Recovery Kit??

[sparg93]

I'm looking for a complete or fairly complete recovery kit, any recommendations? ARB keeps popping up in my searches and it looks pretty good...but I'm a complete newb so i'm open to all recommendations.

I'm also looking for tracks that I can place under the tire(s) when it gets stuck in the dirt/sand. I saw an awesome set in Australia, but can't remember the name.

This just seems really inexpensive....good or crap?
http://www.tellico4x4.com/product_info.php/products_id/43876

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

my recovery kit is more like a total offroad kit i have numerous items in my truck
1- winch- if you can afford it and snatchblock-
2- gallons of water (both for emergency purposes I.E coolant for the truck wash the mud off the windshield if you run out of washer fluid or drinking water if you get stranded)
a few - snacks salt crackers shit like that may be awhile for help if you do get stranded or go offroading alone which i dont recommend
1- fire extinguisher (seen alot of fires happen offroading better safe than sorry0
2- ****** recovery straps 10000 + because of shear size of our rigs everything is heavier sunk to the axles in mud (please dont be cheap with these as they are super handy)
1 spare tire (speaks for itself)
1 quart of oil
1 quart of transmission fluid (these are often overlooked an may not seem like much but ive been in a few predicaments where i wish i had them)
1 decent heavy duty chain (last resort)
extra D-rings or mountable tow points you can easliy install
FAK-(first aid kit) because we all become kids out on the trail
a small bag with little shit like tools for quick fixes wrenches hammer flat heads ect....
also include a knife lighter and plenty of duct tape "REMEBER IF YOU CANT DUCT IT **** IT"
-cell phone an charger (to call your buddies so they can show up laugh crack a few beers an then get your ass out

i also have alot of recovery tips ive learned an seen in the past years if your interested such as snatching with two chains and a old tire or winching out with no natural hard points any ?s

---------- Post added at 12:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 12:16 AM ----------

oh and for your second ? about tracks i havent personally invested in them if you find out more let me know but i simlply have a spare jack on hand and a 7" by 8" pice of wood i just jack one side up at a time and stick two homemade saraded (spell check) 2 by 6s under the tires painful process but i got out

 

[96ProCompTahoe]

do you have a winch? that kit is more of a winch accessory kit.

basically without a winch you could use the strap, gloves, and bag.

i have a big ass 4" strap, cheap 3" strap with hooks, couple big ass chains, and a 2" D-ring hitch mount. have two huge rings on the bumper. be adding some more items whenever i have the cash for a winch.

you should be able to find some "how to"'s online on making the traction boards. been thinking about making a couple myself but haven't started looking into the home made ones yet.

EDIT: i don't keep extra fluid in the truck when I'm around town, but have a bottle of oil, coolant, p=steering, trans fluid, and a jump pack that goes in it along with season specific items when its needed. (usually keep it all in the truck during the winter, never know when your going to get a shit ton of ice or snow here in indiana...)

 

[sparg93]

Great info all around.

To answer the big question, I do not have a winch YET...but I'm currently figuring out how to fit an ARB winch bumper (made for a Nissan) to my Tahoe.

I'm also looking into an onboard air compressor, fridge/freezer, rear bumper w/tire carrier....off the top of my head, those are the big items at the moment!!

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

take it to a metal working place is all i can think of with measurments from your frame and they should be able to cut and weld you new brackets a friend of mine did nearly the same your doing an they charged him like 60 bucks i think

 

[sparg93]

$60 would be nice...my local shop wants $200 just to torch off u-bolts and install rear blocks!

Aggravates the hell out of me that something so simple is going to cost me b/c the bolts are too rusted to take off any other way. <done with rant>

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

ouch have you tried PB blast? it works better than wd40 IMO

 

[WiCK3D_SiX]

Sawzall and new bolts?

 

[sparg93]

Loaded it up on PB Blaster the night before...didn't even budge with a large closed end wrench and metal pipe extender. The edges of the bolts heads were even just starting to strip with all the torque we were putting on it.

Earlier in the day i sawzalled x1 sway link bolt and I went through x3 blades going through the shaft of the bolt. For the new blocks, I would have to go through x8 bolt heads of a larger diameter...and that grade 8+ steal is a beast.

It's going to sound bad, but I was beat after sawing one bolt off and being under the truck all day...x8 bolts would have been a killer and I just didn't have that kind of time.

Great advice thought - but at the end of the day, those bolts are getting torched (the tahoe is actually at the garage right now)

 

[Donnie Yukonie]

well i wish u the best of luck with that if pb dont work then get them torched