Before you go on your adventure sollow these tips so you are prepared and ready for any situation when off roading.

Check the Basics – Check all your fluids -coolant, oil, windshield washer fluid, power steering fluid, brake fluid, ATF, differentials, etc. Make sure there are no leaks, everything is at the proper level, and carry extra fluids just in case.  Also check the air filter and the air filter box for debris. Also, if you are aware of any mechanical or electrical problems with your 4×4, repair them before hand.  

Check the Tires - Check the condition of your tires, including the spare. Be sure they are all inflated to the proper highway speed pressures.  Take note of your tread and think about the terrain you will be traveling on.  Are you ready for that deep mud hole with that tread?

Ball Joints – Check all your ball joints, tie rods ends and wheel bearings by jacking up and securing the front of your 4×4. Grab the tire by the and at the top and bottom, and check for any excess movement by rocking the wheel in and out. Do the same by rocking the tire side to side. Any excessive free play should be checked out by a qualified mechanic. Also check the rear in the same manner.  In solid rear axles you’re checking for worn bearings and other damage. 

Shocks – Check your shocks for signs of leakage or damage or just plain worn out.  Your going to need those shocks. 

Plan the Trip / Inform Others – Tell those that should know where you are going, when you are leaving and when you’ll be back.  Let them know when they should start to worry about you if they haven’t heard from you.  Give them contacts in case they need them. Prepare your trip.  Have a map of the area you are going to and how you should get there (and home again). 

Weather – Watch the weather for the region you are visiting and the route along the way.  Be prepared with the appropriate clothing and protective gear (rain jacket, hats, sunglasses, lip balm, sunscreen). Pack extra clothing in case you get wet or it gets a little colder than expected.  Even if you are not “planning” to stay the night, its good to have a sleeping bag.  Its better to be over prepared than under prepared.  

Communications to the World - Pack a cell phone and give it a full charge before departing.  Pack the phone car adapter or the 120 volt charger along with a power inverter.  When you’re remote and offroad, you can still find a signal even if its atop a ridge or up a tree.   Be aware that if your are out of signal range, your cell phone will be hunting for a signal and this will deplete your cell phone’s battery quicker than just sitting in standby when in range.

Food / Water - Bring plenty of food and drink.  Even on the short trips. Bottled water, energy bars, and dried fruit, sports drinks, anything that has compact energy are good items to pack. Pack items that do not need refrigeration. Avoid salty foods such as chips and salsa, beef jerky, unless you have plenty to drink.  And no, beer doesn’t count.  In fact it takes water to metabolize alcohol so the beer and liquor will dehydrate, not hydrate you.  Alcohol is never a good idea when you have to think clearly.

Simply following these 4×4 tips will ensure you ave a great experience

When using recovery straps it is important to know you are clear on what you are doing.  These tips offer some handy advice:

• Before ever using the strap, make sure it is in good condition ( no cuts, frays, or broken stitching.)

• Make sure the hardware being used is free of defects and rust. This includes your tow hooks or front hitch and the hardware on the other vehicle. If possible, the recovering vehicle should place the recovery strap to its rear end, which would be the safest place if the strap happens to break.

• Some older cars actually have tow hooks, but if not you must use your own judgment. Never attach a recovery strap to a vehicles bumpers, axles, suspension, steering rods, or a trailer hitch ball. The attach points must be to a secure place on the vehicles frame. Do not place the recovery strap on another vehicle in a way that it may be cut.

• Never, ever, attach a recovery strap to another vehicle with a knot. You should pass one end of the strap through the loop at the other end of the strap to secure it on.

• Incase the strap may break, lay a tarp or some jackets on top of the recovery strap. When the strap breaks (lets hope for the best, but prepare for the worst), the jackets or tarp will slow the recovery strap down before it hits someone.

• To help protect the strap from tears, make sure all logs and large rocks are removed from the recovery path. Everyone should stand clear of the recovery strap when it is in use.

• When pulling the vehicle out, drive very slowly. Sudden tugs may lead to damage to either of the vehicles or the recovery strap.

• Once the vehicle is safely removed, inspect your recovery strap and hardware and hit the road!

