[jabba]

I could really have used something like these today.

Got bogged up to the chassis rails at 3:45am on the way to my favourite fishing spot on Bribie Island. It took 40 minutes of digging and some long thick sticks under all 4 tyres to get myself out. Glad I had my brother in law and my 2 sons to help dig!

What are your thoughts on these two products.

I'm thinking the super-cheap option would be easier to carry but I'm open to comment.

http://www.supercheapauto.com.au/online ... 63#details

https://www.maxtrax.com.au/


Oh and I forget He should call it Buttercup

[atari4x4]

neither, both are pure snake oil!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=202CyBRTyTs

when you first got stuck did you keep spinning the wheels & ended burying it?

if you think you're about to get stuck in sand, roll to a stop before getting stuck properly. get out compress a track by stomping the ground infront & kick the little sandhills away that have formed infront of your wheels.

get back in & roll back & forth with ZERO wheel spin, the first couple forwards & backwards will literally be an inch or two... keep doing this until you have got a couple of feet of fresh compacted track. roll back to the end of your new "road" & take off as quickly as possible with ZERO wheel spin.

[royce]

atari4x4 wrote:

neither, both are pure snake oil!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=202CyBRTyTs

lol what a bunch of cocks, cause their piece of shit water cooler dak dak cant muster enough grunt to get moving without stalling it makes them shit? you can plainly see for the 0.25 seconds the thing was able to turn the tyres it was pulling them in and lifting it up

the maxtrax get a pretty good review by a lot of people but I reckon you cant beat a long handled shovel and low tyre pressures

[jabba]

atari4x4 wrote:

neither, both are pure snake oil!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=202CyBRTyTs

when you first got stuck did you keep spinning the wheels & ended burying it?

SNIP.

No, we got out and tried to dig it out - obviously that didn't work , it happened so fast I was upto the chasis rails pretty quick - it was like talc the sand was so fine

[lump_a_charcoal]

I looked for the "deflate tyres to 5PSI and float around' option to vote, but couldn't find it...

[jabba]

lump_a_charcoal wrote:

I looked for the "deflate tyres to 5PSI and float around' option to vote, but couldn't find it...

Well they weren't quite that low but they were around 15psi

[lump_a_charcoal]

I left out "in a Sierra", sorry!

[royce]

I reckon the first thing you want to do when you get stuck is dump as much air from the tyres as you can, you can pump em back up after you get out

[buzbox]

I'm sure those snake oil things would work better if you prepare the car for recovery, at least remove the built up sand from the back wheels.

The only way out is with a shovel, dig it.

[alien]

i used to take 4 decent sized carpet offcuts with me - they got me out every single time, and they were freeeee!

THen i got bored of driving on boggy roads (sand) - no challenge.

[eldo]

my mate has a set of max trax, they do work, so does a shovel and lower tyre pressures, 15psi is obviously to high for your vitara, i run 9psi in my hilux and dont get bogged nor roll tyres off the rims, actually takes alot of stress off the drivline running them lower. im yet to take the sierra on the sand. if i had to buy something i would go the max trax...

[lump_a_charcoal]

Point of order -


AZ Rule number 17.2, section b.

"Any poll posted in these forum, or sub-forums must contain the option of "He should call it Buttercup" for the poll to be seen as being official."

Please rectify immediately.

[steak_knife]

^^^

[whincup]

well obviously these things aren't going to work if the car is buried up to the chassis rail in sand... you would still need to dig at least enough sand to be just clearing... then these things can provide the grip for the vehicle to get out of the holes...

[lukes_89]

i have personaly used these maxtrax things on a hilux and they do work id rather them as ive seen them used and work on a bigger car its just they are bigger in length though

[vermin]

I have been down to around 2psi to get out of a very sticky situation and a rising tide once before...just need to drive far enough to a safe spot and then reinflate.

Haven't seen the need for any other procedure yet.

[DMAC]

I've got a set of "Max Trax" bought them for when I had a work 100 Series. Booked myself into a 4WD drive course the guy running it said he hadn't used his winch since having them.

I have never used them in sand, but have used them in mud and for track packing. (Bellying out in ruts. Doubled them up in one rut.)
I would call them a recovery aid for bush driving as you gotta get them under the wheels. I have done this by using a hand winch first. Easier to winch 12" onto them then winching the whole way out a bog hole.

