LOAD CARRYING

Define the use your 4x4 is going to get before you start and your upgrade process will deliver you what you need, says specialist Anthony Dunk of Pukekohe-based Goosey’s 4x4 Customs.

The best way to create a vehicle that meets the demands placed on it day-in and day-out is by having a clear understanding of what its role will be: weekend warrior? Hardworking tradie’s mate? Long distance off-road tourer? It’s a question that has engaged the best brains in the industry for decades – and even manufacturers can’t deliver the perfect vehicle for a given role. But by spending time gently probing their customers on the subject and developing a clear picture of what the vehicle will carry and what it’s asked to do, the five person team at Goosey’s 4x4 Customs are producing exceptionally capable four-wheel-drives. That initial scoping conversation is critical, says owner Anthony Dunk. After all, with a parts inventory of 12,000 individual items available to them from a wide variety of manufacturers, understanding the purpose of modifications is the difference between a sublimely developed vehicle and a patchwork mess.

The most important thing

“The most important thing a customer needs to bring is a clear understanding of what they want to do with their vehicle. Even a simple DIY shock absorber bolt-on can create an ill-handling or even dangerous vehicle – or invalidate the vehicle’s warranty. “We will sit with the customer and look at what is being carried, understanding the demands made on the vehicle. Then we will look at options to help the vehicle carry out its function and make a recommendation from there.” Anthony gives the example he sees a lot of: proud owner of a new four-wheel-drive who wants more offroad capability and proposes starting with a suspension lift – or worse, a set of bigger wheels and tyres. Just bolting-on a winch and bullbar can add 100 kg to a vehicle – all of it ahead of the front bumper.