4x4 Guides

A GU Patrol is at least a decade old now, so the first mods are about making it safe and reliable before making it taller. Here is the order we'd go in.

The PX Ranger has a few well-known weak points. Here is the order we'd fix them in, then the lift, towing and steering upgrades worth adding after.

Where to spend first on a 2015-on Hilux: engine protection, a sensible lift and the parts that go with it, towing upgrades and a few cheap cabin additions.

What a beadlock wheel does, the difference between true, simulated and hybrid beadlocks, and what to know about road use in Australia before you buy.

A snatch ring does the same job as a snatch block with no moving parts. Here is how the two compare, when each one suits, and what else you need to use a ring safely.

Starting tyre pressures for sand, mud, rocks and gravel, why airing down works, and how to drop pressures quickly without guessing.

Paracord grab handles bolt on in about ten minutes a side. Here is what to check before you order, how to fit them, and how to pick a colour you won't regret.

A throttle controller won't add power, but it changes how your accelerator pedal behaves. Here is what one does, what it can't do, and who gets the most from it.

Factory intercooler hoses on diesel utes swell under boost and eventually split. Here are the symptoms, and how hard pipes and silicone hoses compare as a fix.

Towing and soft sand are the two things that cook an automatic. Here is how to tell whether your 4x4 needs a transmission cooler and what a kit involves.

A 2-inch lift changes your alignment, CV angles and brake line slack. Here is which supporting parts are worth buying, which can wait, and how to tell.

Five of Australia's best-known 4x4 trips, from the easy-going Oodnadatta Track to the Canning Stock Route, with distances, seasons and what each one asks of your vehicle.