Stuff Explained

4X4

Yes, you can use cruise control in the wet

3 April 2022 Robert Pepper

There’s a persistent myth about not using cruise control in the wet. It is perpetutated by posts like this: I had a wreck a couple of weeks ago and totaled our Lincoln Town Car. I hydroplaned on Hwy 135 between Gladewater & Kilgore, Texas. I was not hurt, just emotionally rattled! I know the Lord […]

4X4

I can’t find appropriately speed-rated tyres for my 4×4 in Australia!

15 March 2022 Robert Pepper

Every tyre has a speed rating and a load rating. The speed rating is the maximum speed the tyre should be run at, and the load rating is the maximum load the tyre can take, and complying with these ratings can cause problems when you change tyres. The speed ratings are letters, e.g. V = […]

4X4

Developing a modern 4X4 – LC300 engineer interview

29 December 2021 Robert Pepper

Ever wondered how a modern 4X4 is developed? Following on from my prototype drive in May 2020, in this interview I talk to two Toyota engineers who were closely involved with the design and development of the new LandCruiser 300 Series. This interview is a four-part series: Part 1: Development process Part 2: LC300 tech […]

4X4

Why the ‘leave a location voicemail’ is a bad idea

24 October 2021 Robert Pepper

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This bit of advice is rapidly circulating the Internet, and it really shouldn’t be: Why this advice is bad In brief; if you have phone signal, send a text message for help to your friends, or if dire, call 112. Don’t waste time and battery power on changing your own voicemail which is a very […]

4X4

Are you being misled by recovery gear ratings?

3 October 2021 Robert Pepper

My latest webinar interview was with the owners of Saber Offroad, a small but increasingly well respected company focused on 4×4 recovery gear. Over the 45m interview we discussed a number of topics and I learned a great deal, more than I expected to, and I’m sure the attendees on Zoom also left the session […]

4X4

Have you learned to drive in the last ten years? You may not know this.

15 September 2021 Robert Pepper

So there you are, driving your car, cruising along a suburban street, minding your own business. Ahead is another car, a car with a yellow L plate on the back. You approach a traffic light and it turns red, so the learner stops, and so you do. Nothing unusual, just a momentary pause. The light […]

4X4

5 Transmission Windup Myths (transfer case bind)

28 August 2021 Robert Pepper

Transmission windup, also known as transfer case bind, has been around since the first ever 4X4, but it’s often misunderstood. Here’s four myths: 1.You need to drive quite a long way before you get windup No, you can get windup even by driving a few metres. Just go full lock and turn on a high-traction […]

4X4

Are you a low-vision driver?

5 June 2021 Belinda O Connor

Bioptic driving – are you, or do you know someone who is losing their eyesight or born with low vision, and wants to continue to drive? In this interview Robert Pepper talks to me, Belinda O’Connor, founder and director of Bioptic Drivers Australia. At the time I had only been driving for three years and […]

4X4

Why is aftermarket gear priced differently from country to country?

21 February 2021 Robert Pepper

One of my favourite “but why” questions about the automotive aftermarket industry was the “they don’t like my car” theory – that there weren’t any, or many accessories for some niche vehicle or other, such as the Kia Sportage. The short answer is that something like a bullbar, long-range tank or suspension kit takes a […]

4X4

Why are diesels turbocharged?

28 August 2020 Robert Pepper

The short answer is “because they need it”. Here’s the long answer, and why. Your internal combustion engine, be it diesel or petrol, draws air in through valves as the piston moves down inside its cylinder. Then the valves are closed, and the piston moves back up. A petrol engine creates a compressed mixture of […]

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