If you are new to the 4WD scene, it’s a daunting task to become a competent offroad driver, whilst it looks easy enough in the videos, things can break, and you can get stuck, seemingly without warning.

 Despite your vehicle being designed for “all terrains” you will find out fairly quickly that some terrain is more treacherous than others.

Offroad driving requires a lot of mechanical sympathy, it’s important to ensure that your vehicle is not only prepared mechanically to endure harsh environments, but also to function efficiently and with its maximum offroad capability and potential when the tracks throw you challenges that may seem unconquerable.

When prepping for your next trip, you should make sure you have no leaks, and that your brakes, gearbox, diffs, transfer case and power steering all have clean and reasonable oil levels, along with checking that your engine has enough coolant to prevent overheating and that mechanically everything is running smoothly.

You may only be planning a mild trip, however with weather changes and even erosion from other 4WDers (usually from running tyre pressures that are far too high) you are almost certain to encounter a spot of trouble.

The first thing you should take note of when you are setting out for the day is your vehicles tyre pressures, when you reduce your pressures you instantly increase your traction on the tracks and gain an additional 200% surface area from your tyres allowing you to float over the soft stuff preventing getting stuck in the first place!

The next thing you need to do is prepare your 4WD with adequate recovery equipment, the right equipment will depend on the surfaces you are driving on as well as what equipment you have fitted to your 4WD.

For instance if you are driving on sand, at Fraser Island, Stockton, Blacksmiths or Lancelin you will find by watching other 4WDers that winch equipment is almost never used however a properly rated 4WD Recovery Snatch Strap is your best friend, with a shovel and a snatch strap , you will find that you can pretty much get your 4WD out of any trouble on the beaches.

If you have never recovered a 4WD offroad, watching the pro’s tackle thus task makes it seems simple enough, however there are a handful of things to keep in mind when you are pulling a 4WD free, no strap should have twists, just like a seatbelt a recovery strap is weakened by twists, on top of this the forces involved in your 4WD getting pulled out are immense so ensuring you have the maximum strength and don’t encounter any explosive failures.

An other tip you need to consider when using your snatch to recover your 4WD is laying out the strap before the recovery, starting with a 1m ‘Z’ Overlap in the middle of the strap and ensuring there are absolutely no twists this will give the strap enough “bungee” to yank your 4WD free!

Additionally, if you have a winch like the Domin8r X 7.2HP winch fitted to your 4WD you can employ a few more tricks of the trade particularly when you need a more controlled extraction or a gentle pull back onto a firmer surface!

By grabbing a Complete Recovery Kit you get your hands on not only all the tools required for a snatch recovery, but also a tree trunk protector and a winch extension strap as well as a recovery dampener which is perfect for making your winch recoveries much safer by acting as both an airbrake and by dragging your winch rope to the ground in the case of a recovery gear failure.

Even when equipped with all the top shelf modifications on your 4WD getting stuck is just part and parcel when you take your vehicle offroad. as opposed to your gut reaction which is to panic and give it a whole lot of right boot, alternatively you should relax, take a breath and figure out the best way to free your 4WD from the clutches of the tracks!

For more information don’t hesitate to call us on 1800 88 39 64 or visit our website at www.4WDSupacentre.com.au or even drop into one of our stores to talk to our expert team!