Golden Rules Of Vehicle Recovery:
· Stop spinning your wheels the moment it appears you are stuck. Trying too hard only makes things more difficult. Each unnecessary rotation of the wheels only digs you in deeper.
· Establish if any part of the vehicle’s weight is resting on anything other than the wheels. If so jack up the vehicle and correct this first.
· Take a close took at all four wheels and establish which one is halting progress. Work on this wheel first.
· Take a second look at each wheel. Any other wheels that do not have a clear path ahead of them must be worked on next.
· Do not be tempted to try to drive out after a half-hearted attempt to de-bog a vehicle. Failure means that all the work done the first time will have to be redone.
· Should your initial attempts fail, stop, have something cool to drink and try to analyse why the vehicle cannot be freed. Logic and common sense are your allies - use them.
· Use all the resources at your disposal. These include all areas behind or in front of the wheels that are firm (push the vehicle in that direction), a slight slope (gravity can be a major ally).
· Look out for things that will hinder progress. These include a slight slope (gravity can also be an enemy), front and rear wheels dropping into a ditch simultaneously (arrange things so that wheels drop alternately).
· Your equipment can be used in more ways than meets the eye. Adapt them to your needs.
The use of tow bars for vehicle recovery
NEVER use a tow ball with a winch or snatch strap. Imagine the tow ball snapping during a snatch operation or during heavy winching! I heard a story of a Range Rover winching out a badly bogged vehicle. The driver correctly insisted that his passenger leave the vehicle and stand well back. The winch cable was simply hooked over the tow ball of the stuck vehicle. At maximum stress the tow ball snapped and the cable with the round ball attached tore through the Range Rover, cutting through the roof and splitting the front passenger seat in two. The Range Rover was declared a write-off. Because of other precautions taken nobody was hurt. Tow balls are mild steel - not the correct material for high-stress pulling. The only time a tow ball can be used for vehicle recovery is if one vehicle is pulling out another from a static start. (Non-inertia pulls. Recovery is dependent upon the traction of pulling vehicle only)
Using a spade
Using a spade to dig out a vehicle may appear common sense, but there is more to it when in the field. Bear in mind that in 90% of all recovery operations some digging or clearing of the path in front of the vehicle should be undertaken. In many cases a little digging is all that is needed.
On the beach
Assuming that the tyres have been deflated to the required pressure, bogging on the beach can easily be overcome with a little digging, as long as the driver hasn’t got the vehicle in so deep that the axle is buried and the vehicle has grounded. Once the vehicle has stopped, dig out a good measure of sand from all four wheels and attempt to reverse out. If this fails and a tuggum or winch is to be used, always clear a path with your spade.
Over-extended axles
Over-extending the vehicle’s wheel articulation, creating a situation where a wheel has no weight on it, is a common way of getting bogged. The most common practice is to place material under the spinning wheels. This is far less effective than digging under the wheel in the opposite corner which has the most weight on it. By doing so you are reducing the required axle articulation. In effect you are placing the vehicle’s own weight on the wheels that are airborne and spinning.
Hung-up
When a vehicle attempts to traverse uneven terrain and exceeds its break-over angle and the chassis between the front and rear axles touches the ground the vehicle has ‘grounded’ or is ‘hung up’. This is very much an unforgivable situation because the cautious driver should have had someone marshalling the obstacle from the outside who could warn of impending disaster. The recovery procedure is to dig away the ground from under the vehicle or to raise the vehicle with a high-lift jack and place material under the wheels. Do not climb under a vehicle supported only by a high-lift jack.
Direct pull
One vehicle pulling another using a non-stretch rope or chain will require good traction to be able to exert a meaningful pull. A four-wheel drive will easily spin its wheels on firm gravel or sand even if pulling a vehicle that is only lightly bogged. When attempting a direct pull, always look for an advantage, like a slope or a surface where the wheels will get a better grip. Be careful that the recovery vehicle does not bog down while attempting the recovery.
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