A spade is not a spade when it comes to off-roading. Apart from it being the most important recovery tool, the spade must be designed right – garden spades work, but not nearly as well as those designed for the job. Ideally, an off-road spade should have a cupped

blade, more like a shovel, for removing mud or wet sand, for which a flat blade is very inefficient. A long handle will permit reaching well under the vehicle should it be caught on the axles or chassis but if it is too long it can be awkward. Collapsible camp shovels have handles far too short for digging out a vehicle. A pointed blade is better than square

as it is more suited to digging sand from under a tyre and provides easier penetration. It should also be painted a bright colour because spades are often left lying in the bush after a recovery operation and only found missing the next time someone gets stuck.

When selecting a spade consider the following:

• Feel the weight. It must not be unnecessarily heavy.
• The length should be sufficient to dig under a vehicle.
• Fold-away type camp shovels are far too short and make removing material from under a vehicle almost impossible.
• The blade should be a shovel-shaped. A flat blade is far less effective. The blade must not be too big – this adds weight and makes clearing under a vehicle more difficult.
• Fancy materials such as stainless steel are pointless – a spade is a spade, not a work of art. And, they get lost.
• Find a way of attaching your spade in a convenient place.
• Front-Runner make a nice roof-rack mount.
• Place the shovel on the side near the front of the rack so that the curve of the blade bends around the front corner. In this way it will not be caught by bushes that pass close to the vehicle.

If you take good care of your electric winch, it will last for many years of use. Follow the winch maintenance checklist below to keep your winch in good working condition.

Winch Cable (Synthetic or Wire)

1. Check for kinks, fraying, and other damage before and after each winching operation.
2. Replace the cable immediately if you see signs of damage. Do not use a damaged rope.
3. Keep the rope clean and dry.
4. Spool the cable neatly and evenly onto the drum after you are done winching.

Electrical and Hardware

1. Check the electrical connections every few months to make sure they are clean and tight.
2. Remove dirt and corrosion from the electrical connections. If you allow the corrosion to build up, it may reduce the performance of your winch or cause a short.
3. Power the cable in or out every few months, whether you need to use the winch or not. Periodically running the motor will create heat and dissipate any moisture built up in the motor. If the winch is not operated for a long period of time, this moisture will lead to internal corrosion and damage the motor.
4. If you live and ride in salty areas, coat the electrical connections with silicone to prevent corrosion.
5. Periodically check all mounting bolts for tightness.

Cleaning and Greasing

1. The gearbox and drum bearings are permanently lubricated. No internal lubrication should be required for the life of the winch.
2. If you take apart the winch for repair or cleaning, however, it will be necessary to re-lubricate the winch.

Now that your Warn winch is fitted on your 4×4, you are now ready to go off roading out on the trail where you will be splashing around in mud, crossing the occasional stream as well as driving across a few rocks along the way.

For this sort of experience you must be equipped with a fully working winch and it is essential you are familiar and comfortable using your winch and are fully aware of how it operates should you need to put it into action. The first step is to familiarise yourself with each component of your Warn winch.

Motor

Typically the winch motor is powered by the vehicle’s battery. The motor provides power to the gear mechanism, which turns the winch drum and winds the wire rope.

Winch Drum

The winch drum is the cylinder onto which the wire rope feeds. The drum is driven by the motor and drive train. Its direction can be changed using the remote control.

Wire Rope

The wire rope’s diameter and length is determined by the winch’s designed load capacity. Wrapped around the winch drum and fed through the fairlead, the wire rope is looped at the end to accept the hook’s clevis pin.

Fairlead

When using the winch at an angle, the fairlead (or wire lead) acts to guide the wire rope onto the spooling drum. It prevents damage to the wire rope while it goes through the winch mount or bumper.

Gear Train

The reduction gear converts the winch motor power into a large pulling force. The gear train design makes it possible for the winch to be lighter and more compact.

Braking System

The brake is automatically applied to the winch drum when the winch motor is stopped and

there is load on the wire rope. The brake prevents the winch from paying out line, which in turn holds the vehicle in place.

Clutch

The clutch allows the operator to manually disengage the spooling drum from the gear train, enabling the drum to rotate freely. By engaging the clutch the winch drum locks back onto the gear train.

Control Box

Using electrical power from the vehicle’s battery, the control box solenoids relay the signals it receives from the remote control to the motor, enabling the operator to change the direction of the winch drum rotation.

Remote Control

The remote control plugs into the winch control box, allowing the operator to control the winch direction, as well as stand well clear of the wire rope while operating the winch.