Thread: 4x4 accessories

If going solo and money's tight, a shovel is essential. Next is a spade. (different jobs when stuck). The a saw of some sort. Then a hand pump and tyre guage. Then a high lift jack (with attachments), then a maxx trax or two.

That should get you out of the shite if you are by yourself and need to keep all your money for diesel and ruc

If you are going with mates then the recovery points and snatch straps come into their own.

If money is not too much of a problem then the electric winch, snorkle, electric air compressor can be entertained. Then diff locks, suspension upgrades yadda yadda yadda.

As a youngster I did some proper nasty 4wheel driving (Series I landy) with only spades/axe, a high lift jack and a hand pump. Takes more time to get unstuck but it certainly ensures the learning curve is nice and steep as digging gets old real quick. But it works.

Back in the day. if some soldiers radio'ed up saying they were stuck in their land rover in Waiouru we would go out, see they had taken no pioneer tools with them on the front of the Land Rover (shovel/axe/pick), throw them a couple of shovels and tell them if they were not out by dark, we would come back for them....

Smartened up their footwork next time...

A small chainsaw and a tubeless tyre string repair kit and a box of beers. And decent tyres

Lots of good stuff to wade through guys. Thankyou.
I’m getting a hard time from the wife because I’m looking at all the gears before I’ve even done my first trip.
Like I said to her, no point in finding I need something after I’m stuck in some random shithole.
Hadn’t even considered a puncher repair kit and tools. Figured that’s what the spare was for lol

The spare wheel is for turning into a deadman when there's no trees about to winch off. Dig a hole, then a trench for the winch rope, drop wheel in hole, attach winch cable to wheel, start winching (either hand or power winch).

The 'dog turd' (sticky rope) puncture repair kits allow you to mend more than one puncture. Driven on gently they will get you out of the shit. I have seen a side x side tyre sidewall slashed on rocks so bad, we were still able to get it to hold air with about a dozen of those dog turds pushed in alongside each other. Would have been a long haul out otherwise, as side x sides generally don't carry spare wheels.

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/bahco-94-...t-set_p0679433

These are the shit, can do most mechanical stuff with it, I have a set of pliers too.

Originally Posted by dvk-kp

https://www.bunnings.co.nz/bahco-94-...t-set_p0679433

These are the shit, can do most mechanical stuff with it, I have a set of pliers too.

I bought a set for staff on the farm. Great set

These are the recovery hooks. Are they up to standard?

Originally Posted by Noswal

Attachment 237721Attachment 237722

These are the recovery hooks. Are they up to standard?

The one on the bumper, I wouldn’t use. There is a bracket the mounts the winch to the chassis, but the bumper is mounted using sacrificial brackets that give way in a frontal impact. So I’d be concerned pulling directly from the bumper might blow those out. My observations apply to a 2014 arb bar on my hilux.


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The whinge is bolted front and back to both the bumper and the chassis. The bumper is bolted to the chassis with 10 bolts. 5 each side. 2 each side off set and one top to bottom

Looks like auto correct has shafted me again lol

Another option for a winch anchor is a chain & drive a hole lot off pegs through it like larger tent pegs works real well

As for fold up shovels I've always carried one, some may think they are useless but better than no shovel at all. And its been good enough to get me out of the crap a couple of times...just get a decent one

Originally Posted by Noswal

Attachment 237721Attachment 237722

These are the recovery hooks. Are they up to standard?

The front one is likely strong enough, but there are considerations with using a hook in that location. It's about 3-400mm higher than the equivalent chassis point, which doesn't seem like much but can transfer a surprising amount of load in the form of down pull onto the front end which is adding weight to the front suspension components. My preference is to have that style hook down low, bolted directly onto the side of the chassis rail using some of those bolts that you identified in the photo. If access is a concern, you can get a keeper spring and fit a short (500mm long) 3 ton soft webbing link which means you don't have to go grubbing in the mud to hook up to it. Just leave it securely hooked up to the winch or something like that...

The one at the back is a nup for me, might as well just use the bloody towbar looping a tow strap around the towbar extension in front of the towball nut (not using the towball for safety sake). Relying on a pin and a wiggly piece of square tube for snatching is a recipe for doom and despair, as the forces can crack the tube at the corners or bend the side walls of the tube extension or even tear the walls of the tubes where the pin goes through. Better off hard bolting the recovery hook to the back end chassis in a similar method to the front end, as low as you can get.

Go join a 4x4 club, glean some knowledge off those that obsess with offloading and go from there

Originally Posted by No.3

The front one is likely strong enough, but there are considerations with using a hook in that location. It's about 3-400mm higher than the equivalent chassis point, which doesn't seem like much but can transfer a surprising amount of load in the form of down pull onto the front end which is adding weight to the front suspension components. My preference is to have that style hook down low, bolted directly onto the side of the chassis rail using some of those bolts that you identified in the photo. If access is a concern, you can get a keeper spring and fit a short (500mm long) 3 ton soft webbing link which means you don't have to go grubbing in the mud to hook up to it. Just leave it securely hooked up to the winch or something like that...

The one at the back is a nup for me, might as well just use the bloody towbar looping a tow strap around the towbar extension in front of the towball nut (not using the towball for safety sake). Relying on a pin and a wiggly piece of square tube for snatching is a recipe for doom and despair, as the forces can crack the tube at the corners or bend the side walls of the tube extension or even tear the walls of the tubes where the pin goes through. Better off hard bolting the recovery hook to the back end chassis in a similar method to the front end, as low as you can get.

All of the points you’ve bought up are things I’ve considered but being a nubie just dismissed. I have a solid hook (4 bolt) that I could attach for recovery. I’ll have look at options for that front recovery attachment. Access through the bumper would be difficult.
Thankyou for advice.