Maxtrax

[Discomark]

Anyone used Maxtraxs MK11 for recovery?
Just wondered if one set is usually good enough as they are quite pricey.
I guess it depends how bogged you get :o

BTW. Good price at Rays outdoors online at the moment with 20% + VIP discount and 'AUTOCLUB' coupon code = $195 (store pickup)

[Redback]

Instead of the maxtraxs I bought the Ridge Rider recovery tracks, for $60 at Supercheap, from all reports they work as well as the maxtrax.

They are compact, they roll into a 30cm diameter roll, bit heavy but store well.

Maybe these off ebay

http://www.ebay.com.au/sch/items/_W0QQ_sopZ12?_nkw=recovery%20track&_fromfsb=0&_trksid=m270.l1313

Baz.

[Tombie]

Instead of the maxtraxs I bought the Ridge Rider recovery tracks, for $60 at Supercheap, from all reports they work as well as the maxtrax.

They are compact, they roll into a 30cm diameter roll, bit heavy but store well.

Baz.

Except they dont work... Are totally useless compared to MaxTrax and just sink into the soft ground to then disappear...

Traction boards always beat those roll up sets...

[wardy1]

Been on a few trips with guys having maxtrax. they are bloody good. If you have lockers, one set would be fine in most circumstances (one under the front wheel, one under the rear), if not, perhaps 2 sets might be in order.

[cal415]

I have the boab tracks, RRP is 70 each i think it was, opposite lock stock them, they are not as chunky looking as maxtracks but they work very well and unlike the maxtracks they dont snap! We snapped a set at fraser a few years back, similar treatment of the boab ones just saw a little bending which flattened out after being left in the sun.

[dullbird]

I dont like Maxtrax because I saw them being used one time out off road to hep get some traction on one of the tracks that a car was struggling with they put them in and they got bloody spat out the back and became a flying missile with spikes on it...

[ugu80]

I dont like Maxtrax because I saw them being used one time out off road to hep get some traction on one of the tracks that a car was struggling with they put them in and they got bloody spat out the back and became a flying missile with spikes on it...

What surface was this on? They tell you very clearly that the things are only for sand or mud and not to be used on firm surfaces.

[rrturboD]

I have a set of bridging ladders, capable of supporting the vehicle, have proved very useful in extracting myself from mud and climbing rock ledge. Other local club members swear by them over maxtrax.

[Discomark]

I have a set of bridging ladders, capable of supporting the vehicle, have proved very useful in extracting myself from mud and climbing rock ledge. Other local club members swear by them over maxtrax.
Thanks, Are they the fiberglass ones as shown in the pic attached? where do you buy these?
Cheers
Mark

[dullbird]

What surface was this on? They tell you very clearly that the things are only for sand or mud and not to be used on firm surfaces.


To be honest I cant full remember......im sure some mud was involved but I dont recall it being a lot just enough to prevent a climb on a awkard hill

[weeds]

Thanks, Are they the fiberglass ones as shown in the pic attached? where do you buy these?
Cheers
Mark

I was given a set of these, search fiberglass grating, mine come from Melbourne I think

[dullbird]

Yeah we got a set of them as well although we bought ours from Ebay many years ago for 30 pounds

[disco2hse]

Thanks, Are they the fiberglass ones as shown in the pic attached? where do you buy these?
Cheers
Mark

I have some like that. Very strong and useful for more than just getting unstuck. They do perform a different role to the Maxtrax though. Maxtrax are better when you need to shove something under the tyres for a little more traction.

Gratings require more effort to work properly.

[goingbush]

I reckon they are all pretty much a waste of time, space & money.
Tho the inflatable one might make a handy pillow.

What is the point of something if you can move an extra 1meter at best.

Overland Journal: Sand Ladder Test - YouTube

And this one - What a Joke.
If the cars didn't stop there in the first place you would not need them at all.
Maxtrax - YouTube

Fair Enough, they might have their uses here, but if you were doing this you wouldn't be asking about them on AULRO
WTI EXTREME III TENTATIVO LAND ROVER DEFENDER HILL CLIMB WITH WINTCH - YouTube

[d3syd]

I reckon they are all pretty much a waste of time, space & money.
Tho the inflatable one might make a handy pillow.

