1. Tyre pressures are useful

Whether you are hitting the tracks or tackling corrugations and even for more float over sand and sloppy mud! Dropping your tyre pressures using a Kwiky Tyre Deflator, you can drop your tyre pressures down from your standard pressures to knocking a couple of PSI off to smooth out the ride to dumping out 2/3rds of your pressure to increase the surface area of your tyres and give you tank like tractions.

2. Winches prevent damage

For years, winches were considered a tool for the big boys only, this has changed ever since the release of the Hercules range of winches, not only affordable but extremely powerful, and reliable.

The Hercules Domin8r X 12,000lb Winch has earned the reputation of being, extremely powerful and one of the go to tools on  the market for saving the massive repair bill you might get for hucking your fully loaded 4WD through an obstacle.

Use mechanical sympathy to ensure that you don’t break parts of your 4WD and get your vehicle seriously stuck.

2. Stay in the ruts

Despite how it might feel, staying in the ruts is actually one of the safest places to be when you are heading either up or down hill! By being inside a rut it will generally take control of the wheel and steer your vehicle through the obstacle.

When you are in the ruts your only job is to steady the speed and make sure you stay in control for the safest trip through the bush!

3. Vehicles rarely roll end over end

When wheeling in Australia, there is no doubt that you will encounter steep hills the rule of thumb is to always point your vehicle up or down the incline never across, whilst many vehicles can handle cross slope driving it is definitely not advisable, as this can result in a tumble you wont shortly forget.

4. Lock hubs and engage low before you need it

There is a myth, circulating that you need to tackle every track in 2WD with your hubs unlocked until you get bogged, to keep the traction in reservation. This attitude will certainly get your 4WD stuck deep in the mud sand or anywhere else. By locking your hubs, you make sure you have as much traction as is humanly possible to begin with, this includes steering and engine braking as well.

By engaging 4WD and low range at the beginning of an obstacle you make sure that your vehicle has definitely engaged low range and has the absolute most torque being applied to the road surface as possible, this means that you are less likely to spin tyres and get hung up on obstacles on the tracks!

5. Speed and momentum

There is a massive difference between speed and momentum, and when tackling obstacles it’s a great idea to carry just enough momentum and not too much speed, by using your vehicles weight to carry your 4WD up and over the mud and the sand. By carrying enough momentum, you wont get bogged down and hung up on the obstacles.

When you carry too much speed you will find that your vehicle will bounce around uncontrollably resulting in your 4WD potentially breaking parts.

6. Smooth is fast

This saying is as old as the hills, and it has stood the test of time for good reason!

By maintaining momentum and choosing the right lines you will find that your vehicle will “flow” through the obstacle. By keeping your movements smooth and predictable you will have a smooth and flowing drive that allows you to get to camp easier and quicker than trying to hit it the most gnarly way possible!

7. Thumbs up for the boys

With newer trucks being fitted with electronic steering, this isn’t for you… but with most vehicles on the market there is a direct connection between the steering wheel and your front wheels, the direct connection not only gives you feedback to what your wheels are doing, but also to what the track surface is doing.

There is one major issue with the feedback on your steering wheel and that is when you hit deep and sharp turning ruts. These have the tendency to throw your steering wheel sharply from left to right. Which if holding your wheel in a death grip can actually smash your thumbs resulting in a trip to the doctors to get some plaster casts and pain killers.

To avoid injuries remember to give two thumbs up to the tracks to keep your thumbs clear of danger and keep your 4WD tracking well on the obstacle!

8. Steer into a roll!

When you are hitting some big obstacles, you are sure to at one stage or another get an “oh sh….” Moment, this is usually when you either lift a wheel or drop a wheel, dramatically changing the lean of your 4WD.

You are really only presented with 3 options, the first being to stop everything there and then to halt the rolling motion this can actually trip you up because very rarely does a sudden movement end well when we are 4WDing.

The next choice you have is steering into it, by steering into the direction your vehicle is rolling you are essentially balancing a broom handle on your finger, the tyres will roll in the direction of movement shifting the center of gravity essentially “catching you”.

For more information about saving your bacon, head to www.4WDSupacentre.com.au call us on 1800 88 39 64 or visit one of our stores or dealers to speak with an expert directly.