Getting them out of a bog hole is something for your Navi to do. Then you have to store the dirty things somewhere!
I don't take them with me in the Zuke in the bush.
Would take them with me if I was going solo anywhere though.

Digging is always required to get them into place.

[zukenutter]

If I felt my jimny and trailer bogging in as I'm driving on soft sand I just stop and drop the pressure further. You'll get better economy with your tyres at optimum pressure.

Of course the usual disclaimer of "it's dangerous to drive on soft tyres, do not make sudden turns or stops etc, etc.

[2stroker]

I keep hearing this let the tyres down further on the forum, but if the car is already SITTING ON THE CHASSIS, letting air out just lowers the car further onto its belly.

Droping tyre pressures needs to be done before you are bogged or after you have dug the chassis free.

In my opinion if you are going to keep taking a vitara into soft areas like the bribie inland tracks you need to get some ground clearance because the pic of your car looks pretty low slung.

Most people get bogged in soft sand because they get belly out.

[bakerboy]

what a fucking douche bag in the subaru, the supercheap ones are a darn sight cheaper than the max trax thats for sure, hell if you know the right people you could get 4 for almost 2/3rds the price of maxtraxs lol

[jabba]

[zukenutter]

To clarify, when I say bogging in I mean if it feels like it's constantly under load, it's bogging in. In my opinion the correct pressure for any given sand conditions means the rig floats on top no matter how soft the sand. Once I find the best pressure I can confidently tow / drive anywhere, and without having to get a run up for the up hill bits.

Wheel spin is the enemy.

[Reubs]

jabba wrote:

I'm thinking the super-cheap option would be easier to carry but I'm open to comment.

Go to bunnings and buy some hardwood stair treads - cut grooves in them with a router, cut up a ratchet strap and nail lengths to the corners for handles and paint bright orange with spray paint - and hey presto - super-super-cheap-maxxtrax-rip-offs. I'd post up photos of some but I'm in WA instead of QLD lol.

Only problem is the weight in carrying 2 hardwood stair treads around - but that is far cheaper then the supercheap option and they are stronger - mine was able to ramp up a gq patrol on.

I made these - but never tested them - tyre pressure and low gearing is the key.

[Jccck]

zukenutter wrote:

To clarify, when I say bogging in I mean if it feels like it's constantly under load, it's bogging in. In my opinion the correct pressure for any given sand conditions means the rig floats on top no matter how soft the sand. Once I find the best pressure I can confidently tow / drive anywhere, and without having to get a run up for the up hill bits.

Wheel spin is the enemy.

Yeah i tend to four-wheel rooster tail with my Muddies in the sand, haha
But i still paddle my way along

[buzbox]

I've seen ones that can support the weight of the vehicle, they open up like an expandable ladder.
I think I saw them on top gear used as a bridge in the Arctic winter edition.

[Moph]

My bro-in-law works for an elevator company and when they refurbish lifts, they toss all the old aluminium service ladders. We've grabbed a couple, cut them down to 4 rung sections (about 1200 long) and use those. Nice and light, heaps of grip, easy to 'engage' with the tyre. They deform a fair bit when used so would be crap if trying to bridge a rut but hammer back into shape pretty easily.

[MacDaddy]

In all the Zooks i have owned, i have never been bogged on the beach !
When i had my HT 1L and 1.3L Sierra's i used to do heaps of beach driving and dune work, and never booged once !
When i had my SWB Vit, over the last 2 years, i took my Vit to the beach a few times, and still never bogged...
I think you just need to get a feel for your Zook and what works best... tyre pressure plays a big part on sand, for a Zook, 10 or 11psi is still not that low... you will normally get signs when your zook is sinking into the sand, you will slow down quickly, and the engine will become laboured, and you will need more power to keep moving, the key is to know how much power to give it, enough to keep momentum, but not enough to spin the tyres, also, if your not sure about how boggy the sand is, stay in a lower gear and just keep the rpm's up... its all a learning curve and gaining more ability and confidence... i have only seen the maxtrax in action, and they work... but i have seen people use Alloy Trailer/truck ramps on the sand, they are longer and worked well...

[jabba]

Thanks guys for all your input

Looks like although the two gadgets might be of use the best option is prevention, low tyre pressures and a shovel