I have minimal 4WD experience. I learned how to drive, and spent my first couple of years driving 4WDs in oil search along rough graded tracks, through creeks, and over some really rough country. I have also lived in country where 4WDs are essential. I feel, based on my minimal experience driving 4WDs over the past 40-odd years on and off, is that lift kits are great if you want a play toy. Choose tyres for what you drive on for the majority of the time and strengthen (don't lift) your suspension and in the majority of offroad (read: dirt tracks) cases, you'll be fine. If you want to go rock hopping, by all means lift your ute/wagon and whack some big tyres on, but if you're planning to head to the Cape on your 'Great Adventure', don't waste your money lifting your 4WD.
@@ScottMurrayBestFamilyCars Yeah, with the Mod guys super excited about all the changes they are making and John shitting on their excitement and telling them why they shouldn't be making any of the changes.
Wise words, John. I think this reasoning also applies to a lot of things in life that we purchase. We get seduced into thinking we need the machine that does everything, and therefore end up researching use-cases we will never realistically get near and become obsessed with how well our prospective purchase will do those things which we will probably never do. I've experienced this with many things - welding machines, brush cutters, power tools, guitar effects , audio interfaces, mobile phones, printers... the list is endless. I know this about myself now - so I always take time between my original information gathering phase, and the purchase phase. You need the mania and obsession to de-escalate so you can actually make a sensible decision and buy the thing that will do the the thing you actually plan to do.
I've done the Gibb River , Canning Stock Route and Birdsville track in a bog standard Prado. Only modification was fitting 265/70/17 LT AT tyres..no punctures on the tracks..only one puncture in a supermarket car park!
I worked at a major 4wd accessories manufacture, one that spent a lot of dollars to advertise, usually through a magazine with a DVD. All the fun and game that the highly modified 4wd vehicles got up to, was filmed by a film crew in stock Toyota Troopies. The amount of times the modified vehicles had to be rescued by the stock Troopies, off camera, was funny to say the least.
This is the way to do it. I wanted something to explore all of my local tracks but I didn't want to modify my Amarok so I bought a Jimny. In Winter around here it needs mud terrains or you can't drive any of the tracks. Not to mention sharp rocks. And the stock suspension sagged pretty quickly and it would scrape the underneath a lot so I gave it a lift. I go solo out there so I needed a winch which has saved me several times now. With the bigger tires required for these tracks I had to get a gear reduction, at the very least to avoid brake fade on hot days (which was a problem). And I was tired of lying in the dirt to disconnect the sway bar (to avoid wheel lifts) so I installed a sway bar disconnect. I had a rear locker installed to avoid the regular situation of rolling backwards on a hill. But these mods were all added over 3 years to solve specific problems, they weren't some dream of what a perfect car would be followed by a trip to ARB. Absolutely no regrets because all mods solved specific problems and oh my did this hobby keep me occupied during lockdowns. Also best of all I still have a normal fuel efficient stock ute to do my daily duties. Only problem is that I have to pay 2x insurance and 2x rego and with a baby on the way I have put the Jimny up for sale.
Make sure you get a set of orange max trax thongs, a lift kit and alloy wheels with an offset that pushes your mud tyres past the guards. Oh, a chip and 3" exhaust will really help too 👍
@@mini_steve And make sure you get a mount that secures 2 jerry cans on that roof platform... I find carrying fuel up really high in the hot sun a total bonus.
Yes, yes, yes JC, the best argument I've ever heard against "the strap on" brigade. We must always not forget, the biggest benefits of 4x4 accessories goes to the makers and retailers of the accessories, that's in the form of profits.
I see a lot of immaculate daily driver 4WD vehicles fitted with every possible 'off-road' accessory; when you ask about how much off-road action these vehicles are used for, they stutter, one day..
Agreed... Got my Prado new in 2000. Dealer fitted a cargo barrier and a tow hitch, and soon after I had a bull bar fitted which was the limit of the mods. The car came with alloys which are shmick around town, but I soon found a set of steel Prado rims for the AT tyres that have seen many trips out West (Birdsville, Longreach, Halls Creek, Euromanga). 23years down the road in the same truck and I have nil regrets.
100% correct. Ive done a bit of off roading and are in the age bracket of common sense now. I have on road and off road tyres and they are very, very different in performance and fuel economy. As for lifts and mods. traction is determined by out travel/droop. Lifted vehicles loose traction because wheels can’t follow terrain. Keep the mods minimal and the enjoyment is better.
I have run 2 sets of tires for a few years, it works. You can often get take off rims at the dealership - lots of dudes change their wheels at purchase
Johnno, when I stopped guffawing at 'Fist' as a verb and other little 'shittoire' gems, I had an epiphany and moment of ultimate enlightenment, realizing that you should be nominated for 'Strayan' of the year for services to the 'Strayan' public. I don't know how the process of nomination works, however I'll look into it !! You really are a national treasure. 👏👏👏👏👏👏😄😄😊❤
What he said ^^^ I bought a brand new BT50 ute and found the rear springs weren't up to the job, so replaced just them and bought a set of tyres. Standard dampers and, heaven forbid, no bull bar, and it did Cape York with no issues at all. A set of five 15" steel rims off a poverty pack Ranger and 24 spare wheel nuts were $50 on gumtree. They take up some room in the shed, but I can live with it.
As always, love your work. We did some ' imperical ' testing with the standard tyres that came on our pajero sport (toyo's) Both my partner and I experienced under steer in the wet in fairly undemanding conditions. Since changing to same sized light truck all terrain tyres (bridgestone) the issue has d disappeared. No additional road noise or other obvious changes either. Ps. Keep to the good work
Interesting to hear that. Many of the new vehicles I’ve had experience with, have come with terrible rubber out of the box. Must be part of the sticker price management.
I am definitely not a 4x4 person, but I quite like to get the car off-road on the beach and forestry tracks etc. (but after the day is done retreat to our nice digs) therefore I purchased a Subaru Forester rather than a DPC wagon. When we took the stock version on the terrain mentioned I myself was (and my Prado & Amarok driving friends were) surprised how well it did. The Prado driver had to, he got stuck and I didn't! Based on my experience the only modification I made was to get a set of AT tyres (Geolanders with the same fitment as stock) mainly to have a tougher sidewall to guard against sharp objects on gravel roads and forest tracks. Very happy with the result even with standard bitumen driving. If I could do any mod, it would be to shave the front end to get a better approach angle when entering beaches with steep approaches e.g. Cartpenters Rocks SA... I am right on the limit there at ~ 18-19 degrees. Cannot have everything!
The best solution is to have a 4x4 modified for play and an efficient comfortable daily driver. Here in Buffalo, NY I had no issue getting around in last week's epic snow in a 20 YO modified truck with tall skinny A/T tires, and have a Kia Soul for a daily, still with snow tires.
Speedo accuracy after changing tyre sizes. I have a bike which came with a narrow 19" front wheel and around 25 years ago, I put a wide 18" wheel on because I like the look of it. The smaller wheel rotates faster at any given speed so I knew my speedo would be overstating. The question is; by how much? I was riding my other bike (with stock wheels) home one day along the M4 in western Sydney and not far before the Northern Rd exit (my exit) there was a cop with a radar gun. Long before GPS apps (or at least before I knew about them), I saw a golden opportunity to have my speedo calibrated so I pulled up next to the cop and asked him if he was going to be there for another 20 minutes or so. He said yes and so I told him about my other bike and asked if I came back with it and rode towards him at an indicated 100, if he could tell me exactly how fast I was going. He said no. I asked why not. Brace for impact (as John says), he said because it might not be accurate and I should not take it as gospel. Really? If I was speeding I'm fuckin' sure he'd take it as gospel and so would the magistrate in court if I contested it. This was also long before dashcams or Go Pros and I'd love to have a video of that conversation. These days, I have the phone with a GPS speedo on the handlebars.
Good stuff John. A 110 Landrover will go just about anywhere in Aust on those skinny ass tyres. Real water and mud pulled them up. Just the sound of off-road 4wd tyres on the tarmac drives me crazy. LOL
Stay as close to stock as possible. I bought a Prado Kakadu that comes with 265/55/19 low profile road tyres. Great on road, off road, not so much. I bought a second hand set of 17 inch FJ Cruiser rims and fitted BF Goodrich 265/65/17 which is the standard Prado Tyre size and also the same rolling diameter as the tyres fitted to the 19inch rims. No change to the speedo and far better off road. Takes me about 30min to swap out the wheels when I do want to go to Dingo Piss Creek.
