Offroad-Express

After getting stuck the other weekend all on my own and having to walk for 6 hours to get to the farmers place I decided I need a couple more things to help me out, better traction and a way of doing self recovery. I have just picked up a set of kumho mud tires to replace the road tires I currently run , just need to fit them. I was also thinking a lockright locker for the back diff should make the zook a bit more capable when trying to navigate the muddy ruts and bogs that I sometimes have trouble in and for recovery I was thinking a high lift jack with a few bits of chain because I am really into equipment that can do more than one thing and a way of winching manually just seems logical.

So, where is the cheapest place, New Zealand or international to buy a lockright, Rockyroad sell them for $199USD each and so that’s about $280NZD + fright, anyone know what fright is likely to be or knows of somewhere cheaper? Also, best place to get a 42" or 48" cast/steel hi lift jack, a proper one?

Or if anyone has anything second hand lying around or any help or ideas for other small mods to make a little zook a bit more capable on a really tight student budget the help would be much appreciated.

Cheers.

Hamish.

rocky road would be the cheapest. cost me about $50 usd to get mine here.

might be worth buying a winch over a locker lockers get you further before you get stuck, but a winch will get you out of shit. Especially if you go 4wding by yourself

Annnnnnd, a locker isn't going to get you through muddy ruts where grip is limited, and ground clearence important.

There are two ways of going about setting up your truck:

Go for lockers and big tyre's etc etc as you should alway's go with a second vehicle, so the likely hood walking 6 hours for help is minimal anyway,

or,

Make sure your vehicle is totaly self recoverable, especially if you go alone. No amount of diff locks, suspension lifts, 40' tyre's, boost gauge's, fluffy dice and neon's are going to get you out of the mud if your bellied high and dry, or sunk up to the window's in pea gravel. A winch will though....................

You can get your self out of a lot of places by using your winch inconjuction with burying your spare wheel with your spade, and hooking the winchg cable up to the highlift jack behind the burried wheel.


I reckon you should get:

Spade
Highlift
winch

A locker will get you into more trouble if your alone, but after your self recoverable, then get the locker

Bugger just ordered a set of neons too purple to go with the dice

stinky wrote:Bugger just ordered a set of neons too purple to go with the dice

thats what happens when you let Z design the interior of ya truck

a hand winch is always good to have especially when your
electrics go on your winch ( oh and a mate or 2 with other trucks is good to have when your out in the boonies )
Al

The reason I go alone is because I hunt alone so 4x4ing alone is what happens, that ant going to change. But because I off road alone means I don’t take major risks ie I walk river crossings before crossing, I get out and checking mud and ruts before bowling on in but the idea is to become self recoverable.

Would a lock right not make my truck more capable and thus more likely to get out of a sticky situation ie half way through a mud puddle and working out its a bit deeper than I thought?

The problem I have with a winch is they cost lots, they weigh lots (a big consideration) and they only work when the truck is working, they also only do one thing, I need most of my space for hunting gear. Is a high lift jack used as a hand winch not a good idea?

I will start packing a spade though.

Trifor style hand winch. Lightish, versitile and cheaper than electric, plus they work as long as you can pull the lever.

Bazooka wrote:Would a lock right not make my truck more capable and thus more likely to get out of a sticky situation ie half way through a mud puddle and working out its a bit deeper than I thought?

yeah thats right mate buts whats probably more right is diff locks will just get you deeper into the shit till you get more stuck than you would have with open diffs. I've got front and rear diff locks and they are completely useless when your hooked up and sitting on your chassis, great when the wheels are on the ground but not great when they arent


Best investment for you would be a tirfor to throw in the back, you can winch your truck from any direction and it'll keep working long after your batterys gone flat and your engines dead... it'll even work when your trucks on its roof

Bazooka wrote:The reason I go alone is because I hunt alone so 4x4ing alone is what happens, that ant going to change. But because I off road alone means I don’t take major risks ie I walk river crossings before crossing, I get out and checking mud and ruts before bowling on in but the idea is to become self recoverable.

Would a lock right not make my truck more capable and thus more likely to get out of a sticky situation ie half way through a mud puddle and working out its a bit deeper than I thought?

The problem I have with a winch is they cost lots, they weigh lots (a big consideration) and they only work when the truck is working, they also only do one thing, I need most of my space for hunting gear. Is a high lift jack used as a hand winch not a good idea?

I will start packing a spade though.

I just picked up a 2Ton liner puller (hand winch) from topmaq for $11.50.. got it from a $1 auction.. but looking at them they usually sell for around that price on $1 reserves...

if u want some more pulling power they do a 4ton one which retails at around $70 i think

will hopefully never have to use it (I have eletric) but its a good backup just incase.

Swaney wrote:
I just picked up a 2Ton liner puller (hand winch) from topmaq for $11.50.. got it from a $1 auction.. but looking at them they usually sell for around that price on $1 reserves...

if u want some more pulling power they do a 4ton one which retails at around $70 i think

will hopefully never have to use it (I have eletric) but its a good backup just incase.

Remind me not to drive behind you if your planing on recovering your self with one of those POS.

Those pullers are not rated for recovery and have a nasty habit of letting go, when loaded up. There is no way in hell I would hang my truck off one or go anywhere near a truck hanging off one.


Would highly recommend a Tirfor Hand Winch . mine has saved my arse a number of times while out wheeling alone. Can pull any direction as well.

Tirfors are rated for lifting and Life.

interesting.. the guys at topmaq said it would be perfect for it and that they had sold a few to 4x4'ers... mind u i guess they were making a sale.

not many winches are rated for lifting.. even my 9500lb electric has a big warning on it saying "not intended for lifting"

cheers for your 2cents tho!

I've used one a few times to get myself out of a sticky situation before... Having said that have also had the line break on one, and the claws bend backwards on one also. Some of the better ones have dual claws with gears either side of the drum which seem better. (and thats with a suzuki)

Need to keep them lubed up, and the other catch is they have a fairly short pull, so you need a way to keep shortening the long line you are pulling from (admittingly they have a longer pull than winching with a highlift though)

Have since got a turfor (or equivlant) and they work well
Supercheap has chineese turfor type winches, their not cheap but if you keep an eye out they often have them on clearance and 50% which makes them a little better...

Cheers

Swaney wrote:interesting.. the guys at topmaq said it would be perfect for it and that they had sold a few to 4x4'ers... mind u i guess they were making a sale.

not many winches are rated for lifting.. even my 9500lb electric has a big warning on it saying "not intended for lifting"

cheers for your 2cents tho!