Dog grovelling to go gravelling
Posted: Sun Mar 14, 2010 11:29 pm
Not quite a trail report, but this is probably the most appropriate forum.
Decided to go and play a little again at "Diggers", an old quarry outside EL. Just my son, his girlfriend and myself .... not always a good idea, always better to have another vehicle or two along in case something goes wrong or you need a recovery. I am however used to 'playing' alone and am cognisant of the hazards. Don't take chances if you are alone. Without trying to be condescending, I've added a few hints for the benefit of any inexperienced newcomers. Thought it might be helpful.
This is a bit of an overview of the 'playground'
Going in I decided to leave the tyre pressures at 2.2 bar because of possible sidewall damage on the rocky surfaces in places.
Choosing the 'softer' line to avoid undercarriage damage .... that drop-off was about 700mm.
A standing start. No run-up is required for an obstacle like this.
Just a little bit of spin on the rear wheels going over (no sandbags, no diff lock)
It helps to be able to judge a drop-off (and choose your line) ......
.... so that you don't scrape the undercarriage. (I came close but did'nt touch.)
Use your motor engaged in 1st gear 4L to run down an incline. Assist to slow the vehicle with light braking if necessary.
My son took the pics while his girlfriend decided she would 'co-pilot' :D . This was her first off-road experience, and at first she was apprehensive, tense, solemn faced and holding onto the seat like it was about to eject. Within 15mins she was a lot more relaxed, even asked "Can we do that one again?" Displaying a smile of enjoyment here ...
Sometimes on a sandy / gravel / slippery surface one needs a little 'punch' to breach an obstacle. Lifting the wheels off is sometimes unavoidable, but not ideal ....
A little uphill axle twister ... this is where one tends to spin the wheels a little if you don't have difflock (like me 
). One should not take a run at an obstacle like this, but even just a little momentum helps.
A little too much 'punch' here, intentionally done for the pic 
and watching the revs (you can't see anything but sky in front of you anyway 
) .... I only tramped it a little at the last moment.
A little downhill axle twister ..... if a wheel lifts or when downward pressure on any wheel is lost there is a tendency to start 'free-wheeling' since the motor can no longer hold the vehicle back. Light braking assistance almost acts like a difflock and eliminates the 'free-wheel' action, maintaining traction.
I tried to show them how it should be done, without lifting the wheels, but still ended up lifting them a little. At times it can be a fine ballance between not having enough grunt or having too much ... I'd rather have too much than loose traction and slide backward. Should this happen, engage reverse gear and let the vehicle run backward against compression.
Again, purposely too much
.... but this time perfect .... no slip, no lift, no dust!
It's possible that the views of others on the advice offered may differ and may well have merit. Just remember that I am self taught over years of experience in what works for me and what does'nt ..... consider any additional advice, contradictory to mine or not.
Now this is one of the few obstacles that I have not yet tackled on this course, only because of the steps. I've done similar or worse inclines, but the steps will cause one to 'hop' and the loose shale does'nt offer enough traction without lockers. Spinning wheels could easily result in side-tracking off course and momentum is not really an option if you don't want to damage the vehicle. I still hope to conquer this one!
Decided to go and play a little again at "Diggers", an old quarry outside EL. Just my son, his girlfriend and myself .... not always a good idea, always better to have another vehicle or two along in case something goes wrong or you need a recovery. I am however used to 'playing' alone and am cognisant of the hazards. Don't take chances if you are alone. Without trying to be condescending, I've added a few hints for the benefit of any inexperienced newcomers. Thought it might be helpful.
This is a bit of an overview of the 'playground'
). One should not take a run at an obstacle like this, but even just a little momentum helps.
and watching the revs (you can't see anything but sky in front of you anyway ) .... I only tramped it a little at the last moment.
Now this is one of the few obstacles that I have not yet tackled on this course, only because of the steps. I've done similar or worse inclines, but the steps will cause one to 'hop' and the loose shale does'nt offer enough traction without lockers. Spinning wheels could easily result in side-tracking off course and momentum is not really an option if you don't want to damage the vehicle. I still hope to conquer this one!