Totally agree, John. The first thing I did was establish what my 2016 NP300 Navara would do on sand and other surfaces. My first mod was Cooper AT3s on 16" rims. {I checked the effect on speedo accuracy using a satellite data logger and laptop in the same manner you describe. Standard it read 5Kph fast. After the tyre change it was exact.} Subsequently I found the low plastic bumper at the front was a major limiting factor to approach angle. I searched the internet for solutions but ended up fitting a low profile bull bar. I hate these things and the idea of having an extra 65Kg in front of the steering wheels did not appeal to me. I solved the approach angle problem but, as you say every change involves compromise. After the change overtaking acceleration suddenly tapers off after 100 Kph is reached. It really spoils the performance of the car; it is the rapid increase of wind resistance that causes the problem. At the same time I had fitted a lift kit {only 30mm} which turned out to be excellent and did not noticeably impair the droop into potholes etc. The change of springs {a very mild increase in stiffness} sorted out the soft rear end, compared to standard} and gave the vehicle better cornering ability. In the High Country it was unstoppable. Because of the 45:1 low range gearing and the correct tyre pressures I could almost idle up most of the challenging parts without stressing the car. But another compromise was in fuel consumption which went from 8.5 to 9.0 L/100Km to 10.5 L/100Km on my regular commute between Adelaide and Whyalla. Keep up the good work. {{By the way if you give the car to the dealer to service please check that the oil filter has actually been changed. It is fiddly to get to and may be left in place and just the oil changed. Symptoms: Increased fuel consumption, lack of power, rough running and an increase in silica in oil samples sent to the laboratory for testing.}}
Makes sense, 2023 Ranger Sport. No lift, ATs on the stock rim, replaced the damaged plastic steps after the first off road trip with steel rails and a canopy with a rack on top, does everything I need it for.
I have a 2014 Mitsubishi challenger and my only mods are A/T tyres and a new bash plate (the old bash plate came to an unfortunate end). It gets me to everywhere I want to go out bush but it’s still good to drive to work
Hi John, when we purchased our Prado, we got seasick when going over bumps and round corners thought it would tip over. After replacing the Toyota soccer mum suspension and fitting 17” rims (from 18”) but maintaining same rolling diameter it has transformed the vehicle. It tows a lot better because it doesn’t bounce load over bumps. Your advise is sound run it and see the issues. A Ranger does have the factory/dealer option of Goodyear AT Wrangler tyre $500 (5) which is more aggressive. The other issue is road noise, the drown to let you know you have 4 X4 wheels.
@@tcm81 prado are notoriously soft though, driven a few and they're horrible. I can pitch my Mitsubishi challenger through corners as hard as a car and never felt like it was gonna tip ,granted it's way lighter at 1850kgs but still. Things like Landcruisers, prados etc. They're just way too soft in the suspension for their weight.
@@5lcalais1 That's why I coughed up the extra cash for a Prado Kakadu - to get the KDSS and air bag suspension. Very little body roll when cornering with the extra thick sway bars and you can load up the rear, the airbags self level. Really should be an option on lower spec models.
@@tcm81 yes and there are a lot of cars which tow 3T, remain stable at 3T, don’t get moved around by load. You seem to be a great avocate for road safety and safe driving skills.
A lot of vehicles these days have terrible speedo readings (possible fuel efficiency fudging). My navara stock was 8km/h out. I put the largest legal tyre size on (42mm increase) and it only corrected it by 4km/h.
All speedos are out, none of them are 100% accurate. My 01 Mitsubishi challenger is out by 5ks my brothers colt is out by 10k, every car I've ever owned has been out. As John said u gotta check it by using a decent gps on a decent phone to figure out how far it's out and then just drive to where it's out, I just sit 5k over on my speedo now n never any problems.
Admittedly haven’t read all the comments. Just in case this hasn’t been said. I believe you can actually have factory fitted AT with 17” rims so the gentleman that sent you questions should explore this option.
I'm not sure about current model years, but for prior year Ford vehicles, there are some configuration options that can be accessed with a basic OBD2 module and software widely available on the internet. FORScan has a tutorial entitled "How to use FORScan to adjust tire size" that is applicable to a number of Ford platforms. Here in the states, many Fords of the last decade came standard with a smaller battery unless it had the auto stop-start thing enabled. Those came with a larger capacity battery. Same battery tray for both. When my battery died due to non-use during the early days of the pandemic, I was able to upgrade to the larger battery option. It took about 5 minutes in FORScan to tell the ECU I put the larger battery in and I was set. In addition to a bit of peace of mind in having more cold-start capacity during winter, I get longer accessory time after turning the key off. It's not a crazy "mod" but one I appreciate being able to do.
Good intelligent advice delivered with your unique brand of humour John. I've been living in "Shit Creek" next to the Vic high country for many years and the growth in leisure 4WD traffic over the last decade has been significant. So I've decided to take to the hills myself and am waiting (waiting, waiting) for a new Fortuner to arrive. I expect to be driving bush tracks several times a month, usually solo, with river crossings, and steep rocky tracks that get dusty, so there are some things e.g. tough-walled tyres, snorkel and winch that are just about givens. But suspension changes will only happen if needed, and the new tyres will be standard size 265/65/R17 because of known rubbing problems with anything bigger, even with a suspension lift. And that'll be more than enough fun I reckon.
Love this video, on my third Land Rover Disco 3/4 here in the UK l, use them on road 99% of the time over the years with many road trips across Europe including snowy alpine roads and towing caravans and boats all year round. On balance the manufacturers compromise has world perfectly, never let me down, never felt the need to modify 👍
Great advice . just look at the 4x4 mods and tyres most farmers have which is usually basic stock standard off the dealer's back shed floor . A standard 4x4 will go a long way off bitumen and even a 2wd will go further than most would consider possible . There is always -- well mostly always a different, safer, and easier road to get to where ever is so important
Friends of mine have bought all "the fruit" for their new 70 series Landcruiser, "the fruit" is now sitting in the garage and has been for close on six months waiting for the new Cruiser to arrive, they've now been advised that they won't see the Cruiser until 2023 some time and it could be a '23 model which could well mean that a lot of the new "fruit" won't fit. No comeback on the dealership unfortunately. Done a bit of "Piss Creek" work and quite a bit of single day 4WD stuff, personally in order of preference tyres, lift and an air locker, awesome fun to be had here without to much expense. If you do to many mods you can get to places where people can't get to you if you get into strife, been there done that :)
We all know the most important aspect of 4 wheel driving is how the car looks. Get some 17's with some poke and cover them in 33" BF goodrich at's. It'll make your Ute look sick. Don't worry about practicality
There is a V8 Coyote Supercharged Upgrade Option for the Raptor in Mongolia. Runs on 21 Inch Wheels and runs just fine under tree cover uphill so satellite cover is all good.
In reality It takes a team of well paid engineer’s year’s to design an automobile! and it takes a couple of poorly paid mechanic’s hours to fix their mistakes!
The manufacturer's engineering gurus are held back by marketing and accountants. It isn't hard to improve their product in specific ways such as off-road performance which, as John correctly said, is only a part-time activity for most buyers.
It’s the best idea to grab a GPS the check speedo in your new car to know your speed. WAZE did a good job, I compared it to a Garman. My MY13 Colorado on new OEM tyres was 96km/h at 100km/h and when I went up a size to an all terrain it went to 98km/h at 100km/m. Which I made a mental note. Also increased my fuel efficiency that I expected but if anyone out there doesn’t know consequences to changing diameters.
The only thing I would ever suggest to anyone getting a 4wd to actually 4wd with and not only ever use it as a shopping trolly is a snorkel as a preventative measure so as to not hydraulic your motor. Also if you are going on sand then learn to let your tires down. Every time I go on the beach I have to snatch someone out because they haven't, didn't know they had too or only let them down to 25-30psi. They cut into my fishing time and I don't like it haha
Have legit walked over with a shovel and a pressure gauge to someone bogged. Dug out the mound in front of the tyres, dropped tyres to 18, low range 2nd gear and driven out. No snatch required!
I just took a stock GWM Cannon to Fraser Island. H/T tyres at 18 psi, sports mode on, stability off. No issues driving through Inskip or Fraser Island.
The smaller wheel idea is a very interesting topic. With the weight of modern 4x4's, and then the owner adding even more weight with all the aftermarket fruit plus water, extra fuel, 7 years of booze, food for 3 years and all the new fancy camping equipment for a 2 day trip, the brakes should definitely be one of the first "upgrades" (in my opinion anyway). Sometimes a 16 inch wheel won't fit with a decent brake upgrade.
@@AutoExpertJC is that really necessary? The ABS sensor will tell the ABS brain to take away some brake pressure, if one or more wheel(s) come to a standstill... same thing with upgraded brakes or standard brakes, or am i looking at that too "naively" ? Likewise you would not have to recalibrate the ABS if you use tyres with a better road grip or better brake pads , which both would have the same effect as upgraded bigger brakes. (We are talking about larger brake discs, arent we?)
Instead of spending all that money on a brake "upgrade" you could just learn how to drive. The brakes on modern cars are fine as long as you drive correctly. Back off early when you see the lights are red or coming up to a corner, keep a sensible distance between you and the car you are following and the big one, select a lower gear when going down a long steep hill. Do these things correctly and a brake "upgrade" is totally unnecessary.
