Vehicle weight is a major issue that many Four Wheel Drive owners are often unaware of or just ignore. This is not only a performance issue but also a safety issue and not just for the vehicle owner but also for other road users. At Berrima Diesel Service ( www.berrimadiesel.com.au ) they usually see half a dozen 4WDs in their workshop every day for tuning, performance problems or turbo charging. During the process of their work they weigh the vehicles as part of the job. They do this as they have most vehicles coming in for a power gain. It might end up with the power gain at the wheels, but it may not push the vehicle as thought. This is where the weighing process comes in, sometimes with surprising results. They utilise a modern electronic weighbridge that is accurate to within 10kg.
Considering that the average 4WD wagon only has a payload capacity of just over half a tonne, it doesn’t take long to swallow that up with 2 or 4 occupants, oils in the engine, diffs, gearbox, fuel in the tank/s, the normal accessories like bull bar, towbar, heavier suspension (big springs and shocks are literally heavier). Even different tyres can weigh substantially more than...