BLACK OPS BUSH TRUCK

Arguably the most popular 4WD topics around the camp fire are either tyres or suspension, or both. Now that we have fitted a heap of vehicle protection gear to our Ranger, which has added considerable weight, our truck is a bit low to the ground and the skinny wheels and road tyres look out of place. In this next instalment of our Ironman 4x4 Bush Truck build, we fit an uprated suspension system.

Suspension

Of all the accessories that you could possibly fit to your 4WD pride and joy, a fully matched suspension upgrade kit is one of the most expensive. Although your replacement bull bar looks good when you approach your vehicle in the parking lot, once you’re driving, it is largely unnoticed. The same can be said about your canopy, side steps, rear bumper and tow-bar, the underbody plates, and that winch hiding inside the bull bar. Your spotlights are useful only at night.

Your suspension, however, gives you constant feedback with every metre travelled - and there can be few things worse than a beautifully kitted out 4WD that drives badly.

I often speak to folks who have been promised a magic carpet ride, and, having parted with a considerable amount of hard earned cash, end up with a vehicle that is disappointing to drive. This relatively minor mistake can cause one to hate a vehicle which is otherwise very good. There are cases where the suspension product itself is not very good, and no amount of magic is going to improve that situation. In most cases, however, I find that the incorrect type of suspension upgrade is fitted and often a very unrealistic expectation is created in the vehicle owner.

To better understand why a suspension upgrade is often an absolute must for your 4WD, let’s briefly look at the basics. The vehicle suspension system consists primarily of springs and shocks. These major components pretty much determine the ride quality of the suspension system. Less prominent goodies such as control arms, bushings, shackles and U-bolts have little effect on ride quality. Wheels and tyres also form part of the suspension system of your vehicle, because of the flexible nature of the rubber tyres. We’ll cover this next month.

Springs

The primary function of the springs in