Have you ever been on the tracks, and had to take the chicken track, turn around, or just pull aside to let “the big boys” through? It doesn’t have to be this way, with the right attitude, the right equipment, even the most basic rig setups can get you through some gnarly tracks with minimum fuss and more fun!

There are a few essentials you need to ensure your standard vehicle without any excess equipment will conquer even some of the more unreal tracks you didn’t think was possible or capable in a relatively unmodified 4WD vehicle.

One of the most critical additions to any 4WD Setup is the ability to gain additional traction. Whilst some people swear by upgraded suspension, and it can help one of the keys to gaining more traction offroad (And on) is to adjust your tyre pressure to exactly the pressures required for the terrain at hand.

The biggest killer to 4WDs when tackling obstacles is laziness, feeling like you cannot be bothered is a surefire recipe to getting bogged or hung up, this is why it is important to get out of the vehicle, inspect the obstacle and make sure you are 100% set on a line through the obstacle.

The best plan of attack is to pick a path through the obstacle that suits your vehicles track, wheel base and wheel diameter picking out high spots on the track where you can keep your wheels placed, up and out of the holes, making sure your vehicle doesn’t get high sided (bottomed out) or toppled over.

A great method for maintaining a smooth line is to run the appropriate pressures which compared with your vehicles standard tyre pressures can be up to and lower than 50% of the standard recommended air pressures.

Despite what the general knowledge of every tom dick and harry out there might tell you, dropping your pressures does very little when it comes to “bagging out” your tyres, and if you have stiff sidewalled “light truck” style tyres, you may not get very much bagging out at all, instead rather, you increase the length of the tread that is in contact with the surface of the track. this additional length does two things, firstly it allows the tread to conform to the shape of the surface you are driving on, giving much more grip thanks to your newly elongated contact patch area’s and primarily it decreases the force per area.

the decreased psi on the track surface allows your vehicle to float over soft surfaces and grip on uneven surfaces much better than you would imagine, with a decrease on a set of 31” tyres down from our recommended pressure of 32 psi down to 16 psi we are getting approximately 200% additional area for the same weight, that is 1/3 of the pressure on the track meaning much more grip. the lower pressure also has the added advantage of absorbing some of the vibration and making your trip much smoother.

The only downside to dropping pressures is that you have to reduce your speeds as well, driving too quickly can do many negative things from de-seating the bead of the tyre from the rim and even tearing up your sidewall. It’s best to drop pressures accurately and quickly otherwise you will probably refuse to get out if the weather is sub-optimal. By grabbing a Kwiky Tyre Deflator, and a Thumper MAX MKII Dual Air Compressor for some of the fastest pressure adjustments out there.
With your vehicle being that much more capable, there is only one more bit of gear that will truly set you off, ready to explore the great yonder with limited restrictions; The bullet proof accessory that you MUST have installed for solo explorations on the tracks is a good quality winch with enough grunt to pull your rig free like the Adventure Kings Domin8r Xtreme Winch boasting a huge 12,000lb of pulling power.

The Adventure Kings Domin8r Xtreme Winch is one of the most affordable and feature packed winches on the market, being able to be installed with just 4 bolts (included in the box) and a couple of power terminals on the battery, there really is no simpler way to get your vehicle out of the muck, sand, and sludge found on the tracks!

The Domin8r Xtreme also includes an improved brake which locks into place almost instantly, resulting in a much more controlled and safe descent, as well as running cooler than similar units on the market offering more durability for the winch cable and longer winch sessions on tougher terrain.

No winch is complete without some of the toughest recovery gear around. This is why 4WD Supacentre offers a complete range of recovery accessories ranging from all the bits and pieces for efficient winch recoveries to, clearing out the dirt and mud underneath your 4WD, thanks to the Hercules Complete Recovery Kit.

To find out more about the complete range of 4WDing accessories, head to www.4WDSupacentre.com.au call our expert team on 1800 88 39 64 or drop into one of our stores to see the full range in person and to ask our experienced staff all your burning questions for getting your 4WD further offroad!