A great driving adventure can quickly turn into a great driving disaster if you find yourself stuck in a sticky situation in the middle of nowhere with no-one to help nearby.
The basic skills needed to go four-wheel driving can be mastered by anyone because they are based on the application of some very simple rules.
The most important four-wheel driving rule is to adapt your driving to suit conditions. Different skills are necessary for different surfaces.
The best time to drive on the beach is after rain, when the sand is packed hard. The worst time is during a long hot spell, when the sun dries everything out and the wind has swirled the sand into deep drifts.
You can use high-range gears on packed sand, but low range will probably be required at the height of summer. Use the gears normally, but make changes quickly to avoid bogging.
Lowering tyre pressures will help avoid strain. Around 15 psi will cope with anything but the most extreme conditions, but avoid going below 10 psi, as it's very easy to roll the tyre off the rim when making turns.
There are two places to stop with a reasonable guarantee of getting mobile again. One is facing down a dune, the other is on flat, hard-packed sand. Generally, you don't need to brake on sand. Just let the sand do its retarding work. Braking can bury the nose of the vehicle.
Avoid jerking the wheel, or attempting massive turns. When you need to turn around, find a stretch of hard, packed sand and gently turn inland, increasing throttle as necessary. If you're in dunes, it's better to turn downhill.
Stay away from the water's edge. Seawater will corrode your vehicle and soft patches can trap you as the tide rises. Keep to high ground unless conditions are very soft or heavily rutted.
While our dunes are clogged with spinifex and other desert plants, the seismic tracks we regularly drive on are sand, so similar techniques to beach driving should be employed.
One major difference is tyre pressure. Because desert terrain often harbours sharp, steel-hard desert wood, you can't let your tyre pressures down to the same extent. The best advice is to experiment. Progressively depressurise the tyres until driving feels comfortable. Throttle pressure can be minimised to save fuel.
Use optimal momentum rather than breakneck speed to effectively crest dunes, bearing in mind that some dunes have double - even triple - crests, and that you may need to power through even after you think the job's been done.
Just as in beach sand, avoid sharp turns.
Low range is best in rocky country. Approach obstacles slowly, gauging the best way to keep all wheels on the highest points to avoid getting the undercarriage caught on a rock.
Apply only the throttle pressure needed to keep the vehicle gently mobile, increasing revs to go over the rocks, easing off, or if necessary, braking, once the obstacle is behind you.
Keep your thumbs aligned with the outside of the steering wheel. In the event of a power steering pump failure, if you have the wheel at full or even partial lock on boulders with your thumbs hooked around the wheel, they'll be broken as the wheel swings back in quickly.
In very rocky terrain you can deflate the tyres to increase contact patch and grip, but bear in mind that deflated tyres can pinch very easily in any fissures between boulders.
The secret to negotiating mud is momentum, not speed. The safest option is to select low-range second gear and proceed with caution. Whenever you feel the vehicle bogging down, apply gentle throttle pressure, increasing to peak revs if you need to. If you're in existing wheel ruts and starting to slow, gently turn the wheel against the ruts to gain purchase.
Most muddy terrain occurs on bush tracks. Avoid the temptation to veer off the track. Not only does this damage the environment and go totally against the principles of four-wheel drivers to 'tread lightly', but often you'll find the terrain flanking the track is worse that what you're trying to avoid.
Bulldust strikes without warning. You'll be barrelling along some outback track and suddenly you're in liquid dust. Shift down a gear quickly if you're bogging down and steer carefully, feeling the nuances of the patch.
Watch carefully for the end of the booby trap and ease off, because the hard edge can deflate your tyres or even bend rims.
Going uphill on steep slopes, use low-range second gear. First gear could leave you scrambling for purchase. Ease the vehicle over obstacles. Pick your line carefully, putting the wheels on the high ground.
When it comes to going downhill, get out and check the track first. Use low-range first gear. Keep your feet off everything and let the vehicle do the work. If you tough the brakes in shaley country or on slippery ground, you'll lose control as the vehicle locks and slides.
If you have to brake, 'feather' the brake pedal rather than stomp hard.
4WD
