4WD updated 02/04/04 16:35 +0100                                                                          Deutsch

•  Leave gates as you find them

•  Do not interfere with windmills, water bores or tanks

•  Never camp near stock water supply - the animals will stay away and may die of thirst

•  Slow right down when passing another vehicle on a gravel road; otherwise, the result may be a broken windscreen 

•  Talk to truckies on the CB; they will give you the courtesy of the road if they know your intentions

•  Move right off the road to allow road trains to pass - they cannot run on the soft soil on the edge of earth roads without the risk of overturning.

•  If firearms are permitted where you are travelling, they must not be visible from outside the vehicle. In many States they can be confiscated if taken into certain national parks.

•  Carefully check current regulations regarding chainsaws. Operational chainsaws are banned in South Australian national parks; however, in some heavily-forested areas in other States, they must be carried for track-clearing purposes only.

•  When crossing private property, pastoral leases or Aboriginal land, you should obtain permission if you wish to leave the road corridor; otherwise, action may be taken against you.

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Australia, being a country of extremes, can be in flood in one area while burning up in another. Daily checks with local authorities where such natural phenomena are possible, will warn you against travelling into such areas at critical times.

You can help to prevent fires by checking your exhaust system frequently and thoroughly when travelling in dry, grassy country. Dry grass gets trapped around the exhaust shielding and can be a lethal combination with the hot temperature of the vehicle.

Bushfires travel fast, so if you are caught in the path of an approaching fire, find the clearest possible area, with few trees and little or short grass. Turn on hazard lights to warn other vehicles of your presence and sit it out in the comparative safety of your vehicle while the worst passes. 

Prepare by closing all windows of the vehicle, then wrap yourself in a woollen blanket and lie on the floor, or as low down as you can get. It is extremely unlikely that the car will catch fire; petrol in the tank will not burn unless it is somehow exposed to a direct flame and unless it is a grass fire - most of the fire will pass quickly overhead, as it is usually driven by strong winds. When the worst has passed, check that no part of the car is alight. Use the fire extinguisher, which has been recommended as a necessity. Then drive away from the fire front to clear ground.

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Before you tackle a creek crossing it is necessary to know the depth of the water and, at least to a certain extent, the consistency of the creek bed. In most cases this is simply a matter of walking the crossing first, feeling around for the grip for the tyres and the shallowest route. However creeks in Northern Australia may be inhabited by crocodiles, in which case it is certainly not recommended that anyone should check the depth by wading across! Where possible, choose an alternative route and do not enter the water either in or out of your vehicle.

If the water level is above tyre height, look for an alternative route. Where none is possible, and if the water is axle-deep, wrap the front of your vehicle with a groundsheet before entering the creek. This will prevent the water flowing back around the radiator and drowning the engine. You may need to disconnect the fan to reduce the risk of radiator damage and reduce spray on the engine.

Before entering the water, decide on a plan of action. Be certain that the passengers-especially children- know what to do if something goes wrong. They need to know how to get out of the car and what to do thereafter.

Be sure to know beforehand where the towing hook is on the chassis - it might be hard to find when under water. Place valuable items (such as your camera, video, CB or HF radio) well above floor level in case water enters. Engage all-wheel drive. Make sure that windows are wound down and central locking is not engaged, because if the car stalls and the electrics short or fail everyone will be trapped inside.

Engage hubs and select four-wheel drive low second gear, then enter the water slowly and proceed at a constant speed, never slipping the clutch or attempting to change gear, because this will lead to a continuously slipping clutch and possibly stop the vehicle.

Watch the exit. If it is steep or soft, or both, keep going by gunning the engine once clear of the water until higher, flatter ground is reached.

If the vehicle stalls in the water and you cannot immediately restart it, stop trying; you will have to winch it out. Then check to see that no water has entered the air intake, filling one or more cylinders. If this has happened, you will have a major mechanical job on your hands.

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The key to taking a four-wheel drive safely over sand is flotation, which is gained by a combination of travelling slowly without stopping and using low tyre pressures. Soft, dry sand often means that the vehicle needs to maintain a constant level of power to keep travelling without digging in or stalling. However, do not exceed 80km/h when sand driving. Stick to existing wheel tracks where possible, as the sand there will be already compacted and less damage to the environment will result. Remember that vegetated sand dunes are extremely fragile, so avoid them.

