Car Parts and Accessories

Adding a canopy certainly helps to protect your luggage. There are two types of canopies available: 1) the colour-impregnated, UV-stabilised, epoxy resin (or glass-fibre) canopy, and 2) the steel canopy. Both have their advantages and disadvantages, depending on your needs. (more…)

Mesh cover for the radiator No 4×4 vehicle should be without a mosquito metal mesh cover fitted to the radiator. On a Land Rover, it can be attached to the grill; on a Land Cruiser, a light frame into which the mesh is mounted can be added to the front of the radiator. Most other vehicles will use either of these methods to cover the radiator. The mesh cover effectively prevents grass seeds and insects from clogging up the orifices in the radiator. (more…)

When you are buying a 4×4 for regular use in the bush, you will need to decide whether the vehicle’s suspension system should be fitted with leaf or coil springs.

There is no doubt that both leaf and coil springs perform well. In the past, the leaf spring has been more reliable, and of a better quality, than the coil spring, but the latter has become equally reliable, with some manufacturers recently changing from leaf to coil springs. In station- wagons, for example, this change was probably implemented to enhance the comfort of the ride. (more…)

If you are planning to embark on an extended trip to Egypt through East Africa, it is advisable to opt for diesel, as petrol is often not available, of a poor quality or lacking in the additives to which engines in Southern Africa are tuned. Diesels are more economical in terms of fuel consumption. On the other hand, if you are going to drive around Southern Africa — South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe or Botswana — then either petrol or diesel is fine. (more…)

Each class of vehicle has been rated according to the Kaoko Scale, a rating system I devised for the first 4×4. We were looking for a way to simplify the conditions the offroader is likely to encounter. Each class of vehicle has been rated according to the range of conditions and terrain it can handle. (more…)

Certain vehicle parts are more prone than others to breakage or wear in off-road conditions. The following are the items that tend to leave you with a problem.

Shock absorbers: Use only the shock absorbers prescribed for your vehicle, or heavy-duty, off-road shocks. Do not use those types which can be inflated.

Fuel tank: Always carry a fuel tank repair stick in case you get a hole in the fuel tank. If you do not have a repair stick, try to block the hole with Sunlight soap. (more…)

Brake-adjustment should be carried out every 7500 km (5000 miles) to compensate for wear of the friction surfaces. With the car jacked up, the adjusting screw should be turned until the wheel can no longer be turned by hand. The adjuster should then be backed off until the wheel rotates freely. (more…)

1 Clean the whole area first, whatever the type or degree of damage, as this may show up secondary bruising. (more…)

All the methods of repair discussed so far can be used where normal strength is required, such as door and general bodywork panels, but they are not suitable for points of high stress such as rotted chassis members or areas of pressed bodywork which bear the full weight of suspension units. But no matter what steps are taken to ensure a good bond between metal and glass fibre, (more…)

Sad to say, the world is not full of people as nice as you and me. Although we have worked hard to buy and maintain our cars, there are malcontents out there who want the same thing for nothing.

Thieves come in three types: joyriders (usually young people who ‘take the car for a burn’), pilferers (who steal luggage or dash-board stereos, often without moving the car) and professionals. None of them are particularly nice but at least with the first and second type you have a chance of getting most of your car back. (more…)

• Battery hydrometer
• Coolant hydrometer
• Drain basin
• Droplight

• Emery cloth
• Fine sandpaper

• Fire extinguisher
• Funnel
• Fuse puller
• Jack
• Jack stands

• Jumper cables
• Lug wrench

• Needle-nose pliers
• Oil filter (strap) wrench
• Putty knife

• Rubber mallet
• Screwdrivers(Phillips and standard)
• Socket wrench
• Spark plug socket
• Terminal puller

• Tire pressure gauge
• Wheel blocks

• Wire battery brush
• Wire brush
• Wire feeler gauge
• Wrench (open-ended)