We have all been there. Three days deep into a track that hasn’t seen a grader since the Olympic Games, and something goes twang. Usually, it’s right when the sun is dipping low and the flies are getting extra friendly. While a fully stocked workshop is the dream, out in the dirt, we have to rely on the bush mechanic’s holy trinity: fencing wire, cable ties, and enough stubbornness to get the rig home.
The exhaust hanger shuffle
Exhaust systems take a proper hiding on corrugated roads. The constant vibration is like a jackhammer on your rubber hangers, and eventually, one is going to snap. When that happens, your exhaust starts banging against the chassis like a drummer on speed. If you leave it, you’ll eventually crack something more expensive, or dump the whole pipe on the track.
This is where the fencing wire earns its keep. Don’t bother with zip ties here; the heat will melt them faster than a Cornetto in the Simmo. Loop a bit of wire around the exhaust pipe and find a solid point on the chassis. Give it a few twists with the pliers, leaving just enough slack so it doesn’t snap when the engine torques over. It’ll rattle a bit, but it beats dragging your muffler across the gibbers.
Keeping your face on
Modern 4X4s are held together with more plastic clips than we’d like to admit. One decent bash through a washout or a deep crossing can see your wheel arch flares or wheel liners start to sag. Once those factory plastic clips pop out and disappear into the dust, they’re gone for good.
Heavy duty cable ties are the perfect replacement for lost trim clips. You might need to drill a small hole in the plastic if the original mount has torn away, but zipping a flare back to the guard works a treat. It keeps the mud out of your expensive bits and stops the plastic from flapping in the wind until you can get back to a town with a spare parts shop.
The radiator fan shroud rescue
If you’ve ever heard a horrific screeching sound while idling in a river bed, there’s a good chance your fan shroud has shifted. Corrugations love to rattle the mounting bolts loose, letting the plastic shroud lean into the spinning fan blades. It sounds like a plane crash, and if the fan catches it properly, it’ll send plastic shards straight through your radiator.
Cable ties are the absolute kings of the engine bay for this exact reason. You can loop them through the radiator support and the shroud to pull the plastic back into alignment. Because cable ties have a bit of flex, they actually handle the vibrations better than a rigid bolt sometimes. Just make sure you’re not cinching them down against anything that gets hot enough to melt them.
Patching a split radiator hose
A burst radiator hose is a classic trip-stopper, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the road. If you’ve got a split, you can usually wrap it tight with some self-amalgamating tape or even a bit of old rag in a pinch. However, the pressure of the cooling system will just blow that patch off as soon as the engine gets up to temp.
This is where the “hose clamp” version of fencing wire comes in. Wrap your patch, then use the wire to create a series of tight loops over the top. Use your pliers to twist the wire ends, cinching the patch down onto the rubber. It’s a crude way to manage the pressure, but we’ve seen rigs travel hundreds of kays on a wired-up hose without losing a drop of coolant.
Securing the load (and the lights)
It’s not always about the mechanicals. Sometimes it’s the gear we carry that fails us. Roof rack mounts can crack, or those fancy LED light bars can vibrate loose until they’re pointing at the treetops instead of the track. If a mounting bracket snaps in the middle of the night, you’re stuck in the dark.
Fencing wire is brilliant for lashing gear down when a bracket gives up the ghost. It doesn’t stretch like a bungy cord, so once you’ve twisted it tight, that light bar isn’t going anywhere. Just be mindful of where you’re wrapping it so you don’t rub through any wiring. It’s not pretty, and your mates might give you a bit of a ribbing, but keeping the gear on the car is the only goal when you’re out the back of beyond.
So what do you reckon, ever tackled any of these bush fixes yourself? Or done something out of the ordinary? Pop a comment below and let us know.