I have a Ranger with 815 KW 20 inch all terranes and yes not jacked up. its on the road most of the time,.good advice in this video. if your doing engine mods make sure your having them done by a company that will ensure their work.
33 / 10.5 / 17 all terrain tyres are pretty much the best compromise between the tarmac and the bush. I have had these on my rig for 80,000 k and will be replacing them with another set shortly.
I added AT BF Goodriches, diff breathers, 2-inch lift and a bullbar to my Prado after going into the outback and crossing a few creeks/rivers with a rear end that was sagging from our gear and after seeing a lot of scary roadkill on the side of the road in outback NSW and the car handled better in the city after the mods, while adding confidence in the country. BTW the bullbar was for vehicle protection, not an attempt at occupant safety and a rear bar i put on paid for itself in a reversing bingle in an Aldi carpark, where no damage was sustained.
100%agree on the tyre thing John,even to the point of taking the muddies with me and fitting them when I get there (if I'm towing that is).I like driving on performance tyres on road and changing them out for a weekend is no big deal
John ..Ford speedo correction use Ford FORSCAN software..the speedo definitely can be recaliberated for different sized tyres larger or smaller.. Check out "Custom car coding" running larger tyres the speedo can be set to read factory allowances and it also corrects the Auto shift points. Also ...Remeber the Toyota Hilux couldn't pass the swerve test at factory standard height on stock suspension it is an absolute boat... Aftermarket suspension is generally always an upgrade over stock. Except when the suspension is FOX in the raptors case leave it in and send it! . The dobinsons MRA remote res has been a huge upgrade over stock in the normal range 4x4s.. Quality gear.
Buying a set of factory rims the same as you already have is usually dirt cheap from someone who has done the "upgrade". I got a set of brand new identical 18" rims for $500, bought a set of lightly used 5yr old BFG KA2's for the
some advice for a good GPS speed device, buy Android based device with MTK SoC (System on Chip) as they have the most sensitive GPS sensor that does not need a SIM card to get mobile signal to scan for nearest location, I my self use the TCL 20 R 5G (without SIM cards as its dual sim device), also use the DigiHub GPS Speedometer app (and have done so since around 2013 without issue) far and away the best app there is out there for GPS speedometer and best of all no ads as the developer has kept the interface clean (should you use WIFI for internet signal). For my vehicle (2019 Ford Escape ST-Line with 19x8 alloys which have 235/45 tyres) the following difference in speedometer to actual road speed (GPS based road speed) 100km/h speedometer indicted = GPS road speed 95km/h 110km/h speedometer indicated = GPS road speed 105km/h Also engine RPM (and technically gearing) is also affected, which indeed does have make fuel consumption different overall. Example: the transmission shift points when using the speedometer as a guide the transmission will not allow 5th gear under 60km/h, it will stay in 4th gear until vehicle speed is more then 60km/h, however as I mention above at 60km/h the real road speed is actually 55km/h, so in order to have better fuel economy (re: lower RPM while able to maintain speed) is to doing an indicated 65km/h on the speedometer which will allow the transmission to be in 5th gear, basically in Sydney traffic and the speed limits means the transmission is basically a 4-speed auto unless you are: speeding or on a road which allows for more legal speed.
Adding further to my comment RANGER has the same brake package for all turbo diesel variants, as the XLS version comes standard with 16x7.5 alloy wheels the SPORT can easily also accommodate the same size alloy wheels. As for tyre size, I suggest you watch Robert Pepper UA-cam channel which goes into more detail about off road tyres as he has real world experience about these things as he actually owns a PX Ranger and has videos of his vehicle in off road situations, not to say John Cadogan does not provide the same level of info however Robert goes intot he real technical side of things in terms of info. ua-cam.com/users/L2SFBCRobertPepperautojournovideos
Our Navara 2012 shows 100kph when doing 91kph on GPS and matches with Radar test, my Ford focus at 100kph on the speedo is actually doing 94kph. No mods done and both running standard tyres of the manufacturer specs.
I decided to put a bull bar on my new BT purely for where I live and animals I may encounter.. What's thoughts on upgrading suspension to counter the weight of bar? We only offroad a few times a year so not necessarily needed for clearance just interested on thoughts? Thanks in advance
Great advice, two sets of tyres is a smarter cheaper solution to a lack of traction, which will probably be the only real problem with the new Ranger, buy a set 33" mud terrain tyres and 16" rims for your play weekends and you get plenty of traction, and a 1.5" lift at the same time. Don't need new suspension.
I've just found your channel and like the videos I've watched so far. I've just bought a Ranger Wildtrack 2.0 4x4 10AT and pick it up in the next few days. I've changed the tyres to 265/60 R18s so I'll let you know how I get on!
Damn, John. I would eagerly spend two grand for an extra 3/4 inch increase. Heck, I would pay five grand for a whole 1 1/2 inch increase. I only have three inches, however, I have found most Ming Moles can’t handle it that wide.
22:00: not to mention increased rolling resistance, increased road noise, increased fuel consumption, increased tyre wear on bitumen, and decreased wet weather performance on bitumen. But "chunky" trumps all that....
Back in the good ole days of the good ship GM, the dealer had the potential using tech2 to program the cluster with updated tyre sizes, Justin case you wanted those SS mags on your executive VY.
I participate in club hillclimbs and at the start of a new meeting the serious competitors are changing their road tyres for R spec or slicks (really really competitive). We also take a new car to the hill (Mt Cotton or Noosa) in standard form and then modify one thing at a time and test. The only time an owner would arrive with lots of modifications is when there is historical evidence that they will work, and they are suitable for your style of driving. I would be surprised if the off road driver didn't have a similar level of understanding and information available.
I have run the GPS speed experiment. Gave myself the best chance by having a Telstra powered Android phone and what I learnt was that my particular Mazda 3 's Speedo is that it works on a bell curve of sorts. At 60KPH the GPS and Speedo agreed by 80KPH there was 3 KPH discrepancy. So 83KPH indicated in the car was 80 KPH according to the GPS. By 100KPH the discrepancy is 6KPH. Interestingly by 110KPH the discrepancy is only 5KPH Meaning in my particular Mazda 3 I can travel at up to 115KPH indicated before actually going over.
If you buy a ranger, a damn good roll cage would be the first modification after upgrading the life insurance policy. Especially after the recent American court ruling against ford and the death of a couple in a rollover.
@@petesmitt yes! And you would also reasonably expect the roof wouldn’t completely collapse in a rollover, considering the supposed engineering that went into the design and construction.. What is not surprising is the amount of fight from ford to hide and dismiss this ruling, or the treatment given to the victims families by them.
The reality is that a competent driver in a bog stock 60 series on stock split rims and LT skinnies can generally drive as far or further than anything else off road. In most cases when the tyre is let down it extends fore and aft which only helps tracking and directional control, unlike fats which tend to expand sideways as much as anywhere and are easily pulled right off the rim or staked through the sidewalls by any sharp stick or rock... Some of the hardest off road driving ever done in this country used split rims and skinny tyres such as by Len Beadell etc. - big fat tyres are often a liability in stoney country.
When I bought my Toyota TRD Off Road earlier this year, it came with 265/70/16 tires and can't be any happier when I go out to the mountains. That extra 1.5 in. lift from the dealer is not worth that extra money. Anything higher would hurt the street drivability and utility of the truck. I spent years looking into what I needed and drove the terrain with a "free" Jeep Cherokee to see what I wanted. Just do research, and drive where you want to go.
I’ve owned a Pajero Sport for 5 1/2 years. My mods are a factory nudge bar so I could fit driving lights. I do a lot of late night rural driving and decent lighting is essential for me. We also had Drifta Camper Kitchen drawers fitted several years ago. These I can really highly recommend. I run a solar panel to charge my removable deep cycle battery for those occasions when I take my Engel with me. Toyo tyres are the remaining modification (if you can call it that). Everything else is dead stock. This car is more capable than me off road. If I really wanted to do hardcore off roading as a hobby I would buy a Canam Maverick X3 and tow it to the trails I wanted to go along. I don’t see any sense in wrecking my transport as a hobby. Although the Canam is not cheap, it would be less expensive than wrecking my Pajero doing dumb stuff off-road.
on the tyre change should you do it . if you need to ask about . i remember a time some family members went from a sporty holden , to a lux falcon , they had serval nears misses , on the road they had driven for 15 years , until they got used to the handling . they were the get in and drive type , not think type . and today add cell phones to the mix . all done at normal 90 - 100 kph speeds
I bought a new 2013 hilux SR5 and have a spare set of AT tyres with steel rims for my trips away. I have never been bogged and never needed to have it raised or modified I have been to Fraser Island and heaps of different off-road camping tracks. Standard is the best set up doesn't affect warranty and Toyota have spent millions more on RnD than Arb ever will.
