Purchased D40, Now what mods are best to start off with??

[macca92]

Hey All,
I have just bought myself a 2012 Demo D40 St, Spanish build. I currently have just the essentials, ie, steel bull bars, soft tauno etc. I am looking to go off road a fair bit but nothing too serious. I can afford to buy probably 1 decent item per month or 2 months. Is it best to get the following in order;
1. Underbody Protection and recovery Kit
2. All terrain Tyres
3 Suspension
4. all other little items

Any help or thoughts would really help.

thanks

 

[TheOx]

Hey Macca, Welcome to the forum.

Underbody protection is must on the D40s so thats a great start.

I see that your planning on some decent rubber and a lift which is great too, after that I recommend a well sealed snorkel, dual battery and then maybe a winch.

In the D40 section of this forum there is months worth of reading about just about every possible aftermarket accessory for the D40. If you seek any info have a look there.

 

[happy john]

Welcome to the forum mate plenty of good info and people here,i would do your suspension before anything a bit of a lift will help seriously stock it is very basic then add your protection and tyres a simple recovery set should be in your car before you go anywhere along with a uhf and compressor as you go along you might wish to change things to suit what you do have a good read of members build threads that will give you plenty of info all the best.

 

[nathand22]

Welcome to the forum macca92.
"TheOx" took the words from my mouth, dont skimp on the bashplates, "Brown Davis" and "ARB" are prob the best two off the shelf plates on the market at the moment and are well worth the $$.

The only other thing that i would add to the list is a set of sliders/steps that will handle a beating, as the D40 chassis is low even with a lift you will need them.

 

[nathand22]

While i agree with Happy John, i would put on all the heavy stuff before the lift, that way you will be able to set the suspension up for the exact weight you intend to take it bush, the other thing is even with a lift the radiator and under body on the D40 are very vulnerable and bash plates are a MUST DO.

 

[macca92]

Thanks heaps for the comments, this atleast gives me something to start looking at prior to dropping the cash.. Although, with a 2" lift, what would be the most suitable size AT tyre?
I will also read some other threads to see if there is anything more on this topic, cheers

 

[happy john]

The bfg a/t are good but a tad pricey mate but with rotations will give high kms i went with dueler 697's totally hopeless offroad cannot wait to wear them out for a a/t no good.

 

[nathand22]

Most people will go a 32" tyre like 265/75/16 or 265/70/17, obviously depends on what year model or what rims, BUT i have just fitted 285/75/16 (33") with a few minor mods to the guards.

 

[TheOx]

Thanks heaps for the comments, this atleast gives me something to start looking at prior to dropping the cash.. Although, with a 2" lift, what would be the most suitable size AT tyre?
I will also read some other threads to see if there is anything more on this topic, cheers

265/75/ is about as big as you can go, you can put 285/75/ (33s) on with a 2inch lift but they will require chopping/heating up the guards to prevent scrubbing.

 

[Old.Tony]

Welcome aboard!

I think all the mods have been covered. Let's talk about some specifics and some extras (not mods, but extras).

Tyre size has a considerable impact on perceived power and real fuel economy. The ECU will be getting incorrect information regarding the vehicle's speed and distance and while the speedo needle might appear to be more accurate, the entire system loses accuracy (because the car KNOWS how fast it's actually going, it's just crappy at showing it.

Get a UHF radio and some decent driving lights. If you want to do some night off-roading, some LED lights are invaluable - you don't need distance at night on the tracks, you need to see everything around you as clearly as you can.

You might consider recovery points too - one on each chassis rail, and add an "equalisation strap" to the shopping list along with a few (say 6) decent bow shackles, maybe a winch extension, tree protector, snatch block - there's also maxx trax (or equivalent), maybe a high lift jack and a long-handled shovel. Might want to put some roof bars up to carry the stuff too!

 

[mike1303]

If I had my time again it would be exhaust, before it leaves the factory