The Essential 4×4 Accessories and Their Benefits

For everyone who intends on heading off the beaten trail with a 4×4, there are a few accessories that can make the trip more pleasant and fulfilling. That’s not to say you can’t enjoy an off-road trip without them, but there are some obstacles that you’ll have a far easier time overcoming by properly equipping your vehicle with a few accessories that enhance its protection and help you get out of a pickle. Most 4×4 accessories don’t require you to perform any heavy modification to your vehicle. In fact, most are simply bolted on, or wired in.

The Bull Bar

The bull bar is one of the most essential 4×4 accessories that every adventurer should consider installing on their vehicle. It provides the much necessary front end protection that protects the vital fluid heat exchangers. The front end of the vehicle is especially vulnerable if you have any sort of lift performed on it and there are many vital parts that are located just behind the thin stock plastic, such as the intercooler, radiator, transmission oil cooler and air-conditioning condenser.

Bull bars are usually made of aluminium or stainless steel. Aluminium is lighter and more affordable than stainless steel, but stainless steel is more durable. Both offer incredible impact resistance and can be used to push out heavy objects out of the way, including other 4×4 vehicles.

Recovery Equipment

Recovery equipment is a must have for any avid off-road enthusiast. It’s not a matter of whether you’ll get stuck, but a matter of when you’ll get stuck when driving off the beaten trail. The most commonly utilised recovery equipment are recovery tracks and winches. Recovery tracks offer traction and allow your vehicle to build momentum to get out of a sticky situation. They’re affordable and portable, which makes them ideal for almost any situation. Winches, on the other hand, are the more heavy-duty option, but they rely on another object being near by to be utilised.

Roof Racks

Roof racks are essential if you’re going on a weekend getaway with family or friends, and you need extra storage space. Roof racks add versatility to your vehicle by providing more safe storage space, thus allowing you to bring more stuff. Moreover, you can attach many accessories onto the roof racks, such as lighting brackets, an ax and a shovel, etc. There are several types of roof racks, the most popular ones being rain gutters and full rails and many more.