4WD Servicing

While many never see a dirt track, it's important to understand that 4WD's need regular maintenance.  This is especially true if you are towing or are into serious recreational 4WDing.

Does My 4WD Need Specialist Servicing?
If you are a veteran hard core off-roader, you likely know all there is to know about servicing and maintaining a 4WD vehicle. However, if you are new to the off-road driving scene, or are considering starting an off-road driving career, there are some things you need to know about keeping your 4WD in top-notch condition, one of which is that you need to service your vehicle much more regularly than the factory service schedule prescribes. So, let's take a  closer look at why you have to service your 4WD vehicle more regularly, what's likely to break in the bush, and what you can do to prevent at least some unexpected breakdowns.

Why Do 4WD Vehicles Require More Regular Servicing? 
While most modern proper 4WD vehicles have excellent off-road capabilities, there is no such thing as a perfect 4WD, and even the best 4WD’s break down from time to time. Moreover, most hard core off-road driving places extreme demands on even the best 4WD’s.
Factory specified service intervals are designed to keep a 4WD vehicle in good mechanical condition only if it is not frequently subjected to dusty conditions, water crossings, thick sand, deep mud, extreme suspension articulations, and the severe vibrations that come with hard core off-road driving over extended distances.
Thus, since vehicle manufacturers cannot foresee all eventualities or accept responsibility for breakdowns and parts failures that happen when their products are used in extreme conditions, it falls to the owners of 4WD vehicles to take suitable precautions to prevent such failures as far as is practicable. However, since knowing what reasonable precautions to take requires some knowledge of what is likely to break under extreme operating conditions, we have compiled a short list of the most common weaknesses of even the best 4WD vehicles on the market today.

• 4WD Shock Absorbers
• 4WD Clutch Failures
• 4WD Timing Belts
• 4WD Contaminated Fuel Risks