4 Tips for Maintaining Your Armored SUV

In many ways, maintaining an armored SUV is very similar to maintaining any other vehicle. You need to change the car’s tires, wash it regularly, and inspect the various belts, hoses, and other components according to the owner’s manual. But some aspects of automotive maintenance are more important for armored vehicles than others.

Always Inspect the Tires and Wheels

While the tires and wheels are important on any vehicle, this is especially true of armored vehicles. An issue with wheel alignment or a punctured or deflated tire can make your vehicle an easy target. Underinflated tires can also worsen handling, making it harder to control the armored vehicle. So, get in the habit of inspecting the tires regularly. If you are using an armored vehicle for a high-profile person, there is no such thing as inspecting the tires too frequently.

Keep an Eye on the Chassis

The chassis is one component of an armored SUV that will need more attention than a non-armored one. This comes from the additional weight of all the armored plates added to the vehicle. SUVs are carefully chosen before adding the plates to ensure they can handle the extra weight. Even so, you will need to inspect the chassis of an armored SUV more frequently than you would on a regular SUV.

Test the Brakes Regularly

Any vehicle should have its brakes checked regularly, whether or not it is armored. After all, brakes are one of the most important components for staying safe on the road, as they let you stop and avoid collisions.

But brakes on armored vehicles are a special consideration for a few reasons. To start, the security concerns that make you opt for an armored vehicle mean you want your SUV to be highly maneuverable. This way, you can count on its handling and braking to get you out of sticky situations.

Additionally, the brakes of armored vehicles are under additional pressure because of the added weight. As such, they could experience more wear than you would with a regular SUV.

Install and Maintain a GPS Tracker

While not necessarily maintenance, every armored SUV should have a GPS tracker. The people or items inside these SUVs are important enough to require extra protection. As such, it stands to reason that you also want to be able to find them at all times. A GPS tracker can prevent a would-be kidnapper or thief from being successful.

Bonus: Ask Your Armored SUV Vendor for Any Special Instructions

The absolute best way to maintain your armored SUV is to ask the manufacturer or vendor for special instructions. They will give you these instructions automatically when you buy the vehicle, but you can always ask for more information. Since their engineers handled the armored SUV’s conversion, they are the best equipped to know what maintenance it needs.

Conclusion

To maintain an armored SUV, you must follow all of the basic maintenance that you would for any other vehicle. But pay special attention to the tires, chassis, and brakes. When in doubt, ask the armored SUV manufacturer or vendor for any special maintenance required.