Best way to get a stuck Defender, unstuck?
Discussion
So as embarassing as it was, last winter I managed to get my Defender 90 stuck in a field. A completely flat, grassy field. Recent wet weather had the ground pretty boggy, and upon leaving the firmer stuff along the side of a hedgerow, it sank, lost all grip and ended up sitting in its own ruts. No matter how much back and forth I tried either gently or fiercly would get it to move, in the end a JCB dragged it the 10 yards or so back to the firm stuff.
I'll say now it's bog standard, 2003 Td5 pick up, no winches fitted etc. Has anyone got any tips as for the best way to somehow single-handedly drive it out, using nothing but technique? Yes, this was an embarassing Defender moment
I'll say now it's bog standard, 2003 Td5 pick up, no winches fitted etc. Has anyone got any tips as for the best way to somehow single-handedly drive it out, using nothing but technique? Yes, this was an embarassing Defender moment
Lock the centre diff.
Reduce pressure in the tyres.
Try gentle forwards in high range, second gear, tick over revs. Or gentle back, tick over.
Move steering wheel to try to get the front wheels out of the rut.
No good?
Attach your winch to nearest tree.
No winch?
Jack up your wheels (not the car itself) with hi lift jack and wheel attachment and jack base plate, put something solid under the wheels. Mud board ideal, rocks will do, canvas tarp if you must.
No hi lift jack?
Get out your shovel and dig escape trenches behind your wheels to reverse out of.
No shovel?
Buy a f
king shovel.
Reduce pressure in the tyres.
Try gentle forwards in high range, second gear, tick over revs. Or gentle back, tick over.
Move steering wheel to try to get the front wheels out of the rut.
No good?
Attach your winch to nearest tree.
No winch?
Jack up your wheels (not the car itself) with hi lift jack and wheel attachment and jack base plate, put something solid under the wheels. Mud board ideal, rocks will do, canvas tarp if you must.
No hi lift jack?
Get out your shovel and dig escape trenches behind your wheels to reverse out of.
No shovel?
Buy a f
king shovel. I once got myself stuck, now never go anywhere without mud terrain tyres with plenty of life, electric winch, hand winch, hi lift jack, wheel lifters and base plate, kinetic strap, 2x 20 metre 1 inch nylon ropes, tree saver, various shackles, snap shackle, various straps, machete and assorted shovels. Never been stuck since!
Ayahuasca said:
Lock the centre diff.
Reduce pressure in the tyres.
Try gentle forwards in high range, second gear, tick over revs. Or gentle back, tick over.
Move steering wheel to try to get the front wheels out of the rut.
No good?
Attach your winch to nearest tree.
No winch?
Jack up your wheels (not the car itself) with hi lift jack and wheel attachment and jack base plate, put something solid under the wheels. Mud board ideal, rocks will do, canvas tarp if you must.
No hi lift jack?
Get out your shovel and dig escape trenches behind your wheels to reverse out of.
No shovel?
Buy a fking shovel.
good response, buy some waffle boards, ebay is always selling themReduce pressure in the tyres.
Try gentle forwards in high range, second gear, tick over revs. Or gentle back, tick over.
Move steering wheel to try to get the front wheels out of the rut.
No good?
Attach your winch to nearest tree.
No winch?
Jack up your wheels (not the car itself) with hi lift jack and wheel attachment and jack base plate, put something solid under the wheels. Mud board ideal, rocks will do, canvas tarp if you must.
No hi lift jack?
Get out your shovel and dig escape trenches behind your wheels to reverse out of.
No shovel?
Buy a f
king shovel. Never leave home without a shovel!!!
Sometimes it helps to use Hi-Range... (Especially for reverse. ) and steer for grip (rock the steering from side to side).
You can sometimes get the car rocking nicely back & forth by using Hi-Range and going between Reverse and either 1st or 2nd... Then add to this steering for grip and sometimes you will pop out.
However, if the car does start to move, don't stop until you get to safety!!!
M
Sometimes it helps to use Hi-Range... (Especially for reverse.
) and steer for grip (rock the steering from side to side).You can sometimes get the car rocking nicely back & forth by using Hi-Range and going between Reverse and either 1st or 2nd... Then add to this steering for grip and sometimes you will pop out.
However, if the car does start to move, don't stop until you get to safety!!!
M
Amazing that people think land rovers are infallible, even in the mud. Most things get stuck in the mud - real mud - and there's no reason a Land Rover should be any different from any other 4x4. Tyres as the last post said are key - road or ATs will clog up quicker than muds,but a good place to start is to get some proper mud tyres. But there's plenty of places I get stuck round here in my defender (clay valley side) with muds and snow chains.
Ayahuasca is on the money.
Spade, carpet/track boards.
Once you're well dug in if the digging to make more of a gentle ramp & the introduction of the carpet/boards doesn't work it may well be winch or tow out time.
Rocking MAY work & is worth a try, but I was present when a colleague of mine killed a Defender tranfer gearbox doing that. We were both surprised & we'd nearly got it unstuck!
Defender difflock only locks the centre diff so equal power goes to front & rear axle diffs. These diffs are not lockable - in standard form - & if a wheel on each axle can spin then that is what will happen. Called being crossaxled. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FInWlxJUl6I f/o/s & r/n/s wheels are spinning. Difflock & be sure both wheels on one axle have grip.
If you are out on your own - i.e no other vehicle with you - then before going onto a wet/flooded section get out & walk it before driving onto it.
Spade, carpet/track boards.
Once you're well dug in if the digging to make more of a gentle ramp & the introduction of the carpet/boards doesn't work it may well be winch or tow out time.
Rocking MAY work & is worth a try, but I was present when a colleague of mine killed a Defender tranfer gearbox doing that. We were both surprised & we'd nearly got it unstuck!
Defender difflock only locks the centre diff so equal power goes to front & rear axle diffs. These diffs are not lockable - in standard form - & if a wheel on each axle can spin then that is what will happen. Called being crossaxled. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FInWlxJUl6I f/o/s & r/n/s wheels are spinning. Difflock & be sure both wheels on one axle have grip.
If you are out on your own - i.e no other vehicle with you - then before going onto a wet/flooded section get out & walk it before driving onto it.
Edited by paintman on Monday 1st December 09:43
billywhizzzzzz said:
Amazing that people think land rovers are infallible, even in the mud. Most things get stuck in the mud - real mud - and there's no reason a Land Rover should be any different from any other 4x4. Tyres as the last post said are key - road or ATs will clog up quicker than muds,but a good place to start is to get some proper mud tyres. But there's plenty of places I get stuck round here in my defender (clay valley side) with muds and snow chains.
Absolutely agree!Infallible?
Only in the glossy sales brochures.
But I even managed to sink a Unimog on mud tyres and chains in the mud.
Mud is some awful stuff.
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