Considering 16inch rims hit on a 2012 n70 hilux due to brakes, id guess they won’t fit a v6 ranger. Likely 17” would be smallest and a 285/70r17 would be great for off road. I do agree with the 2nd set of wheels if you require a large increase but not wanting to make the ute a full on off roader
Hi John, I thought ADR 18 stated at 100 kph ( true speed) the speedometer could read 114 kph. That is at 100 kph plus 10 % plus 4 kph. Or has that now been changed ? Regards Daryl
Up until 1996 , a speedo wasn’t mandatory .from then it became an ADR requirement and in a nut shell, it cannot read less than the actual travelling speed,, so if the car is travelling @60 ,the speed must read 60 and /or above , never less than the actual true speed. The 10 % , 2 km/hr are all myths. Ford however allow in the parameters to change the increments relative to true speed. So you can have 0- infinitely reading above true road speed. It’s usually set at 2 above .
@@tba3900 Excerpt from Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/03 - Instrumentation) 2006 speed indicated shall not be less than the true speed of the vehicle. At the test speeds specified in paragraph 5.2.5. above, there shall be the following relationship between the speed displayed (V1 ) and the true speed (V2). 0 £ (V1 - V2) £ 0.1 V2 + 4 km/h
@@grug5259 yep agree, that’s been updated last time I looked. All I know is I select the tyre size/ even diff ratios and download the as built file and all the modules are happy again. Then I can go into parameters and change the correction factor if the owner so wishes. If the true and indicated speeds are too exaggerated it affects trans and abs performance.
@@tba3900 that's from the current ADR. This standard was originally made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and from 1 July 2021 continues in force as if it were a national road vehicle standard determined under section 12 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018
The problem with Johns suggestion of obtaining empirical evidence with a stock vehicle before upgrading a 4x4 is that a mistake on a tough track in the middle of nowhere can turn out to be very costly and potentially very dangerous. Basic mods like more appropriate tyre size/construction have been tested, proven and reported the world over, saving the need for each person to do their own R&D for every component.
Having gone from 255/65 to 265/70 x 17 HT's on my DMax it had better grip - especially in the wet - and comfort but noticeably less sharp handling due to the taller sidewalls.
9:07 Back in the day, my ghetto speedo check was timing myself between 5 km mile markers. 180 sec for 100 km/h 165 sec for 110 km/h 150 sec for 120 km/h
I had a mate that fitted larger diameter tyres to his PX Ranger and it threw the vehicle into a hissy fit. The vehicle just did not perform with the larger diameter wheels. The acceleration and fuel consumption went down the proverbial gurgler.
Performance isn’t the only factor. Tyre availability is massive issue. If you are in the middle of visiting “Dingo piss creek” you’ll want a tyre that you can actually replace. Not have to wait 3 weeks for your weird arse tyre to arrive.
Hi John, love your work and wicked sense of humour , keep giving it to whomever deserves it 👍 I am looking to move on my 2018 MQ Triton D/Cab GLS 110,000 km for a more comfortable tow vehicle, says my wife lol, like a wagon. We tow a caravan weighing 2.4ton fully loaded and interested in your opinion of a Ford Everest Platinum? Also is there another vehicle you would consider a suitable vehicle in either diesel or petrol. Look forward to your new videos each day, cheers. Rob
4wd247 does a review the last couple of years on stock standard dual cab utes and their off-road ability from the stealership and it shows the potential of standard dual cabs in standard form is quite impressive. Then again if you're buying an ifs vehicle, you're going to bust more components by virtue of design no matter what you do.
But then they created the 35” tyre users and 4” lifts that use more right foot than sense cause they are out with their mates giving it the berries. They destroy the tracks for anyone else who have normal vehicles with moderate lifts and AT’s.
@@offroadingfoz water run off destroys tracks quicker than tyre size everytime, lets be honest your 4wd on 31’s never stood a chance on the tracks that trail rigs on 35/37 inch tyres are doing anyway
Indeed, I have planned the mods for the new ranger, even though I've not bought one yet, and boy, have the prices gone up. Pretty much just carrying over the same mods from my existing ranger, but 10k more expensive, excluding the things I found unncessary, and some additions I wish I had done. 99% of my modifications are for practical purposes, due to my location and lifestyle (being a piss-creekian). I'll prob grab the a new Ranger after this initial new model has worked out the bugs as I don't want to pay a premium, to be on a waiting list for something, and be a tester.
Like you I have planned to purchase a new range. (fully optioned wildtrak. I am just hearing to many weird stories about the manufacturing process e.g. raptor stickers on a wildtrak or 6 week old owned rangers with horrendous rust issues. Oppps that is meant to be hush hush....lol So I have decided to put off the deposit for at least 12 months and not be part of the experiment. Also noticed a fully opted wildtrak has increased in price by approx $1200 in the last 3 mths. Yes am planning an all round touring and work horse, So $80k on road for ute/truck, then ARB catalogue thrown at it (all under ford warranty, a deliberate decision), takes the total cost up to between $110k-$120k, well somewhere in that range. Know I will never push vehicle to the limits (hope not) unlike 4WD 24/7 idiots. Most mods are to protect the ute and provide functionality/capability. Nothing more. Yes getting screwed in price but does come with factory warranty (paying a premium for it) on all items hence why I am not looking at Ironman or other aftermarket suppliers. Have done weight calculations on all items as all ppl should. Not increasing tyre size, just basic GCM increase (300kg) which includes approx 2" lift. To date I believe balanced approach between cost, warranty, functionality, performance, Vehicle protection, workhorse and lifestyle choice. Really a general all rounder.
@@darrensmith4661 My quote was certainly eye opening, considering my last one cost me about 85, after mods. The price has gone up around 20k in total, but that V6 is hard to pass up.
J/C. Took a page straight out of our 4wding playbook, as our group of 'tyre pumping' blokes adventure to axle broken excursions bi-monthly ! How did you know my truck has a second set of 32" muddies and a first set of 32" school run H/T's ? V.
I would be more worried about the lift as my mate had it done and it threw codes all the time for the sensor on the front of the Ute,it was so bad it cost him a small fortune to get them recalibrated
I have minimal 4WD experience. I learned how to drive, and spent my first couple of years driving 4WDs in oil search along rough graded tracks, through creeks, and over some really rough country. I have also lived in country where 4WDs are essential. I feel, based on my minimal experience driving 4WDs over the past 40-odd years on and off, is that lift kits are great if you want a play toy. Choose tyres for what you drive on for the majority of the time and strengthen (don't lift) your suspension and in the majority of offroad (read: dirt tracks) cases, you'll be fine. If you want to go rock hopping, by all means lift your ute/wagon and whack some big tyres on, but if you're planning to head to the Cape on your 'Great Adventure', don't waste your money lifting your 4WD.
Agree with you on this and I think the lift and fat tyres is an American thing so also more aesthetics an a bit rock climbing😄
Compared to a lot of the owners with lift kits, I’d say that you have loads of experience in regards to 4 wheel driving.
I’m only half way through, but I’m loving this episode of Mighty Cadogen Mods…
We need a collab with Marty & Moog. Straya says, 'Yes.'
@@ScottMurrayBestFamilyCars Yeah, with the Mod guys super excited about all the changes they are making and John shitting on their excitement and telling them why they shouldn't be making any of the changes.
@@ScottMurrayBestFamilyCars After all they are the best 4X4 channel on the internet, aren't they?
In most scenarios, the limit factor for 4wd (or any drive) is the meatbag behind steering wheel.
Wise words, John. I think this reasoning also applies to a lot of things in life that we purchase. We get seduced into thinking we need the machine that does everything, and therefore end up researching use-cases we will never realistically get near and become obsessed with how well our prospective purchase will do those things which we will probably never do. I've experienced this with many things - welding machines, brush cutters, power tools, guitar effects , audio interfaces, mobile phones, printers... the list is endless. I know this about myself now - so I always take time between my original information gathering phase, and the purchase phase. You need the mania and obsession to de-escalate so you can actually make a sensible decision and buy the thing that will do the the thing you actually plan to do.
I've done the Gibb River , Canning Stock Route and Birdsville track in a bog standard Prado. Only modification was fitting 265/70/17 LT AT tyres..no punctures on the tracks..only one puncture in a supermarket car park!
I worked at a major 4wd accessories manufacture, one that spent a lot of dollars to advertise, usually through a magazine with a DVD.
All the fun and game that the highly modified 4wd vehicles got up to, was filmed by a film crew in stock Toyota Troopies. The amount of times the modified vehicles had to be rescued by the stock Troopies, off camera, was funny to say the least.
