Posted: 8/2/2010 8:41:59 PM EDT
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Hey All,
I am currently trying to move funds around for a 4wd Tacoma, but that will be a while before I'm at a point financially to buy it. It seems not everyone can afford a built up 79 Bronco with a 9" lift, or a 02' jeep with an ultra custom 9 jerry can roof rack that can be dedicated as the vehicle to jump in and ride through rocky fire-roads into the sunset when SHTF. A lot of people will likely be in their daily driver, whatever that may be. For me, its a reliable 03 VW Golf with a 2.0l gas motor and a 5-speed. My idea is to understand how to drive the vehicle, and have the tools needed to make it through any road issues you may encounter. These hazards can be anything from a flat tire, getting stuck when coming back from a camping spot, to trying to get out of dodge when there is some sort of regional emergency/evacuation. I live near the edge of town, there are several minimum maintenance roads leading to 2 lane highways and other interstate on ramps in case the roads in town are clogged or backed up. My plan was to learn my way around these roads and see how my car would get through them. A small rubbermaid actionpacker keeps all my gear organized: not an all inclusive list, and major changes in the winter, but the main parts of my car kit are listed. -folding german shovel -basic toolkit -fix'a'flat can -tire plug kit -battery jumper with oilless air compressor -ratchet straps -2 ton masadam (USA) come along -3 foot section of hi-test 3/8" chain - 3 3 foot sections of 1/2" re-bar for creating a ground anchor with the chain - 15ft tow rope (minimal stretch for towing/self recovery with come-along) -2"x20ft recovery strap (stretches for recovering other vehicles, or hooking to a passing truck who is willing to help me out. Now for a small kit like this, most of the stuff obviously doesn't come free. But it can always be transferred to another vehicle later on, and is a lot cheaper than a $500/month truck payment for the next 5 years. I read about the 'redneck self-recovery ground anchor' (rebar + chain) on a 4wd forum and decided to give it a shot. It worked fine. I set the e-brake to keep the car from rolling into the ditch, and brought the car up to a dirt birm on the road. Granted this is not a test equal to having the car stuck up to the belly pan in mud, but this recovery method will certainly be more effective than trying to push yourself out with 1 leg out the door. So you lay the chain out, and pound the 3 rebar sections into the dirt at an angle spaced apart. The 3 sections pull on each other improving their holding power. Throw a floor mat over the chain/rope/strap to reduce its energy if it lets go at the bumper or anchor point (more likely) or just snaps. Start cranking on that come'a'long. It will make you tired, but is better than walking home. Test worked well, but I didn't take enough pictures during the winching actual process. I will be trying it again under more extreme situations next week. Below are photos of the roads I was on. Cars are quite capable, and have their limitations, but some people are afraid to drive on the lightest mud just because they haven't done it before. It all comes down to picking the right line through an area, and not getting in above your (or your vehicles) capabilities. So get out there and get dirty! Anybody else relying on their car as their BOV? discussion? 
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Awesome write up!
Very much the idea I was advocating in my "BOV=CCW" thread. Good on you for getting out and doing too. I need one of those come-alongs too. I do too much offroad by myself and I don't have a winch. Nothing serious, but getting stuck anywhere a tow truck won't go sucks. |
Good write up. Re-bar solution has applications for unsticking any vehicle, even those with winches. Have always found that front wheel drive and a stick shift will get you most anywhere. Having a nice compact extrication set up like this will only improve one's abilities.
stasiman |
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Cool! Buddy of mine used to take his beater CRX offroading with us. Other then a lack of ground clearance, it was surprising how much he could hang with us in our 4x4 trucks. Great tip about the "redneck recovery" method. Going to grab a couple of lengths of rebar from the jobsite today to keep in my truck to add to my winch accessory kit. |
| That car is way too clean to haven driven those roads very often. Another trick is to use some webbing going from the top of the first (closest to car) rebar to the bottom of the next. Then again from the top of the middle rebar to the bottom of the third or farthest rebar. This will help to keep them from pulling out if the ground is soft or sandy. |
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How far did you get the rebar into the ground to be effective? That depends on the soil type This is a great idea, now I need to befriend someone on an active jobsite for a pieces of rebar! rebar is pretty cheap, you might get a 10 foot piece at the concrete mixing company nearby |
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The posts need to be about 8" minimum, depending on soil type/condition. The car is not usually driven on gravel, but gravel is where I learned to drive. :) meguiars NXT wax helps keep it looking good. Thanls for the tip with the webbing! Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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Lert, how are ya'll and how is the Rover? Had a rough time of it of late. Father in law died of cancer unexpectedly about 4-5 weeks ago, so thats been tough. On the bright side, the disco handled the 2000+ km of unprepared city and country driving to Sydney and back to see him in his last week went without a hitch. I am very thankful for that, because being stranded in the middle of country New South Wales means being really stuck. A frosty disco after spending a night below freezing in Inverell: 
How are you going? |
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I'm happy the Disco didn't hesitate. Sorry for your loss. I got the front suspension rebuilt and the fire extinguisher mounted. We went to my sister-in-law's wedding and the beach. Kids are good and the wife is fine. Thanks. I appreciate it. Handheld fire extinguisher for the cabin or for the engine bay? Good to hear that your family's doing well. Its nice to get away for a happy event. |
| Remembered seeing this thread and just added the chain, pieces of rebar and come-along to my recovery kit before we drive out to our property in Idaho and go camping later this summer. I don't have a winch and this sure sounds like a good inexpensive alternative as long as you don't get yourself really stuck. |
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Some pre-mounted attachment points on the car itself may be a big help because today's cars, aren't well set up. Perhaps some flat bar bolted to a robust point under the car and routed out to where it is accesible with a modest tow ring welded to it. You wouldn't need much for a small car, just mount it so it does not add to the problem by reducing your ground clearance.
