There is a massively overlooked and underrated part of 4WDing that happens when you are not even in your 4WD, its called picking a line!

Picking a line is a process that happens when you and the convoy approach a section of track that is particularly gnarly, steep, rutted or even deep mud or soft sand!

The objective of picking a line is looking for the most efficient path to get your 4WD from point A to point B with minimal damage to both your vehicle, yourself and the tracks!

When judging the perfect line for your vehicle, you will have to take into its track width (how wide apart are your wheels), how capable it is, whether it has a 2” lift kit for clearance, bigger tyres and many other factors that could affect traction or vehicle stability on the tracks.

So when in doubt, get out, have a look at the track up ahead, and make sure you have a good idea of any obstacles that may not be visible from the beginning of the tough sections!

For a few general rules for tackling tough terrain, read along and take some notes, as this could make the difference between making the track, and not!

Slippery sections

When tackling any terrain give yourself the line of least resistance, by decreasing tyre pressures with a Kwiky Tyre Deflator, you can gain an extraordinary amount of additional grip. This means that even slippery rocks and greasy mud, may not cause you the grief you are expecting!

Crevasses

Hilly tracks are often full of crevasses caused by rainwater erosion and can cause a lot of difficulty if you end up with a tyre falling inside the hole! The best bit of advice is to straddle both sides of the hole, this will allow your tyres to have a solid foundation and lets the hole pass directly under your vehicle with solid footing on either side. Sometimes this is possible, but when it is not due to massive width of the hole, you may find skirting around the hole to be a better option. In circumstances like this travel slowly in low range and observe any slippery surface where you may end up sliding into the hole, causing more of an issue than originally anticipated!

Steep Hills

When travelling around hills, it’s a good idea to keep your vehicle pointed either up or down hill. If you find your vehicle driving across the hill you can encounter a shift in center of gravity resulting in your vehicle potentially rolling over!

Tyres High
By picking a line that keeps your tyres high, you don’t need excessive lift or huge rubber, not only will massive tyres reduce your low-end power but they will increase your fuel consumption. There is a simple solution to fitting huge lift and big rubber, and that is a good offroad line!

Placing your tyres on high sections of track avoids bottoming out on obstacles, and gives you “temporary” ground clearance, preventing your 4WD from being hung up on tough sections

This tip is one to live by and will get your 4WD through some of the toughest sections of track out there without expensive modifications!

USE A SPOTTER

Whilst tackling the tough stuff, its easy to let your ego get in the way, but a spotter can help you see whats happening underneath your 4WD easily taking the guesswork out of your wheel placement, and able to communicate exactly what your wheels are doing underneath you!

Check the depth!

When you are approaching anything where you cannot see the bottom, its important to check the depth the whole way along with a long stick, this will make sure you don’t find any nasty surprises lurking in the depths, like a big drop off, or a large invisible boulder you can easily get caught up on, and break driveline components with!

Mechanical sympathy

The old saying goes, “Go as slow as possible, as fast as necessary.”  When you are miles from anywhere, you often can’t get “roadside assist” to come and help you, it’s a good idea not to try and get your 4WD airborne through the rough sections. Whilst it might make it, if your line increases the risk of your vehicle busting a cv joint or a driveshaft, it’d be wise to rethink!

If you have a bit of mechanical knowledge, by bringing a set of tools with you, like an Adventure Kings Bushmechanic tool kit, and a bit of elbow grease sometimes you can get your 4WD back on the road, but when you get home, the repair bill might not make you smile as much as getting through the tough sections unscathed!

UPGRADES?

Chrome won’t get you home! Whilst many people love adding new rims, and trendy LED running lights to their 4WD, to give that touch of personality. A more wise investment if you plan on hitting the tracks would be to include a full recovery Kit such as the Hercules Complete Recovery Kit, and a handful of safety equipment like a fire extinguisher, a First aid Kit like the Survival Vehicle First Aid Kit, and installing a UHF radio like the Oricom UHF380PK to keep in touch with your convoy and give you another method of communications when the mobile phone reception inevitably disappears are much better investments of your time than flashy bling that just looks good!!

Other than being prepared to jump out of the vehicle and asses which part of the track is the best line to tackle, there is nothing more than time in the seat of  the cockpit to get you familiar with what your 4WD can really do offroad!