25/05/2026
Last weekend we had our first off-road test out with the Akatarawa Forest 4X4 club. We had a ball and we're really impressed with what it's capable off. Learned lots and broke a few things.
Things we broke:
AC condenser, it's not good as a rock slider.
Ditto for the battery box which also took a good hit.
We popped a tyre, operator error, I backed out of a stream to try a different angle straight into a fallen tree, it stabbed straight through the sidewall.
Takeaways from the damage:
A new AC condenser, we'll mount this high on the back of the cab with an air scoop taking air from under the roof rack like the snorkel does.
The battery box we are moving back and to the other side behind the rear wheel. I couldn't find a suitable solution off the shelf so I got the welder out again and made one. Now I need a 3m long battery cable, something else that's not available off the shelf.
Things we learned:
Diff locks vs Winch: Winch, we didn't get stuck due to lost traction once, even when crossed up on 2 wheels climbing down into a creek we still had drive. The bull bar is made to take a winch and will be helpful once we're adventuring on our own.
Approach angle: It's about 28 degrees at the moment, I've taken a fair bit of depth out of the bullbar to the point its now level with the chassis but it still hits the ground sometimes. Options are;
More front suspension height. To get more height we'll have to reindex the torsion bars, they are huge and this is not something I can do myself but no certification required.
Cab lift. really easy 8 bolts, off the shelf parts, can do it in the driveway. Gear shift is cable operated so no rods to replace. Steering shaft has more than enough adjustment.
This will be another change that needs certification.
Or; a bit of both. Once we have the height right we'll up the tyre size a little helping both approach and departure angles
The rear suspension should have a lot more articulation than it does: We only got stuck when we got hung up on the rear diff. It's huge. The rear springs have plenty of travel but the shocks are too short restricting getting a wheel back on the ground. They are also very stiff making it a little bone jarring off-road.
The ribbed wheel bead face: Works. After we popped the tyre we drove out of the stream and to the top of the hill where it was safe to change it on a completely flat tyre and it stayed on the bead the whole time. It's toast though, big hole in the side wall.
Next post will be super nerdy, AI software, screens and cameras so we can finally bin the mirrors.