What is the point of something if you can move an extra 1meter at best.


Sometimes the extra metre is all you need to get to firmer ground. If you get re-bogged, just use them again and move another metre till you get out. Without a winch, these tracks sure beat digging, jacking and packing stuff under your wheels.

[drifter]

The only problem I had with the MaxTrax is where to store them. They were too long to fit crossways into the back of the Disco - so I put a pod on the roof and kept them in there.

Whether they work well or not, I can't comment. I reckon they are a bit like insurance - when you have it you don't need it :)

I bought them specifically for a trip to Stockton Beach - and never got stuck enough to need them.

[Benz]

I bought a set a few years ago (old design) and they have seen plenty of use.
bought them because i'm often out by myself

most of my beach/dune driving is done in my little Suzuki Jimny.
so when i get stuck, i'm always stuck in a stupid position. . .

they have been brilliant!

they are looking rather worn and abused now but they still work great!

easier to offer someone down the beach use of the maxtracks then it is to offer them a snatch.

I feel it's safer too. snatch strap is always the last thing I get out.

maxtracks aren't cheap though :(

[ADMIRAL]

Get two sets. They work well, particularly in sand.

[ugu80]

Without a winch, these tracks sure beat digging, jacking and packing stuff under your wheels.

From experience, a lot easier and quicker (than winching) even if you have a winch.

[disco2hse]

I reckon they are all pretty much a waste of time, space & money.
Tho the inflatable one might make a handy pillow.

What is the point of something if you can move an extra 1meter at best.


And this one - What a Joke.
If the cars didn't stop there in the first place you would not need them at all.

Fair Enough, they might have their uses here, but if you were doing this you wouldn't be asking about them on AULRO

Troll.

Valid question. Some good answers.


Fair Enough, they might have their uses here, but if you were doing this you wouldn't be asking about them on AULRO

So, what are you suggesting? Are you saying that AULRO readers are not up to this? Are you saying yours is bigger?

[pohm66]

Scored myself 2 pairs of Maxtrax including bag from Cash Converters for less than the price of 1 pair.

Used then in mud and worked a treat as well as in sand. Been used in vain a couple of times with rescuing 4wds with campers and caravan stuck in soft sand. Using the 2 pairs worked real well as the vehicle moved forward the front pair assisted the rear wheels and then the caravan wheels out of the holes.

Just attached long rope handles to make easier find and pulling out of the mud and sand.

Helpful note..... if you have any kind of tracks carry a couple of heavy duty large bin liners if you need to put back in vehicle after use.

[bob10]

Are maxtrax as good as, or better than mantec aluminium sand tracks, Bob

[goingbush]

So, what are you suggesting? Are you saying that AULRO readers are not up to this? Are you saying yours is bigger?


Point taken,

Each to their own. Some guys go out purposely looking to be stuck or to find the most challenging terrain to test their gear (or break it) .
I know , I used to.

I still reckon they are a waste of time & space.

That said If I did happen upon a pair I might bolt them to the underside of my caravan for safe keeping.:angel:

[ugu80]

I still reckon they are a waste of time & space.

They don't waste time, they save time in sand and mud, but they do have a space problem. I would agree that, for the amount of times you would probably need them, they are bulky and slower methods would ultimately be more beneficial from the perspective of efficiently utilising available space. Fortunately, space is not a problem in a 130 and I wouldn't leave home without them.

[Ranga]

Space isn't a problem if you're able to use the mounting pins for Rhino racks.

I must add that Brad, the creator and owner of Maxtrax, has resisted the usual temptation to shift manufacturing offshore, to maintain product integrity and try and avoid knockoffs. This means they are truly Aussie made by a Queensland company, but pushing the price up.

Also, never a nicer bloke are you likely to meet, who has proudly supported AULRO events by donating sets of Maxtrax and numerous copies if his Dirty Weekends publications.

[d3syd]

They don't waste time, they save time in sand and mud, but they do have a space problem. I would agree that, for the amount of times you would probably need them, they are bulky and slower methods would ultimately be more beneficial from the perspective of efficiently utilising available space. Fortunately, space is not a problem in a 130 and I wouldn't leave home without them.

