When it comes to extreme off-roading, it pays to have a winch installed on your vehicle. But with so many to choose from, which one is right for you? We give you a guide to the options

Focus on… Winch Solutions

As Europe’s only licensed importer of Champion winches, Winch Solutions is an important supplier of winch equipment to UK off-road enthusiasts. The company has a range of distributors around the country (details are available on its website), meaning you can get your hands on its products wherever you are located.

Champion winches are available as electric and hydraulic variants, and they have pull ratings of between 2000lb and 30,000lb. It’s an extensive range, in other words, which ensures there should be something to keep every customer happy.
Prices vary depending on specification, but a basic electric winch can be purchased for as little at £226.  

www.winchsolutions.co.uk

If you want to free seized-up parts on your vehicle, Forte’s Rust Penetrant may be the answer. It loosens rusted and corroded metal, as well as lubricating moving parts, making them easier to manipulate.

Forte Rust Penetrant contains a non-stick substance that helps displace moisture and forms a temporary anti-corrosive coating on metal objects. When sprayed directly onto a metal component, it will penetrate the surface and immediately set to work.

Forte products are not sold to retail customers. But with a network of over 9000 garages using its products across the UK, there’s a fair chance your local mechanic will be able to get hold of some to use on your vehicle. www.forteuk.co.uk

Fuel prices aren’t getting any cheaper, which makes keeping a lid on your 4×4’s running costs more important than ever. One way to help improve economy is to ensure your vehicle’s tyre pressures are accurate. This reduces fuel consumption because it lessens drag and rolling resistance on your rubberware.

That’s a good reason to check out this digital tyre pressure gauge from Ring Automotive. It enables owners to check their tyres when cold, rather than driving to a petrol station and risking a potentially inaccurate reading on warm tyres.  

The gauge provides an accurate and easy-to-read measure of your 4×4’s tyre pressures, helping you to ensure they are properly inflated. Prices start at £8.99. www.ringautomotive.co.uk

Snap-On Tools has launched this TechAngle torque and angle wrench to help home mechanics ensure they use the right amount of force when tightening bolts.

The wrench has a range of 2.7Nm to 27.1Nm, meaning that it can be used on a variety of items from plastic bumper fasteners to camshaft carrier bolts and brake callipers. Simply set the required torque – and angle where appropriate – and the TechAngle will beep and buzz once it is reached.

www.snapon.com

Boy racers the country over will be delighted to hear about the latest product to be released by Swedish suspension manufacturer Ohlins. The new suspension is designed specifically for the 2007-on Subaru Impreza WRX Sti.

The Road and Track kit, as it is called, features coilover shock absorbers that are designed to respond more quickly to undulations in the road surface. The units are suitable for track use and are made out of motorsport-grade materials. A complete set of four costs £2729.60 plus VAT.

www.roadandtrackbyohlins.com

Gloucester-based Forge Motorsport has released a new range of ultra high performance brakelines. The Hosetechnik brake hoses improve pedal feel and braking efficiency, thereby improving a driver’s control over their vehicle.

Each set of brakelines is custom-made to order, and the PVC sleeves that protect against dirt and water ingress are available in 12 different colours. Deliveries are usually made within 48 hours of a set of hoses being ordered.

www.forgemotorsport.co.uk

Restore your 4×4’s tired paintwork with this paint restoration kit from Meguiars. The kit is aimed at anybody who wants to give their vehicle’s bodywork a new lease of life. It includes eight car care products that restore paintwork to as-new condition.

www.meguiars.co.uk

Premium SUV owners can buy an aftermarket exhaust system to match their vehicle’s credentials, thanks to A-L Tuning. The firm has recently become the UK distributor of Meisterschaft exhausts – a superior brand of exhausts for European-made vehicles.

Meisterschaft products are available for a variety of top-end 4x4s, including Land Rovers, Audis, BMWs and Porsches. Other marques for which the exhausts are suitable include VW, Mini and Nissan.

You don’t see many Mercedes G-Wagens on UK roads any more. But when you do, they’re a real treat. And with aftermarket tuning specialist BRABUS launching a new suspension kit for the vehicle, catching sight of one could be even more exciting.

BRABUS’s Smooth-Ride Suspension with Dynamic Control is intended to maximise comfort while delivering agile handling. The set-up features Bilstein components, with two-way adjustable shock absorbers that can be triggered either manually or automatically.

This enables drivers to choose between two settings – comfort and sport – thereby ensuring that the vehicle handles in a way that is appropriate to prevailing conditions. What is more, the suspension will automatically switch from comfort to sport mode if it detects a significant increase in speed or acceleration. It returns to comfort when things calm down again.

www.brabus.com