New gear: ARB air locker + Terrain Tamer parabolic springs + Tough Dog control arms

WE take a closer look at new 4x4 products released by ARB, Terrain Tamer and Tough Dog.

ARB Toyota 70 Series Land Cruiser rear air locker

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ARB has developed a replacement rear Air Locker to suit the Toyota 70 Series Land Cruiser. Unlike the OEM Toyota rear locking differential, which requires the vehicle to almost come to a standstill to be activated, the ARB Air Locker can be activated at any speed.

This means difficult tracks can be driven at a slow and steady pace which is particularly handy in tricky situations where stopping the vehicle could pose problems. According to ARB, the ability to activate the Air Locker while on the move improves passenger comfort, while also reducing the possibility of track damage or premature driveline wear. The ARB Air Locker can be activated via the factory locker switch.

RRP: $1095 (Australian East Coast Metro)
Website: www.arb.com.au

Terrain Tamer parabolic springs

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Terrain Tamer has expanded its range of Parabolic Leaf Springs to now cover the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Mitsubishi Triton and Toyota Land Cruiser 76, as well as the existing parabolic springs for the Toyota Hilux and Land Cruiser 78 and 79.

Parabolic springs contain fewer leaves than traditional leaf springs and are thicker in the centre and thinner at each end, hence their name. As a result, parabolic springs are lighter than traditional leaf springs, and the reduced unsprung weight benefits vehicle ride quality. Additional spring flex aids off-road performance yet the springs are still strong enough to carry heavy loads.

Terrain Tamer also says the parabolic spring design “provides better axle articulation, as well as almost no interleaf friction, allowing the spring to compress or extend with ease without touching each other until there is a reasonable load on the vehicle, up to 500kg. This minimises issues with rust build up, one of the major causes of failure in standard leaf springs.”

RRP: From $880 (pair)
Website: terraintamer.com/suspension

Tough Dog Upper Control Arms

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Tough Dog has released a new range of Upper Control Arms (UCA) for independent front suspension (IFS) vehicles to correct vehicle camber and castor specifications. When an IFS vehicle is fitted with a suspension lift, it loses caster which makes the steering vague, and positive camber is introduced which contributes to uneven and accelerated tyre wear.

The Tough Dog units are fixed length and position arms, which prevent wheel alignment being knocked out of specification from hard off-road knocks, and they have a slim tubular design for maximum clearance with the strut. The end housing and ball joint housing of the Tough Dog UCAs are made from 1020 grade steel, and heavy-duty no-lube bushings are used, while the ball joint itself is made from chromoly steel.

For peace of mind, the Tough Dog UCAs will also accept OE bushings and ball joint parts should spares ever need to be sourced. The line-up currently covers Ford Ranger (2011-on) and Everest (2015-on), Mazda BT-50 (2011-on), and Toyota Fortuner (2015-on), Hilux (2005-on), Land Cruiser 200, Prado (2003-on) and FJ Cruiser (2006-on).

RRP: $815 (set)