X-BULL Mini Recovery Tracks Traction Boards Sand Mud Snow 4WD 4x4 Vehicle 1 Pair Black

Full-length recovery boards are 90 cm of awkward. They live on a roof rack or take up half the boot, which is why plenty of drivers leave them behind on exactly the trips where a soft beach entry or a greasy gravel verge catches them out. These mini boards measure 570 mm, short enough to slide in behind a seat.

Short boards, same job under the tyre

What gets a bogged vehicle moving is a firm surface under the driving wheels for the first metre or so. At 570 x 310 x 50 mm each board still spans the full width of a typical tyre, with enough length to lift the tread out of the rut and onto something solid. Dig the leading edge in under the tyre, clear the sand or mud ahead of it, then drive off gently. For short-distance bogs, a wheel dropped into a washout or a soft patch at a beach access track, the compact size costs you nothing at all.

Reinforced nylon, and why that matters here

These are moulded from reinforced nylon rather than plain polypropylene. Nylon takes repeated flexing without turning brittle, and holds its shape after being loaded, stood on and left in the sun on a tray. It also behaves better when a spinning tyre glazes the surface: nylon scars and melts rather than shattering, so a damaged board is usually still serviceable. At 50 mm thick there is genuine depth in the ramp section instead of a thin shell.

Key features

• Compact 570 mm length: fits behind a seat or in a boot with no roof rack or external mounts needed.
• Supplied as a pair: one board per driving wheel on the axle doing the work.
• Reinforced nylon moulding: flexes under load and tolerates sun, salt and grit without going chalky.
• 50 mm profile: deep enough to bridge a rut rather than sitting flush on the surface.
• Black finish: the only colour supplied on this listing.

Specifications

• Size (each): 570 mm x 310 mm x 50 mm
• Material: reinforced nylon
• Colour: black
• Quantity: 2 boards (1 pair)
• Load figure as supplied by X-BULL: 10 tonne load capacity on flat ground. X-BULL does not state whether this figure is per board or per pair, or whether it is a breaking or a working figure.

What's in the box

• 2 x mini recovery boards

Before you use these boards

• Do not spin the wheels on the boards. A spinning tyre generates enough heat to melt the lugs flat within seconds, and can throw a board out behind the vehicle.
• Check for cracks, melted lugs and deformed ramps before every use, and retire anything damaged.
• Keep everyone clear of the ground behind the boards while the vehicle is being driven off them.
• These are traction aids. They are not recovery equipment and must not be used to snatch, tow or winch.
• The 10 tonne figure above is the supplier's, with no stated basis. Treat it as a guide, not a rated capacity.

A sensible second set to keep permanently in the vehicle, whether or not you already carry full-length boards.