Having spent many years camping on Fraser Island, I’m well aware of the pain and frustration that comes with getting bogged on sand. While I’ve got plenty of funny and embarrassing stories to share with you, today I’m going to emphasise the need for safety when recovering your 4WD. Pulling any vehicle out of thick mud or sand requires a huge amount of force and care must always be taken to ensure you and everyone else remains safe.
Depending on whether you have help around, the two most reliable ways of recovery your bogged 4WD is through a winch or snatch strap. To be able to safely recover, it’s paramount that you understand the correct technique when using this equipment as there are many variables which can (and sometimes do) go wrong. To give you some insight, here’s my top 6 things you should never do in a 4WD recovery. Recover from points which are not rated Not many 4WDs feature rated recovery points as standard and what may seem to be a recovery point is in fact a tie down point for transferring the vehicle. If you attempt to recover from any of these points then you'll most likely see a clump of metal soaring through the air at high speeds. Always make sure that you use rated recovery points from at least two M12 grade 8.8 bolts which are attached correctly to the chassis. Join two snatch straps with a shackle In some instances, the length of one snatch strap isn't sufficient to recover your 4x4 so using two snatch straps fastened together is the rational approach. If you need to do this, it's essential that you join the straps together with the appropriate technique and not just attach them together with a shackle which can break and turn into a deadly projectile. Snatch straps should only be attached together by feeding the end of Strap A through the eye of Strap B, and then feeding the same eye of Strap A over the other end of Strap B. Rush to recover Unless you're bogged on the beach with an incoming tide or your 4x4 is filling with water, there's no need to rush a recovery. All this does is build more stress and you won't have the chance to think clearly about which kind of recovery is the easiest, safest, and quickest. There are numerous ways you can recover in any given predicament and you need to take the time to think about your options and setup your recovery properly. Overload your winch Although winches are an excellent recovery tool, you need to take care not to overload them particularly when you're stuck in mud. Most 4WD owners will acquire a 12,000 lb winch and this tends to be underrated if you're stuck up to your chassis in mud. Always use snatch blocks if you have them and dig around your chassis and tyres to decrease the load on your winch. Stand too close to the recovery One of the riskiest things you can do in a recovery is stand too close to the vehicles. Whilst recovering a 4x4 bogged in sand or mud may be fascinating to view, it's also very dangerous as there are a number of things which can fail. Your cable or snatch strap could snap, your recovery point could break, or your 4WD could gain too much momentum and launch at viewers. It's suggested that every person stand a minimum of 50m from the recovery and ideally in their vehicles. Forgetting to use a shovel before recovery Even though shovelling sand or mud from under your 4x4 may not be the most attractive job, it considerably reduces the force needed to recover your vehicle. In most situations, shovelling in front of all four wheels only takes around 15 minutes of work and this enables your vehicle to pop up onto the surface far easier. Also, you'll considerably reduce the possibility of your snatch strap or cable breaking. The most meaningful aspect of 4WDing is having a great time and ensuring you return home safely. Although getting bogged isn't the most enjoyable feeling, it's much better to spend more time thinking of a safe and effective way to recover than rushing your recovery and possibly injuring another person. For a variety of 4WD products and accessories coupled with a range of high-quality recovery gear, consult TJM Australia by phoning their staff on 07 3865 9999.
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March 2019
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