Kalahari1

Our Top Nine Tyre Tips.

1. Everyone has an opinion on tyres!

And everyone else is clearly an idiot! You will find a massive wealth of experience from people who will passionately defend their own opinion and readily tell you that brand A and brand B are useless, despite the fact that they have only ever used brand C themselves. Everyone has a different set of expectations from their tyres. Everyone has a different set of criteria upon which they base their judgements. Consider everyone's
experience and opinion - then form your own.

2. Get the right tyre!

Not all tyres are created equal. Your tyre purchasing decsion should be based upon your needs and ambitions, not what your vehicle manufacturer decides. First make the choice between a Passenger or Light Truck tyre. Then decide upon your favoured tread pattern. Lastly, go shopping for the brand of premium tyre that meets your needs. Yes, you want a premium brand.

 

3. Don't be 'that' guy!

We've all met the bloke who refuses to let his tyres down. They are nearly as obnoxious as the "pfft, I did it all in 2wd" guy. Here are the best excuses from the Mr Highway Pressure.

a) I don't have a compressor.

Really? You bought a 4x4, for multiple thousands of dollars to go to the beach and you couldn't manage to lash out on a compressor? I've certainly picked up rentals that lacked a functioning compressor (despite assurances from the rental company) the fact of the matter though is that unless you are truly remote, there will be someone around, or a servo, who can help you to pump your tyres back up. You had

better hope that there is someone around because you will need them to rescue if you don't.

b) It was just a quick trip onto the beach.

Yeah, we can all relate to this... However much more than air down/up time can be lost when you are bogged... on your own... while the tide is coming up...

c) I have low profile tyres.

As unfortunate as this is, it's a bigger and bigger problem and for many owners there are very limited wheel/tyre options. I guess that you need to weigh up the potential rim damage and the potential bogging potential. If you are bogged at the time, I guess you answered your own question. The fact is that your low profile tyres are a problem offroad in general. Highly inflated low profile tyres are a bigger problem.

d) I'm heavily loaded and need the sidewall height!

This one is a cracker. "I'm heavily loaded" translates to "I'm going to get bogged faster than my mates." Let's discuss the physics... lowering your tyre pressure might reduce your sidewall height (and therefore clearance) by a couple of centimeters... getting bogged in soft sand could reduce your clearance all the way to the diff. You gain clearance by reducing pressure because you stay on top of the sand instead of going under it.

4. Get the right pressure for the task!

The right pressure depends upon
a) Your load
b) Are you towing
c) Tyre size
d) Tyre construction
e) The terrain
f) The conditions

That dude on Facebook who recommended 22psi, without asking any of the above questions, should probably not be your only source of info.

5. Local knowledge is important!

Obviously knowing where you are going is important, but spending a bit of time speaking to a reputable source regarding the current local conditions can save you a lot of heartache. You will need to make a decision on the trustworthiness of your source, of course but the small investment of your time in seeking out the very latest updates to track conditions has got to be worth it.

6. Don't guess at your pressure!

Get them right! You need a quality gauge and you need to use it. Letting your tyres down by eye, looking at how much they 'Bag Out' isn't a sound strategy. Modern vehicles are constantly monitoring wheel speed - uneven tyre pressures result in an inconsistent rolling diameter and can cause havoc with your vehicle's safety and traction systems.
On the topic of "Bagging Out"

7. You don't drive on sidewalls!

How "bagged out" your tyres are is irrelevant - just stop saying it. Your aim is not to make the tyre wider, it's to make the contact patch longer... why not swap "bagging out" with '"increase my footprint"? It's a much more accurate way to describe what you are doing.

8. Everything has changed!

The way that your 4x4 grips, starts, stops and turns has been changed by reducing your tyre pressure - you need to change your driving style too. Harsh braking and sudden steering should be replaced by considered and smooth driver inputs. Tight turns on higher traction surfaces should be avoided.
Low pressure - Low Speed

9. One (two part) rule to rule them all!

At the Australian Offroad Academy we have a uniform policy on tyre pressure advice and teaching.
"Go as low as you need to go, but no lower... but be prepared to go lower if your needs change."

Do you know who learns heaps about tyres? All of our course participants... Why not join them?

Go to www.AustralianOffroadAcademy.com.au to learn more.

While you are here though, check out this video from Queensland Tourism from one of our Girls Got Grit Weekends.

More info about Girls Got Grit 4x4 weekends right here.

