Kedah 4x4

Gloves

Gloves are a major asset to the off-roader and when a recovery operation begins, put on a pair of loose-fitting leather gloves. They help prevent possible injury when handling winch cable, can prevent serious injury when working at the winch and when sand ladders and jacks get hot under the desert sun they are a big help. They are also very useful in preventing blisters when digging and oily hands when jacking.

Anchor straps/Tree protection

When using a tree as an anchor, cable or chain will cut into the bark and this could kill the tree. To protect it use an anchor strap. They are best made from polyester and must have no stretch. Purpose-made anchor straps are available from 4x4 equipment outlets. This can be said to be an essential piece of equipment and is used in a multitude of ways in all kinds of recovery situations.

Chains

Carry a length of chain in your recovery kit. Chains are an excellent addition to the complete recovery kit and a length of two metres is sufficient for most jobs. They are particularily useful for attaching straps onto vehicles not well equipped for off-road recovery. An ideal chain is one with an 8000kg breaking strain, electroplated with grab hooks attached to both ends. The chain can be folded back on itself, and the grab hook hooked to any link, thereby shortening the chain to the desired length. Spanset make them. Makro sell them.

Use and care of chains:

· Do not shock-load a chain as this weakens the links. Normally a weak link goes undetected until it fails.

· Keep away from sharp edges when under load.

· Do not let a chain kink.

· A knot in a chain weakens it dramatically.

· To prevent rust, clean the chain in soapy water, allow to dry in the sun and then apply a light coat of Q-20 or similar before storing in a canvas bag.

· Galvanised chain should be selected in preference to untreated mild steel.

Safety lines

A safety line must be considered whenever a recovery operation is set up. The purpose of a safety cord is to prevent a missile being created by anything in the recovery tackle breaking. Laying a blanket or towel, or rolling a strap around the cable is quick and easy.

Tyre chains

Chains linked to form a ladder and wound around each tyre are particularly useful when driving in snow or very thick mud. The diamond style of chains are the best. Drive onto the chains attaching the inside chain first. Drive the vehicle five car lengths and then re-tension them if necessary. It is a good idea to practice fitting tyre chains before departing because fitting them in ice and snow conditions is messy and awkward without practice. You will need a pair of gloves to fit chains. Do not fit chains to the front tyres alone - driving like this can be very dangerous because the inferior traction on the rear wheels tends to make the vehicle spin at the slightest provocation.

Tow bars

Tow bars are designed and fitted for towing trailers and must not be used for vehicle recovery. Original vehicle manufacturer tow bars are generally stronger than those fitted by tow bar fitment centres, but as a tow bar should never be used for anything but light-weight towing and recovery operations a tow bar must not be considered as a primary recovery attachment.

Tuggum straps are elasticised towing straps used to extract a vehicle by another vehicle. Because of the stretchability of tuggum straps the tow vehicle can move under power and ‘jerk’ the vehicle from its bogged predicament. Off-roaders use tuggums as the first option when debogging a vehicle. This is the lazy way out because:

· Tuggums are dangerous. One mismatched component or weak mount can be disastrous. Tuggum straps have killed people.

· Tuggum straps have a limited life and are expensive. Depending on the load, about twenty pulls and a strap becomes ‘stretched out’. Using it for tuggum operations after this is extremely dangerous. The stress is absorbed by the stretch. No stretch=major stress.

Selecting a tuggum strap:

· Don’t go a cheap route.

· Protective sleeves on the end loops are a good idea especially if they slip, or better, if they can be removed easily for cleaning and replacement.

· Breaking strain rating is important but know the weight of your vehicle. When fully loaded, a vehicle may weigh 3000kgs. A breaking load factor of four should be estimated. Therefore: 3000x4=12000kgs minimum breaking strain is required.

· A stretch of 20% is sufficient. Most good straps have a rating of 20-30%.

· Tuggums should be more than six metres long. The longer the strap the higher percentage the stretch and longer the working life. Eight or nine metres is ideal.

