Is this the best H3 Hummer in Australia? We think so!
This silver beauty belongs to our first customer for Rancho’s award-winning H3 suspension system.
They had intended to buy the latest 70-Series Landcruiser, but after checking out a new Hummer they were smitten by the American. It was easy to see the value for money, and how easy it would be to modify the H3 to suit their own purposes.
Now that the Hummer is fitted with the Rancho gear, and wider wheels and tyres, they have turned their pride and joy into a brilliant driving machine and a mega head-turner.
Click here for more photos, and details of the Rancho H3 suspension that won ‘Best 4WD Product’ at the 2006 SEMA show in Las Vegas.
The guys at 4Way Suspension are so busy these days they rarely get five minutes to scratch themselves. So we reckon they must develop their new products sometime between 8pm and 8am!
Their latest innovation is the ‘SV’, a 9-stage adjustable steering damper. You read that right: a steering damper with an external adjuster knob that allows you to alter the stiffness of the damper. These gold-coloured beauties have a 60mm outer tube and a beefy ‘never-gunna-bend-it’ 22mm piston rod.
According to 4Ways’ engineer, Simon Vella (is that what SV means?), the adjustable dampers offer more control than any other brand, and they are the best answer for 4WDs running over-size tyres.
We tried one on our TJ Wrangler and were suitably impressed. We have the new SV dampers, to suit most of the popular 4WDs, in stock now.
Click here to buy online and receive free delivery, Australia-wide.
In the ‘old days’ (prior to 1990), most 4WD wagons and trucks had suspension designed to cope with Mother Nature’s ugliest features: solid axles attached by long-travel coil and/or leaf springs.
Now, there are just a few models with ‘the real stuff’ underneath: Toyota’s commercial 70-series range, the Nissan Patrol, Jeep’s Wrangler and the Land Rover Defender. Everything else sports independent front suspension (IFS), utilizing torsion bars, coil-over struts, or (gulp!) airbags.
Every day we get calls from 4WD owners looking for a way to improve the off-road ability of their IFS-equipped vehicle. Most are looking for a way to increase the ground clearance between the front wheels, or lift the front to allow fitment of larger tyres.
Many owners are dismayed when we explain that the modifications they are suggesting will actually reduce their vehicle’s off-road capability. For (in most cases) adjusting the torsion bars higher, fitting taller coils to the original struts, or placing a urethane spacer on top of the coil, will significantly reduce the downward travel of the front suspension. And these IFS designs do not have much in the way of downward travel to begin with! Additionally, the CV joints in the front axles will wear-out faster, due to having to operate at a greater angle.
What do we recommend for the increasing horde of coil-over strut vehicles? Unless you are prepared to spend thousands on a custom rebuild, here is what we offer:
These spacers sit on top of the strut towers and raise the front using the original struts and coils. At $220 a pair, they are an economical, easy-to-fit option. Also, for these vehicles, we have extended (and greasable) shackles to lift the rear for $230 a pair.
2. Rancho QuickLift struts to suit the current Hilux, Prado, Navara and Pathfinder, plus 96-03 Prado and 4Runner/Surf. Like the Rancho RS9000X shocks, the QuickLift struts have a 9-position ride-adjustment knob to allow variance in the stiffness by up to 800 per cent.
The unique design of these units provides height increase - using the original coils –and they are priced at $594 a pair.
3. 4Way Suspension is about to release a range of Tough Dog ride-adjustable struts featuring a 41mm diameter piston for superior control. These will be sold as a package with Tough Dog-rated coils. We will have more information on these in the next few weeks.
These 3-way battery terminals, made by the Projector, should be compulsory on any vehicle where the electrics have been modified by the owner. We couldn’t count the number of times we have opened a 4WD’s bonnet and found an electrical ‘rat’s nest’ in the area around the battery.
The Projector terminal kit allows you to connect three cables to the positive battery post. Perfect for 4WDs where extra accessories or dual batteries are fitted. The three outlets are fused – with a heavy-duty 150A/800A CAL and two 30A fuses. A clip-on cover serves to protect the connections and prevent accidental short circuits.
The rumour-mongers in the motor industry reckon GM is about to withdraw the Holden Rodeo range from the Aussie market. Apparently, GM and Isuzu are going their separate ways. This will mean Holden dealers are going to become wallflowers in the booming market being spearheaded by the Hilux and Navara.
The exit of the Rodeo will be good news for Nissan, who are about to reintroduce the compact D22 Navara (with a more-powerful diesel engine) as a direct competitor to the Mazda BT50 and Ford Ranger. With all bases covered, the full Navara range could give the best-selling Hilux a bit of a nudge.
Generally, one the simplest - and most cost-effective - ways of improving the ride of a 4WD is to replace the old rubber bushes with high-quality bushes and, where leaf-springs are used, fit greasable shackles and greasable pins.
We carry a full range of replacement bushes to suit most 4WDs. And the engineered brand we stock is recognized by most in the motor industry as the very best. You can buy cheaper, but as the saying goes, “You only get what you pay for”.
Click here for more details, or email us if you are after a particular item.
In their most recent 4WD adventure, the Top Gear team - driving a radically modified Hilux – raced a sled, pulled by a pack of huskies, to the magnetic North Pole.
Established in 1976, 4WD1 is Australia's leading 4WD suspension specialist.
We stock what we advertise, and offer the best customer service. Most orders leave our warehouse the same day. Export orders are welcome. We have shipped products to every corner of the earth - including Saudi Arabia, Russia and Inner Mongolia.
