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View Full Version : Winning the 4WD race. My How to.

MazDan
08-01-2005, 02:16 PM
I was offerred this advice almost 30 years ago and i still use it as the first rule of 4wdriving when teaching mates.

Its quite simple.

4 wheel driving is NOT a race.

But rather a TRIAL to see who gets to point B with the least ammount of damage.

And that means........

Drive to the conditions.

Always be in total control.

Never ever allow the vehicle to lose traction, uphill or down.

Take the time to plan how you approach each problem.

Expect the unexpected.

The team (a team consisting of navigator, truck and driver) that makes it to point B with the least ammount (hopefully NIL) of damage is the team that "wins".



Just my thoughts.
08-01-2005, 02:19 PM
makes perfect sense to me ;D
08-01-2005, 02:21 PM
Agreed there, major damage is not cool
greeny
08-01-2005, 03:17 PM
well said ;D
taziiy
08-01-2005, 07:34 PM
Good points but navi can steer you wrong :(
MazDan
08-01-2005, 09:18 PM
Good points but navi can steer you wrong :(


Oh yes...........I was offerred advice on that as well...........and guess what..........Im not married.............never got lost..........lol.
4xgold0
09-01-2005, 05:42 AM
sounds about right
baby_troupe
14-01-2005, 10:29 PM
That's pretty much how I do it.
crankycruiser
07-03-2005, 09:28 PM
Some very smart advice there. :)
Nemesis
10-03-2005, 05:38 PM
Never ever allow the vehicle to lose traction, uphill or down.



This is the only one I can't seem to follow. Unless you either
A: Drive tracks that a CRV can get up; or
B: Have both diffs locked...
Any challenging terrain often means loss of traction. Whether it be a single tyre, or all 4. That though, doesn't mean you won't make it or won't win .......
(I'm talking going up here)
crankycruiser
10-03-2005, 09:49 PM
Yeah I must agree with u there Nemesis...

I have been on a few hill climbs that i cant get up without the wheels spinning and thats with both diffs locked...
wooders
11-03-2005, 09:10 AM
It's not a race but sometimes theres an allotted time ;)
Sometimes point B can't be reached without damage (just hopefully not too often), 8)
Definately drive to the conditions - and remember too many attempts & you get DNF so running the winch cable sooner is not a bad thing;)
Sooner or later loss or traction will happen - know how to handle it.
Take the time to plan how you approach each problem. But take even longer to plan your recovery after you stuff up.

Expect the unexpected. ALWAYS.

Just my amendments :-*
tojoh
25-04-2005, 09:59 AM
When you drive a non-turbo deisel, nothing is EVER a race ;D.
25-04-2005, 08:00 PM
I have been on a few fantastic trips with some of the Vic guys from this forum, but I'm sure I am regarded as the 'slowcoach :-[' of the group. Often the car in front has had to wait some time for me to catch up, or if I'm at the back, the whole group is often waiting for me at some time or another. No one has complained, (2 the best of my knowledge), but IMO, 'slow is good' for reasons others have given. (No major damage so far :D)

Cheers
Allan Mac
Trobbo
13-05-2005, 01:13 PM
just my 2 cents.

not only do you save your truck, but also the environment.

These days everyone keeps be going bigger and bigger just so they can travel down the ruts. (probably more of a problem in vic mud than on nsw rocks). Remember when everyone ran 31's and they were all you needed to get around.

I agree take it easy and pull the winch cable when you get stuck. dont bugger the bush and give the pollies a reason to shut us out - it's hard enough to fight track closures as it is.
cpt-mud
17-06-2005, 11:14 PM
i agree 100%, the less damage all round the better
BLU-125
17-06-2005, 11:23 PM
The words that make my blood boil are, " You used low range? S@&t, I did it in 2WD!"

4WD is one of our best tools in stopping track damage.....even the "do I really need to go there?" approach is not really that bad a concept, ;D , it just doesn't work for me!
18-06-2005, 12:05 PM
The words that make my blood boil are, " You used low range? S@&t, I did it in 2WD!"



mate as soon as i have to engage 4WD i usually put it straight into low range..... even if it means driving around in low 4th.... i don't see any sense in putting too much strain on the clutch, or tearing the tracks up trying to prove a point by doing it in 2WD
luxa
18-06-2005, 02:15 PM
And the other golden rules...
(these don't seem to apply to 4x4 competition very well)

1. Do I NEED to go there.
2. Can my vehicle get me there.
3. Am I capable of driving my vehicle there.

Having said that you never learn by staying within your comfort zone - you'll never know just where the line in the sand is, until you cross it :P
18-06-2005, 04:40 PM
And the other golden rules...
(these don't seem to apply to 4x4 competition very well)

1. Do I NEED to go there.
2. Can my vehicle get me there.
3. Am I capable of driving my vehicle there.

Having said that you never learn by staying within your comfort zone - you'll never know just where the line in the sand is, until you cross it :P


with the Rural Fire Service wer were taught similar rules........

1. Do i need to go in there........
2. If i need to, can i get back out again.......
3. Am i going to be safe if i go in.....

all pretty important rules on the fireground... a little different for 4WDing though :D