Thread: Who's taken their d4 to the cape? What mods are must have/ should have?

Originally Posted by winaje

No issues with insufficient air supply? I was under the impression the V6s were very hungry for air...

Interesting you say that, it does affect throttle response, no worse than a blocked air filter, other than that it's fine, I only use them for really dusty tracks though, where you would be following or it's dirt all day, not for touring on the tar.

Baz.

Originally Posted by Crimdog

Do I need a long range tank? Seems diesel is pretty available on the trip to the cape.

Just did the Cape in my MY10 Sport, Diesel is plentiful and to be honest i did not get below 1/2 tank between roadhouses even towing a 1 ton camper trailer, our route was via Lions Den - Lakefield - Bramwell - Jardine River National Park - Punsand etc

Originally Posted by Crimdog

Is a bull bar a must have or should have?

As for a Bull bar, in addition to the Roo's many of the roads in the cape have stock walking freely, so potential to hit a very large piece of beef on the hoof is another consideration in investing.. if yours is a 2010 model then the OL/ARB bars should fit

My mods for the Trip

LR RAI sealed as Snorkel (faces backward and less prone to bull dust, but still gets in, so regular cleaning, seal work done after market not by LR)
Decent Tyres (ATR's)
OL Front Bar
Lightforce Driving lights
Bash Plates (engine/transmission/compressor)
Winch (not really needed to be honest unless you are doing the trip on your lonesome)
Rock sliders (i had the step out bars to provide added protection)
Loan Spares kit from Land Rover (belts/filters/hoses)

Picture here of the Sport in final livery.. the D4 will look similar, but slightly uglier will get my coat



I loved the trip apart from a turbo actuator failure, so make sure you have the right recovery/assistance package, it can get expensive if there is a problem

Took my 2009 D3 2.7 to the cape in 2010 via Tele track on the way up and Developmental road back down via Weipa, Battlecamp track etc. Had the 17" BB6 performance alloys with Dueller 694's, one spare wheel and tyre and a spare tyre carcass on its own. Did't get a puncture from Sydney to Cape and back. Had 20 l jerry can of diesel + std tank, put it in car when we got up there and didn't fill it again. No problem with Fuel supplies never came close to getting low just top up at every fuel stop.
Fitted snorkel with filter as pictured in a previous thread, snorkel is an absolute must if your planning on heading up there. I had bulbar fitted incl winch as extra insurance as we were travelling on our own, used it twice to recover a land cruiser and a patrol. Air compressor a must as well as a set of staun tyre deflators as they make life very quick and easy. Took a air bag jack, didn't need it thankfully. Used a tarp as a water bra, have bought a proper one since heaps quicker and easier.
One thing to do before you hit the gravel roads get your auto handbrake adjusted by a dealer to an offroad tolerance ( mentioned in the handbook but who ever reads it) otherwise the warning light will continually flick on as the corrugations are pretty savage most of the way. We had a fully loaded car/ rhino rack and ran at 28psi on the gravel and down to 22 on the Tele and this worked fine for us especially on the corrugations. Didn't see one other D3 up there on the whole trip! One camper we met in a highly mod patrol said he had a D3 back in Adelaide but wasn't game to bring it up!????
We didn't have a single issue the whole 3 months away and when we came back onto the black top there wasn't a single rattle or squeak! There isn't anywhere I wouldn't take my present D4 so do not have any hesitations whatsoever.
Ps: take a sat phone with you just in case as mobile is non existent except near a few towers spread around and the townships.

Thanks for the input so far crew.

So far I think my must haves are:
Good shoes- I have some coppers LTZ on 19" RRS rims, thoughts?
Snorkle- what's the cost of the genuine RAI and seeling it?
GOE rods
Rock sliders- any recomendations? At the moment I have the factory steps, I have already beaten the crap out of them off road.
Roof rack- thinking platform style
Diagnostic tool- what's the best on a budget?

I'm still undecided on:
Bullbar
Cargo barrier - although I know I should get this
Wheel carrier
Protection plates- already have compressor plate.
Dual battery
Driving lights/LED bar- not really planing on night driving.

Originally Posted by winaje

Is there a Donaldson or similar pre-cleaner that will fit a D3/4 and supply the needed flow? Preferably without being 3ft wide lol

I have a self-emptying top-hat the same as fitted to V8 Troopies, reckoning that it would be more than adequate for the 3.0 D4 for off-road work. The whistle and roar is far too noisy for general use for me though, with its intake just outside the window.

Originally Posted by Crimdog

Thanks for the input so far crew.

So far I think my must haves are:
Good shoes- I have some coppers LTZ on 19" RRS rims, thoughts? Given my experience with them, I'd say they'd be fine, but if the budget allows get the GOE 18" rims.
Snorkle- what's the cost of the genuine RAI and seeling it?
GOE rods
Rock sliders- any recomendations? At the moment I have the factory steps, I have already beaten the crap out of them off road. Don't bother, they're extra weight you don't need to carry. Just remove the factory side-steps and throw them away.
Roof rack- thinking platform style
Look at Windcheetah or Rhino's Pioneer Platform
Diagnostic tool- what's the best on a budget? I have the iidtool, it's good

I'm still undecided on:
Bullbar Nice to have, but not essential
Cargo barrier - although I know I should get this absolutely essential
Wheel carrier Extra weight. Although it's a pain, the spare can be accessed without unpacking if you plan for it. Just carry an extra spare on the roof
Protection plates- already have compressor plate.Again, just extra weight you don't need to carry
Dual batteryEssential. How else do you keep the beer cold?
Driving lights/LED bar- not really planing on night driving. Not needed if no night driving planned

Cheers,
Jon

Um, when I was at the cape in 2010 a non-modified 1990 Nissan pulsar made it along the development road with no issues. You don't need to do anything to a D4 to get to the cape and explore. Just have it well serviced and have good tyres. Or if you want to mod it go right ahead. But it's worth considering want vs need on modding any vehicle. Especially one as capable out of the box as a D4. Just my 10 cents

I hear you mate, hence the original post. I am considering want vs need vs how deepy pockets are

I don't plan on sticking to the development road though, so I assume regardless of my d4s capability, some coin spent now will ensure it comes back in the same condition that it left in. It is also my daily driver though, so I don't want to turn it into something ably mangle would be driving these days.

Thanks again for everyone's thoughts