The 4×4 accessories industry has never been bigger than it is today. You can get everything from AC/DC battery chargers, portal axles, ‘roo bars, hot water systems, chassis extensions and everything in between. While this can be an advantage in many ways, it also leaves a lot of room open for making costly mistakes when it comes to modifying your 4×4.
Throwing thousands of dollars at 4×4 gear and modifications isn’t unusual for many Australians who are eager to ramp up their vehicle. And some of them can end up making mistakes that negatively impact their experience or may even make their vehicle road illegal. That being said, here are some of the most common mistakes people make when modifying their 4×4.
Not Knowing What You Want From Your 4×4
There are many different types of 4x4ing. Some people can’t get enough of cruising up and down the beach, while others are more into hardcore rock and mud driving. And then, there are those who want to explore the remotest areas in Australia and want to push their 4×4 to the limit.
When modifying your 4×4, know that you’ll have to make compromises in many ways – you can’t get a 4×4 that’s reliable, practical, economical and capable off-road. It just doesn’t exist. You can have a little bit of everything, but a 4×4 that’s equipped for a particular style of 4x4ing will not excel in other styles. That being said, it’s best you start with buying some cheap 4×4 gear that makes your vehicle more functional and protects it before you invest in accessories that completely change the way it performs both on and off the road.
Not Having A Plan In Mind
If you’ve owned your 4×4 for quite some time now, clocking up the modifications list isn’t hard. You’ll make a few changes here and there, and before you know it, you’ve got a dozen or so 4×4 accessories and modifications. I’ll admit, I’m also guilty of this – I’ve owned my 4×4 for a couple of years now, and as time went by, the number of accessories and modifications has grown significantly. My goal was always to have a capable tourer, but I never considered what I needed to do to make it all work.
When you don’t think about what you want from your 4×4 and don’t lay out a plan, you’ll pay for it in a couple of years. I added both expensive and cheap 4×4 gear to my 4×4 over the years, sat down one day to calculate what I’ve spent, and almost had a heart attack. Spending thousands of dollars each year on accessories and mods will quickly add up when you’ve owned your 4×4 for a few years.
Over-Modification
I’ve done quite a bit of 4x4ing throughout Western Australia and covered the majority of the coastline and plenty of inland areas. Some places are close to home, while others are hundreds, if not thousands of kilometres away, and while traveling, I can’t help but check other people’s 4×4. And you know what’s funny? Most people out there using their 4×4 don’t have a long list of accessories and modifications.
You don’t need power upgrades, lift kits, lockers, massive tyres and every electrical accessory out there to enjoy your 4×4. I learned the hard way that you should have a good reason to add accessories and modifications to your 4×4. Don’t buy them just because everyone else has them – unless you’re looking to spend some money just because. Do modifications that help you meet your specific requirements.
If your 4×4 isn’t capable enough, then, by all means, look at larger tyres and lockers, but if it’s performing just fine, why change anything? Look for accessories that improve comfort, reliability, capability and functionality.
Forgetting About The Legalities
Your 4×4 needs to be compliant with local regulations while you’re driving it on the road. This isn’t just an ethical requirement, but the law states that it must be roadworthy. You’d be surprised to know just how many 4x4s aren’t road legal.
If your vehicle has its roof up by more than 50mm, or you have larger than 50mm tyres, it’s probably illegal without an engineering certificate in Western Australia. If you’re towing a caravan, there’s a decent chance your combination is overloaded, simply due to dodgy 4×4 tow rating marketing tactics and lack of information. Basically, you expose yourself to many risks by driving a 4×4 that’s not road legal.
Not Considering Weight
A lot of people are clueless when it comes to the weight of the accessories they add to their 4×4. Your 4×4 can’t carry every accessory known to man, as well as your recovery and camping gear while remaining road legal and without being overloaded.
Some of the most common accessories that people modify their 4×4 with include a bull bar, winch, leisure battery, recovery equipment, cooking equipment, about 50L of extra fuel, UHF radio and lighting, portable electronics, tent, camping table and chairs. And all of these things can add up to as much as 800kg of weight.
The average load capacity for most 4x4s is somewhere between 600kg to 1200kg. And if you’re towing something you’ll need to take that weight into account as well. That being said, going over the load capacity of your 4×4 is extremely easy, leaving you at risk of making your vehicle road illegal and at risk of breaking.
Adding Things In The Wrong Order
While there’s no strict order in which you should buy 4×4 accessories to modify your vehicle, there are some pieces of 4×4 equipment that should be added before others.
The most obvious one is the suspension – you shouldn’t get a suspension upgrade before you consider the weight of your 4×4 now and in the future. Many people upgrade their suspension, then add a bull bar, rear bar, winch, second spare tyre, drawer system, etc. and they find their springs sagged. You should upgrade the suspension only after you’ve figured out how much weight your 4×4 is going to carry. If you get it wrong, the springs will sag, or you’ll have an uncomfortable, unsafe ride.
Similarly, spending money on modifying your engine before you’ve upgraded your exhaust system is also a bad idea, so take the time to research the order in which you should install your modifications to save yourself money, time and nerves.
Purchasing Poor-Quality Accessories
We’ve become quite the consumerist society – as soon as something breaks, we chuck it and buy a replacement, accepting that it may not last long before we replace it yet again. Avoid falling into this category of people by buying equipment that lasts, and your pockets, plus the environment will thank you.
There’s been a huge flood of poor-quality accessories in the 4×4, and in almost every case, if the price of the item is too good to be true – that’s probably the case. Compare the equipment you’re buying to reputable brands, and look for differences in quality. Sometimes the cheaper price is a result of the lack of quality assurance.
When you’re hundreds of kilometres away from the nearest town or service station, you want equipment that you can depend on. Do your research on every accessory you plan on buying, and you’ll find out that oftentimes the cheap recovery kit or winch you’ve set your eyes on isn’t a good decision both from a financial and safety point of view.
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