1 Drive in 2WD until you get stuck

FALSE!

There is an old wives tale that you should engage your 4WD locking hubs but leave your 4WD in 2WD High range. The idea is that you drive until you get stuck and then engage your 4WD gears to use the arguably “unstuck” front wheels to pull you free.

There are a few issues with this, the first being that a 4WD doesn’t always go into 4WD gears straight away, sometimes you need to drive for a little bit for the gears to fully mesh and engage allowing the front wheels to be driven. The second major issue is that driving in 2WD means you are much more likely to get your vehicle stuck in the first place, when your 4WD is in 2WD mode, it will plow the front tyres through the mud/sand and over rocks instead of powering them to roll over the obstacles, by plowing the front end you engage the rear wheels deeper into the terrain and ask more from your rear tyres.

By hitting any offroad track in 4WD high range you have much better control and more power getting to the ground allowing smoother handling and meaning you are less likely to get stuck when the tracks get tough!

2 You don’t have to lower pressures

FALSE!

Whilst everyone has that one mate who thinks their 4WD is the toughest because they never have to drop pressures offroad, whilst its true they may be able to tackle some tougher sections of track without dropping their pressures, it doesn’t mean that it is the right thing to do! 

The reason we drop pressures is more than just gaining additional traction, by dropping pressures we cause less erosion and damage to the tracks, this means that people running more reasonable modifications can still drive the tracks. it also means the authorities are less likely to shut the tracks!

BE MORE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR ACTIONS AND DROP YOUR PRESSURES ON THE TRACKS!

3 More right boot will get me out

KINDA TRUE!

Whilst not true for EVERY offroad situation, giving it a little bit of berries can help to drive through an obstacle with minimal fuss (as long as you maintain control), there are 2 things that happen when you give it a little more right boot, you firstly can clear out your tread allowing more rubber to hit the road, a little bit of speed allows the mud to be flicked free from your tread, also by carrying momentum you have less deceleration and acceleration on the track meaning you are more likely to float and roll over the top of the track hazards.

However, when you are teetering or on uneven surfaces you may want to use this advice with a bit of discretion as it will get you out of trouble, in many situations it might make things worse for you!

4 If I have all the gear I won’t get stuck

FALSE!
The saying “All the gear no idea” never rung truer than in the 4WD world!  There is always the one guy who spends thousands on their 4WD every year but really has no idea about picking a good line or when it is time to back off a little bit.  

Having the right gear means you will have a reliable way of getting your 4WD free, but that doesn’t mean going overboard and overstocking your equipment that is useless, there is no point bringing backups on backups, particularly if you don’t know how to use the gear in the first place.

THERE IS NO SUBSTITUTE FOR PROPER TRAINING WITH OFFROAD RECOVERIES!!

5 Lift and bigger tyres are all you need to tackle tracks

TRUE!

A set of larger tyres and a modest 2” Suspension lift kit will allow you to get your 4WD into and around the toughest tracks, and with most modern 4WD’s having traction control setups, you will easily be able to tackle 99.9% of 4WD tracks, the benefits from upgraded suspension are better springs which not only allow your tyres to stick to the road, and articulate more, but with upgraded shock absorbers your 4WD will handle a lot better than with the worn out factory suspension.

SMALL MODS GIVE THE BIGGEST ADVANTAGES!

6 I have a snorkel so I can drive up to my windscreen in water

FALSE!

A snorkel is a great addition to any 4WD it will allow your engine to draw dust free air from up off the road surface, typically air near the road surface is hot and dusty resulting in factory intakes clogging air filters with dust, and giving your vehicle less performance off road, whilst this is typically the biggest benefit to running a snorkel on your 4WD often people find that a snorkel will protect your vehicle from sucking water into your intake during river crossings.

By having a fully sealed snorkel can dramatically reduce the risk of hydro-locking your engine, it will protect your engine from directly sucking water just like when you are diving with a snorkel. However your vehicle has many other limitations that will stop it before you get to your windscreen depth in water, such as vital electronics like your vehicles ECU, battery, fuse box, injector wires and even the wiring from your air intake and other critical electronics that can fail when wet. Additionally, your vehicle would need to be sealed water tight to prevent water from leaking through your door seals and through the firewall grommets, without sealing all of your vehicles points of entry extremely well you will find that even creek crossings that only come up to your door seal will result in your vehicle taking on water faster than the titanic.

For this reason a snorkel isn’t the be all and end all for water crossings.

7 Traction control means I don’t have to put it in low range

FALSE!

Modern 4WD’s offer plenty of digitally controlled traction aids, such as hill decent control, traction control, abs and much more, whilst these automatic digital supplements can help your 4WD keep rolling even when the terrain gets seriously tough. Because of these easy to use aids, many people would wrongly assume their 4WD will simply drag them through even the roughest, steepest and slipperiest terrain.

By clicking your 4WD into a low range gear, you increase your vehicles torque output by many factors, this helps every system in a number of ways, first of all by increasing the torque you decrease wheel speed, this means more power hits the track, because of less wheel spinning, this is compounded by the addition of control.

LOW RANGE IS YOUR BEST FRIEND OFFROAD!

8 UHF Radios are for serious tourers ONLY
FALSE!
Whilst UHF radios are excellent for long distance touring, they are one of the most valuable safety upgrades out of anything you can do to your 4WD. A UHF radio instantly opens up cost free wireless communication to your vehicle that doesn’t rely on mobile phone tower reception in an emergency.

The UHF repeater network all over Australia offers 4WDers the ability to call for help well beyond the standard 20km transmission range offered by legal 5W UHF radios and allows you to communicate with anyone within the local area when you need help in an emergency.

UHF RADIOS ARE FREE TO USE AND COULD SAVE YOU AND YOUR 4WD ON THE TRACKS!

9 I don’t need tools, I have a new car!

FALSE!
New vehicles just like old vehicles suffer from finding their limitations particularly when you are pushing the boundaries on the tracks, as with all machines. Whether you chose the toughest 4WD available or the most affordable/reliable vehicle on the market, everything has its limitations. This is why a comprehensive tool kit coupled with a little know how will get you back up and running when you are off the beaten tracks!

Something like the Adventure Kings Bush Mechanic Toolkit stashes neatly in the back of your 4WD and will make emergency repairs a piece of cake when you least expect them!

Bring a reliable tool kit into the bush with you!

10 Spending a lot on gear means you are paying for reliability

FALSE!
Some of the best value gear on the market is more than enough for most 4WDers. Whilst some brands create an illusion of superior reliability the reality is that most gear manufactured now days are built to exceedingly high standards. With modern construction methods and rigorous testing standards you can definitely get some excellent quality gear for a fraction of the price of the “reliable” brands.

Get your hands on an Adventure Kings setup to save yourself stacks of cash and get out on the tracks so much sooner than with brands that charge more simply for their label!

To find out more about the best value 4WD gear on the market head to www.4WDSuapcentre.com.au or call us on 1800 88 39 64 to score the best bargains on Australias very own 4WD gear company, designed by 4WDers for 4WDers!