· Buy all the attachment accessories you need to avoid having to jury-rig equipment not designed for the job. When breakages occur it is more often attachments. Buy the best quality gear.

Tuggum straps are unpredictable:

· The actual stretch is determined by many factors: moisture content of the air, previous pulls and their loads, the time the strap has had to rest, how well was the strap cleaned.

· An average strap doing one hard pull stretching to its full capacity needs between 6 and 24 hours to recover (contract to its original length) Time needed depends on previous work load. A newer strap recovers faster.

· When a strap stops recovering fully - to within 90% of its original length it is ‘tugged out’. Using it as a tuggum and relying on its stretch, which at this point may be as low as 5%, is dangerous. The strap is now good as a pull strap. It can also be used as a winch strap but the small amount of stretch left in it may not be ideal.

More facts about tuggum straps:

· Genuine tuggum straps (those made for the job) are polyamide, not polyester.

· Cargo carry straps (broad green straps) sometimes sold as kinetic straps are often not suitable and when used shock-load the vehicle and attachments.

· The more moisture, the longer the stretch but the breaking strain is decreased.

· Sand and grit in the webbing accelerates the wear and decreases the breaking strain.

· Tuggums with a built-in indicator filament (a strip of coloured material is woven along the length of the strap. When it breaks the tuggum is ‘stretched out”) have been outlawed in most countries. The system is unreliable and must not be trusted.

Tuggum straps cannot be told apart from non-stretch straps unless they are labelled. Using the wrong strap could be disastrous. Novices beware. Only experts in polyamide technology would be able to tell the difference by just looking.

High-Lift

The high-lift jack is the most useful off-road tool available. It is an indispensable and highly versatile device but can only be used if a strong vehicle jacking platform is available. Working four-wheel drive vehicles should have adequate bumpers for this, but unfortunately most modern 4X4s do not. Rear tow bars make good jacking points but on the front end of most vehicles there is nowhere to use the jack. The cure is simple: have your off-road equipment outlet fit them for you. Armed with a spade and a high-lift jack, in most cases, you are better equipped for the unexpected than a vehicle equipped with a spade and a winch.

There are a number of manufacturers of high-lift jacks, but the original American-made Hi-Lift has proved itself time and time again to be the best. In most cases high-lift jacks are carried on the outside of the vehicle and dust clings to the oily lifting mechanism, which causes it to jam. Q-20 or a similar spray lubricant must be used to free the mechanism before it is used. But take care: this can cause the formation of a mixture of dust and oil - a grinding paste which quickly wears the components. The only way to prevent this is for the jack to wear a jack-nappy when in transit. Alternatively wrap the mechanism in cling film and secure it with tape or a rubber band and lightly oil the shaft immediately before use.

Air/Balloon jacks

These are large polyurethane bags placed under the vehicle and inflated by exhaust gas to lift the vehicle so that objects which aid traction can be placed under the wheels. Balloon or air jacks have some disadvantages off-road and are not as versatile as the high-lift. They are nevertheless quick and easy to use and do not require much physical strength to operate. advantages and disadvantages are listed on the chart on the previous page.

Bottle jacks

These are available in a very wide range of lifting capacities from one to 15 tons and over. Bottle jacks tend to be rather tall so before you set off on your safari, simulate a puncture by releasing the air out of one of the rear and one of the front wheels and make sure that the jack fits under the axle now that the tyre is flat. Bottle jacks must be upright to work and periodically need topping up with hydraulic fluid. To jack up a fully loaded 4x4 you will need one with at least a five-ton capacity.

Upright Screw-thread jacks and scissor jacks

These are sometimes supplied with a vehicle as standard jacking equipment. Those that resemble bottle jacks are worthwhile although a little tedious to operate. Some designs are intended to work on one specific vehicle only. The screw threads must be kept clean and well oiled to prevent jamming by dirt and dust. Unlike a hydraulic jack they function at any angle, which is useful when using the jack to straighten bent bodywork.

Scissor jacks are generally unsuitable for off-road use, as they jam easily as dirt clog the threads and are unreliable and break in heavy duty use.

