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| | Posted on Saturday, January 22, 2005 - 4:22 pm: |       |
Trek’n’Tow a Treat for Terracan Travellers
Hyundai’s accessory brand Astrel has had a significant new, heavier-duty suspension kit developed for either diesel or petrol Terracan models called Trek’n’Tow, which offers superior handling dynamics with ride comfort on and off road and when towing heavy loads.
Trek’n’Tow is the only aftermarket suspension kit rated to maximize Terracan’s tow capability to its full 2.5 tonne capacity braked trailer load, achieved by boosting its tow-ball load mass capacity to 250kg from 200kg.
Heavier towing is more relaxed because the springs raise rear end fully loaded ride height by 20mm and their stiffer secondary rate minimizes rear end sag, virtually eliminating bump steer and too-early ABS activation as well as preserving headlight alignment.
Unlike aftermarket suspension kits which pursue ‘handling through hardness’ and use linear rate springs, the Trek’n’Tow Kit serves Terracan travellers a treat with taut smooth road handling allied with reassuring stability and big bump absorption when the going gets challenging.
Three ‘E’s of Excellence
The Trek’n’Tow Kit was locally developed, tested and calibrated specifically for Terracan by Suspension Technology Australia and uses absolute top technology, custom-made components bringing dynamic excellence from three ‘E’s of specialist suspension expertise - Eibach, Edelbrock and Elastrogran.
Eibach, spring suppliers to Formula One, the World Rally Championship and V8 Supercars, provide tailor-made, variable-rate rear coil springs cold-wound in Germany from the highest quality Belgian or Japanese chrome-silicon alloy-steel. These springs are rated around one third firmer in their travel extremes than the originals and should retain their rating integrity about three times longer than hot-rolled, aftermarket coils.
Edelbrock premium Performer IAS high-pressure gas shock absorbers from California greatly improve ride comfort on good roads and especially in the rough thanks to their unique, Ricor-patented Inertia Active System adjustable valves which are factory pre-set to match Terracan springing front and rear. On smoother surfaces, the IAS restricts oil flow to maximize handling response. Sensing tougher terrain, the IAS valve increases bypass oil flows to eliminate unneeded damper forces for longer and sudden wheel travel movements, particularly controlling rebound by allowing each wheel to quickly and lightly drop back down to ground over bigger bumps without trying to pull the vehicle’s body down with it and jolting occupants. IAS also maintains damping effectiveness in sustained hard going, helped by the better heat dissipation of its mono-tube construction, use of superior lower viscosity oils, big 46mm pistons with Viton seals and low-friction bearings on their NitroSteel piston rods, which don’t chip or flake like chromed rods. Factory Citroens ran the whole gruelling Paris-Dakar Rally on one set of these dampers.
Elastogran bump stops - in reality secondary springs which add more progressive rating to the rear coil springs towards their extremes of compression, provide still more big bump absorption, increased load capacity for towing and more predictable control for the driver. Also sourced from Germany, they replace rubber originals and are moulded from special cellular, aerated polyurethane which withstands constant pounding without degrading its internal chemical composition, unlike cheaper urethanes.
“If you tow reasonably heavy loads a lot or actually act out the 4WD dream or simply prefer a slightly sportier, more responsive handling feel, then Astrel’s Trek’n’Tow Suspension Kit is the superior solution, tailored to Terracan, whether diesel or petrol,” said Theo van Doore, Hyundai Motor Co Australia’s Director of Sales & Marketing.
“Trek’n’Tow uncannily delivers handling precision and rough stuff stability with a ride softness that less-sophisticated aftermarket offerings just can’t match,” Mr van Doore added. |
