When dealing with the massive forces involved in a 4WD recovery, many people may not take the caution required when getting a heavily bogged 4WD free!

A 4WD recovery is a simple physics problem with mass, friction, forces and vectors determining whether or not a recovery will be successful or not.  If your recovery is successful, you probably calculated correctly and used the correct techniques and equipment for safe and trouble-free rescue.

If you failed to use proper technique and equipment you may be putting your rated recovery gear under un-due stresses and shock loads which could be putting you and your 4WDing buddies in unnecessary danger!

So when planning ahead for successful 4WD trip, don’t ignore your safety, and follow the following 4 tips into account to make sure you are 100% successful and safe!

1.Always use a rated recovery point.

As a newbie to 4WDing, you can look at the rated loads our recovery equipment, and think they are excessively high. But if you have ever seen a vehicle that has been in a collision at around 50-60km/h you will note the massive amounts of force encountered.

When recovering a typical 4WD with a GVM of around 2500KG you will need forces well in excess of the weight of a fully loaded vehicle, when considering the static friction caused by the surface below, and any forward moving resistance encountered by the wheels of the vehicle in soft terrain. These factors can increase the load on the recovery by a factor of up to 300%!

With these massive forces considered, its easy to see why it is important to install a set of rated 4WD recovery points to your vehicle.

What about the factory hooks up front or my tow ball in the rear?

Even if you have a rated towing capacity of 3500kg that load is always intended to be a downward force on your tow hitch, whilst it seems like a good idea NEVER EVER USE YOUR TOWBALL OR TIE DOWN HOOKS DURING A RECOVERY, there has been many instances of them sheering off and becoming a high energy projectile, resembling a small cannonball, which can have potentially lethal outcome!

2.Recovery Dampener

When dealing with the intense loads whilst recovering a stuck 4WD using a Domin8r X winch employing a typical double line pull recovery and a rated snatch block, vehicles can experience forces exceeding 10,000kg.

When a snatch strap or winch cable breaks, it can crack like a whip, with the end of the cable, and any failed metal components travelling as fast as the speed of sound!

To increase the safety factor during a 4WD recovery, it is important to use a recovery Dampener, this handy tool, does 2 main things. Firstly it acts as an air brake for any metal components involved in a recovery, meaning that as the line is whipping, the heavy components are slowed down.

A Recovery Dampener is also weighted, meaning that any components flying through the air are bought down low to the ground and dragged across the ground, meaning the risks of injury are minimized.

Even when using a recovery dampener, you should still exercise absolute caution and make sure all spectators are well out of the way of any possible failures.

3.Always use a rated recovery kit
By always using rated gear from a reputable supplier like the Hercules range of recovery kits you can be certain you will be able to get your 4WD free from a dangerous situation on the tracks.

The Hercules Complete Recovery Kit includes;

1 x Snatch Block, 8,000kg

1 x Snatch Strap, 8,000kg, 9m x 60mm

1 x Tree Trunk Protector, 10,000kg, 3m x 75mm

1 x Extension Strap, 5,000kg

2 x Bow Shackles 4.7T each

1 x Winch Dampener

1x Folding Shovel

1x Kwiky Tyre Deflator

1x Heavy Duty Gloves

1 x Recovery Bag

Which can get you out of just about any situation when you are offroad, particularly if you have a winch like the Domin8r X fitted to your 4WD, many winch recoveries are impossible without a rated recovery kit, so should be considered an ESSENTIAL when you are hitting the tracks!

Even if you don’t have a winch fitted, it is considered trackside etiquette to use your own gear for a recovery, it will save your rescuer from unfolding all of their straps and getting their gear muddy or dirty, whilst they may offer to use their kit, make sure you insist on using your own rated recovery gear, and don’t forget to offer them an icy cold beer as well!

4. Keep your gear serviceable and clean.

Whilst it seems like an easy enough task, your recovery gear, and winch require a good thorough clean after every use.

By giving your winch rope, snatch strap, extension straps, and tree trunk protector a good rinse in soapy water, you help to remove engrained dirt, over time a dirty strap will gradually work the grains deeper inside the fibers of the strap eventually resulting in the sharp dirt and sand particles gradually cutting the fibers from the inside, out! By performing routine maintenance you can also inspect your gear for damage caused through usage and make sure that your gear is up to the challenge of getting you out of trouble when it matters most!