Next level

Tips and techniques — when one board is not enough

The basics are in the guide on using the boards. Here we collect techniques you need less often, but which genuinely save the day when you do — largely following the manufacturer's own advice.

Bridging — the board as a plank over a hole

If a wheel is about to drop into a hole, a rut or between two rocks, the board does not have to lie on the ground. You can rest its ends on the edges and drive across it like a plank.

This is where the board's construction matters: it works in bending along its whole length rather than just pressing on the ground. Drive slowly, straight, and do not stop halfway.

Cross stacking and linking

The quick-link system joins boards end to end into a longer run — useful when the wheel has to travel more than one board length, for example on a long sandy climb.

With four boards you can place one under each wheel. With two — under the driven wheels. The manufacturer points out that with two boards it is worth working out which wheel is actually receiving drive, because without lockers that is not always obvious.

The board as a jack base

In soft ground a jack sinks faster than it lifts the vehicle. The manufacturer describes the technique: lay one board flat as a base under the jack foot, lift the vehicle a few centimetres, push the second board deeper under the tyre, then lower.

It is the most effective answer to a vehicle sitting on its chassis where the board cannot be pushed far enough under the tyre.

Sawing the teeth into the surface

The toothed end of the board is not only about grip. The manufacturer advises using it like a saw: work it side to side to cut the board into sand or snow under the tyre until it goes as deep as possible.

The more tread blocks touch the board, the less the vehicle has to fight to climb on — and the smaller the risk of the board shooting out backwards.

Ice and frozen ground

This is the one situation where the difference between the versions is genuinely visible. Plastic slides on ice; the metal teeth of the Metal Teeth version bite into it.

The manufacturer's warranty has no temperature restrictions, so the boards can be used in frost without worrying about the material. The caution is about technique, not kit: on ice wheel spin is even easier to provoke.

What not to do

Never spin a wheel while a board is under the tyre and not gripping. The manufacturer says it plainly: either reposition the board or try the other direction — but do not spin.

Spinning on a board is the fastest way to destroy the teeth, and it is the one thing excluded from the lifetime warranty.

Video

Why the board is meant to flex — video from the manufacturer

Kyle Buchter of Offroad Consulting explains in two minutes what we described above in words: the board flexing is not a weakness but how it conforms to the ground.

Technique

Benefits of flexible ActionTrax, explained by Kyle Buchter

Kyle Buchter of Offroad Consulting explains the thing that surprises most people: the board flexing is not a weakness but how it conforms to the ground and spreads the load.

Channel: ActionTrax / Offroad Consulting

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All the films

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

Can a board bridge a hole and be driven across?

Yes, that is called bridging: the board rests its ends on the edges of the hole and carries the wheel over it. Drive slowly, straight, and do not stop halfway.

Two boards or four?

With two, place them under the driven wheels. Four lets you put one under each wheel, which makes sense on a vehicle without lockers where it is hard to predict which wheel gets drive.

What if the board will not go under the tyre?

Use the toothed end like a saw — work it side to side to cut the board into the ground under the tyre. If the vehicle is sitting on its chassis, the manufacturer describes a jack technique: one board as a base under the jack foot, lift, then push the second board deeper under the wheel.

Do the boards work on ice?

The metal-teeth version does — steel bites into ice where plastic alone slides. The manufacturer's warranty carries no temperature restrictions.

What if the board does not grip?

Reposition it, try the other side of the wheel, or attempt the opposite direction of travel. What you must not do is spin the wheel in place — that destroys the teeth and is the one thing excluded from the warranty.

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