Beginner’s guide to solar panels: what you need to know for camping and 4WD adventures
Learn how solar panels work, what panel efficiency means, regulated vs unregulated panels, and how to choose the right setup for your 4WD or camping trip.
Wes Whitworth
DIY garage: Servicing your winch
Servicing your winch is essential to keeping it reliable when you need it most. Your winch contains vital parts like seals, bearings, gearsets, and about four tubs worth of grease that wears out over time. In this guide, we’ll cover the key components and how to keep them in top shape.
Top 5 things you need in your recovery kit
A recovery kit is vital for anyone who wants to venture off the blacktop. Of course, anyone can wander into a four-wheel drive shop and pick up a kit off the shelf. But do you really know what you need…
Everything you need to know about OBD2
The OBD2 Port If you’ve got a four-wheel drive built after about 1994, chances are you’ll have an OBD2 port. They’re often up under the steering column, and sometimes over in a kick panel, but it’s not so much its…
The dangers of dust ingress…
There’s no arguing we’re seeing a lot more areas in drought. Combine that with our love of touring the outback of this magic country and, all of a sudden, we’re starting to see more than a few engines impacted by…
Top 10 mistakes people make when modifying a 4X4
Getting a new (or even your first) four-wheel drive is an exciting time. Dreams of the mods, the build, epic locations to take the new whip all come flooding to the forefront of our minds. But and take it from…
Should you fit a snorkel sock to your 4×4?
Some swear by them, others reckon they’re restrictive and too easily blocked. So, should you fit a snorkel sock on your 4X4? We all know the benefits of fitting a snorkel on your 4X4; clean air, improved water fording and…
Top 10 spares to take touring
As the Unsealed 4X4 team sits around filling up the weekends working on our respective four-wheel drives, one question keeps coming up: once we’re done building our rigs, what spares should we take into the great unknown with us. We’ve…
Everything you ever wanted to know about a turbo
If you get your hands on any diesel-powered vehicle these days, chances are they will be helped along by a turbocharger hanging off the side of the engine. For a lot of older folks who might’ve been used to a…
Why your 4X4 needs a secondary fuel filter
With modern common-rail diesel engines having such fine tolerances, a secondary fuel filter is a must to ensure a batch of dodgy fuel doesn’t cause havoc. Wander around on Facebook, or lean over the fence and ask your neighbour about…
Top tips: mechanical diesel engine tuning guide
Got a mechanical diesel that’s feeling a bit sluggish? Read through our mechanical diesel engine tuning guide to get more grunt and go from your old rig. There are a billion and three guides on how to squeeze more performance…
Calculating how much solar you really need
In this guide, we’ll run through how to work out exactly how much solar you’ll need to be self-sufficient in the power department in your 4X4. If you’ve seen any of my 12-volt guides over the years, you would have…
How to install diff breathers and why they’re so important
When was the last time you gave a thought to your diffs? Here's how to install diff breathers and why they're so important
Everything you need to know about diff drop kits
If you’re looking at giving your IFS-equipped 4X4 a lift, then you’ll likely need a diff drop kit to reduce pressure on your rig’s CV joints. As we go about modifying our Independent Front Suspension (IFS) four-wheel drives, we often…
Breaking the kettle – A must-read cooling guide for TD42 owners
We bring you nine ways to keep your TD42 from boiling itself to death and get the best out of the cooling system, plus a couple of things you’ll read on the forums that just don’t work! The venerable TD42…
