4x4 Parts & Accessories in the Bay of Plenty

Kren Bits delivers 4x4 parts and accessories right across the Bay of Plenty, from Waihī Beach and Katikati in the west, through Tauranga and Te Puke, inland to Rotorua and the forestry towns, and east to Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki. We stock Rockarmor bullbars, RAW 4x4 and Ultima 4x4 lift kits, winches, rock sliders and driving lights. We're an online-only New Zealand store with no shopfront in the region: you order online, we deliver to your door, and you fit the parts yourself or take them to your local mechanic. Every bar and kit is bolt-on and comes with its fitting hardware.

Towns we deliver to in the Bay of Plenty

The Bay covers a lot of different country: the fast-growing city and orchards of the Western Bay, the lakes and geothermal country around Rotorua, the huge plantation forests of the Kaingaroa plateau, and the farmland of the Rangitāiki Plains running out to the Eastern Bay. Pick your town for local tracks, clubs and the parts that suit the utes people drive there:

  • Tauranga: including Mount Maunganui and Pāpāmoa, home of the Bay of Plenty Four Wheel Drive Club and the gateway to Thompsons Track over the Kaimai Range.
  • Rotorua: forestry and lakes country, with three 4WD clubs and permit access to Kaingaroa.
  • Whakatāne: the Eastern Bay, with the Motu Road, Ōpōtiki beaches and Whirinaki within reach.

We also deliver to the smaller towns across the region:

  • Te Puke: about 18km south-east of Tauranga, the self-styled kiwifruit capital of the world, and the town near where the Bay of Plenty 4WD Club has hosted national 4x4 trials on Rangiuru Road farmland.
  • Katikati: about 40km north-west of Tauranga on SH2, known for its murals and avocado and kiwifruit orchards, and the Bay end of Thompsons Track.
  • Ōmokoroa: a former holiday village on the harbour side of SH2 that has more than doubled in size in a decade, with a ferry to Matakana Island.
  • Kawerau: a mill town of about 7,500 people built on pulp and paper, forestry and geothermal energy, beside Putauaki and the Tarawera River.
  • Ōpōtiki: at the northern junction of SH2 and SH35, the start of the coast road to East Cape and the Motu Road inland.
  • Ngongotahā: on the western shore of Lake Rotorua about 10km from the city, under the 757m dome of Mount Ngongotahā.
  • Murupara: a forestry town on the Rangitāiki River about 65km south-east of Rotorua, on SH38 towards Whirinaki and Te Urewera.

Smaller parts travel by courier and bullbars go by freight, including to rural addresses. Tell us your vehicle and we'll confirm the exact part number before anything is sent. Use the vehicle finder at the top of krenbits.com, or call the Kren Offroad team on 021 288 6816.

Bullbars for Bay of Plenty utes

Our bullbars come from Rockarmor, a steel range built for the utes and wagons New Zealanders drive. The GT Hoop is a full bumper replacement in powder-coated steel, with hoops that protect the grille and headlights, mounts for a winch and driving lights, and a fit specific to each model. Whether your ute works orchard races, forestry roads or the long Eastern Bay highways, it's solid front-end protection.

A bullbar is a two-person bolt-on job: the factory bumper comes off, the bar bolts to the chassis mounts, and the lights and sensors move across. If you'd rather not, any local mechanic or auto-electrician can fit it. Add a Rockarmor 12,000lb winch and Phantom 9-inch LED driving lights to complete the front end.

Lift kits for Bay of Plenty 4x4s

RAW 4x4 2-inch (about 50mm) kits suit modern utes and wagons. Each kit includes front coils, rear leaf springs and nitrogen-charged shocks, with load options to match how you use the truck. Popular picks include the Hilux N80 kit, the Triton MR/MV kit, the BT-50 2020+ kit and the LandCruiser 76/78/79 kit.

Ultima 4x4 covers older and less common 4x4s, such as the Hilux LN110/160/170, the Navara D22 and the FJ Cruiser.

Every lift needs a wheel alignment afterwards. 2-inch kits are chosen to stay within normal road-legal limits for most vehicles. Bigger lifts, body lifts or oversized tyres may need LVV certification, so check with a certifier.

4x4 tracks and clubs across the Bay of Plenty

Beaches. Beach driving rules change from district to district. Tauranga generally bans vehicles from its beaches apart from boat launching at set ramps and permitted ATVs for fishing at Pāpāmoa. The Western Bay of Plenty District allows access at existing access points or by permit, with extra restrictions at some reserves. Whakatāne District only allows vehicles via authorised accessways, with seasonal limits at Ōhope Spit and the Matatā dunes for nesting birds. Ōpōtiki District allows vehicles on most beaches at up to 15km/h on the hard sand, but bans them from Ōhiwa Harbour, the spits and the Waiotahe Estuary. Regional rules also ban vehicles from the most sensitive coastal areas.

Thompsons Track (Kaimai Range). A legal paper road of roughly 13km between Manawaru and Katikati, used extensively by 4WDs. It closes to vehicles over winter, and slips on the eastern side have stopped through-access to the Western Bay at times, so check its status with the council first.

Kaingaroa and Rotoehu forests. Access is by permit, mainly for hunting and fishing, on weekends and public holidays with gates open 6am to 6pm. Vehicles need a current WOF, registration and third-party insurance, and access is restricted in the fire season.

Whirinaki and the Motu. DOC lists four-wheel driving at Whirinaki Te Pua-a-Tāne Conservation Park, about 90km south-east of Rotorua, reached via Minginui and River Road. In the Eastern Bay, the 48km Motu Road from near Ōpōtiki to Matawai is a former Rally of New Zealand stage, and Otipi Road off Takaputahi Road drops more than 600 vertical metres to the Motu River.

Clubs. The region's NZFWDA-affiliated clubs are the Bay of Plenty Four Wheel Drive Club (meets at the Tauranga Sport Fishing Club, Sulphur Point), the Geyserland 4WD Club, Sulphur City 4Wheelers and the Land Rover Enthusiasts Club in Rotorua, and the Eastern Bay Twin Diff Club, which meets at Edgecumbe. The Bay of Plenty club is also one of the clubs associated with the motorsport area at TECT All Terrain Park on SH36.

Fitting your parts

Kren Bits parts are designed for DIY. They bolt to factory mounts and come with the hardware. Fit them at home with a helper, or take them to your local mechanic, 4x4 workshop or auto-electrician anywhere in the Bay. Book a wheel alignment after any suspension work.

Bay of Plenty 4x4 FAQs

Do you deliver across the Bay of Plenty?

Yes. We deliver everywhere from Waihī Beach, Katikati and Tauranga to Te Puke, Rotorua, Murupara, Kawerau, Whakatāne and Ōpōtiki. Bullbars travel by freight and smaller parts by courier.

Do you have a store in the Bay of Plenty?

No. Kren Bits is online only, with no shopfronts. Order at krenbits.com or call 021 288 6816.

What's the most popular bullbar?

Across the whole store, our best-selling Rockarmor bars include the GT Hoop for the Ford Ranger PX2/PX3 and the Premium bar for the Navara D40, along with the GT Hoop range for the Toyota Hilux.

Can I drive in Kaingaroa Forest?

Only with a valid access permit and within its conditions, which are aimed mainly at hunting and fishing. It isn't an open 4WD park, and access can be suspended in the fire season.

Do lift kits need certification?

2-inch kits are chosen to stay within normal road-legal limits for most vehicles. Bigger lifts, body lifts or oversized tyres may need LVV certification, so check with a certifier.