X-BULL Recovery tracks Sand 2 Pairs 4PC10T 4WD Sand / Snow / Mud Off-road Gen 3.0

Sand recoveries usually go the same way: a bit of wheelspin, a bit of digging, and suddenly the diffs are sitting on the beach. Two pairs of boards means grip under all four wheels at once, instead of shuffling one pair forward, reversing back onto them and doing the whole thing again.

Four boards change how the recovery goes

With a single pair you are choosing which axle gets help, then repeating the exercise once the vehicle has moved a metre and a half. Running four lets you lay a continuous path under the front and rear wheels on each side, so the vehicle drives out in one attempt rather than four. On a soft dune or a set of wet clay ruts, that is the difference between a two-minute job and an hour with a shovel. Each board is 1060 mm long, giving just over two metres of continuous track per side.

Nylon that flexes instead of cracking

The Gen 3.0 boards are moulded from a reinforced nylon blend the supplier describes as tough, tensile, fatigue resistant, corrosion resistant and UV stable, with more flex than the previous generation. Flex is the point. A board that stays rigid under a loaded tyre concentrates force at two contact spots and splits; one that bends spreads the load along its length and springs back. Heat stability and UV resistance matter just as much, because these things spend most of their life strapped to a rack in full sun rather than under a wheel.

Rivets angled for the way tyres actually land

The face carries rivets set at different contact angles across the board, so a tyre biting off-square still finds something to key into rather than skating off the shoulder. Underneath, sand, snow and mud grips stop the board sliding backwards as the tyre loads it up. Both ends taper down so the tread climbs on without hitting a step, and those same tapered ends are stiff enough to scoop sand away from a buried tyre before you slide the board in. A moulded grip in the centre gives you something to hold when a board comes back up caked in wet sand.

Key features

• Two pairs supplied: four boards, enough for both axles in one go.
• Variable-angle rivets: grip that works whatever angle the tyre meets the board at.
• Tapered ends: let the tyre climb on, and double as a scoop.
• UV-stable nylon: built for roof-rack storage in Australian sun.
• Two carry bags: wet sand and clay stay off the rest of the gear in the boot.
• Six colours: Olive Green, Olive, Black, Blue, Red and Green.

Specifications

• Board size: 1060 x 310 x 60 mm each
• Quantity: 4 boards (2 pairs)
• Material: reinforced nylon
• Load capacity: the supplier quotes 10 tonnes on flat ground, and says the boards suit vehicles up to 10 tonnes. No test standard is named, and the supplier does not state whether the figure is per board or for a set.
• Generation: Gen 3.0
• Carton size: 110 x 36 x 13 cm
• Colours: Olive Green, Olive, Black, Blue, Red, Green

What's in the box

• 4 x recovery boards
• 2 x carry bags

Getting off them without wrecking them

• Idle out. A spinning tyre melts the surface lugs flat in seconds and the board is finished.
• Clear loose sand or mud from in front of the tyre and push the board hard against the tread before moving.
• Retire any board that is cracked, deeply gouged or heat damaged. A board failing under load throws pieces.
• Keep people out from behind and in front of the vehicle while it drives off the boards.
• Boards are traction aids, not rated recovery gear. Never shackle a strap or winch line to one. If a snatch or winch recovery is needed, rig it from rated recovery points only.

Collect them as soon as the vehicle is clear, before somebody drives over one or the tide takes it.