4x4 vehicles are a very versatile vehicle for adding additional modifications, such as side steps. They're also known as side bars and nerf bars, and they're frequently confused with running boards. Let's take a look at the advantages of having them installed on your vehicle.
Because of the protection they give for the floor and the ease of soundproofing, replacement carpets and underlays are well worth the cost and time. You should seriously consider updating the inside of your vehicle.
A lot of people aren’t very aware of the humble connecting rod, and yet, it’s one of the most crucial parts of the engine. When you’re upgrading the engine, you might even know what a connecting rod even is. However, one of the very first elements that are tested every time you intensify the engine’s output is just that, the connecting rod, or the conrod for short. It’s such a vital piece of equipment that needs to be sturdy enough to handle all of the engine upgrades, and yet, it’s not nearly as talked about as it should. That is exactly why we’ve compiled this handy guide for you.
Bicycle carriers are available in a variety of configurations, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. One major distinction is how each of them are mounted. The ease of use and convenience that a bike rack provides will be influenced by the model you select.
While riding off-road in Australia, safety is of utmost concern. The nudge and bull bar are important parts of the car's security, and they're something you should absolutely consider adding.
Various systems and components are present in today’s vehicles, but the most fundamental components that are as important as the engine are the brakes. Brake pads, in particular, are one of the main components of brakes. While car brakes in the older days didn’t rely on pads, this somewhat newer solution is far more superior than their shoe-dependant counterparts. Brake pads act in a similar fashion to shoes in brake drums. What’s different with brake pads is the fact that they apply pressure on the rotor of the wheel. The pressure that car brake pads apply is generated by the driver and amplified thanks to hydraulics. This system of wires and hoses connecting everything together makes a braking system that uses brake pads far more efficiently and longer-lasting than its predecessor. This is why maintaining and improving your vehicle’s safety is as important as improving its performance, if not more important. But where do you start?
“I can ride my bike with no handlebars, no handlebars no handlebars” is the signature lyric of Flobots’ hit song Handlebars. With it, they wanted to express the power and freedom that comes with having so much control over your bike that you can even ride it well hands-free. Nothing is holding you down, and you’re free. And while this lyric might make sense for bicycles, it doesn’t mean the same for their two-wheeled motor cousin – the motorcycle.
So, you saw a cool looking exhaust pipe and said to yourself “yep, I’m so buying that, it’s going to make my Land Cruiser sound sick!”. Well, rad aesthetics aside, there is more to the exhaust system than just the looks and the sounds. The main purpose of the exhaust system is to let your vehicle breathe out all the gases it produces in its fuel combustion process.
Even though gas engines have come a long way since their humble beginnings, they’re still not efficient at transforming chemical energy into mechanical power. The majority of the energy is converted into heat, which is why every vehicle, including your Mitsubishi, needs a cooling system to prevent parts from overheating. The engine, in particular, runs at high temperatures. And while the engine should run quite hot to prevent parts from wearing, to reduce the emissions the vehicle releases and improve its efficiency, it shouldn’t run too hot. Otherwise, it will overheat, leading to damage. That being said, the purpose of the cooling system is to keep the engine at just the right temperature.
Inside your Mitsubishi’s engine, gas is constantly burning, and the majority of the heat from this combustion goes out the exhaust system. However, some of it soaks inside the engine, resulting in high temperatures. The engine runs best at about 93°C. At 93°C, the combustion chamber is hot enough to vaporise the fuel completely, leading to reduced emissions and better combustion. Further, the oil used to lubricate the engine is thinner, allowing the engine parts to move freely, reducing the amount of power the engine wastes to move its own parts around. Lastly, at 90°C Celsius, the metal parts wear less.
The cooling system of your Mitsubishi features a lot of plumbing and a few distinct cooling Mitsubishi parts and accessories that make up the whole system. These parts include a pump that sends antifreeze into the engine block where the cylinders are located, a thermostat where the fluid leaves the engine, and a radiator where the hot antifreeze is cooled again. There’s also an entirely different circuit for your Mitsubishi’s heating system, which takes the antifreeze from the cylinder heads and sends it through the heater core before going back to the pump.
It all starts at the pump, which is driven by a belt connected to the engine’s crankshaft. The pump circulates antifreeze whenever the engine is operating. Once the engine starts operating, the pump spins with the help of centrifugal forces. The inlet of the pump is near the centre so that the antifreeze coming back from the radiator hits the vanes. The vanes fling the antifreeze to the outside of the pump before going into the engine.
