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4WD Driving Guidelines
These guidelines have been written to remind drivers of some of the hazards of 4 Wheel Driving and techniques to remember if you come across them. It is not a training manual. It is the driver's responsibility to choose a journey that is within their capabilities and familiarise yourself with the requirements of that journey. It is the responsibility of the driver to ensure their own and their passenger's safety at all times. Our 4wd hire vehicles and camper trailers have been fitted with the right equipment to make your 4wd adventure safe and enjoyable. One of the most important things to remeber when in the bush is to take it slow and take it easy. Once you start to rush or take risks is when things can go wrong.
Take the time to familiarize yourself with the vehicle, camper trailer and its accessories before you set out.
In the bush
- If you're unsure of the ground ahead, especially if there's mud or water, get out and check it
- Keep thumbs outside the steering wheel
- Don't change gear in the middle of a tricky section
- If in doubt always choose the lower gear
- Tyre pressures play an important part in off-road driving. Lowering tyre pressures helps in getting through. 140-180 kpa (20-26 psi) is a good tyre pressure for bush tracks.
- Low tyre pressure = lower speed
- Cross small ridges 'square on'
- Cross ditches at a slight angle
- Straddle ruts, however on slippery downhill sections, it's best to drop into them if they're not too deep. On uphill sections, stay out of them if possible. On deep rutted sections you may need to do some road building.
- If you begin to lose traction going uphill, or along a rutted track, or in mud, turn the steering wheel from side to side. This may help you keep moving. Take care you don't career off to the right or left though!
- If you do lose traction do not spin the wheels for any longer than necessary, this will just dig you further in. At this poiint it is best to get out and assess the situation.
On Steep Hills
- Low second or third gear is generally best for going uphill
- Low first gear is best for steep downhill
- Don't touch the clutch
- Use the footbrake sparingly and with caution
- Avoid turning the vehicle sideways on a hill
- Allow any vehicle in front plenty of room
- If the vehicle begins to slide sideways, very slight acceleration and steering into the slide will normally straighten your descent
- If you stall going uphill, don't touch the clutch or accelerator. See the stall start technique for what to do.
- Winching is the safest way to tackle steep slopes, when all else fails.
Sand Driving
Sand driving isn't particularly difficult as long as you obey some basic rules:
- Always carry a good quality air compressor.
- Don't be afraid to deflate your tyres (you can go down to 10psi without damage in soft sand if you absolutely have to) Lower the tyre pressure to 140kpa or 20psi. You may need to go lower (lower tyre pressure = lower speed). Remember to reinflate your tyres as soon as you're back on hard ground.
- Never drive over 60km/hr on deflated tyres
- Inflate tyres as soon as you pass the soft sections to prolong the life of your tyres
- Avoid driving deflated tyres on bitumen (if you have to, keep speed to under 50km/hr).
- Stick to any existing wheel tracks - it's a lot easier.
- Avoid sudden changes in direction or acceleration. Coast to a stop if at all possible.
- Tackle dunes head on.
- Avoid braking at all costs when descending a dune. Keep the nose of the vehicle pointing downhill. Don't go fast, but not so slow that the wheels stop rolling, or the vehicle begins to slide sideways. A touch on the throttle will keep the wheels moving and the vehicle pointing in the right direction.
- If you get stuck, try and rock the vehicle backwards or forwards, building up a small stretch of hardpack sand that you can accelerate off from. Don't spin the wheels!
- Have your recovery gear handy.
- If you get stuck in sand, firstly check that you have engaged your hubs and are in 4WD. Once stopped, first try reversing over your tracks. If you cannot get out of the bog in reverse in one try, get out and deflate the tyres more. Check that the diff is clear - usually by now it is deep in the sand and you'll need to dig it out with a long-handled spade. If the sand is particularly soft it sometimes helps to clear 4 tracks - one for each tyre. This is also a good method for reversing out of a bog.
- Select a gear that will get you out of the bog without digging yourself in further. Try H2. Give it some revs to get out of the bog and onto a firmer patch.
- When driving on beaches never park on the wet section of sand. Vehicles have been known to sink into the sand and slip into the sea. Always park your vehicle with the nose pointing to the sea and if doing a u-turn always drive towards the waterline so that the turning tyres are in firmer sand than if you turned with the vehicle positioned nose uphill where the weight of the vehicle would weigh down the driving wheels in the soft sand. If you're having troubles driving along the beach (parallel to the water line) and find the vehicle is wanting to slip sideways (usually rear to the water), point your wheels to the sea slightly instead of away - its the rear of these heavy vehicles that wants to slip down the slope and doing so will give the vehicle a chance to get enough momentum up to get out of trouble.
- ALWAYS carry a tide chart for the beach that you are travelling along and try to travel at low tide.Snow Driving
- Carry chains and fit them when required.
- Prepare your vehicle and carry safety gear.
- Keep to roads and tracks that are open to traffic.
- Drive as if you have no brakes. Use gears instead.
- Drive with low beam lights on.
- Remember, vehicles travelling uphill have right of way.
