CHEAP 4X4 TRICKS

By Evan Spence 8 Min Read

Who said you need the best of everything to get out there? Sure, a little luxury in life never goes astray, but when it comes to four-wheel driving sometimes the cheap and cheerful tricks are the ones that will be the most beneficial. What we have assembled here is a collection of cheap and easy tips anyone can use to get out of trouble or even just to save a few dollars while exploring. Make sure you let us know if you have used any of these; or if you have a few of your own, too. We always love seeing good old ingenuity at work, and sharing this knowledge with Unsealed 4X4 readers.

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DUST PROOFING

Dust ingress will quickly turn a pleasant outing into an uncomfortable nightmare. While poor or damaged sealing in older vehicles magnifies this issue, new vehicles (particularly ute trays) are still susceptible. The trick is to find where the dust is getting in, and work out a plan of attack to stop it. Generic self-adhesive rubber seal kits can be bought online cheaply; and when combined with some silicon, these can go a long way to preventing dust getting inside the vehicle by blocking obvious gaps.

HOT TIP: Switch your air-con on and to recirculate when driving in dusty conditions. This will pressurise the cabin and prevent dust getting in.

 

RUST PROOFING

Prevention is better than cure when it comes to rust. Fish oil might not smell the best, but it is proven to prevent the dreaded metal cancer. Spray your vehicle’s chassis, body, engine bay … anywhere you can, every year or so. Some people even go to the effort of pulling out interior trim panels to reach unseen nooks and crannies to spray, and we’re not here to say that is a bad idea. Also, wash your vehicle as soon as you can after going off-road. I’ll make a point of finding a carwash on my way home, to get it done before I even get home. If you don’t, chances are it will be a task put in the ‘I’ll do it tomorrow’ pile … and we all know tomorrow never comes.

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HOT TIP: Garden sprinklers work wonders for washing underbody areas when you arrive home from a trip.

 

DIY DIFF BREATHERS

Installing a set of diff breathers isn’t a hard job, especially if you buy a kit. Some people use hose and cheap fuel filters – but for the minimal outlay, save yourself the hassle (and trips to the hardware store) and buy a kit. These will come with specific water-resistant breathers, a breather block to mount them, and any hose you will require; and usually a few cable ties to neaten the whole process up. Try to run the breather hoses along existing lines to keep the install neat, and clean the factory breather on the differential before removing it to avoid dirt going inside the centre.

HOT TIP: Budget between $70 and $120 for a quality breather kit, and do the job right once.

 

 

 

WELDING WITH BATTERIES? YEP!

Ever wanted to know how to weld using two batteries and a few jumper leads? This video is about to explain everything you need to know.

HOT TIP: Bring the mask from a welding helmet away with you. It takes up less room than a full helmet, and can be taped to a stick for use.

 

DIY CAMP SHOWER

Regular contributor Wayne (Nugget) Nielsen came up with this gem of an idea, to turn a pressurised spray pack you can pick up from a hardware store into a shower for about $20 in total. You need a showerhead, an adaptor and shut off-valve, some longer plastic hose, some plumber’s tape and silicon. He says that by blocking some holes in the showerhead with the silicon, you can have a decent shower with just 2L of water; and with the standard fittings back in place you can use the spray pack to put out fires or wash the dishes. Ripper of an idea … CLICK HERE TO MAKE YOUR OWN.

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EMERGENCY SPANNER

All you need is a bolt and two nuts to get you out of trouble. Check out this video to see what we mean.

 

FORGOT THE BOTTLE OPENER?

Left the bottle opener at home? Here are five ways to open a drink using nothing but your 4X4. Click the video if you don’t believe us!

 

WINCHING WITHOUT A WINCH

If you have a high-lift jack, this is the time to break it out … this won’t be fun, but it will get you out of a sticky situation.

 

KEEP YOUR COOL

Pepper and eggs aren’t just delicious, they will in fact temporarily block a hole in a radiator if you manage to develop a leak on the road. Ground pepper is reportedly the best solution; however separated egg whites will also get you out of trouble. Let the vehicle cool down, open the radiator, put some water or coolant in and add some pepper (or one egg white) and you will see the leak close up before your eyes, with the engine running. This is a temporary fix though. Also, if you pop a radiator hose, we have heard of people using a cut-up drink can wrapped around the puncture with tape or hose clamps to slow the leak down.

 

LEAKY FUEL TANK

A bar of household soap will seal a leaky fuel tank. It is true. We have seen it with our own eyes. Rub (‘scrape’ is probably the right word) the soap over the split in the fuel tank and it will seal rapidly. Yes, again, this seriously works! Once back in civilisation some metal putty on a clean surface will work for longer until a new tank is fitted (or a repair can be conducted). This is a temporary fix again, and it will need to be observed regularly, but (in an emergency situation) it will get you to the next town where more permanent repairs can be done.

 

Words and Photography by Evan Spence


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