Your attachment point could be fairy small if you used a shackle and then hooked your come-along into the shackle. Also a suitable hammer to drive in the re-bar might be handy. I like the idea of re-bar as a ground anchor. For larger vehicles, a tirfor (grip hoist) is a nice option if you can find a used one at a good price. edit: typo |
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Just my .02...
Snow chains work in mud too. Just be careful to avoid wheel spin. Have a tow hitch installed. Besides the obvious, it also gives you a lifting and pulling point and may prevent damage if you bottom out during recovery or hard driving. A tow bar installed in the front may serve this purpose also. You can get short Hi-lift jacks, I say this for several reasons: You can use them to winch so it can replace that come-along. Yes, its less convenient and heavier, but you get a much better lifting capability. With several available accessories, you can strap and lift a wheel from the side, then put a block under the wheel to get out of a hole, or under the frame/suspension if you need to change a tire. You can also lift the end of the car and let the jack fall to the side, this by itself might get you out of a hole or rut. Be aware of the hazards of using this type of jack, They can be dangerous. It can be used to jack your anchors out of the ground. Why? Your rebar has a sheperds crook on top, That makes it impossible to use a hammer to pound them into harder ground. Trying would bend the whole thing into a pretzel. Leave them straight and bring a hammer. Afterwards you can still get a good grip to pull them by hand, and if that doesn't do it, use the jack to pull them out. I'd suggest losing the chain and rebar altgether. If you keep the chain, install hooks, it will be much more versatile. Also, bring or weld on some kind of plates or blocks for the rebar to act as a fulcrum at ground level. In muddy ground, it will help to keep them from rolling with the pull. What I would suggest instead of the chain is a heavier poly rope. You would have a far more useful and versatile tool for the weight carried. Instead of the rebar, get some fence T-posts and cut them down. Keep safety glasses in the car and use them when pounding in the posts. They already have the fulcrum attached, and with the rope, you can arrange them in a semi-circle and the rope length would allow you this option. In mud, this avoids the front post cutting a slot that the posts behind roll into. If a straight line is better, the rope would allow you to space them farther apart. Also, a rope can be turned into a pulling device all by itself, just learn the tricks. I'd also put your car on jack stands in the driveway and go underneath and locate all usable jack and lift points. Then mark them so they are easy to locate at night when they are sitting in the mud. You might avoid damaging the car, or be able to take advantage of a hard point you would otherwise miss. I'd also carry plywood blocks. For a car this light, 1/2" or 5/8" is probably plenty strong. Cut some of them to the width of your tires and 24-48 inches long. Cut others to 12" square and any other size you think is useful. The square ones can be used under the base of the jack to keep it from sinking in mud. One sheet will provide you more than you could use, it's very light and the lumber yard will probably cut it up for a small charge. You can also wrap carpet or other traction or padding material around them. Just don't use anything to attach it that can puncture a tire. Also, you could carry a saw like the stanley utility saw or a limb saw. This will let you cut plywood to a size or shape needed, and also make use of nearby tree limbs. You might think about a second spare tire without a wheel. Not too heavy, you can store some of your preps in it so it wouldn't waste trunk space and if you find that you need it, it wouldn't be too hard to mount that size tire with even a large screwdriver or other small prybar or tool. You could also lay it under another wheel to gain traction in mud. It will keep you mobile at lower speeds until it can be balanced. If you feel hardcore, have it mounted and balanced, mark the weights on the sidewall, then disassemble everything, set the weights aside and have the other tire put back on and balanced. A ratchet strap around the circumference of the tire and soapy lubricant should give you enough of a seal to catch the bead for inflating. Don't be tempted by the ether trick. Your spare tires should also be studded, not only for ice but the snow tread design has inherently better traction that will help in mud also. ETA a couple more suggestions. |
| I've often said people dramatically underestimate what a simple car is capable of. I've taken mine out in fields prairie fog hunting before. Its a 05 Jetta. The biggest thing that gets a car stuck is the ground clearance. As long as you stay on firm (read: dry) ground you can go a LONG ways. |
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"Don't be tempted by the ether trick."
Haha. I was mtg a tire on an ATV wheel a few weeks ago and had never tried the 'ether trick' so I called my SO and said watch this... Sprayed it a couple times and didn't have a long butane lighter or matches so tried a propane torch -just for ignition. The ether didn't pop, it just caught on fire -damn cheap stuff nowadays... 
Fortunately I didn't spray much and got it put out just before the rubber was starting to catch. SO wasn't too impressed... 
ETA shoulda used some acetylene... 
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Quoted:
I've often said people dramatically underestimate what a simple car is capable of. I've taken mine out in fields prairie fog hunting before. Its a 05 Jetta. The biggest thing that gets a car stuck is the ground clearance. As long as you stay on firm (read: dry) ground you can go a LONG ways. Had an MG 1100 years ago, front wheel drive and made a set of chains for it. The dern thing would go all over in the snow, up and down hills, etc, and it seemed the only thing that would stop it was getting in too deep and getting high centered. That car had been driven up from FL with the dipstick missing and the guy ruined the bearings. I bought it super cheap [it was like new otherwise] and pulled the engine and replaced the main bearing and rod bearings IIRC. It was a good vehicle but I had a lot of problems with the crank seal at the flywheel leaking and getting the clutch wet. I HATED pulling it apart to get to that seal...And never got it right. |