While owning my 1978 Ford Bronco since April 2001, about 2.5 years is all it takes for me to learn some fundamental principles about owning a 4x4 truck. Some of these are common sense that eluded me. Some of these might save you the trouble from stumbling upon similar situations. Disclaimer: I am an amateur 4x4 enthusiast. Some of my advice may be wrong or improperly worded. Any information taken from my website is AT YOUR OWN RISK. What may work for me, may not work for you. Consult a professional whenever possible. (items are in no particular order) Before trying to get into 4x4 mode, always make sure your wheel hubs are locked. This might go without saying, but I remember the first time I got majorly stuck with the truck and I was certain I had locked the hubs before hand. After getting tugged out by another truck, I was shocked to find that my hubs were actually NOT locked the entire time. That was dumb. Always keep a spare $300 or $400 in your account waiting for the next thing to break. Usually you'll just finish spending a lot of money doing an upgrade or improvement and then the truck a week later is rendered useless because an important mechanical part breaks. When going off roading with a 4x4 club keep in mind the majority of these have 19 to 25 year olds as members as this seems to be the age group attracted to the thrill. Stock runs can mean that your regular stock vehicle is capable of the run, but it helps to be very knowledgeable about the capabilities of your vehicle before you attempt one. When driving over sharp shale rock up the side of a mountain, odds are that you'll pop your all season radial tire while on a stock run. Stock means stock, but get yourself a used pair of all terrain tires before attempting a stock run. Always have a camera on hand while off roading, definately. Even just a cheap disposable camera if necessary. Join your local (or regional) 4x4 club. These groups are wonderful for keeping the community at ease with off roading. In addition they are a wealth of information. Any fee less than $75 a year is a bargain. Pop riveting is easier that you may think. Basically to bind two pieces of sheet metal together, you drill a hole, stick in a rivet, and repeatedly squeeze a rivet gun until the rivet breaks off in the metal. The first time someone told me to pop rivet, I did not understand the procedure so I procrastinated the job I needed to do. Whenever you pop rivet, you usually later wish you had MIG Welded the job instead. Pop Rivets can bust loose under tension. Body work is a simple concept and any improvement is better than leaving rust spread. Almost any shoddy body work can be grinded back down again, re-sanded and tried again. So if you goof, you can quite often fix your mistake. So feel free to go ahead and try it. For rust removal, sand and grind down to the bare metal around the rust spot. Sand the rust, and then use a paint thinner type cleaner to clean out all grunge and dirt. Let dry, and then apply some rust convertor which will convert the surface rust into a hard paintable surface. Apply bondo (liquid plastic). Let dry and sand. Apply Primer. See your mistakes and either apply more bondo, or some spot glazing putty if you have only small divits. Let dry, resand and primer again. Apply paint. Stand back and get confidence to try repairing another spot. If you goof, go back to square one where you sand and grind back down to bare metal again and repeat everything over. You will get better the more you try. Truck doors, etc, will have specific drain holes at the bottom. When water gets inside the door, it will drain out of these holes. If your drain holes are clogged with dirt, water will sit in the door and rust will eat through it over time. Understand where your drain holes are and keep them free of dirt. Instead of buying cheap (rustable) steel sheet metal, try to go for aluminum sheet metal instead. It will last a lot longer. A great place to buy it is at aluminum recyclers and aluminum trading companies. Buying a newly fabricated piece of aluminum sheet metal is usually 4x or 5x the cost of buying a used piece that is just as good. Used aluminium can come from a variety of commercial applications. Since aluminum is very valuable you can find entire yards devoted to buying and selling of aluminum. When buying a CB radio, a cheap $10 unit from a local flea market is usually good for two reasons. One reason is that the people you'll be transmitting to will be a few feet behind you when going on a 4x4 run. So the quality isn't terribly important. In addition, if someone rips it out of your truck (dumb criminals), you can replace it with another $10 unit. Save your money for more expensive necessities for your truck. Magnetic mount CB antennas are for paved road travel. Use one in the bush and it will be constantly knocked off your roof or hood. A true off road vehicle will have scratches that run along the side of it from branches on the trail. A true 4x4 enthusiast will be proud of these scratches. Get a good alarm system. Kids love to steal 4x4 trucks and take them into the bush for fun on a Friday or Saturday night. In addition people will try and steal your $10 CB, your sunglasses, and anything else they can get their hands on since 4x4 trucks attract attention. Before lifting the height of your stock truck and doing other improvements, be sure that you are in compliance with local vehicle laws. Attracting a police officer's attention to an illegally modified vehicle will quickly earn you a vehicle inspection summons. Later you'll find yourself having 23 violations and a huge expense of bringing your truck into compliance with every single safety law in existance. They'll point out things like worn weather stripping, torn seats and a wealth of other things that will blow your mind. Realize that roll overs can be more common than you think. You may want to invest in a roll bar if possible. In addition your first reaction is to stick your hand or arms out of the window as the ground approaches to stop the roll over. Sounds dumb, but those few seconds your mind doesn't always work right. Resist any temptation to stick your arms out the window as you are falling over, and keep your entire body in the vehicle. A cross ditch on an old logging road is usually 4 to 5 feet in width, and is used for keeping water from deteriorating the road (and the side of the mountain). Your usually not 4x4ing until you come across some of these (thats an exaggeration, but I like to say it anyway). A good way of getting across one is to do it in a diagonal fashion. Put one of your front tires in, drive part way in, and then the other tire will go in. By doing it semi-diagonal you give truck the ability to articulate the hole in the road, and you will have 3 other tires helping the fourth at all times. Posing on a rock or steep incline is necessary for good photos, but hard on your steering and suspension. Be prepared to do it and ensure your mechanical components are up to the task. Recognize what is ideal to obtain from a wrecking/scrap yard for your truck, and what is not. Buying body panels is smart. Trying to find "used weather stripping" for an old model truck can be stupid. After spending two hours trying to find some used weather stripping for my 1978 Bronco I finally came to the conclusion I should just order some new aftermarket ones off the internet for $60, which even includes the clips too. Join any internet mailing list groups for your specific vehicle. This is the best way to learn as much as you can about your vehicle, ask questions, and trade stories with others. In addition you'll find the best places to buy aftermarket parts, and what parts from similar vehicle models are compatible with yours. Gates on logging roads are errected to keep out the general public, and car thieves from dumping their vehicles, etc. However, if you contact the logging company who has rights to the area, quite often they will loan you a key if you identify who you are, where you will be going, and why. Learn all you can about www.treadlightly.org. Pack a couple of garbage bags in you truck. If you see empty beer or pop cans on your travel, or other garbage, picking up some garbage has numerous benefits to everyone and everything. Leave the forests in better shape than when you came. Don't go 4x4ing with only one vehicle whenever possible. However, in those times you must (and most of us are tempted to do it), stay in a cellular phone zone so you can call for help if necessary. Always bring a friend, don't venture in any further than you could walk back to town in an hour or so. Let people know where you'll be going and when you will return. In the event you go missing, people will know your route, etc. In addition all the normal skills needed when hiking should be known incase you meet up with a bear, etc. Time of day is important, never go offroading near dusk unless you're with a team and you know the area. Always have extra food and drink on hand incase of emergency. In addition, equip your truck with an ABC Fire extinguisher and first aid kit. Have basic tools, fuses, and other misc supplies on hand. Recognize your limits, and also your vehicle's limits. If the road or trail you are traveling turns dangerous, don't venture further. Your life is more important than having a few close calls and having stories to tell if you make it back home. Risking your life is dumb.

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