I am in the process of buying a G4 RR Sport (4.4 V, should have the keys in the next week or so.

I am buying it as my daily driver, but am also doing a 3 week trip across Morocco in August of this year, so need to prepare it for that.

As a G4 car, it comes with an extensive list of bits and pieces to help protect and improve its offroad ability, including:

- Underbody protection
- Warn winch mounted to front bumper
- Recovery shackle attached to rear towbar mounting point
- Snorkel
- E-diff on rear axle

Is there anything else in addition to this list that I should look at to improve its offroad capacilities? Obviously tyres are the main thing missing from that list, any suggestions for a decent 3-ply sidewall tyre that will cope with Morocco but will also handle daily driving in the UK in sun/rain/snow without killing fuel economy? General Grabber A/T's seem to be the current favourite in 19" flavour.

Any other recommendations welcome - cheers! - Range Rover Sport 4.4 V8 HSE G4 Challenge vehicle (FOR SALE)
- BMW 330Ci M-Sport coupe
- Suzuki GSX-R750 K6 'Stealth' - trackdays and high speed tourer

No, not really. You may want to consider a 2nd battery setup and it should still have the UHF radio power lead & speaker in the top glovebox, so it's not difficult to add one of those if you want. Look for the Traxide kit if you want a 2nd battery, it's a plug & play setup designed for the D3/RRS. Also helps to extend the life of the main battery.

Tyres, I've been running Pirelli ATR's for the last 50k+ miles and they're excellent. The GG's are cheaper, probably just as good albeit they wear quicker, I still have my 1st set of ATR's as spares, after 45k miles they still have 5mm on them. Cooper have brought out the LTZ in 255/55/19 as well, it getting some good reviews over here.

Might be worth giving it a top to tail service and changing *all* the fluids. I had everything changed on mine before I shipped it here and after 72k miles it's made a massive difference, I've had the gearbox pan changed as well as the fluid, that alone has to have been the single best improvement to the car, 2nded only by the rear diff oil. The rear diff used to clunk a bit, now it's silent again.

There's a chap in Leicester I used to sort mine out and I have nothing but praise for him, he's now very well versed in the 4.4 V8 and the G4 cars in particular so give him a shout. Stu Armson at Armson AE.

Enjoy it  Ex-G4 Challenge RRS HSE, BV55 YZE. Subtle shade of orange ! Now registered YZE481 G4RRS in Melbourne.

Thanks Mike! Didn't realise they had UHF radio wiring, where is the antenna?

Interesting you mention Stuart Armson, I've spoken to him about my RRC previously and he seems a nice chap. Will get in touch.

I will change all the fluids on it (I already did on the RRC in preparation before I decided to have a vehicle change around!) - why does the gearbox pan need changing? - Range Rover Sport 4.4 V8 HSE G4 Challenge vehicle (FOR SALE)
- BMW 330Ci M-Sport coupe
- Suzuki GSX-R750 K6 'Stealth' - trackdays and high speed tourer

Mike_C wrote:

Thanks why does the gearbox pan need changing?

it contains the filter

Click image to enlarge

I see! The car has done 60k miles, so a full service, full fluid and filter change will be on the cards in the next month or two!

One thing I have read about the Sport/D3 is that it drops from offroad to standard mode at speeds voer 25mph. Is it possible to override this in any way? Would be good to maintain offroad ride height when travelling at high speeds across the sand dunes, etc.

Cheers! - Range Rover Sport 4.4 V8 HSE G4 Challenge vehicle (FOR SALE)
- BMW 330Ci M-Sport coupe
- Suzuki GSX-R750 K6 'Stealth' - trackdays and high speed tourer

You'd need to use an EAS module to alter the standard ride height to be the same as off road, I think.

However the module allows more than one memory setting so you could save a "sand dune" setup as well as a general one and your original settings. I think...  2012 SDV6 - it's missing a couple of cylinders
2008 TDV8 - it was a labour of love and is much missed

That sounds cool! Although I want standard height to be standard, but if it has multiple settings that should be fine.

Where do I get such a gadget from? The bay of E? - Range Rover Sport 4.4 V8 HSE G4 Challenge vehicle (FOR SALE)
- BMW 330Ci M-Sport coupe
- Suzuki GSX-R750 K6 'Stealth' - trackdays and high speed tourer

If you know Stuart then give him a call for your Sport and mention my name, he'll see you right with anything you need sorting It's my car on the front page of his website, he's looked after it like his own. In all seriousness he pretty much rebuilt mine and then took it down to the docks for me, he's a real good friend.

As for your suspension, there's 2 ways of keeping it raised for sand. One is by an electronic kit, the other by using rods on the suspension. Both have been developed by company's over here in Aus, have a great following and are well proven so it's entirely your choice. Join up with the aulro website and you'll see both options, along with the kit for fitting a 2nd battery (Traxide).

Link for the LLAMS suspension kit is here http://www.aulro.com/afvb/verandah/114282-...4-rrs.html

Suspension rods is here http://www.greenovalexperience.com/eas_rods.html Gordon at Green Oval is very helpful, as is the chap who makes the LLAMS kit.

The antenna for the aeriel is mounted to the roofrack, on mine it's at the rear on the nearside. If yours is setup the same as mine, the spotlight wiring runs up the drivers side of the windscreen, the UHF aerial wire runs up the nearside of the windscreen, they're under the external screen pillar trims and probably bedded into the windscreen bonding sealant. I've had 3 windscreens in mine so I know the cables are stuck in the bonding

If you want 18" wheels then be careful, as you have the V8 petrol which has larger front brakes than the TDV6 so not many wheels fit over them. Compomotive make an 18" that fits, as it's made to fit over the newer cars brakes. Ex-G4 Challenge RRS HSE, BV55 YZE. Subtle shade of orange ! Now registered YZE481 G4RRS in Melbourne.

Thanks MikeS, as ever!

The car already has a spare set of wheels with road-biased tyres fitted, I will be fitting a new set of A/T's to the original G4 wheels for Morocco and taking a pair of the additional wheels as spares.

I will have a look into the raised ride height solutions, I assume the 'physical' solution of the rods will alter the standard and low ride height settings, though? From that perspective I would prefer the electronic solution I guess.

Cheers for your help and advice! - Range Rover Sport 4.4 V8 HSE G4 Challenge vehicle (FOR SALE)
- BMW 330Ci M-Sport coupe
- Suzuki GSX-R750 K6 'Stealth' - trackdays and high speed tourer