- Don't travel when visibility is poor.
- Park only where directed and as close to the bank as possible.
- Leave the vehicle in gear.
- Don't use the handbrake - it could freeze on.
- Lift the wiper blades off the windscreen.
- Be patient. Watch out for other travellers and animals.
Water Crossings
- Check the crossing including the exit before you plunge in. You should never enter a water crossing without knowing its depth and possibly the type of creek bed. Is it rocky, muddy or sandy? Water crossings in northern Australia (Far North Qld, Kimberley, Top End) are often inhabited by crocodiles so its not advisable to walk these rivers. You can either follow a convoy or back track and find an alternative route.
- Water depths of up to 30cm can be handled fairly easily, but will depend on the type of bottom and the current flow. Soft sand and/or a strong current can make even a shallow crossing a problem. Do not attempt to cross water any deeper.
- Spray electrical components with WD40 before entering the water.
- Loosen the fan belt unless it has an auto clutch (auto clutch will still spin at higher RPM). A spinning fan can spray water onto the electrics.
- In deeper water (over 30cm) remove fan belt and fit blind to help create a bow wave.
- Keep speed down, but fast enough to create a bow wave - low second gear is best.
- Do not disengage clutch or change gear whilst travelling through water. So always enter slowly in 4WD low range. Exits are often slippery and steep. Keep going until you are clear of the water and on higher ground. You should stop on your brakes to drain the car of excess water whilst it is still on a slope if possible.
- Keep the engine running, even if you stop. If the engine does stop, DO NOT restart it. Winch or snatch out.
- After crossing, dry your brakes out. Check all oils for contamination if you've been driving regular, deep crossings, or you've become stuck.
Mud
- Speed and power are essential. Good tyres help.
- Low second or third are probably the best gears.
- Move the steering wheel from side to side rapidly to improve traction.
- Keep a steady pace.
- Stay out of ruts if possible.
- If you do become stuck, rock the vehicle backwards or forwards by alternating between first and reverse. You'll be surprised at what perseverance can do.
Corrugations
- Corrugations can be terrible for both the passenger's comfort and the vehicle. Nuts, bolts and screws, pipes etc can easily rattle loose in a short period of time. Many outback roads in Australia are heavily corrugated
- Reduce tyre pressure to about 4 to 6 psi lower than what you run on the bitumen. Very rough and stony country can handle even softer tyre pressures. This may not seem to make sense at first, but if you consider that your tyre is just like a balloon being bounced over sharp objects then you can see how the higher pressure would make it more prone to "popping".
- It is also far preferable to keep speed constant and if you feel confident to handle your vehicle in prevailing conditions then try to aim around 85km/hr. You will find that you can "ride" over the worst of the corrugations at this pace. Any faster can be dangerous, slower and the corrugations may shake you and your vehicle to pieces. There is no perfect tyre or tyre pressure and a combination of luck, speed and driver skill will be the secret to minimising flat tyres and maximising tyre wear.
Bulldust
- Bulldust is a fine talcum powder-like dust that is very common on outback Australian tracks. It often occurs in areas where the track gets wet then dries and breaks up into fine dust. It is particularly prevalent in areas in the far north where it is boggy in the wet season and bone dry in the dry when the majority of traffic breaks up the track.
- Bulldust is very deceptive. Looking out your front windscreen it looks like smooth hard patches but in fact it usually is a fine covering of dust over a deep hole. Driving through bulldust at speed is very dangerous - try to avoid bulldust at all times. It can cause damage if sucked into engines too, so in very dusty areas you should have a filter on your air intake and check it regularly.
Gear ChangingThere is no simple rule for what gear you should use to negotiate any particular obstacle ie. water crossings, mud, sand, snow, rock steps. But here are a few tips:
Ruts
Try to keep the vehicle as level as possible for better traction and comfort. If possible, straddle ruts in the road with a wheel each side. In wet conditions it may be safer to drive into the ruts to prevent skidding.
Climbing Hills
Choose a gear that will allow you to get to the top without having to change gear.
Descending Hills
Choose a gear that will allow you to descend at a reasonable pace without excessive use of brakes.
Mud
Try low range 2nd or 3rd gear to prevent excessive wheel spin. Attempt with normal tyre pressures first to bite into the mud to hopefully find the hard surface below.
Sand
You often need high speed and therefore high range 2nd, 3rd or 4th to avoid getting bogged down. Tyre pressures must be lowered so that the vehicle floats on the surface of the sand (start with 20psi - you can go much lower if necessary).
Water Crossings
Don't! Clutch problems and loss of momentum can cause major dramas.
Do the right thing
- Observe all the rules and regulations pertaining to the use of public land.
- Keep to constructed vehicle tracks - never 'bush bash'.
- Avoid areas which are easily damaged, such as swamps, alpine snow plains and vegetated sand dunes.
- Carry out all the rubbish you take in.
- Observe all fire restrictions.
- Respect our wildlife.
- Respect private land. Always ask permission before crossing pastoral land.
- Leave gates as you find them.
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