This is the way to do it. I wanted something to explore all of my local tracks but I didn't want to modify my Amarok so I bought a Jimny. In Winter around here it needs mud terrains or you can't drive any of the tracks. Not to mention sharp rocks. And the stock suspension sagged pretty quickly and it would scrape the underneath a lot so I gave it a lift. I go solo out there so I needed a winch which has saved me several times now. With the bigger tires required for these tracks I had to get a gear reduction, at the very least to avoid brake fade on hot days (which was a problem). And I was tired of lying in the dirt to disconnect the sway bar (to avoid wheel lifts) so I installed a sway bar disconnect. I had a rear locker installed to avoid the regular situation of rolling backwards on a hill.
But these mods were all added over 3 years to solve specific problems, they weren't some dream of what a perfect car would be followed by a trip to ARB.
Absolutely no regrets because all mods solved specific problems and oh my did this hobby keep me occupied during lockdowns.
Also best of all I still have a normal fuel efficient stock ute to do my daily duties.
Only problem is that I have to pay 2x insurance and 2x rego and with a baby on the way I have put the Jimny up for sale.
Make sure you get a set of orange max trax thongs, a lift kit and alloy wheels with an offset that pushes your mud tyres past the guards. Oh, a chip and 3" exhaust will really help too 👍
Don't forget the 12 spotlights, 7 light lightbars and useless roof platform that can only carry one small shovel.
@@mini_steve And make sure you get a mount that secures 2 jerry cans on that roof platform... I find carrying fuel up really high in the hot sun a total bonus.
And a winch to get you out of Coles carpark
Those are all very important but are all useless if you don’t have a snorkel for when you want to cross a 6 ft deep river
And a high snorkel so the engine keeps running even if your new apolstry is covered in mud.
Yes, yes, yes JC, the best argument I've ever heard against "the strap on" brigade. We must always not forget, the biggest benefits of 4x4 accessories goes to the makers and retailers of the accessories, that's in the form of profits.
I see a lot of immaculate daily driver 4WD vehicles fitted with every possible 'off-road' accessory; when you ask about how much off-road action these vehicles are used for, they stutter, one day..
Agreed... Got my Prado new in 2000. Dealer fitted a cargo barrier and a tow hitch, and soon after I had a bull bar fitted which was the limit of the mods. The car came with alloys which are shmick around town, but I soon found a set of steel Prado rims for the AT tyres that have seen many trips out West (Birdsville, Longreach, Halls Creek, Euromanga). 23years down the road in the same truck and I have nil regrets.
I love your mastery of the English language. You crack me up with your “viewer letter” corrections…. Too funny.
100% correct.
Ive done a bit of off roading and are in the age bracket of common sense now.
I have on road and off road tyres and they are very, very different in performance and fuel economy. As for lifts and mods. traction is determined by out travel/droop. Lifted vehicles loose traction because wheels can’t follow terrain.
Keep the mods minimal and the enjoyment is better.
Have you been side hilled? Roads aren't always level and lifted trucks roll easier.
I have run 2 sets of tires for a few years, it works. You can often get take off rims at the dealership - lots of dudes change their wheels at purchase
Sane, sensible advices, dear John. Thank you!
Lots'a love, cheers, & Mabuhay, from tropical Philippines!
Johnno, when I stopped guffawing at 'Fist' as a verb and other little 'shittoire' gems, I had an epiphany and moment of ultimate enlightenment, realizing that you should be nominated for 'Strayan' of the year for services to the 'Strayan' public.
I don't know how the process of nomination works, however I'll look into it !!
You really are a national treasure.
👏👏👏👏👏👏😄😄😊❤
Common sense, practical, down to earth information. Well done.
What he said ^^^ I bought a brand new BT50 ute and found the rear springs weren't up to the job, so replaced just them and bought a set of tyres. Standard dampers and, heaven forbid, no bull bar, and it did Cape York with no issues at all.
A set of five 15" steel rims off a poverty pack Ranger and 24 spare wheel nuts were $50 on gumtree. They take up some room in the shed, but I can live with it.
As always, love your work.
We did some ' imperical ' testing with the standard tyres that came on our pajero sport (toyo's)
Both my partner and I experienced under steer in the wet in fairly undemanding conditions. Since changing to same sized light truck all terrain tyres (bridgestone) the issue has d disappeared. No additional road noise or other obvious changes either.
Ps. Keep to the good work
Interesting to hear that. Many of the new vehicles I’ve had experience with, have come with terrible rubber out of the box. Must be part of the sticker price management.
I am definitely not a 4x4 person, but I quite like to get the car off-road on the beach and forestry tracks etc. (but after the day is done retreat to our nice digs) therefore I purchased a Subaru Forester rather than a DPC wagon. When we took the stock version on the terrain mentioned I myself was (and my Prado & Amarok driving friends were) surprised how well it did. The Prado driver had to, he got stuck and I didn't! Based on my experience the only modification I made was to get a set of AT tyres (Geolanders with the same fitment as stock) mainly to have a tougher sidewall to guard against sharp objects on gravel roads and forest tracks. Very happy with the result even with standard bitumen driving. If I could do any mod, it would be to shave the front end to get a better approach angle when entering beaches with steep approaches e.g. Cartpenters Rocks SA... I am right on the limit there at ~ 18-19 degrees. Cannot have everything!
The best solution is to have a 4x4 modified for play and an efficient comfortable daily driver. Here in Buffalo, NY I had no issue getting around in last week's epic snow in a 20 YO modified truck with tall skinny A/T tires, and have a Kia Soul for a daily, still with snow tires.
Speedo accuracy after changing tyre sizes. I have a bike which came with a narrow 19" front wheel and around 25 years ago, I put a wide 18" wheel on because I like the look of it. The smaller wheel rotates faster at any given speed so I knew my speedo would be overstating. The question is; by how much? I was riding my other bike (with stock wheels) home one day along the M4 in western Sydney and not far before the Northern Rd exit (my exit) there was a cop with a radar gun. Long before GPS apps (or at least before I knew about them), I saw a golden opportunity to have my speedo calibrated so I pulled up next to the cop and asked him if he was going to be there for another 20 minutes or so. He said yes and so I told him about my other bike and asked if I came back with it and rode towards him at an indicated 100, if he could tell me exactly how fast I was going. He said no. I asked why not. Brace for impact (as John says), he said because it might not be accurate and I should not take it as gospel. Really? If I was speeding I'm fuckin' sure he'd take it as gospel and so would the magistrate in court if I contested it. This was also long before dashcams or Go Pros and I'd love to have a video of that conversation. These days, I have the phone with a GPS speedo on the handlebars.
Good stuff John. A 110 Landrover will go just about anywhere in Aust on those skinny ass tyres. Real water and mud pulled them up. Just the sound of off-road 4wd tyres on the tarmac drives me crazy. LOL
Most vehicles will go just about anywhere (a sane person would take a vehicle they own). Some just do it a little easier.
Stay as close to stock as possible. I bought a Prado Kakadu that comes with 265/55/19 low profile road tyres. Great on road, off road, not so much. I bought a second hand set of 17 inch FJ Cruiser rims and fitted BF Goodrich 265/65/17 which is the standard Prado Tyre size and also the same rolling diameter as the tyres fitted to the 19inch rims. No change to the speedo and far better off road. Takes me about 30min to swap out the wheels when I do want to go to Dingo Piss Creek.
Apt.
Totally agree, John. The first thing I did was establish what my 2016 NP300 Navara would do on sand and other surfaces. My first mod was Cooper AT3s on 16" rims. {I checked the effect on speedo accuracy using a satellite data logger and laptop in the same manner you describe. Standard it read 5Kph fast. After the tyre change it was exact.} Subsequently I found the low plastic bumper at the front was a major limiting factor to approach angle. I searched the internet for solutions but ended up fitting a low profile bull bar. I hate these things and the idea of having an extra 65Kg in front of the steering wheels did not appeal to me. I solved the approach angle problem but, as you say every change involves compromise. After the change overtaking acceleration suddenly tapers off after 100 Kph is reached. It really spoils the performance of the car; it is the rapid increase of wind resistance that causes the problem. At the same time I had fitted a lift kit {only 30mm} which turned out to be excellent and did not noticeably impair the droop into potholes etc. The change of springs {a very mild increase in stiffness} sorted out the soft rear end, compared to standard} and gave the vehicle better cornering ability. In the High Country it was unstoppable. Because of the 45:1 low range gearing and the correct tyre pressures I could almost idle up most of the challenging parts without stressing the car. But another compromise was in fuel consumption which went from 8.5 to 9.0 L/100Km to 10.5 L/100Km on my regular commute between Adelaide and Whyalla. Keep up the good work. {{By the way if you give the car to the dealer to service please check that the oil filter has actually been changed. It is fiddly to get to and may be left in place and just the oil changed. Symptoms: Increased fuel consumption, lack of power, rough running and an increase in silica in oil samples sent to the laboratory for testing.}}
Makes sense, 2023 Ranger Sport. No lift, ATs on the stock rim, replaced the damaged plastic steps after the first off road trip with steel rails and a canopy with a rack on top, does everything I need it for.