Jacking plates

When using a jack, other than a balloon jack, on soft ground something to prevent it from sinking while the vehicle is being raised has to be used. A steel or thick wooden plate approximately one foot square, preferably with lugs attached to its surface to prevent the jack from slipping sideways, is ideal. A heavy wooden laminated bread board with large wood screws to act as lugs is easy to make and works well. An even cheaper jacking plate can be made from two square 16mm pine boards. Laminate them together with a waterproof wood glue, making sure that the grains run perpendicular to each other. As a last resort the spare wheel makes a very effective, if cumbersome, jacking plate.

When using a regular bottle jack a wood block about 45mm thick can be very useful as a jacking plate, and also for when the bottle jack is used in awkward predicaments, for example when the maximum stretch of the jack is not sufficient. It is also very useful when the bottle jack is used to aid vehicle recovery. This happens when the jack is made to lift an individual wheel so that a more tractable item can be slid underneath or digging can take place.

Traction aid encompasses purpose made articles that are placed under the wheels to aid traction. The are made from plastic, rubber, steel or alloy. Some work, others don’t.

Sand ladders/psp/tank tracks

Sand ladders, perforated steel plate (sometimes made from aluminium) and tank tracks are all used as traction aids for vehicle recovery. They are used to pack under wheels in slippery or loose ground to aid traction. These are lengths of galvanised steel or aluminium ladder or perforated plating, generally one to two metres long, that have been used by civilians and the military for years. Their design has changed little and they are bulky, heavy and awkward to use. They are effective in mud and sand. There are some modern and cheaper equivalents made from steel and alloy that look like ladders. These are similar in effectiveness but often easier to stow and lighter.

Flexible sand ladders, called Trac-mats are more effective than traditional rigid types in most situations. Each section of the track is pressed with sharp projections that increases grip and they work in clay mud as well as in sand. Being flexible they tend to mould into the ground. Because of this less digging is required to lay them and they do not kick up and damage the vehicle as sometimes happens with rigid types. They are also compact, easy to stow - in fact, in most respects more versatile than rigid ladders. Use gloves when handling sand ladders to prevent pinched fingers (flexible types) and burns (hot climates). Both perforated steel plate and flexible ladders offer excellent grip either wet or dry and are equally effective in sand and mud.

Lengths of rubber mat normally used as industrial flooring are being sold as debogging aids with varous names. They are cheaper than metal, fairly effective in sand but utterly useless in mud. Rubber does not grip on rubber when wet.

PLASTIC CLIP-TOGETHER

Half-metre lengths of moulded plastic ladder clip together to make a traction aid as long as you like are a good idea and work fairly well. Grip in wet is okay but good in the dry. When it gets very muddy the plastic edges designed to grip the tyre are too small and quickly disappear under a coating of mud. At this stage tyres spin with little grip. They are also made too narrow. In wet conditions they must be anchored to be effective.

STEEL LADDERS

Many off-road workshops fabricate simple steel ladders as traction aids. They are cheaper than PSP or Trac mats but most seem to suffer in the same way - when they get muddy tyres lose their grip.

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.

Winches are potentially hazardous. Study these key points:

· Place a single individual in charge of the winch. This person will be the ONLY one to use the switch - and the ONLY one handling the recovery of the winch cable once the winching operation is complete. This is done to prevent anyone losing fingers - a common injury when the cable handler lets someone else handle the switch.

· Before winching have everyone stand well clear. The slingshot effect caused by a cable break under load can cause serious, even fatal, injury.

· Wear gloves when handling winch cable and use a cable guide when feeding in loose cable.

· The winch cable should be cared for and wound neatly on the drum under tension.

· Always have five turns of cable wound around the drum before winching. Less than five turns could mean the cable clamp on the drum coming undone.

· Never stand in the ‘V’ of a winching layout under tension.

· Never step over a strap or cable after it has been attached in a recovery layout, even when it appears to be lying harmlessly on the ground.

· Never hook a winch cable around an object and then back on itself. This is a common cause of cable breakages among the inexperienced. Anchor straps are used to prevent this.