Oh what I would have given for a set of them when I got bogged for 12 hours in soft sand on the Five beaches run on Cape York....:(
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/85.jpg
https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2012/04/86.jpg

[ugu80]

The old hessian bag method would have come in handy there. An underutilised and now largely unknown sand and mud system. They take up little space and can be stuffed into any available hole. When in a situation as above, you fill them with sand (or mud in mud) and lay down a path out of trouble.

[dullbird]

could you have dragged out your car matts and used them?

[d3syd]

could you have dragged out your car matts and used them?

I didn't try that, probably should have:angel:. There was however lots of timber and flotsam on the beach which we dragged up to aid our cause.

The problem was trying to get the stuff under the wheels. We only had the OEM sissor jack (which was seizing up because of the sand) and a bottle jack, plus we had the well known air suspension decending wheel scenario to contend with.:mad:

So it was a couple of hours jacking one wheel at a time, packing timber, to move a few feet, then sink in sand, then start the process again. We got bogged at 3.30pm, it was 3.30am when we finally got out:o

[wrinklearthur]

The old hessian bag method would have come in handy there. An underutilised and now largely unknown sand and mud system. They take up little space and can be stuffed into any available hole. When in a situation as above, you fill them with sand (or mud in mud) and lay down a path out of trouble.
Its also an excellent way of dealing with ruts in clay tracks, on the way there, fill the bags about two thirds full with some gravel that has been washed off the road, laying them end to end soon deals with a boggy or slippery patch.
If each vehicle carries say five bags each, then the weight of the filled bags isn't too much to handle.
In time the hessian rots away leaving a couple of gravel wheel tracks and the big thing that doesn't happen, is the rain runoff doesn't follow the ruts causing further damage.
.

[Frenchie]

I didn't try that, probably should have:angel:. There was however lots of timber and flotsam on the beach which we dragged up to aid our cause.

The problem was trying to get the stuff under the wheels. We only had the OEM sissor jack (which was seizing up because of the sand) and a bottle jack, plus we had the well known air suspension decending wheel scenario to contend with.:mad:

So it was a couple of hours jacking one wheel at a time, packing timber, to move a few feet, then sink in sand, then start the process again. We got bogged at 3.30pm, it was 3.30am when we finally got out:o

Did you let your tyres down? :angel:

[cal415]

Exactly.... getting down to the right tyre pressure would have helped, it looked reasonably flat and like others had been driving through without problems so it cant have been to bad. if you were able to get moving a little you should have been able to drive out with some smart driving.

on another note, that pic with you laying in the wheel ruts looks like your using your self as a maxtracks alternative.

[d3syd]

Did you let your tyres down? :angel:

Yup let them down before getting on the soft sand. Then some more after getting bogged. I think we dropped it down to about 15PSI. I was worried about letting them down too much as we were in a pretty isolated spot and I didn't want to have to contend with tyres off rims as well.

[goingbush]

Point taken, I just ordered 20 hessian /sand bags from ebay !!

[d3syd]

Exactly.... getting down to the right tyre pressure would have helped, it looked reasonably flat and like others had been driving through without problems so it cant have been to bad. if you were able to get moving a little you should have been able to drive out with some smart driving.

on another note, that pic with you laying in the wheel ruts looks like your using your self as a maxtracks alternative.

It was a slight upward incline. We ended up backing out.

10 years before that I did the same run in my D2 with no trouble. I found the D3 doesn't like sand as much. I was in sand mode, DSC off, the sand was just so soft and the car too heavy (?).

I was using the bottle jack to jack up the suspension strut in the picture :) By 2 am I felt throwing myself under the wheels out of frustration. :D

[ade]

I have a set of bridging ladders, capable of supporting the vehicle, have proved very useful in extracting myself from mud and climbing rock ledge. Other local club members swear by them over maxtrax.
I fully agree, there are much better types out there than maxtrax, its just maxtrax get all the hype plus the grate mates will fit across the back of the disco one, making a barrier of sorts so stuff doesnt fall out when you op0en the rear door.

[yt110]

[QUOTE=d3syd;1673405]Oh what I would have given for a set of them when I got bogged for 12 hours in soft sand on the Five beaches run on Cape York....:(

Tipping a few buckets of water in front of the wheels might help too

[cal415]

Ive ran 255-55-18s on 8psi to get unstuck, dont be affraid to drop the pressure, just becareful driving afterwards, i never bother with any higher then 12psi myself. after 12 hours of being stuck i would have certainly been more adventurous with the tyre pressures.