When travelling in sandy country or on a beach, your tyre gauge is essential to measure the air pressures accurately. If there is to be much sand driving, an on-board air compressor will quickly earn its keep. Lower the pressure by about 10 psi even on hard-packed sand; on very soft sand you may need to go as low as 15 psi. Reinflate the tyres as soon as hard ground is reached.

Whether driving on beach or desert sand, don't overload the vehicle, and especially don't load up the roof rack; to do this can alter the centre of gravity of the vehicle and be extremely dangerous.

Initially try four-wheel drive high range second gear, and see how you go. Low range usually will not be necessary, but use it if your vehicle revs drop, so that you can change down to a lower gear quickly in order to keep up momentum.

Turning around on sand? If there is any doubt about successfully turning the vehicle without bogging, do not head down to a point below the high-tide mark. It may be wiser to reverse along your tracks, even if that means backing some distance. Watch tides when beach driving, it's easy to get bogged and then perhaps drown the engine in salt water when you are caught by a returning tide. Drive on beaches only during the two-hour period before and after low tide.

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Bulldust

Bulldust occurs in some outback areas when the surface of the track breaks up into a fine, talc-like dust. It can cause damage if sucked into engines or - because of its sandpaper-like characteristics - when it accumulates around greasy engine components.

Even more dangerous is the badly damaged road surface below the deceptively smooth dust. Take caution. Drive slowly through bulldust patches to avoid raising the dust, damaging your undercarriage and choking your air filter.

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Holding the Steering Wheel

Remember: Never lock your fingers and thumbs under the steering wheel. Always have them (esp. watch your thumbs!) on top of the wheel.

All you need to do  is to hit a rock on the track and the spinning steering wheel may break your fingers or thumb. The least you will have to take would be a bruise.

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Flat Tyre

For those usually wheeling along paved highways or in urban areas only, a flat tyre may be a rare or even completely new experience.

Off the bitumen, however, you may be sure that sooner rather than later your tyre-changing skills will be tested.

The following advice may help you to get the job done without too much hassle, but you still don't want to do it wearing a city suit, i.e. be ready to get filthy.

Now, that's how it works:

• cautiously slow down and stop at the roadside, as far as possible away from the flowing traffic, and on even and solid ground (if there is any!).

• engage your handbrake and stop the engine, shift into reverse gear, or parking mode for cars with automatic transmission.

• find out where to place the jack (if needed, look up the car owner's manual)

• secure the vehicle by placing a rock (or similar) in front of the tyre diagonally opposite to the flat one (e.g. if your right-hand rear  tyre  is flat, the rock will have to be placed in front of the left-hand front tyre)

• jack up the car (this is the moment to produce some sweat)

Avoid serious injury: Never work underneath a vehicle while it is jacked up. Everybody must leave the car before you start to jack it up.

Tip: if the ground is soft, e.g. sandy, you may want to place  the jack on a flat piece of wood or metal. This will  prevent it from sinking into the ground instead of lifting your wheel.

• spray some lubricant, e.g. WD-40, on the wheel nuts and studs. This should break up the cake of dust and rust between them.

Tip: if you don't carry any WD-40, some cooking oil or even Aerogard spray (spray-on insect repellent, contains greasy substances) will also come in handy.

• loosen the nuts and take the wheel off.

• place the spare tyre, place the wheel nuts, and tighten them manually, i.e. without using any tool. 

  Tip: it will be much easier to place the new tyre if you push the wheel brace under it. All you'd have to do is to push its long end down and the lever action will make this job a piece of cake, mate! 

Important: tighten the wheel nuts one by one, proceeding from one nut to the one which is opposite. 

• jack the vehicle down, take the rock away

• now, tighten the wheel nuts, using your wheel brace, and observing the rule given above

• check the tyre for correct pressure

• don't forget to collect all your tools, and the flat tyre!

• after approximately ten kilometres of driving, pull over to check the wheel nuts. They might have come loose in the meantime. If needed, tighten them once again, using the wheel brace. After another 1500 km check again.

Tip: Have your flat tyre repaired or exchanged as soon as possible! You never know when you will have to practise your tyre-changing skills again...

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