Marlborough Four Wheel Drive Club |
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Track Grading (Note: Gradings of tracks can change depending on weather conditions) |
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a) Driver and truck capabilities |
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Grade 1 |
Grade 2 |
Grade 3 |
Grade 4 |
Grade 5 |
Driver skill |
Novice. Little experience. |
Some experience. Have attended training day |
More experienced |
Experienced |
Very experienced |
Truck capability |
Basic truck.. Few if any mods. |
Basic mods useful e.g. Spring lift, good tyres, some body protection |
Further mods useful especially increased clearance and better approach and departure angles. Traction aids and body protection helpful |
Extensively modded factory trucks. e.g. Body lift, diff locks. Good body, sill and underbody protection. |
Heavily modded trucks often purpose built. Extensive protection. Roll bars desirable |
Recommended tyres AT - All terrain RT - Road MT - Mud |
ATs. Preferred but RTs OK with trip leader approval |
MTs recommended. ATs in dry with trip leader's OK |
MTs only |
Aggressive MTs recommended. 33" tyres desirable |
Aggressive MTs. 33"-35" |
Schnorkel |
Not required |
Not required |
Recommended |
Essential |
Essential |
Winch |
Not required |
Not required |
Useful |
Recommended. Mandatory if trip leader requires |
Usually essential but at discretion of trip leader |
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b) Typical terrain and potential damage |
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Grade 1 |
Grade 2 |
Grade 3 |
Grade 4 |
Grade 5 |
Terrain |
Easy farm-type clay and gravel tracks |
Easy to moderate offroad tracks including bush tracks and riverbeds |
Varied terrain including rocky creek and riverbeds, bush tracks, wet clay and grass |
Mixed terrain some technically difficult and challenging. Overgrown bush tracks etc. |
Extreme terrain as winch challenges |
Potential damage |
Negligible |
Brush marks and scratches possible |
Possible damage to sills and front and rear ends |
Body damage likely. Some mechanical damage possible especially to CVs and drive train |
Body damage from rocks and banks. Mechanical breakages common - CVs, axles, rims etc |
Ascents/descents |
Modest |
Some steeper hills and banks. Stall recovery technique may be required |
Challenging banks and long hill ascents and descents. Possibly some difficult sidling. |
Difficult steep ascents and descents possibly requiring winching. Sidling |
Very steep banks and hills. Winching required frequently |
Mud |
Introductory puddles |
Some mud. Little chance of becoming stuck. |
Fun bog holes. High probability of becoming stuck |
Long deep bogs. Winching or assistance often required |
Bottomless bogs. Winching generally required |
Water |
Small streams and creeks not fast flowing, gravel bottom |
Hub-deep water generally not fast flowing. |
Wheel-deep water. Can be quite fast flowing |
Bonnet-deep water and/or swift flowing |
Over-bonnet water. Swift flowing. |
Examples |
Cape Campbell |
Northbank forestry tracks. Tory Channel (dry) |
Hard Yakka 'B' line. Manuka Island. Tory Channel (wet) |
Hard Yakka 'A' Line |
West Coast 'A' team |