[Loubrey]

I've won a set of Maxtrax at my local 4x4 club raffle, but I've not managed to get stuck enough to use them yet. I’ve watched the You-tube videos and they look to be a very good product.

The only problem I have with them is that they are a bit awkwardly shaped for storage. They have fixing holes, but those don’t keep them flat and can’t be used to mount them side-on on the roof rack like grates or aluminium ladders. There is a bespoke box thingy for them advertised stuck to a Wrangler’s spare wheel, but I’m not completely sold...

As an alternative I've used grates like these in the past with a lot of success. The local retailer has them for $150 set pair/set collected in Mandurah WA, so it should be a guide as to what you could expect to pay. At 5 kg each they are a lot lighter than the traditional Aluminium ladders mentioned earlier and they recover their shape after getting bent.

Grating FRP Australia - (http://www.gratingfrpaustralia.com.au/recreational-aids.html)

And for those who think you can only go the 1200mm at a time, below is Sand Driving 101 in the Namib Desert and the party trick at the end with para cord is still by a long shot the easiesway to not lose momentum. He obviously buries the 110 on purpose for the demonstration...

Driving on sand - Ray Mears Extreme Survival - BBC - YouTube (http://youtu.be/03CEBphWlSI)

[Redback]

Scored myself 2 pairs of Maxtrax including bag from Cash Converters for less than the price of 1 pair.

Used then in mud and worked a treat as well as in sand. Been used in vain a couple of times with rescuing 4wds with campers and caravan stuck in soft sand. Using the 2 pairs worked real well as the vehicle moved forward the front pair assisted the rear wheels and then the caravan wheels out of the holes.

Just attached long rope handles to make easier find and pulling out of the mud and sand.

Helpful note..... if you have any kind of tracks carry a couple of heavy duty large bin liners if you need to put back in vehicle after use.

It was these exact Maxtraxs that got me with my camper on and others out of the sand on the Wenlock River on the AULRO Cape trip in 09, I know they work very well, eh Paul;)

[Hamish71]

It was these exact Maxtraxs that got me with my camper on and others out of the sand on the Wenlock River on the AULRO Cape trip in 09, I know they work very well, eh Paul;)

Did some one say AULRO CAPE TRIP!!! :)

[pohm66]

Yep, that was one trip Baz.... spent most of the time touring the countryside on blacknights bullbar.

[url=http://www.aulro.com/app/showphoto.php/photo/21403/title/cape-york-2009-106/cat/500]http://www.aulro.com/app/data/500/medium/Cape_york_2009_106.jpg

Also got a 3.5 ton caravan out of grief on a long weekend at the Northern cutting onto Teewah Beach... They had decided to come up for a promo shoot for their new Spinifex off road caravan. :eek:

[goingbush]

My sandbags arrived yesterday, very happy with them, will take up no space at all and perfect for the job if ever needed. they have plenty more. 10 for $16.00

eBay sandbags (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/260846552875'ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649)

[Frenchie]

My sandbags arrived yesterday, very happy with them, will take up no space at all and perfect for the job if ever needed. they have plenty more. 10 for $16.00

eBay sandbage (http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/260846552875'ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1497.l2649)

I get those for free from SES.....:angel:

Actually they work really well. Many years ago I was called to rescue some knob in a Patrol who was bogged to the chassis in the mudflats near Port Hedland. He was trying to jack the vehicle up with the OEM hydraulic jack, no baseplate.

He was too deeply bogged to tow out, way too much suction, so I jacked each corner with the HiLift and stuck a full sandbag under each wheel, then easily pulled him onto firm ground.

He looked at the HiLift and said "I should get myself one of those....." :D

[Tombie]

Cal415 summed it up very well.

Don't be afraid to drop the pressures right down.

3-5 psi and drive out slowly and gently.

You would have been out of there much quicker and easier..

[rrturboD]

I have just ordered a set of bridging ladders for our club, the will cost about $200 delivered I hope.
Also sandbags available from blackwoods or many stock & station agents