4wd Training Courses. + Hard to close door.

Join a 4WD club (~$70-180) and do the course though the association (~$100, some clubs include the cost with membership). Cheapest and best way, and you get to meet other drivers with similar vehicles, or who live in your local area, in an environment conducive to ongoing long term friendships. I've still got friends I made some 25 years ago.....

If your door is jamming a bit, it may need to be adjusted on striker to the lock (chassis bending over time causing misalignment). Dirt and dust may have gotten in to the lock, but the solution would be a clean out and carbon lock lubricant, rather than anything that may add to the dust/dirt collection properties of grease.

Newbie,

I had a similar prob with my GQ - I'm assuming here that the door is difficult to close due to the "stop latch" that keeps it open on a windy day and not the actual closing latch/lock part. If so, try spraying it with WD40 or something similar and immediately apply dry graphite powder. The spray will help ease the stiffness and will also help the graphite get to where it do most good.

Spray first BEFORE applying the graphite powder otherwise the spray will wash the powder off.

If it's the door latch, then you might need new hinges. My old Ford Mav used to play up like this and no amount of ginning around with the striker plate would fix it. Basically the hinge pins were stuffed. I never did fix 'em. I just took steroids like you ;)

Bilbo

Sometimes on the gq's the hinge pins started to bend and even tear the A pillar where they are welded on. My cousin who had a few for work used to take them down to the panel beater and get them repaired at least once a year, they were using it off road a lot and climbing in and out with wet weather gear on and using the door for support especially in steep country.
In an extreme case I remember looking at his one time and the forward end of the door was 10mm proud of the front guard, the wind was coming in between the a pillar and the door when you driove it!

Over 15,000 drivers have done a 4WD training course with Great Divide Tours in the last 16 years

Nationally Recognised program with the senior instructors hold qualifications to Certificate IV level in Workplace Assessment & Training.

We have our own private property located just outside Braidwood in the southern highlands NSW.

For further information www.4wd.net.au

Wayne

did the basic course with getabout 4wd training in the lithgow area. good bunch of people and very family oriented. i'm looking at doing the advanced training (hopefully) soon.

Re training, no matter what you do, you will start off on the steep part of the learning curve, and you will learn a lot in no time.

But if you want to maintain those skills, and learn a heap more, you really need to be out there doing stuff, and learning off others. Thats where a 4wd club wins out - do the trips, do the training, chat to the people and enjoy.....and stay out of the politics :-)))

When we bought our GQ nearly 4 years ago, joining a club was as far from my mind as it could get.
Now, our entire social life revolves around our club calendar!

As stated above, some (most?) clubs include driver training in the membership fee, but the best thing is the chance to hone new skills with other new members who usually are at the same level as each other, so everyone learns together! We have made many new friends, and been to many new places since joining, and we are always with others who enjoy it like we do!

Cheers

Brian

I have had 3 experiences in training courses in Sydney. All with the same company. I did a basic course in 1996, advanced course in 1998 and more recently 2006 my wife did the basic course. Very professional, family orientated and experienced trainers.

I used getabout 4 wd

visit their web site for what they offer

www.getabout.com.au/

cheers

sdr00y

Thanks for all the replies guys! Hope you crissy bashes were all triumphs. Im looking at clubs in Sydney now, from what i gather from the posts, it is better to join a club and do the training through them then do it independantly. And as for the doors, prolly cheaper to get new hinges than go on steriods! I think ill try the graphite powder and wd40 and see how we go.

Cheers, Anand.

yep I have done three courses beginner and 2 advanced courses, learnt a heap, mostly what my vehicle can do and what I cant do.

Yep, courses are a good thing ;-)

(so are clubs! I'm in two of them)

cheers

The courses are good if your not used to this kind of thing .However i went on one recently thinking it might make me a better off roader but it was all a waist of money for me. The instructor was going over stuff i had been doing for years.( i have grown up in the scrub on a very large sheep station & been roo shooting & pig chasing ever since i got behind the wheel. So i have put myself in some very ordinary places over the years & had to work out how to extract myself because i got stuck. Now if i had done one of these courses when i was 15 (i dont think they were around then ) it could have saved me a lot of sweat & swearing) . Do a course by all means it is not a waste of money for a newby .Just one thing on courses find a reputable group & do not tolerate a Drill instructor attitude. If they cannot be bothered to show you how do a particular manouver a couple of times or more if needed they have failed to give you what you are paying hard earned money for.
Great divide tourers seems really good value to a few people i know who have been with them. .......
As for your door i believe your hinges are at fault my mq played up the same way .