Every off-road enthusiast knows that having great equipment is essential for being able to fully enjoy every adventure they indulge in. By equipment, we mean having a vehicle that is able to handle the challenges on the road, while providing its driver with safety, stability and durability. Modifying your rig is now easier and more affordable than ever, and you don’t have to spend an enormous amount of time and energy to make it happen. Thanks to the variety of offers on the market, you can choose the ones that fit your budget but also allow you to modify your SUV or any other car on your own, and finally get to explore vistas, landmarks and places you’ve always wanted.
There’s something tempting and exciting about travelling in open spaces and driving on the unsurfaced roads and tracks, facing the difficulties and overcoming them. The adrenaline rush in every situation that could potentially be dangerous and challenging your skills and your rig is also another element that people love about off-road experiences. Considering that, some of the best off-road trips are exactly the ones that are the wildest and the most scenic, and include riding the tracks made of dirt and gravel, driving over rocks if you love rock crawling and through mud and water if you’re a fan of driving through rivers and ponds. Off-roading is a hobby for millions of people, and there’s a good reason for that. You do need skills to learn how to properly manage your driving, but you don’t need a brand new off-road vehicle with special customized features.
Here’s what you should pay attention to and what you need if you plan on getting into the world of fun and excitement:
Off-road Tires
Are all tyres the same? Is there something like an off-road tyre? Universal tyres, good for every road and every season doesn’t exist. However, there are several factors you should consider when you’re investing in your tyres. What we mean by this is the fact that there are numerous types of tyres that are specifically designed to fit completely different environments. That being said, you’ll need special tyres if you plan on driving on the hot sand through the desert. The same goes for driving on the snow or mud, but the tyres you’ll need will have to be completely different. However, most common off-road tyres are called maximum traction tyres and their other name is mud tyres since they’re great for rocky trails and roads.
What’s special about them is their pattern which has large lugs which is exactly what you need when you hit the most challenging roads out there. Having tyres such as these provide you with more traction on unpaved surfaces that are loose and hard to drive on. Off-road tyres can be divided into several categories such as mud terrain, all-terrain and snow terrain. Depending on where you’re going, adjust your vehicle by starting with the most obvious necessity.
Cleared Ground
You have to have a clear ground if you want to get off the surface of the road and get onto rocks, bumps and other ruts that could potentially damage your car and have you bogged and lost soon after you began your journey. You don’t want your chassis laying on the ground while your wheels are being stuck in the ground, unable to move or get traction. This is definitely not the scenario that you’d want for yourself. Along with the right tyres, it is extremely important to prepare your car for everything that you’re planning on doing, by installing the right suspensions. This will allow you to have a smoother ride, maintain the contact between your tyres and the road, and make your vehicle more stable and secure by decreasing the vibration and other forces that your wheels need to absorb.
The most important elements of your suspension is a shock absorber which increases your control over the vehicle and provides you with more durability and more reliability. However, choosing the right shock absorber can be overwhelming for someone who’s a newbie in the game, so click here to find out what’s the right fit for your car type and your budget. After you’ve got yourself a good pair of shocks, you’re already halfway done, since this will enable you to drive over various obstacles without having to worry about the potential damage to your car. Ideally, your vehicle should have somewhere around 8 or 9 inches of clearance for you to make sure you’re good to go. You wanted to know what could make you unstoppable? This is it.
Bull Bar
Bullbars are not there for aesthetic purposes nor to make your car look more robust. They are being incorporated so that they can protect the front end of your vehicle when you’re going through bushes, trees, grass or anything that comes your way. Sometimes, it’s impossible to avoid the obstacles on the road by driving over or around and that’s exactly the moment when you need some extra help and support that a bull bar provides. Stainless steel and thick rubber are the materials that are commonly used and they are proven to help you protect your truck. This is a very handy addition to your vehicle when driving on rough roads. One more reason to consider purchasing them is a potential or accidental collision with animals if you’re driving somewhere in the wild. If you hit an animal that could easily disable your car causing you damage you cannot fix on the road.
It also protects you from all sorts of particles that could easily get caught into odd places under your hood such as sticks or rocks. You can choose from a variety of sizes and forms to match your vehicle and your preferences and they also come with some extra lighting to help you when you’re driving at night. However, you should be aware of the fact that in some countries, ball bars or bumpers are considered illegal since they are a great danger to other road users due to the protection they provide to the person who has them on their car, compared to the regular vehicles. But for off-road, they’re perfect!
Follow your urge to explore, but don’t forget to stay within your limits, listen to your car and forget your ego. This way, you’ll be able to enjoy the experience and have a lot of fun. That’s the whole point, right?