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4x4 Truck Recovery
Techniques
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'4x4 Recovery' is an acquired skill. Think safety at all times.
DON'T GO FOR THE QUICK FIX. Give the recovery your best shot the first time.
Otherwise you'll end up doing the extra work anyway and you'll have made the
job more difficult by trying to save time and effort.
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Problem
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Cause
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Cure
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High-centred
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When
something under the truck raises it to remove traction from the wheels.
Happens on tracks with a high central ridge, crossing logs, rock crawling or sinking into sand. ************ |
If high-centred on
snow with solid ground underneath then rocking the truck from side to
side combined with heat from the transmission may compact/melt the snow
sufficiently.
Sometimes you can back off. Do it very carefully. Somebody can feed stones, wood, sand ladders etc under a spinning wheel. Your best shot is to jack up each wheel enough to put good footing under it until you can drive away. This is what the high-lift jack is made for. Do it right first time! ************************************ |
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Stuck in sand
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Often
because the tyre was not wide enough to spread the load of the truck
and/or the tread was too aggressive. Sand tyres are advisable for desert
crossing.
************ |
You'll
probably need a long handled shovel . Jack up the wheels, pile sand
underneath them and put sand ladders, floor
mats, carpet, newspapers or whatever is to hand under the wheels to
give the tyres some grip. If you have a pump, then reducing the tyre
pressures by half will help to get traction. Make sure the approach
angle to the wheels is gentle. Reduce the weight in the truck and drive
out SLOWLY.
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Quicksand
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Sand
soaked in water. Found in some tidal regions of the beach.
************ |
You
can't jack up the truck even with a spreader board. Shovel-holes are
filled- in within seconds, traction mats get buried under the wheels.
You need another truck to pull you back out. Don't waste time trying
to sort it yourself.
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4x4's locked together,both
stuck
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One
truck got stuck, another tried to push it out of trouble
************ |
Next time, TOW, don't push. You'll need to use to jack up one truck to free it from the other first. ************************************ |
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Wheel stuck in a
hole
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You weren't looking(?). The ideal is to walk there first in long grass or deep water. ************ |
Don't bend a track rod or put your wheel alignment out by trying to jump out of a deep hole. Jack up the truck, fill in the hole with soil, stones etc and drive out. ************************************ |
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Towing A strap, tow rope or chain rated at twice the weight of the truck is good. Remember that a steady pull is rarely guaranteed. It's the sudden jolt that breaks the towing gear. Nylon ropes and straps absorb some of the initial load, preventing sudden potentially damaging jolts. Chains and cables are heavy to handle and carry. Anchor the rope to the chassis, not the suspension. Make sure no sharp edges can can damage the rope. TALK your plan through carefully with the other driver and stick to it. It is best for the towing 4x4 to tow in reverse if safe to do so. That way the recovery driver can clearly see what is happening to the stuck truck. Do whatever you can to reduce the effort needed for the pull e.g. wheel alignment, removing obstacles, digging out approach ramps. At night, other trucks lights may be more useful than those of the recovery truck. It may require more than one tow manoeuvre e.g. it may be best to tow a truck along a ditch to where it can be more safely towed out of it. Plan it. Talk it over. Generally, the tow rope should be at right angles to the truck doing the towing for maximum effort and control. If the truck being towed out can be started then a LITTLE power will help the recovery; spinning the wheels will not. Nobody should be close to or between the two trucks. If towing on a public road then remember you need to have the correct towing equipment. |
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