As every one knows 4wd’s are essential for exploring this magic country of ours, or for those just wanting to get down and dirty and do some things most people would call, um.. crazy. And whilst it’s fun to ride shotgun (as a passenger) in another 4X4, there’s nothing quite like the feeling of piloting your own 4wd off road.

From hard core rock crawlers, to tourers, to the average weekender, your 4X4 journey must start somewhere — here are some hints and tips to help get your off roading journey started…

Set yourself a budget around 5 to 10 thousand, it’ll be plenty to get your first 4wd ready to hit the tracks. Then of course decide what you will mainly be driving on eg. Sand, mud/dirt, road. Making this decision is fairly important as it will effect the modifications you’ll want to do to your 4wd.

Once you’ve saved the cash, and determined the environment, it’s time to look for a 4wd. There are a wide variety of 4wd’s to choose from all of which have there good and bad points. You’ll want to get something that will last and have a good reputation as a 4wd — one that will be able to carry all your gear and family members and friends.

Don’t let the excitement get to you, shop around and make sure you look at a number of 4wd. I’d say a least 10. Once you’ve found a 4wd that looks the goods, get a 4wd enthusiast or 4wd mechanic to have a look over it. Note: a 4wd mechanic, not an everyday mechanic, as they’ll know the specific faults and problems that occur with 4wd’s. Once it’s been given the all clear and you’re happy with it, make the purchase.

It’s time now to put your new 4wd into it’s element. Ideally you’d grab a friend with a 4X4 and hit the tracks — even stock vehicles a loads of fun off-road. See what she can do as a stock vehicle, and start to understand what your preferred driving style is. I can pretty much guarantee that your 4X4 is more capable, than you are as a driver when you lock in those front hubs for the first time.

You’ll want your first off-road excursion to be one to remember, so to avoid any ’stuck in the middle of nowhere’ scenarios, I’d take a friend with a 4×4 along or go out for a club meet. They’ll help you get the most from your 4wd and pull you out of a bog if you get carried away (which is easier than you might think)…

Once you’ve gone out for a couple of runs you’ll start to feel a need deep down to improve the off-road performance of your 4wd. It’s then that you’ll know for sure that 4×4 Fever has struck and the real fun is about to begin…

Pretty much the first thing almost everyone does is get some tyres to suit the terrain which you mainly drive on. It can make the world of difference to your 4wd’s capability. There are a wide variety of sizes, styles, and brands on the market. Do your homework, ask lots of questions, and you’ll be over the moon with the performance gains you’ll get from a new set of rubber…

There are literally thousands of other mods you can do your 4wd, so you need to decide what else you’ll need to make your vehicle do everything you want it to. If you use tracks that have big rocks and ruts everywhere you may want a suspension lift to give you more ground clearance. If you often 4wd alone a UHF radio is a very good idea in case you get stuck and are out of mobile phone range. You might also a winch (hand winch or chassis mounted winch) they are a great piece of gear and can pull you out of any sticky situations you may come across (albeit expensive).

Mods or no Mods, with your own off-road chariot, as your skills develop, if you see a track that looks good, or a beautiful remote hideaway, you’ll be able to go there with confidence.

And remember — when the 4X4 Fever bites, it never lets go (although we are working on a cure).

So get down and dirty off the beaten track!

7 Responses to “Off Roading: How To Get Started”

• October 13th, 2008 Shayne:

  Great article Michael, and thanks for putting the article together!

• October 13th, 2008 TNA:

  thanks for putting this up, it is great mate

• October 13th, 2008 john:

  I agree great article Michael (and welcome to 4X4 Fever). I’m well… a little beyond getting started but Shayne you should put this at the top of the site and say NEWBIES READ THIS!

• October 13th, 2008 MateyMate:

  yeah I’ll second the great article – one thing you’ve not spoken about is the importance of clubs when you first start. A lot of people don’t get as much out of their rigs if they don’t get involved in the community aspect of 4wding. Just thought it’d be worth mentioning.

• October 13th, 2008 Mudbasher:

  5 to 10 K feels a little cheep — not going to get much for that these days

• October 13th, 2008 mike:

  thanks guys iy was m,y first one
  mudbasher 5-10k can get u a stock or lightly moded mk/mq gq patrol with money still left to spend on tyres and other mods.

  cheers mike

• October 13th, 2008 Shayne:

  not a bad way to start Mike

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