The 'ember' months are here again; this time of the year in this part of the world is well known for a lot of road trips and higher rate of movement basically. Also, as much as the rains have substantially reduced over here in the south-western part of Nigeria, it is however heating up in the south-south regions as it almost rains everyday in those states.
In putting up this article I will have to recount my ordeal along the Umuahia-Ikot-ekpene road where the commercial bus I took carelessly got stuck right in the middle of a pool of water. We managed to extract the bus from the ditch, but at the end of the day the propeller shaft/differential assembly (axle) barely lasted a few more kilometres.
From this experience of mine coupled with a little more research I did, I was able to come with a quick list of what you will need if you unfortunately find yourself in a similar circumstance.
Traction: More than anything else what your vehicle will need is traction, which in simple terms can be described as a strong grip of the entire tyre/wheel set on the road surface. The only reason you car stays on the road firmly is because your wheel set manages to maintain traction with the road surface; in the case of mud and water, the direct opposite of traction is 'slippage' where the tyres spin without moving the vehicle. If you find yourself in a ditch try and establish traction maybe by introducing rougher and more rigid particles like gravel, dry concrete pieces etc. The clear aim is to ensure that when your powered wheels/tyres spin (via the live axle), the vehicle moves.
Study gradient and act fast: Differential/axle assemblies without viscous coupling can slip as a result of just one of the wheels loosing traction. Also, take note of how the vehicle is positioned in the ditch because if it is facing downwards, that means fluids can find their way to the main engine via the exhaust pipes; this can cause very huge damages. Hence, take note of these factors.
External force/power: This is the easy way out, especially where your engine's power transmitted to the wheels isn't enough to pull the vehicle out of the ditch; you apply an external pull or push force. Be sure to fasten whatever you intend using to connect the car to the 'mover' vehicle securely unto the chassis or main framework, not the bumper! It is advisable to completely switch of your engine so as not to induce extra load for the mover vehicle in the process of pulling your vehicle out of the ditch.
Attitude: Don't panic uncontrollably, as you will only succeed in increasing thinking time. Not everyone moves around prepared for instances like these but they happen all the same. With the right attitude you can get all the help you need from bystanders or other vehicle owners. In our case back then, we got the towing rope we used from a concerned vehicle owner plying the same route and got pulled out by a tipper truck.
In conclusion, try as much as you can to avoid mud and pools of water and try to keep your car as clean as possible.
source:http://www.autobaseafrica.com/4-things-you-need-if-you-are-stuck-in-mud/