The radiator is the heart of the cooling system, and it’s the part where the magic happens. Most modern vehicles, including Mitsubishi, use aluminium radiators, which are designed to cool the hot antifreeze that passes through them before returning it to the pump. The reason most vehicles use aluminium radiators is their lightweight. Radiators feature a number of parallelly arranged tubes and fins. The fins are responsible for conducting the heat from the tubes and transferring it to the air that flows through the radiator. Sometimes, the tubes feature a fin known as a turbulator, whose purpose is to improve the turbulence of the antifreeze as it flows through them. This results in all of the antifreeze coming in contact with the tubes, allowing it to cool, which is quite important, as the amount of heat transferred from the antifreeze to the tubes depends on the difference in temperature between the two.
The cooling system also features a radiator cap, which increases the boiling point of the antifreeze by about 25°C. It does this the same way pressure cookers increase water’s boiling temperature. This is actually a pressure release valve that’s set to 15 PSI on vehicles. When the antifreeze heats up, it expands, resulting in a pressure build-up. The cap is the only point in the cooling system that allows pressure to leave. Once the pressure reaches 15 PSI, it pushes the valve open. Once open, the antifreeze leaves the cooling system and it goes to the overflow tank. This ensures air is out of the cooling system. When the radiator cools down, it creates a vacuum that pulls open another valve, sucking back the water from the overflow tank.
Lastly, there’s the thermostat, whose main purpose is to allow the engine to heat up, and then keep it at a constant temperature of around 93°C. This is done by regulating the amount of water that’s allowed in the radiator. At lower temperatures, the outlet to the radiator is blocked, and all of the antifreeze is recirculated back to the engine. Once the temperature rises around 80-90°C, the thermostat opens, sending antifreeze through the radiator. By the time the antifreeze reaches a temperature of 90-105°C, the thermostat is completely opened. The thermostat is one of those Mitsubishi parts and accessories that do the seemingly impossible. It’s positioned in the small cylinder found on the engine-side of the devices. The cylinder is filled with wax that melts at around 82°C, which is then pressed by a rod, forcing the wax to expand. As a result, the rod is pushed out of the cylinder, opening the valve.
Like vehicles themselves, car seats have also become more and more advanced with a more ergonomic design, materials and controls. Along with car seats their respective accessory (covers) has also progressed, maybe not as much, but it has come a long way. Car seat covers were first introduced in 1932, 5 years after the first seat cushion was patented. Before there were car seats, there were flat bench seats. After the second World War, vehicles came with bucket seats – a more comfortable and stylish upgrade that had to be covered with a cloth like-fabric to protect it from wear and tear.
In a perfect world, all of us would have enough space in our garage just for storing our motorcycles and cars! However, many of us don’t, which means that some of our rides just have to be stored outside. Nevertheless, that doesn’t mean that you can’t keep them protected from the unnecessary wear and tear of sun, dust, wind, and rain, along with the unwanted attention of thieves who can easily spot a nice motorcycle out in the open.
Since the invention of automobiles, engineers have been looking for ways to improve performance. This includes drivability, mileage, handling and most important for any car enthusiast, horsepower. Although many of today’s cars already come with impressive horsepower, some people want more. For that very reason, today you can find a variety of engine upgrades which can quickly and easily increase horsepower and improve your ride’s overall performance. Here are a few steps you can take to give your car a bit more muscle.
Keeping food items fresh and tasty is something we all want. Although plastic fridge bags are great for this, the air that stays inside the bag can sometimes change the taste and look of the products, even when kept in a freezer. Luckily these days, there is a possibility to change this with the help of vacuum sealers. These sealers leave no air inside the plastic bag which can lead to fresh looking and tasty food which can stay like that for several months (depending on the type of food).
Every off-road vehicle is designed to get you away from the suffocating city and into the peaceful embrace of the bush. But once you reach your desired outdoor destination, the vehicle doesn’t offer much in terms of comfort. So, if you want to make your stay a lot more comfortable and enjoyable, you should consider bringing along a few off road accessories. Here’s a list of the essential 4×4 accessories that no off road trip would be complete without.
Installing an aftermarket performance exhaust system on your Mitsubishi is one of the most affordable and efficient ways to improve its performance and fuel economy. Stock exhaust systems are made for the average everyday driver. This means that they’re made using affordable materials that make the vehicle’s overall cost lower, they are silent-running and restrictive, and they don’t provide the optimized flow that you would get with aftermarket Mitsubishi exhaust systems. Here are some of the ways that aftermarket performance exhausts will take your Mitsubishi to the next level.
Whether you’re looking to hit some off-road trails on your mountain bike or tear up the asphalt with your road bike, biking can be one of the most rewarding, fun and healthy hobbies. One of the best ways to take it to the next level is to get your 4×4 involved. I know this may sound weird but bikes and 4x4s can be great partners as the 4×4 can widen your horizons and help you bike on new, unexplored and fun terrain.
