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The words and opinions expressed here are my own, and do not, in any way, represent the views of my employer (OnCourse).
You are here: Home / Archives for Equipment

Has Your 4wd’s Approach Angle Been Compromised?

Published July 31, 2017 By Mick Farmer

Bull bar - For Aesthetic Purpose Only

Whenever you fit something to a 4wd vehicle, there will be a trade off. Understanding this compromise is essential to managing not only your off road capability but also for driving defensively. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, off-road driving

Up Armoured Vehicle Recovery Consideration: Fitting a Winch

Published April 6, 2017 By Mick Farmer

Armoured-Vehicle Winch

Is it Worth Fitting a Winch to An Up Armoured Vehicle? It's considered standard that recovery equipment should have a safe working load/working load limit of 1.5 times the weight of the vehicle. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: armoured vehicles, winch

My Thoughts on Using Synthetic Shackles

Published October 27, 2016 By Mick Farmer

using-synthetic-rope-shackles

Recently purchased some synthetic shackles (Gator-Jaw) from Bubba Rope in the States. I had gotten one of their kinetic energy ropes through someone that was leaving Uganda and was very impressed. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: 4wd, Equipment, Gator-Jaw, off-road driving

Why I Don’t Like Roof Racks

Published March 10, 2016 By Mick Farmer

Loading Roof Racks

I don't like roof racks and don't have them fitted to any of our vehicles. Reasons for this dislike are many but the main one is safety. Roof racks encourage loading fairly heavy stuff on the top of vehicles. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, off-road driving, roof rack

How I Store Hand Winch Wire

Published September 21, 2015 By Mick Farmer

Hand Winch Wire Storage

Hand Winch One of the most versatile pieces of recovery kit. Couple with a pulley block or two and a length of synthetic rope, to extend, it can do a lot (obviously the synthetic won't work in the winch). … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, recovery gear, winch

Why This Winch Wire Is Dangerous

Published May 4, 2015 By Mick Farmer

Winch Hook Set Up -Bad-Shape

Warn Out This vehicle turned up for a training session recently. It wasn't part of a recovery course, thankfully. We found the clutch in the free spool position which is probably the reason for the rats nest.  Lots of bumpy unsealed roads could do that to the wire. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, recovery gear, winch

Why a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System is Important

Published May 3, 2015 By Mick Farmer

Tyre Pressure Monitor System - Monitor

A recent long trip reinforced the importance of having a tyre pressure monitoring system fitted.  The tyre picked up a roofing nail and the system warned of low pressure soon after. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: driving, Equipment, Pressure Pro, road safety, tyres

Raised Air Intakes – Are They Really Necessary?

Published April 9, 2015 By Mick Farmer

Raised Air Intake - 110 Defender

It's hot, it's dusty and it's dry - so why should you consider fitting a raised air intake? … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Mechanical, off-road driving, raised air intake, recovery gear

Not All Winch Anchors are Equal

Published October 29, 2014 By Mick Farmer

Damaged Winch Anchor - Side View

The first winch anchor (aka ground anchor) we bought was dubbed "extreme". It came from a UK supplier. It was a bit of a monster to carry around but it did sort of work for a while. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: Equipment, ground-anchor, land-anchor, recovery gear, winch-anchor

Beware Nasty HF Antenna Fittings

Published October 16, 2014 By Mick Farmer

Why do organisations insist on putting the HF radio antenna on the front? First, the mounting has destroyed the approach angle and increases the chance of damaging the antenna.   … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Equipment Tagged With: HF Radio, modifications, winch

What Do Diff Lockers Do? A Brief Explanation

Published August 22, 2014 By Mick Farmer

To understand what diff lockers do, it helps to understand how differentials work. In a nutshell, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: 4wd Operation, Equipment Tagged With: 4wd

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Recent Posts

  • Managing Available Traction
  • Low Traction Road Surface
  • Anticipating Hazards from a Distance
  • Tyre Max Pressure Ratings for Armoured Vehicles.
  • Has Your 4wd’s Approach Angle Been Compromised?
  • If You Have Free Wheeling Hubs; Consider Pro-active Operation

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