GoTreads tested by The West Australian: How GoTreads could save you from sand trap

August 01, 2023
GoTreads tested by The West Australian: How GoTreads could save you from sand trap - A247 Gear
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Most experienced four-wheel drivers understand lowering pressure to extend a tyre’s footprint length distributes weight over a larger contact area and reduces the tendency for the tyre to dig down into a soft surface rather than drive over it. But it doesn’t mean you’ll never get stuck.

"The GoTreads worked so effectively it was almost a non-event"

LINK to original story can be read here.

 

The GoTreads worked so effectively it was almost a non-event. Most experienced four-wheel drivers understand lowering pressure to extend a tyre’s footprint length distributes weight over a larger contact area and reduces the tendency for the tyre to dig down into a soft surface rather than drive over it. But it doesn’t mean you’ll never get stuck.


The important point is to recognise when your vehicle is getting bogged. If your vehicle’s height is reducing faster than your forward movement, it’s pretty much a given you’re sinking in. Pushing harder will see your vehicle grounded as the chassis rails and driveline components come to rest on the sand. Further reducing tyre pressure and digging to remove the build-up of sand in front of the tyres and creating small ramps to drive out on will often work. But what if the sand is so soft that even with low pressures it still digs in?


One of the best pieces of recovery equipment you can have is a traction aid device. Laying down a high-traction surface on top of soft sand can yield very effective results, but most traction boards are big and cumbersome to carry. While their shape and length may offer the ability to create a ramp or impromptu bridge to cross a gap, it can be a challenge to store them in smaller SUVs.


GoTreads have a compact, lightweight folding design which can be easily stored in a vehicle’s rear footwell or under the seat, removing the need for a mounting system. Ideal for small to medium SUVs. Made from high-impact, flexible polypropylene copolymer, the treads only weigh 2.6kg — and they float. I recently tested GoTreads after succumbing to very soft beach conditions.

 

Locked in the sand’s vice-like grip, our vehicle had come to rest in a precarious position about 45 degrees to the water’s edge. With little chance of accessing the harder sand normally exposed at low tide, we needed to regain momentum to reach harder ground. It was all the more challenging as we needed to climb up a gentle slope. With tyres down to 10psi and excess sand removed from around the wheels, we positioned the GoTreads under the front edge of the rear tyres.


The curved ridges on the GoTreads’ surface helped centre the unit as the tyres quickly grabbed and drove forward to lift the back of the vehicle upward, freeing it from the sand. The GoTreads worked so effectively it was almost a non-event. Once we were on safer ground, we deliberately bogged the vehicle again to ensure the GoTreads’ performance was no fluke. Impressively they yielded the same result with little effort.

Small, lightweight, easy to store and very effective in soft sand, I’ll be keeping a set of these in my vehicle permanently.

Visit gotreads.com.au or a247.com.au for price and availability.



LINK to original story can be read here.

Published on  Updated on