Mitsubishi Triton Accessories to Ensure Your Safety Off the Road

Despite what many Youtubers are trying to tell you, an off-road vehicle doesn't need to be driven aggressively and fast through the outback. In fact, a factory 4WD like the Triton can and should be driven slowly when off the beaten trail. It's still going to be a fun experience.

However, even when riding it extra carefully, you still run the potential risk of damaging your vehicle. For that reason, you should consider doing your best to protect it, by investing in quality 4WD accessories. And when it comes to 4WD accessories Australia aftermarket stores offer a wide range of products meant just for vehicles like the Triton.

Even if you consider yourself a seasoned driver, you should still go through some basic off-road training with an accredited instructor in order to minimise the risk of damage to your 4WD.

They'll teach you how to drive through mud, sand, water, up and down hills, and you'll learn how to recover your Triton in the event you get bogged or stuck. No piece of equipment is a replacement for experience and skills, so go through a training course before you start equipping your 4WD with aftermarket accessories.

If you prefer to learn through trial and error, however, and want to take your 4WD for a drive across the outback, then you should buy and install the essential 4WD accessories Australia off-road experts recommend.

Bullbars for Front-End Protection

Bullbars are the most important piece of protective equipment you can buy, simply because they protect the front-end of your 4WD from animal strikes. In case you've never left the urban jungle before, kangaroos, cows and other animals are known to run across the trail without any indication. In order to protect yourself and your vehicle, make sure you invest in a quality, well-engineered bullbar.

You can buy a Triton bullbar made of aluminium, but you can also get a steel version. Aluminium is more lightweight, but more expensive, whereas steel is stronger but heavier and can affect the vehicle's fuel efficiency.

The bullbar protects your mechanical parts upfront, as well as your cooling system, and serves as a mounting point for recovery winches, auxiliary lights and UHF radio antennas. A quality Triton bullbar costs anywhere between $1000-$3000 including installation, and the investment is almost always worth it.

Undercarriage Protection

There are many crucial components and areas on the Triton's undercarriage, such as the gearbox, fuel tank, differentials, sump, electronics, etc. all of which are very vulnerable to damage when venturing off the beaten trail. Rocks, sticks amongst other things may tear or puncture any of these vital components on your 4WD. Dealing with the damage can cost you thousands of dollars in repairs.

In order to minimize the chances of that happening, you should consider investing in quality aftermarket undercarriage protection. There are quite a few items you can get, including skid plates for your engine and gearbox, differential guards, sump guards, bash plates, etc. You should also consider getting rock sliders or side steps to protect the sides of your 4WD.

Suspension Upgrade

Your vehicle's factory suspension is made to be driven on roads, so it needs to be modified in order to cope with the abuse that comes with off-roading, and the fact that you'll be adding other modifications that add weight to your 4WD doesn't help its case. A fully-loaded 4Wd goes through a lot of stress when driven on rough terrain. For that reason, upgrading the suspension is a must. Doing so will not only improve its stability but improve comfort, load-carrying capacity and ground clearance.

However, you should only upgrade your suspension after installing all the other aftermarket accessories, such as a dual-battery system, UHF radio, long-range fuel tank, bullbar, skid plates etc. An off-road suspension upgrade with leaf springs, coil springs, shocks, differentials, and everything else will cost anywhere between $2000-3000 including installation, and your vehicle will get anywhere between 20-50mm height in the process.

Off-Road Tyres

A decent set of tyres at the right pressure levels will allow you to drive safely on any type of terrain. Driving safely means less damage and more comfort. All-terrain tyres are a great option for dirt-road touring, driving in the bush and on the beach.

Then, there are mud-terrain tyres that are made for going through mud. These are tailored towards more extreme 4WDers. These tyres are noisy when used on the road and can reduce your fuel economy.

Lastly, light truck tyres are an improvement from your stock tyres, but that's not much to brag about. They feature thick sidewalls and are specifically made to carry loads. Just like mud-terrain tyres, they're noisy on the road but perform very well off the road.

Recovery Equipment

No matter how good you think your off-road driving is, and how well-equipped your 4WD is, you're going to get bogged at one point or another. When that does inevitably happen, you'll need to recover your vehicle safely. The easiest way to do this is by installing a winch on your bullbar.

For that reason, make sure the bullbar you buy is recovery rated to ensure it's engineered to safely withstand and distribute recovery loads, something your factory bullbar isn't designed to do.

Avoid using the undercarriage tie-down points as they can't withstand the forces that come with dragging your vehicle out of sand, mud and snow. You'll end up bending or snapping off the parts, endangering yourself and nearby bystanders in the process.

Alternatively, you can get recovery tracks. Recovery tracks are placed under your tyres, allowing your 4WD to gain traction and momentum. Some recovery tracks double down as shovels so you can dig around the tyres before placing them. Some versions even incorporate a "nesting" mechanism, allowing you to save storage space.

Last but not least, you can get a high-lift jack. High-lift jacks are considered the most reliable piece of recovery equipment, as they're entirely mechanical. However, they're also the most dangerous to use. In order to safely use a high-lift jack, make sure your 4WD has rated jack points. The high-lift jack should also be placed on even, sturdy ground.