New 4x4 Gear: Yakima tailgate pad, TJM shocks, and ARB tailgate assist

If you haven't been living under a rock, pick-up trucks are fast becoming the choice of many Australians nowadays.

While these workhorses are as tough as they are versatile in their own right, there are areas where a little extra gear could make it even better suited for any particular job or journey you might have in mind for it.

Yakima CrashPad

Mountain biking and utes are a match made in heaven when it comes to transporting two-wheeled rigs to the track. Yakima has a raft of bike-carrying options, but it is the CrashPad that offers the simplest and quickest way to transport multiple MTBs.

Weighing a paltry 1.8kg and measuring 1346mm long by 406mm wide and 51mm thick, the CrashPad is made using high-density foam and tough ballistic nylon construction to ensure your bikes and your ute tailgate are undamaged during transportation of bikes.

The CrashPad fits all common 4x4 utes and is super quick to secure via the strap system – then just load the bikes, secure them to the tray, and away you go.

RRP: $150
Website: www.yakima.com.au

TJM PACE Shock Absorber

TJM has just released the PACE, a dual-adjustable 52mm-bore single-wall monotube shock absorber with remote reservoir. The ‘dual adjustable’ refers to the eight-stage compression and rebound adjustability (accessed via a hand-adjustable dial on the shock and reservoir).

The remote reservoir is connected via a steel-braided oil hose, and there’s a patented internal hydraulic bump-stop inside the shock that assists in dampening the effect of sudden impact on the shock and prevents bottoming-out. It does this by progressively increasing damping resistance as loads increase on the shock. The shock shaft and seals are protected by a stone guard and there’s also an adjustable coilover spring seat (for applicable vehicles).

The Aussie-engineered and designed PACE comes with a three-year/100,000km shocks and struts warranty. Available at launch for LC76, 78 and 79, as well as Ford’s PX Ranger (2012 onwards) and the Mazda BT-50 (2012 onwards).

Website: www.tjm.com.au

ARB Tailgate Assist

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Ute owners know the feeling: hands full of gear, shopping or little ’uns and no way to lower your rig’s tailgate without letting it drop and potentially damage it. ARB’s new Tailgate Assist takes the worry out of that scenario by using two different types of struts to control the lowering of the tailgate.

A damping strut ensures that the tailgate lowers at a controlled rate, while a gas-assisted traction strut works to ensure you can easily close the tailgate with one hand if need be. ARB claims to have reduced the ‘feel’ of the tailgate by up to 50 per cent, making sure it takes minimal effort to open and close.

The kit includes all vehicle-specific hardware and brackets, plus – if needed – ARB replaces the OE cabled or scissor-strap setup. A co-development with strut manufacturer Stabilus, the Tailgate Assist is a great solution to a problem you probably thought would never be solved.

Website: www.arb.com.au