Quick trip to the tropics

Barely back from Barcaldine there was just enough time for some trailer maintenance, head scratching and a new show stand layout design before loading everything up again for a trip to one of our favourite places - Mackay.

The Quad and SxS trailer (on loan from our friends at Evolution Electrical Racing) needed a bit of love after the Barcaldine trip so mike took to it with the grinder, welder and paint brush.

World's flimsiest caravan?

The plan here was not to create a very large camper trailer, but rather a new platform for upcoming Ag and 4x4 shows.

SxS and Quads are an increasingly large part of our work.

Bump in day.

With the Mackay AgTradeLife show being our first 'Solo' show for the year, and the first event that we would be taking both the CFMoto U8 Side by Side and the CFMoto X6 Quad we were looking for an option that would;

• Keep us up out of the mud.
• Give us plenty of shade.
• Create a dark corner for our flat screens.
• Solve the problem of having to store the trailer somewhere during the show.

Of course the whole stand is powered by our Goal Zero Yeti and solar panel tripod.

The trip to North Queensland wasn't just to stand around at a show though.

We also had another of our series of courses across the state for a Qld Govt Dept. For this Mackay group we had access to some brilliant terrain close to the city, yet seemingly miles away.

a 4x4 playground, so close to the city.

This team completed SISODRV302A - Drive and Recover a 4wd Vehicle.

In this particular site the ever present and accessible MAXTRAX got a workout on terrain that is exactly what these guys experience in their daily work tasks.

Getting the Pajero dirty.

What a tough workplace.

There's no point in pretending.

Is this 'The Ultimate Mother's Day Gift'?

Are you searching for the Mother's Day Gift to top them all?

Is your mum an independant lady? Looking for an adventure?

Are you prepared to have dad kicked out of the driver's seat?

It's not too late, grab a Gift Voucher Here.

 

Our "Girls Got Grit" weekend away on Fraser Island is just what you and mum are looking for.

This isn't just a quick lap around the Island.

Did you catch our feature on The Great Australian Doorstep?

 Catch Part 1 of 2 of our special on The Great Australian Doorstep with Sheree Everett

..and here's Part 2 of 2

Corroborree Beach Traffic Jam

Hit the beach on Sunday Morning to experience the 'other' side of the Island.

Learn to negotiate the ever changing landscape of Fraser Island.

Mum will get down and gritty learning real offroad skills including:

• Minimum Impact Driving Techniques
• Tyre Pressures
• Vehicle Preparation
• Track Assessment
• Tides
• Vehicle Recovery with MAXTRAX and Snatch Straps
• Navigation with Hema Mapping products

Get to experience the very best of Fraser Island by spending a night on each side of this world heritage listed offroad destination. The Weekend away includes some pretty flash accommodation at Kingfisher Bay Resort and Eurong  Beach Resort.

We'll check off many of Fraser Island's Iconic destinations including:

• Lake McKenzie
• Central Station
• Maheno Shipwreck
• Eli Creek
• Coloured Sands
• Lake Wabby Lookout

Special Mother's Day Gift Vouchers are available.

Mum's weekend away with one of her girlfriends, or on her own, includes

• Return barge transfers from River Heads.
• Resort accommodation for 2 nights.
• All meals from Friday dinner to Sunday lunch.
• Sunset drinks.
• Expert instruction.
• Access to our exclusive training track.
• Expert guidance around Fraser Island.
• Memories and real learning.
• National Parks vehicle permit.

 To find out more, or to make a booking for mum, visit our webpage.

Have you visited our Instagram Page?

There's all sorts of surprising content on our Instagram page.

April Skills Weekend - a great weekend away.

Every few months we run a big weekend at our Landcruiser Mountain Park Training Centre.

 

8 cars joined us for the Low Range Course on Saturday, and 6 for the Advanced Course on Sunday.

We had a great collection of cars and drivers.

 Saturday's team enjoyed a range of terrain types in the, at times, heavy rain with tyre choice quickly proving to be a massive influence in terrain handling ability.

Everyone loved the FJs

We did some water crossings, hill climbs and practiced our 4x4 Recovery techniques.

After a pleasant night around the campfire we started our Advanced Skills Course on Sunday morning with a drive on some of the Park's more challenging tracks..

We were too busy driving to get many photos.

The afternoon was spent performing advanced recovery including a wide variety of winching techniques and styles.