AllOutDoors includes Bushcraft and Wild Camping with some hiking, tree climbing, exploring, kayaking, green woodworking etc etc .. mainly getting away from a misguided society
The below video ranks perhaps 2nd or 3rd on my top list of some really awesome 4wd Action with the Suzuki Grand Vitara, in this case we have 4 cars which are accompanied by one Jeep Cherokee and a Suzuki Jimny.
Starting off with bog crossings between farmers fields, the tour quickly ends up through woodlands, into some misty mountains then next thing you know … SNOW!
We have some pretty Gnarly hill climbing action starting at the 19:00min mark firstly with the Jeep followed by a 3door Grand Vitara and so on …
Usually I don’t like long drive videos that don’t have the fancy editing and voice overs etc, but in this case, the 28+ minutes were really action packed and fun to watch in full!
One of the best most practical and sensible modifications to do on a 4×4 is installing a ”Bash Plate’‘ or ”Skid Plate, Sump Guard” etc. This is essentially under body protection for your engine and other expensive-to-fix elements under your car!
For pictures of the Bash Plate refer to my previous post of unboxing the delivery which also included a spare wheel spacer and Rear Recovery (towing) hitches.
In th below video (3+ mins) I show the very basic way how I installed mine on my Suzuki Grand Vitara – Bash Plates / Engine Guards are also often made even for road vehicles to protect sensitive areas like the Radiator from damage on the highways. Paying £80-170 to prevent a hefty £200-600 bill from a mechanic is quite a no brianer – considering that one of the vehicles at my work as had 3 radiators replaced in the last three years where all three cases were allegedly caused by highway debris…
Tools / Items needed for this installation:
-17mm Spanner
-19mm Spanner
-13mm Spanner
– Solvent such as WD-40
– Long (50cm+) Scaff Bar (to assist undoing old rusted chassis bolts)
– Car Ramps or Jack
– Jack Stands
YES! Today I walked into my living room to find the Radzikone.pl delivery arrived from Poland (And much quicker than expected!).
I ordered three items for the GV with the main purchase being the Under Engine Armour ”Bash Plate” or ”Sump Guard” as it can be known (Radzikone refer to it as Engine and Trnasfer case guard) – these items are highly recommended when modding a 4×4 for more serious Off Roading.
Radzikone.pl Suzuki Grand Vitara 4×4 Parts Unboxing
The other two items were: Rear Towing / Recovery Hitches or ”Towing Eyes” as labelled and a Spare Wheel Spacer – I upgraded my tires from the stock 235/60/r16 to 205/80/r16 which is a much taller tire – the standard Suzuki spare wheeel mount is quite tight so I decided to get the spacer.
The towing hithces are for extra strength towing or recovery points as the GV comes with very basic standard road capable towing hitches which aren’t designed to be used out on the tracks.
Full Unboxing – Radzikone Engine / Transfer Box Bash Plate / Guard, Rear Towing / Recovery Hitches (to help recover Landrovers!) and a Spare Wheel Spacer with some freebies
Overall my order with them went very smooth, delivery was a good few days faster than expected, items were packaged VERY Well! and the nice little key ring / tag with quality Radzikone sticker was a very nice touch.
The products themselves are made from high quality materials, laser cut very well and the design is good – I can definitely see myself using them for as many future modifications or spare parts replacement as I will need – especially due to them being a Suzuki Specialist.
Radzikone Rear recovery tow hitch long towing eye suzuki grand vitara
Radzikone Spare Wheel Spacer Suzuki Grand Vitara modification
Above L to R: (L):Rear Towing Hitch / Recovery Points – these will be installed between where the towbar is attached to the chassis and the chassis itself (R): SpareWheel Spacer – attaches to current spare wheel mount
Why not stay up to date and get connected! This 4WD upgrade will constantly be documented via video and image and posted here as well as youtube. Comments are open to guests as well so please let me know your thoughts!
