Thinking About an Off-Road Adventure? What Spare Parts Should You Carry?
If you're planning a grand adventure into the Outback, you may be taking a look at your vehicle to make sure that it is up to the task and should be preparing a checklist of items to take with you, just in case. While you should definitely focus on a survival kit for each person in the vehicle, you should also anticipate what spare 4x4 parts you may need for your vehicle. Remember, help may be a long way away if you're unfortunate enough to suffer a breakdown, and in an ideal world, you will want to fix it yourself. What kind of parts should you bring on board?
Being Realistic
Firstly, you need to be sensible and practical. You won't be able to cover every eventuality or predict a failure that could happen in the normal course of everyday driving. You should, however, consider the type of terrain you're going to encounter and how that could put considerable strain on the more vulnerable parts.
Can You Cope?
One of your party should be, at the very least, a 'weekend mechanic'. They should be able to tackle some relatively basic jobs so that you can resume your journey, and so long as you are reasonably prepared, you should be okay. If not, anyone who mounts a rescue mission to come and get you may wonder if you should have attempted such a journey in the first place.
What to Focus On
The engine in your 4x4 should cope with such an expedition without many problems. If you pay attention to your servicing schedule and have kept up with maintenance, then you needn't worry too much about this element. However, the suspension is going to encounter a lot of hardship, and you should stock up on some spare parts here.
Carry a spare hub with you, as well as a replacement drive shaft and some universal joints. These are the parts that are most vulnerable to breakage, but make sure that you also have the correct tools to enable you to elevate the vehicle and carry out the work.
If you're heading out in the heat of the summer, you should also plan for cooling issues and carry spare hoses and connectors with you. Put some 'stop leak' in the back as well, in case you get a hole in the radiator.
Understanding the Process
Before you leave, do some research on the Internet to familiarise yourself with the process involved in changing those suspension items. Be as fully prepared as you can, and you should truly enjoy your adventure.