I have a 2014 Mitsubishi challenger and my only mods are A/T tyres and a new bash plate (the old bash plate came to an unfortunate end). It gets me to everywhere I want to go out bush but it’s still good to drive to work
Have to SAY, Fing BRILLIANT Video, ...
Hi John, when we purchased our Prado, we got seasick when going over bumps and round corners thought it would tip over. After replacing the Toyota soccer mum suspension and fitting 17” rims (from 18”) but maintaining same rolling diameter it has transformed the vehicle. It tows a lot better because it doesn’t bounce load over bumps.
Your advise is sound run it and see the issues. A Ranger does have the factory/dealer option of Goodyear AT Wrangler tyre $500 (5) which is more aggressive.
The other issue is road noise, the drown to let you know you have 4 X4 wheels.
If you want something that doesn't roll and doesn't have 4x4 road noise, wouldn't a car be a better choice?
@@tcm81 prado are notoriously soft though, driven a few and they're horrible.
I can pitch my Mitsubishi challenger through corners as hard as a car and never felt like it was gonna tip ,granted it's way lighter at 1850kgs but still.
Things like Landcruisers, prados etc. They're just way too soft in the suspension for their weight.
@@5lcalais1 That's why I coughed up the extra cash for a Prado Kakadu - to get the KDSS and air bag suspension.
Very little body roll when cornering with the extra thick sway bars and you can load up the rear, the airbags self level. Really should be an option on lower spec models.
@@tcm81 yes and there are a lot of cars which tow 3T, remain stable at 3T, don’t get moved around by load. You seem to be a great avocate for road safety and safe driving skills.
@@bushmagpie3312 My point is that 4x4s handle like 4x4s. I would just accept that limitation when I bought one.
A lot of vehicles these days have terrible speedo readings (possible fuel efficiency fudging). My navara stock was 8km/h out. I put the largest legal tyre size on (42mm increase) and it only corrected it by 4km/h.
All speedos are out, none of them are 100% accurate.
My 01 Mitsubishi challenger is out by 5ks my brothers colt is out by 10k, every car I've ever owned has been out.
As John said u gotta check it by using a decent gps on a decent phone to figure out how far it's out and then just drive to where it's out, I just sit 5k over on my speedo now n never any problems.
Admittedly haven’t read all the comments. Just in case this hasn’t been said. I believe you can actually have factory fitted AT with 17” rims so the gentleman that sent you questions should explore this option.
I'm not sure about current model years, but for prior year Ford vehicles, there are some configuration options that can be accessed with a basic OBD2 module and software widely available on the internet. FORScan has a tutorial entitled "How to use FORScan to adjust tire size" that is applicable to a number of Ford platforms.
Here in the states, many Fords of the last decade came standard with a smaller battery unless it had the auto stop-start thing enabled. Those came with a larger capacity battery. Same battery tray for both. When my battery died due to non-use during the early days of the pandemic, I was able to upgrade to the larger battery option. It took about 5 minutes in FORScan to tell the ECU I put the larger battery in and I was set. In addition to a bit of peace of mind in having more cold-start capacity during winter, I get longer accessory time after turning the key off. It's not a crazy "mod" but one I appreciate being able to do.
Good intelligent advice delivered with your unique brand of humour John.
I've been living in "Shit Creek" next to the Vic high country for many years and the growth in leisure 4WD traffic over the last decade has been significant. So I've decided to take to the hills myself and am waiting (waiting, waiting) for a new Fortuner to arrive.
I expect to be driving bush tracks several times a month, usually solo, with river crossings, and steep rocky tracks that get dusty, so there are some things e.g. tough-walled tyres, snorkel and winch that are just about givens. But suspension changes will only happen if needed, and the new tyres will be standard size 265/65/R17 because of known rubbing problems with anything bigger, even with a suspension lift. And that'll be more than enough fun I reckon.
Love this video, on my third Land Rover Disco 3/4 here in the UK l, use them on road 99% of the time over the years with many road trips across Europe including snowy alpine roads and towing caravans and boats all year round. On balance the manufacturers compromise has world perfectly, never let me down, never felt the need to modify 👍
Great advice . just look at the 4x4 mods and tyres most farmers have which is usually basic stock standard off the dealer's back shed floor . A standard 4x4 will go a long way off bitumen and even a 2wd will go further than most would consider possible .
There is always -- well mostly always a different, safer, and easier road to get to where ever is so important
Most modern after market drive cameras have a gps speed displayed on them. Very helpful.
3 am planing , your spot on as always 🤣
Friends of mine have bought all "the fruit" for their new 70 series Landcruiser, "the fruit" is now sitting in the garage and has been for close on six months waiting for the new Cruiser to arrive, they've now been advised that they won't see the Cruiser until 2023 some time and it could be a '23 model which could well mean that a lot of the new "fruit" won't fit. No comeback on the dealership unfortunately. Done a bit of "Piss Creek" work and quite a bit of single day 4WD stuff, personally in order of preference tyres, lift and an air locker, awesome fun to be had here without to much expense. If you do to many mods you can get to places where people can't get to you if you get into strife, been there done that :)
We all know the most important aspect of 4 wheel driving is how the car looks. Get some 17's with some poke and cover them in 33" BF goodrich at's. It'll make your Ute look sick. Don't worry about practicality
Well said. We don't want passers-by to assume you've got a small rooster, do we?
LOL! Yeah, plenty of rooster measuring going on for sure
Black rims with fake beadlocks add extra teepee
There is a V8 Coyote Supercharged Upgrade Option for the Raptor in Mongolia. Runs on 21 Inch Wheels and runs just fine under tree cover uphill so satellite cover is all good.
It always puzzles me that a few blokes in a shed think they know better than 100's of engineering gurus at the manufacturer.
Engineers can build the most bulletproof off-road vehicle ever. Bean counters that need to achieve the vehicles price point are what hinders them.
@@pv3566 Think there is also a big gap between a bullet proof 4wd and what people want and willing to pay...
In reality It takes a team of well paid engineer’s year’s to design an automobile! and it takes a couple of poorly paid mechanic’s hours to fix their mistakes!
Sometimes they do. Doesn't happen often but it does happen.
The manufacturer's engineering gurus are held back by marketing and accountants. It isn't hard to improve their product in specific ways such as off-road performance which, as John correctly said, is only a part-time activity for most buyers.
It’s the best idea to grab a GPS the check speedo in your new car to know your speed. WAZE did a good job, I compared it to a Garman. My MY13 Colorado on new OEM tyres was 96km/h at 100km/h and when I went up a size to an all terrain it went to 98km/h at 100km/m. Which I made a mental note. Also increased my fuel efficiency that I expected but if anyone out there doesn’t know consequences to changing diameters.
Love it, ... needed to hear THIS, on a Sunday (Driver)!
I own a 2018 Suzuki Jimny, unmodified. It’s perfect as is.
The only thing I would ever suggest to anyone getting a 4wd to actually 4wd with and not only ever use it as a shopping trolly is a snorkel as a preventative measure so as to not hydraulic your motor. Also if you are going on sand then learn to let your tires down. Every time I go on the beach I have to snatch someone out because they haven't, didn't know they had too or only let them down to 25-30psi. They cut into my fishing time and I don't like it haha
Have legit walked over with a shovel and a pressure gauge to someone bogged. Dug out the mound in front of the tyres, dropped tyres to 18, low range 2nd gear and driven out. No snatch required!
I just took a stock GWM Cannon to Fraser Island. H/T tyres at 18 psi, sports mode on, stability off. No issues driving through Inskip or Fraser Island.
The smaller wheel idea is a very interesting topic. With the weight of modern 4x4's, and then the owner adding even more weight with all the aftermarket fruit plus water, extra fuel, 7 years of booze, food for 3 years and all the new fancy camping equipment for a 2 day trip, the brakes should definitely be one of the first "upgrades" (in my opinion anyway). Sometimes a 16 inch wheel won't fit with a decent brake upgrade.
How the hell do you upgrade to bigger brakes without recalibrating the ABS?
@@AutoExpertJC is that really necessary? The ABS sensor will tell the ABS brain to take away some brake pressure, if one or more wheel(s) come to a standstill... same thing with upgraded brakes or standard brakes, or am i looking at that too "naively" ? Likewise you would not have to recalibrate the ABS if you use tyres with a better road grip or better brake pads , which both would have the same effect as upgraded bigger brakes. (We are talking about larger brake discs, arent we?)
@@uweweber5012 *Pascal has entered the conversation*
Instead of spending all that money on a brake "upgrade" you could just learn how to drive. The brakes on modern cars are fine as long as you drive correctly. Back off early when you see the lights are red or coming up to a corner, keep a sensible distance between you and the car you are following and the big one, select a lower gear when going down a long steep hill. Do these things correctly and a brake "upgrade" is totally unnecessary.