Here’s a Quick Overview of my newly delivered Insa Turbo Ranger A/T (All Terrain) Off Roading Tyres for the 4×4.
I found that online when searching and attempting to decide on a particular brand or tread pattern for tyres, there were no real detailed images of the tread in order to attempt to gauge the depth and decide for yourself – so here I have added the best detailed pictures I have been able to take up close for those who may be considering these tyres made by the Spanish Re-tread company Insa Turbo.
NOTE: All Images Can Be Clicked For The Expanded View
Insa Turbo Ranger All Terrain – Max Tread Depth is 16mm / 05⁄8in
TREAD DEPTH ANALYSIS:
Depth At Edge / Curve of Tyre:16 mm – 0.5/8 in
Depth Between Center and Edge / Curve:14/15mm – 0.37/64 in
Depth in Centre of Tyre:13mm – 0.33/64 in
OTHER DETAILS / FEATURES:
Marking on Side Wall: Text (M+S) indicated in a mountain-top looking symbol which has a frost / snow flake possibly representing; Mountain (Off Roading) & Snow?
Tubeless Tyres
Insa Turbo Ranger All Terrain 4×4 Off Road Full Tyre 205/80/16 – 29”
Click on Image’s above for detailed / Zoom view !
Insa Turbo Ranger A/T Tread Detail View / Zoom
Insa Turbo are a Spanish Re-tread company and online I have found plenty of comments where long-term users are sharing testimonies that their tyres have not had a change for 100,000 Km’s! Their products are marketed as Green / Eco Friendly Tyres. Note: I am not affiliated with the brand, this post is merely to give other 4×4 enthusiats a better in depth look at the tread pattern and shape etc.
Side Wall Tread Depth Detail at Curve / Edge INSA TURBO RANGER A/T – Some Decent Chunks!Side Detail INSA TURBO RANGER A/T Side Wall and Tread Chunks
I think I was around 15 or 16 in the late ’90s when for some reason I got the bug and wanted the family to get a 4×4, kit it out with family camping gear and other necessities and go on regular trips duing the holidays or weekends.
Having grown up in Southern Africa, 4×4’s are a common sight even on city roads, I think it was a marketing exhibition one day in the atrium of a large shopping mall where various 4×4 manufacturers were exhibiting their cars, where I got the bug.
Nevertheless, more than 10 years later after moving overseas, my first car was a 4×4, or so I thought … The Honda CRV is technically four wheel drive but the process is all automatic, you cannot select 4WD as the computer senses the loss of tracTion in the wheels before it then engages 4WD. So, not what I really had in mind but that’s a story that ended years ago.
I got the bug again recently, we were driving behind an ’18 perhaps ’19 Suzuki Jimney and my wife thought it looked nice (although her perspective is more on looks and perhaps some slight 4WD capability, driving over camping feilds etc. but not for full 4WD with all the gear and jazz).
Suzuki Grand Vitara Rugged 4×4 Off Roader 4WD with Modifications, Lift, Off Road Tyres etc
Suzuki Grand Vitara – 3 Door $x4
Above, we both have slightly different ideas on what we want …
Long story short, I made the effort online in Classified sections, marketplaces such as Auto Trader and am now a proud owner of a StockSuzuki Grand Vitara 4×4!
Stock meaning, factory specifications with regular tyres which don’t perform as well off the road as one would like, low suspension etc.
So we can all look forward to some future Off Roading Adventures and Green Laning trips across the UK in the coming months and years as well as updates on the various modifications I will undertake to make the car more capable.
Stock Suzuki Grand Vitara 2.0 Petrol
Oh, for the Greta Thunbergs out there, I bought a lower emission Petrol version and not Diesel … so take that!
With this car which is not a commuter, myself and family after being car-less for more than a decade will be able to go out and explore the wilderness, go on camping trips and spend our time in nature away from Wifi and ”devices”, hopefully this will give my kids a better life growing up and make them appreciate the natural world more.
Bushman AllOutDoors 