventful day for crews and spectators, the New Zealanders maintained strong and consistent speed as they beat West Australians Travis Robinson and Andrew Pinto by just over a minute. The two front runners were in a league of their own, finishing more than 10 minutes ahead of the next best ranked crew. Rounding out the podium for the first time in their Polaris Motorsport Australia Off Road Championship (AORC) career was Mel Brandle and Nick Price, who edged out Daniel and Charlotte Hughes by less than a minute. In an event dominated by Pro Buggies, six of the top…

It hasn't been a very hot summer, but we have had a few very warm days, depending on where you were in the country. A question on a social media page got me thinking why people let their vehicles get to the stage of overheating on the road. The guy was asking how hot do vehicles get when driving Transmission Gully. Now I have to admit I haven't driven the new road yet, but being a highway, I wouldn't expect any wellmaintained vehicle to overheat unless it had a fault or was being over worked towing. Most drivers look at the fuel gauge regularly during a trip, monitor their speed but it seems many don't give the temperature gauge a second glance. You should know what is ‘normal' for your…

UTE BUYER'S GUIDE We have been musing over the runaway success of the diesel double cab ute sector for a few years now. It's no secret that these tough trucks align well with the outdoorsy Kiwi lifestyle. No secret, either, that the refinement and urban usefulness of the ‘DDC' has ramped up hugely over the past decade or so. For many, a DDC is the modern equivalent of a big station wagon with the added attraction of off-road and all-road capability. For others, it's a work tool and has to perform as such without faltering. That was the driving force behind this dual test. Was Ford's Ranger still king among workhorses, or might its position be under threat? We brought the Ranger XLT together with Isuzu's respected D-Max to thrash…

UTE ACCESSORY GUIDE We love our utes. We also love creating our perfect ute, adding accessories that make our vehicles truly ours, perfect for the work and play we love. Tougher tyres? Sure. A winch perhaps? A nice new canopy, in a shade that matches the ute? A tent? Bike rack? Maybe a set of rod holders for those epic beach trips? A lockable bin for work tools, or maybe even a service body for work or play? The list just goes on and on. First step of course is careful planning and some research, and that's where this accessory guide comes in. What do we want the vehicle to do? How radical will we go? What is the budget? Will it pass a warrant of fitness? Yep, that has…

UTE ACCESSORY GUIDE Modern utes and SUVs are different. Higher, heavier and more powerful than their older counterparts, they exert more strain and stress on tyres. But while modern utes are different, the tyres they use might not be. Tyres originally designed to suit older vehicles can struggle on modern vehicles, and coupled with less-than-perfect New Zealand road conditions, can become a significant issue for driver comfort and safety. Or so it used to be. Maxxis has just released a tyre designed specifically for the unique design geometry of the modern ute and SUV. The Maxxis RAZR HT780 is the perfect match for late-model vehicles such as the Ford Ranger, Ford Everest, Toyota Hilux and Toyota Highlander. Not only does the RAZR HT successfully tame the changed driving characteristics of…