@@AutoExpertJC I have no idea, the brake people take care of that I suppose. But that's something I never thought of.
I have a Ranger with 815 KW 20 inch all terranes and yes not jacked up. its on the road most of the time,.good advice in this video.
if your doing engine mods make sure your having them done by a company that will ensure their work.
33 / 10.5 / 17 all terrain tyres are pretty much the best compromise between the tarmac and the bush. I have had these on my rig for 80,000 k and will be replacing them with another set shortly.
Ruins the gearing though...
@@AutoExpertJC rubbish..anything with low range has more than ratios to deal with 99% of situations...
I added AT BF Goodriches, diff breathers, 2-inch lift and a bullbar to my Prado after going into the outback and crossing a few creeks/rivers with a rear end that was sagging from our gear and after seeing a lot of scary roadkill on the side of the road in outback NSW and the car handled better in the city after the mods, while adding confidence in the country. BTW the bullbar was for vehicle protection, not an attempt at occupant safety and a rear bar i put on paid for itself in a reversing bingle in an Aldi carpark, where no damage was sustained.
beard stroker spotted
100%agree on the tyre thing John,even to the point of taking the muddies with me and fitting them when I get there (if I'm towing that is).I like driving on performance tyres on road and changing them out for a weekend is no big deal
Thank you very much for your good advises, John ❤
John ..Ford speedo correction use Ford FORSCAN software..the speedo definitely can be recaliberated for different sized tyres larger or smaller..
Check out "Custom car coding" running larger tyres the speedo can be set to read factory allowances and it also corrects the Auto shift points.
Also
...Remeber the Toyota Hilux couldn't pass the swerve test at factory standard height on stock suspension it is an absolute boat...
Aftermarket suspension is generally always an upgrade over stock. Except when the suspension is FOX in the raptors case leave it in and send it! .
The dobinsons MRA remote res has been a huge upgrade over stock in the normal range 4x4s.. Quality gear.
Buying a set of factory rims the same as you already have is usually dirt cheap from someone who has done the "upgrade". I got a set of brand new identical 18" rims for $500, bought a set of lightly used 5yr old BFG KA2's for the
Just went through this John Nissan ducked and weaved at every opportunity to fix the Y62 Patrol.
some advice for a good GPS speed device, buy Android based device with MTK SoC (System on Chip) as they have the most sensitive GPS sensor that does not need a SIM card to get mobile signal to scan for nearest location, I my self use the TCL 20 R 5G (without SIM cards as its dual sim device), also use the DigiHub GPS Speedometer app (and have done so since around 2013 without issue) far and away the best app there is out there for GPS speedometer and best of all no ads as the developer has kept the interface clean (should you use WIFI for internet signal).
For my vehicle (2019 Ford Escape ST-Line with 19x8 alloys which have 235/45 tyres) the following difference in speedometer to actual road speed (GPS based road speed)
100km/h speedometer indicted = GPS road speed 95km/h
110km/h speedometer indicated = GPS road speed 105km/h
Also engine RPM (and technically gearing) is also affected, which indeed does have make fuel consumption different overall.
Example: the transmission shift points when using the speedometer as a guide the transmission will not allow 5th gear under 60km/h, it will stay in 4th gear until vehicle speed is more then 60km/h, however as I mention above at 60km/h the real road speed is actually 55km/h, so in order to have better fuel economy (re: lower RPM while able to maintain speed) is to doing an indicated 65km/h on the speedometer which will allow the transmission to be in 5th gear, basically in Sydney traffic and the speed limits means the transmission is basically a 4-speed auto unless you are: speeding or on a road which allows for more legal speed.
Adding further to my comment RANGER has the same brake package for all turbo diesel variants, as the XLS version comes standard with 16x7.5 alloy wheels the SPORT can easily also accommodate the same size alloy wheels.
As for tyre size, I suggest you watch Robert Pepper UA-cam channel which goes into more detail about off road tyres as he has real world experience about these things as he actually owns a PX Ranger and has videos of his vehicle in off road situations, not to say John Cadogan does not provide the same level of info however Robert goes intot he real technical side of things in terms of info.
ua-cam.com/users/L2SFBCRobertPepperautojournovideos
Our Navara 2012 shows 100kph when doing 91kph on GPS and matches with Radar test, my Ford focus at 100kph on the speedo is actually doing 94kph.
No mods done and both running standard tyres of the manufacturer specs.
I decided to put a bull bar on my new BT purely for where I live and animals I may encounter.. What's thoughts on upgrading suspension to counter the weight of bar?
We only offroad a few times a year so not necessarily needed for clearance just interested on thoughts? Thanks in advance
Great advice, two sets of tyres is a smarter cheaper solution to a lack of traction, which will probably be the only real problem with the new Ranger, buy a set 33" mud terrain tyres and 16" rims for your play weekends and you get plenty of traction, and a 1.5" lift at the same time. Don't need new suspension.
Awesome discussion John. Very informative 👍
I've just found your channel and like the videos I've watched so far. I've just bought a Ranger Wildtrack 2.0 4x4 10AT and pick it up in the next few days. I've changed the tyres to 265/60 R18s so I'll let you know how I get on!
Damn, John. I would eagerly spend two grand for an extra 3/4 inch increase. Heck, I would pay five grand for a whole 1 1/2 inch increase.
I only have three inches, however, I have found most Ming Moles can’t handle it that wide.
You'd need a sign in traffic... 'Oversize'.
@@AutoExpertJC I’m carrying an oversize load right now.
22:00: not to mention increased rolling resistance, increased road noise, increased fuel consumption, increased tyre wear on bitumen, and decreased wet weather performance on bitumen. But "chunky" trumps all that....
Back in the good ole days of the good ship GM, the dealer had the potential using tech2 to program the cluster with updated tyre sizes, Justin case you wanted those SS mags on your executive VY.
Well Simon…. If that doesn’t give you perspective, I don’t know what will.
Great advice John.
👍👍👍👍👍👍👌👌👌👌👌👌
I participate in club hillclimbs and at the start of a new meeting the serious competitors are changing their road tyres for R spec or slicks (really really competitive). We also take a new car to the hill (Mt Cotton or Noosa) in standard form and then modify one thing at a time and test. The only time an owner would arrive with lots of modifications is when there is historical evidence that they will work, and they are suitable for your style of driving. I would be surprised if the off road driver didn't have a similar level of understanding and information available.
I have run the GPS speed experiment. Gave myself the best chance by having a Telstra powered Android phone and what I learnt was that my particular Mazda 3 's Speedo is that it works on a bell curve of sorts. At 60KPH the GPS and Speedo agreed by 80KPH there was 3 KPH discrepancy. So 83KPH indicated in the car was 80 KPH according to the GPS. By 100KPH the discrepancy is 6KPH. Interestingly by 110KPH the discrepancy is only 5KPH Meaning in my particular Mazda 3 I can travel at up to 115KPH indicated before actually going over.
Is that 3 L diesel the same unit that goes into Land Rover products? What could possibly go wrong?
You're kidding me, that its powered by a Chinese piece of shit. 🤣😂😅😂🤣
It's a Ford motor, but was used in Land Rovers and Jags as well as some other things over it's life.
Yep, same motor that is well known for snapping crankshafts 🤦
I'd be worried with this engine
If you buy a ranger, a damn good roll cage would be the first modification after upgrading the life insurance policy. Especially after the recent American court ruling against ford and the death of a couple in a rollover.
If you fit a roll cage, it has to be engineered and you better wear a helmet too for safety..
@@petesmitt yes! And you would also reasonably expect the roof wouldn’t completely collapse in a rollover, considering the supposed engineering that went into the design and construction..
What is not surprising is the amount of fight from ford to hide and dismiss this ruling, or the treatment given to the victims families by them.
There are 17" alloy Ranger wheels for sale all over the place. From the previous generation, but I'm sure they'd fit.
I love this guy. Piss creakian had me laughing.
The reality is that a competent driver in a bog stock 60 series on stock split rims and LT skinnies can generally drive as far or further than anything else off road. In most cases when the tyre is let down it extends fore and aft which only helps tracking and directional control, unlike fats which tend to expand sideways as much as anywhere and are easily pulled right off the rim or staked through the sidewalls by any sharp stick or rock... Some of the hardest off road driving ever done in this country used split rims and skinny tyres such as by Len Beadell etc. - big fat tyres are often a liability in stoney country.
Sweet cap 🧢 & shirt 👚 combo JC ❤
When I bought my Toyota TRD Off Road earlier this year, it came with 265/70/16 tires and can't be any happier when I go out to the mountains. That extra 1.5 in. lift from the dealer is not worth that extra money. Anything higher would hurt the street drivability and utility of the truck. I spent years looking into what I needed and drove the terrain with a "free" Jeep Cherokee to see what I wanted. Just do research, and drive where you want to go.
