If you are new to 4WDing it can be daunting scrolling through the forums and seeing people throw around terms you’ve never heard before, it has almost become its own language, so we have put together this simple decoder to help you figure out what exactly people are saying, and to help you fit right in.

Let’s start with the basics;

4WD – 4 Wheel Drive meaning all 4 vehicle wheels are driven (can be used as 4WD, 4×4 or even 4by)

Rig – slang for someone’s entire offroad vehicle and includes their whole setup and modifications.

Mods – Abbreviation for modification, can include performance, storage or aesthetic upgrades.

Approach angle – The angle that your vehicle can approach an obstacle without fouling body panels.

Departure angle – The angle that your vehicle can leave an obstacle without fouling body panels.

Breakover angle – The measure of the ability to not ‘bottom out’ when driving over an obstacle.

Diffs – Abbreviation for differential, a small axle mounted gearbox that allow your wheels to spin at different speeds whilst maintaining powered drive in corners.

Lockers – an internal differential locking mechanism that bypasses the differential gearing and maintains equal drive to each wheel – gives more traction and equal power delivery to all tyres on slippery surfaces.

LSD – Limited Slip Differential is a form of differential locker that automatically engages and disengages as required.

High Range – Standard High-speed gearing ratios gives normal engine response and power output

Low Range – Reduction gearing, allows more power output with less speed great for steep sections and tough offroad tracks.

Lift Kit– Refers to suspension modifications like the RAW suspension lift kits made to gain more ground clearance, giving more offroad performance.

Flex – Refers to how much suspension travel is available for each wheel describes a vehicles capability on uneven terrain and ability to drive over obstacles, usually improved with after market suspension kits 

Lifting a wheel – When your vehicle doesn’t have enough flex for a section of track and your vehicles wheel comes off the ground.

AT’s – All Terrain Tyres, great all-rounder for offroad and highway performance.

MT’s – Mud Terrain Tyres, typical with deep wide spaced tread, great offroad, can be lacking on the hard stuff.

31’s, 33’s, 35’s or 37’s – or any other inch reference, refers to overall diameter of offroad tyres.

Right hand down – turning your steering wheel clockwise.

Left hand down – turning your steering wheel anti-clockwise.

Winch – holds a spool of Rope or cable that can be retracted in a controlled manner used for recovering stuck vehicles. for example the Domin8r X Winch has 12,000lb of pulling force on 26m of 9.5mm synthetic winch rope.

Walkies – UHF radio, can be vehicle mounted like the Oricom UHF380PK or hand held like the Oricom UHF2190 , allows wireless communication between vehicles in convoys or between people helping recover you on the tracks.

Maxtrax – a Lightweight reinforced nylon recovery board, used to gain extra traction and grip when on soft terrain, designed to double as a shovel and allows tyres to bite into loose terrain. see Maxtrax MkII

Winch Dampener – A high visibility dampening tool used during an offroad vehicle recovery to protect bystanders and other vehicles in case of recovery point or other metal component failure like the ones included in the Hercules Recovery Kits.

Snatch Block – A pulley used to divert the pull of a winch, or double the pulling power of a winch like the Hercules 8T Snatch Block

Snatch – a bungee like strap used to pull another stuck vehicle out of trouble using stored stretch to yank the stuck vehicle free, an affordable kit would be the Hercules Snatch Strap Kit which includes 2x Hercules Rated Bow Shackles, a Hercules 8000kg Rated Snatch Strap, and a handy carry bag.

Airing down- Process of reducing tyre pressures to increase tyre contact area for increased offroad grip, a task made simple and easy with a purpose made deflation tool like the Kwiky Tyre Deflator.

Airing up – Using compressed air from a 12V air compressor to re-inflate tyres from offroad pressures or from after repairing a puncture with a Hercules Tyre Repair Kit .

Spotties – Short for Spotlights, a bright LED Driving Light usually mounted to the front of a vehicle for additional high beam light output.

Roo-Bar – Heavy duty steel or alloy (and nowadays plastic) impact protection for the front of a vehicle, designed for high speed animal strikes. Often used to mount UHF antennas, auxiliary lighting, and winches.

Now you are fully initiated into the world of 4WDing and have the tools to know exactly what is being talked about and can communicate easily with those that have been hitting the toughest tracks for years!