How do I bog my Oka? Let me count the ways...

Looks like it's turning into a bogged thread.

[img]http://http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p240/moose2367/Bogged1_zpsfcb848eb.jpg



I was there for 29 hours. We also got a Suzuki Sierra on 33's bogged in the same place, wet season on the Katherine River.

Hey Moose, what's the story on getting out?

A lot of digging, 2 x patrols, one with a 12000lb winch and a snatch block. A set of max trax, a set of Dolium tracks(not real good in mud) and a great big set of bog mats from a govt company for their big 4wd truck, about 900x1200, like these. trakmats

With abject apologies to Elizabeth Barrett Browning :

How do I bog my Oka? Let me count the ways.

I bog thee to the depth and breadth and height
My wheels can reach, when roaming out of sight
Most quietly by surprise, by sun and candle-light.

I bog thee to the level of the diffs both front and back,
I bog thee easily, as men strive for the right track,
I bog thee securely, as they all fail to turn back.

I bog thee with a traction that I seemed to lose with ease,
Whence roving miry outback tracks without my LSDs.

But smiles and tears, when help appears! --- and, if the Gods agree,
I shall but never bog thee with a winch and nearby tree!

If you have a historical bogging escapade, worthy of publication, post it in this topic hereunder......

I bogged 317 on two consecitive days while opal mining on Weona Station at Opalton.
Broke a front stub axle getting out of the second one.

Good one chalkie.

I see from the reflection in your door window that you had a spot of help with the first one. Were you all alone for the second?

David

The first one I had to walk 6K back to camp (with six pack) and organize a rescue next day by phone.
The next one took a mate and I all day to pack the wheels up using a high lift jack.
I broke the axle on a premature attemt to drive out. Could not drive out without X4 drive.
Organised a tow for next day via VKS737. As we were going bush bush for a couple of days had all the supplies to camp.

I've yet to achieve a really good bogging with the Oka but as at least a couple of places in Oz don't like Oka's due to past owners exploits there must be a reason and a story )
Cape Leveque always had a down on Oka's after one went through the top of the septic tank and the station at the bottom of the CSR still won't allow passage on their tracks after what must have been a monumental effort!

Peter, that was my Oka in the septic tank at Cape Leveque in 2007. They instructed me to park it on the grass that covered a septic tank which was unknown to me. We actually stayed parked on the grass on top of the septic tank for about a week. It rained really heavy for a few days. Once it stopped raining, we decided to head off. All was well until I moved the Oka about one inch and then down it went. It took me about five hours to get it out of the tank. I basically slid some steel beams underneath the axle so it would not fall in any further. The right hand rear wheel was actually lower than the rest of the ground and as the septic tank had a concrete rim, the centre of the wheel was below this. A few people suggested I use my winch on the site BBQ in front of the vehicle but I thought the only thing that would move would be the BBQ. I put it in first low range with all the diff locks on and gingerly tried to drive it out as I did not want to break an axle. It stalled the first time but the second time it came out to my surprise. I certainly wouldn't have liked to look at the right rear tyre as it would have had to be deformed a considerable amount to get over the edge of the septic tank wall. The actual tank lid was only about three inches thick and it looked more like mortar than concrete with no steel mesh and I would suspect it would have been made many years ago out of beach sand. I am convinced that if it didn't rain heavily for those few days, it wouldn't have caved in.

If you asked me the last time I got bogged before last year and needed assistance to get out, it has certainly been a long time but I made up for it last year in the Simpson Desert going from Birdsville west - there were a few dunes late in the afternoon that I needed a snatch just to get me over the very top. Hopefully, Peter and Margaret will post some of their photos with the tractor. I enclose four photos of the Oka at Cape Leveque for those who may not have seen them. They have been on the site before on "how to get long wheel travel".

Photo 1: How to get maximum wheel travel, just park on top of a septic tank


Photo 2: How to get wheel travel


Photo 3: Maximum wheel travel both ways, this is actually parked on a flat level surface


Photo 4: No the back wheel isn't falling off as you can see by the rear axle

Wow that must have put some pressure on bearings etc. luckily nothing was broken

Nice pictures, thanks.
I liked the bush mechanics on http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJZlmOUFMQg
The real "mechanical" part starts at around 2:00 minutes.

If you like the style of the video you should check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RIHTpmJg5ug and the second part. It is less mechanics but much more bush.
The video brought back memories to our trip crossing the Kalahari 6 months back, with my OKA.