Have a 2009 vw caddie.
110 on gps is 118 on speedo.
Everything is stock standard
I’ve owned a Pajero Sport for 5 1/2 years. My mods are a factory nudge bar so I could fit driving lights. I do a lot of late night rural driving and decent lighting is essential for me. We also had Drifta Camper Kitchen drawers fitted several years ago. These I can really highly recommend. I run a solar panel to charge my removable deep cycle battery for those occasions when I take my Engel with me. Toyo tyres are the remaining modification (if you can call it that). Everything else is dead stock. This car is more capable than me off road. If I really wanted to do hardcore off roading as a hobby I would buy a Canam Maverick X3 and tow it to the trails I wanted to go along. I don’t see any sense in wrecking my transport as a hobby. Although the Canam is not cheap, it would be less expensive than wrecking my Pajero doing dumb stuff off-road.
on the tyre change should you do it . if you need to ask about .
i remember a time some family members went from a sporty holden , to a lux falcon ,
they had serval nears misses , on the road they had driven for 15 years , until they got used to the handling .
they were the get in and drive type , not think type . and today add cell phones to the mix .
all done at normal 90 - 100 kph speeds
After tyres, the next things to buy to never get stuck is a tyre pressure gauge and a shovel. Then maybe a portable compressor if you’re going remote.
I bought a new 2013 hilux SR5 and have a spare set of AT tyres with steel rims for my trips away. I have never been bogged and never needed to have it raised or modified I have been to Fraser Island and heaps of different off-road camping tracks. Standard is the best set up doesn't affect warranty and Toyota have spent millions more on RnD than Arb ever will.
When I increased my tyre size, the speedo became spot on accurate, no longer reading fast. Good idea using GPS to check what your margin of error is.
That was a very good and well though out piece that he probably won't listen to 👍👍
Considering 16inch rims hit on a 2012 n70 hilux due to brakes, id guess they won’t fit a v6 ranger. Likely 17” would be smallest and a 285/70r17 would be great for off road. I do agree with the 2nd set of wheels if you require a large increase but not wanting to make the ute a full on off roader
Hi John, I thought ADR 18 stated at 100 kph ( true speed) the speedometer could read
114 kph. That is at 100 kph plus 10 % plus 4 kph. Or has that now been changed ? Regards Daryl
Since when has 10% of 100 been 4 ?
Up until 1996 , a speedo wasn’t mandatory .from then it became an ADR requirement and in a nut shell, it cannot read less than the actual travelling speed,, so if the car is travelling @60 ,the speed must read 60 and /or above , never less than the actual true speed. The 10 % , 2 km/hr are all myths. Ford however allow in the parameters to change the increments relative to true speed. So you can have 0- infinitely reading above true road speed. It’s usually set at 2 above .
@@tba3900 Excerpt from Vehicle Standard (Australian Design Rule 18/03 - Instrumentation) 2006 speed indicated shall not be less than the true speed of the vehicle. At the test speeds specified in paragraph 5.2.5. above, there shall be the following relationship between the speed displayed (V1 ) and the true speed (V2).
0 £ (V1 - V2) £ 0.1 V2 + 4 km/h
@@grug5259 yep agree, that’s been updated last time I looked. All I know is I select the tyre size/ even diff ratios and download the as built file and all the modules are happy again. Then I can go into parameters and change the correction factor if the owner so wishes. If the true and indicated speeds are too exaggerated it affects trans and abs performance.
@@tba3900 that's from the current ADR.
This standard was originally made under section 7 of the Motor Vehicle Standards Act 1989 and from 1 July 2021 continues in force as if it were a national road vehicle standard determined under section 12 of the Road Vehicle Standards Act 2018
"Take their effluent on tour..." hahahahaha.
Middle aged man wears baseball caps 🤣🤣
The problem with Johns suggestion of obtaining empirical evidence with a stock vehicle before upgrading a 4x4 is that a mistake on a tough track in the middle of nowhere can turn out to be very costly and potentially very dangerous. Basic mods like more appropriate tyre size/construction have been tested, proven and reported the world over, saving the need for each person to do their own R&D for every component.
Having gone from 255/65 to 265/70 x 17 HT's on my DMax it had better grip - especially in the wet - and comfort but noticeably less sharp handling due to the taller sidewalls.
9:07
Back in the day, my ghetto speedo check was timing myself between 5 km mile markers.
180 sec for 100 km/h
165 sec for 110 km/h
150 sec for 120 km/h
Great advice John
Sensible advice, a second set of wheels (preferably steel) with less road friendly tyres.
Straight road too when checking the GPS, it makes a difference.
Bull bars, winch, bigger wheels and raised height…YAY!
I had a mate that fitted larger diameter tyres to his PX Ranger and it threw the vehicle into a hissy fit. The vehicle just did not perform with the larger diameter wheels. The acceleration and fuel consumption went down the proverbial gurgler.
Great video old mate
Performance isn’t the only factor. Tyre availability is massive issue. If you are in the middle of visiting “Dingo piss creek” you’ll want a tyre that you can actually replace. Not have to wait 3 weeks for your weird arse tyre to arrive.
Hi John, love your work and wicked sense of humour , keep giving it to whomever deserves it 👍
I am looking to move on my 2018 MQ Triton D/Cab GLS 110,000 km for a more comfortable tow vehicle, says my wife lol, like a wagon.
We tow a caravan weighing 2.4ton fully loaded and interested in your opinion of a Ford Everest Platinum?
Also is there another vehicle you would consider a suitable vehicle in either diesel or petrol.
Look forward to your new videos each day, cheers.
Rob
Well put
4wd247 does a review the last couple of years on stock standard dual cab utes and their off-road ability from the stealership and it shows the potential of standard dual cabs in standard form is quite impressive. Then again if you're buying an ifs vehicle, you're going to bust more components by virtue of design no matter what you do.
But then they created the 35” tyre users and 4” lifts that use more right foot than sense cause they are out with their mates giving it the berries. They destroy the tracks for anyone else who have normal vehicles with moderate lifts and AT’s.
Even driving with mechanical sympathy, within the car's limits and with all of my three braincells?
Damn. Back to the drawing board.
@@offroadingfoz water run off destroys tracks quicker than tyre size everytime, lets be honest your 4wd on 31’s never stood a chance on the tracks that trail rigs on 35/37 inch tyres are doing anyway
Taking stock vehicles offroad longterm doesnt pay 4wd247 crews wages
Indeed, I have planned the mods for the new ranger, even though I've not bought one yet, and boy, have the prices gone up. Pretty much just carrying over the same mods from my existing ranger, but 10k more expensive, excluding the things I found unncessary, and some additions I wish I had done. 99% of my modifications are for practical purposes, due to my location and lifestyle (being a piss-creekian). I'll prob grab the a new Ranger after this initial new model has worked out the bugs as I don't want to pay a premium, to be on a waiting list for something, and be a tester.
yeah I heard that there is a 2024 up grade in the works already.
Ford find it cheaper to use the public as their test and eval crew.
Like you I have planned to purchase a new range. (fully optioned wildtrak. I am just hearing to many weird stories about the manufacturing process e.g. raptor stickers on a wildtrak or 6 week old owned rangers with horrendous rust issues. Oppps that is meant to be hush hush....lol So I have decided to put off the deposit for at least 12 months and not be part of the experiment. Also noticed a fully opted wildtrak has increased in price by approx $1200 in the last 3 mths.
Yes am planning an all round touring and work horse, So $80k on road for ute/truck, then ARB catalogue thrown at it (all under ford warranty, a deliberate decision), takes the total cost up to between $110k-$120k, well somewhere in that range. Know I will never push vehicle to the limits (hope not) unlike 4WD 24/7 idiots. Most mods are to protect the ute and provide functionality/capability. Nothing more. Yes getting screwed in price but does come with factory warranty (paying a premium for it) on all items hence why I am not looking at Ironman or other aftermarket suppliers.
Have done weight calculations on all items as all ppl should. Not increasing tyre size, just basic GCM increase (300kg) which includes approx 2" lift. To date I believe balanced approach between cost, warranty, functionality, performance, Vehicle protection, workhorse and lifestyle choice. Really a general all rounder.
@@darrensmith4661 My quote was certainly eye opening, considering my last one cost me about 85, after mods. The price has gone up around 20k in total, but that V6 is hard to pass up.
J/C. Took a page straight out of our 4wding playbook, as our group of 'tyre pumping' blokes adventure to axle broken excursions bi-monthly ! How did you know my truck has a second set of 32" muddies and a first set of 32" school run H/T's ? V.
The models below the Xlt will take 16 inch tyres.. The minimum for the sport is 17inch
I would be more worried about the lift as my mate had it done and it threw codes all the time for the sensor on the front of the Ute,it was so bad it cost him a small fortune to get them recalibrated