Products

How Does a Clutch Work? At its most basic, when the clutch pedal is pressed the engine and transmission are disconnected, so you can safely change gear or stop the car without the engine stalling. The most common type of clutch is the dry-plate friction clutch. This type is used in most of the Toyota 4x4s that we support. This...

A.D.D stands for Automatic Disconnect Differential. You may see on certain product descriptions, mainly front differential, the term “ADD”, but what does this actually mean or do? The short explanation is that A.D.D is a 4WD system that connects/disconnects the differential to output shaft (effectively to the wheel) usually by a touch of a button from the drivers seat. On...

RoughTrax have had an in-depth look at Suspension Struts. We hope to show you what they do, what they shouldn’t do and why the Struts at RoughTrax are worth considering! What are struts and how do they work? A Strut, usually fitted to the front on most independent suspension 4x4 vehicles now, is an essential part of the vehicles front...

Sheriff is a brand name for the range of skid plates, sump guards, transmission guards & fuel tank guards we supply. They are manufactured by Metalloproduktsia in Russia, who are the Original Equipment Manufacturer of under body protection for the likes of John Deere, Ford, Caterpillar, & General Motors who consist of Buick, Cadillac, GMC & Chevrolet. Check out our...

This video shows how the Wiper Arm Adapter kit can convert your old style wiper arms over to the new set up with blades. The hook style blades are more popular. Click here for all our Wiper Blades

A quick video to help you remove and replace the handbrake cable from the pull type handbrake lever. This is situated below the dashboard next to the steering wheel on Toyota Hilux Pickups, Hilux Surfs and 4Runners. View all our Handbrake Cables here

If you need to check if you have Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) then this little video we've put together should help. You often need to know this when looking at brake parts for some models. Click here to view all our Brake Parts

There are loads of brands of Oils and Fluids out there for your truck, so where do you start? It’s hard enough finding out the type of fluids you need let alone working out which brands you can trust. Having tried a fair few brands ourselves over the last 25 years. Here’s some info on why we supply the Brands...

We have put together some helpful instructions and tips to make the removal and fitment of the Kuhner 85 Amp alternator that much easier. This alternator fits a selection of the Hilux Pickup models from 2002 onwards and Land Cruiser KDJ90/95, 120 series, and 150 series. See the ‘Compatible Vehicles’ tab on the product page on our website for the...

There are several reasons people fit wheel spacers : To increase stability if you are lifting your truck So you can fit larger sized tyres to your vehicle To improve performance and grip of the wheel By widening the stance it creates greater stability when steering around corners Wheel spacers come in various thickness from about 5mm to 60mm and...

Have you ever wondered what AHC is? Some of our vehicle parts can only be fitted to vehicles with AHC so we have put together a quick guide to help. Firstly AHC stands for Active Height Control suspension or Adjustable Height Control. What does AHC do? Well to keep it short on the Land Cruiser 100 series it allows the...

So how do Shock Absorbers work? Simply put, shock absorbers work by allowing the springs to absorb the energy when your tyre hits a bump in the road. They are essentially oil pumps. A piston is attached to the end of the piston rod and works against hydraulic fluid in the pressure tube. As the suspension travels up and down...

This article taken from Toyota GB explains what an EGR valve is, what it does and what happens when it fails. The common signs of failure include engine performance issues like decreased power and acceleration, rough idle, and the engine management light coming on forcing the car to drive in limp mode. This article explains everything you need to know about complete EGR valves...

What is the Viscous Heater and where is it fitted? You will need to know this when ordering fan belts on certain Land Cruiser models, we often describe the belt options as “with or without” viscous heater fitted. This is because the length of the belt will vary if fitted.

What is Brake Cleaner? Brake cleaner, often called Brake, Clutch and Parts Cleaner is an aerosol-delivered solvent originally designed to clean grease, oil, brake dust and dirt from brake friction materials. With its easy application and minimal amount of preparation and clean-up time, it can be a quick fix for a dirty under performing brakes. What are the benefits of using Brake Cleaner...

Automechanika is the world’s largest independent automotive trade fair for the automotive industry, holding 16 events in 15 Countries every year. Every two years, the trade fair rolls into Frankfurt in Germany and this year was by far the largest, ever! The fair is the shop window for the automotive market across the entire industry. Here is what just one of...

In warm and dry weather, the diesel engine will start even if one glow plug is defective and only the other plugs preheat. With glow plug failure there will usually be increased pollutant emission and possibly also knocking during start, however, the driver will not consciously take note of these signs, or will not know how to interpret them. There...

Recently the European Union released an R90 type-approval requirement for all replacement Brake Pads & Brake Shoes. It is illegal to supply and or fit any brake friction material that is not R90 type approved. What is ECE Regulation 90? Otherwise known as R90, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe ECE Regulation 90 is now a legal requirement for all replacement brake friction materials (Brake Pads &...

RoughTrax receives many customers enquiring about bull bars every day, and unfortunately we are unable to supply them. It is not our decision not to supply bull bars but an EU legislation preventing us from legally selling them without a pretty hefty fine. We thought we would set the record straight and explain why it is now illegal to sell bull bars unless...

A very common question we are asked by our customers is "What is the difference in RoughTrax premium exhaust quality to others?" Well, let us explain; Who is the manufacturer? The manufacturer for RoughTrax premium exhausts are TMA Exhaust Specialists, and they are the largest independent manufacturer of quality exhausts in the UK. With full ISO 9001 approval on the quality manufacturing system, and Type Approval...