Finally decided to
shell out the big bucks for a set of Maxtrax at
Melbourne 4wd show only to find that no one in the entire exhibition had any.
Rang around a bit next day, no one had any but became aware that close Taiwanese copies are now available with RR of $220 instead of $295.
They are called Escaper Buddies -> also All Terrain Trax on Ebay look the same.
Note - These are not the smooth holeless $75 each ones that have been around for a year or two.
At first glance they look identical but they aren't.
They are less rough, not quite as heavy, and don't stack closely together, and appear not quite as high.
However they take up the same room because of the slighty lower profile, and their more generous rib design may mean they are stronger.
Adds for them state uses in the high country before their sand advantages, so with no Maxtrax around we brought the look alikes.
My feeling is there is not much between the two anyway but one thing you can do with them is sit on them - you would have to be brave to do that with Maxtrax.
I thought I saw a comment on here a few weeks ago about huge Maxtrax lugs ripping a tyre, can anyone confirm this ?
It was simply beautiful in the bush (our property) and the ground was quite slushy so we set up the "Escaper Buddies" to see if they could get us
across some slightly slopping soggy grass.
Video's were taken with several senarios and a few stills from them are below.
(have no video host site)
The scene was set up with a 5 degree side slope and 5 degree upslope and car in 2wd with no lockers on and using BFGAT tyres dropped to 18psi.
This setup partly unloads a wheel such that the rear driver wheel would spin first and allow easy comparison between 4 types of traction aids.
Buddies, Carpet, Lockers, Chains.
RESULTS
The Buddies failed at first as the car simply could not drive up the leading edge ramp leaving marks on the tyres from the plastic spikes.
The carpet section actual moved the car forward until the rear wheel folded it up and spate it out.
Engaging rear lockers moved the car forward a meter until it bogged properly.
The chains simply tore up the mushy ground spitting mud everywhere until they bit down and we drove right out.
Was a little disappointed with the Buddies and figured that if I could get over the initial ramp section they would be ok. So we went back and dug under the wheel and placed a Buddy such that the leading edge was at the vertical centre line of the wheel.
This worked and gave them a head start and the car drove up onto them , but then began to spin wheels on the top flat section, however enough assitance was provided to get the car out just.
Interestingly as the car came down of the trailing ramp edge the Buddy was driven hard backwards into the soft ground some 300mm
This limited success may be due operator error on my part, next
test will be in sand at
Stockton so if anyone has any usage tips please lets know.
I will be sticking to my chains in Victoriia
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