Corrugated roads?

Last year I encountered some of the worst stretches of corrugations I've ever seen on the Canning Stock route and the Gunbarrel Hwy.. some of them went for more than a hundred km stretches and while I watched nearly everything in the car fall to pieces (GPS, Radio, Car Video Recorder, Camera Lenses (yes that was plural) aftermarket diesel tanks cracked and numerous other things I can't remember right this minute) the actual car was fine.

Broken shock absorbers were hanging from the tree's at one point as a testament to how bad that particular stretch of track was but mine were fine (I have Bilsteins) as was the rest of the car. I did lower my tyre pressure and attempted several times to find the 'sweet spot' of speed which usually helps (no help this time though so I just knuckled down and drove getting it over with asap).. and still the car was fine. I think if your car is well maintained and you have it checked and serviced a couple of weeks before you leave home and you drive to the conditions you will be okay. I always make a point of having a peek under the bonnet daily when travelling over rougher terrain just to look for loose connections and hoses that may be rubbing etc.. it could just save you some heart ache later. I carry spare everything (including shock absorbers if the area is remote) for piece of mind too.

If I were you I would stop worrying, ensure that your car is in as good a condition it can be mechanically before you leave and get out there and have a great time!

Where are you off to btw? :)

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Originally Posted by Ancient Mariner

A good loud sterio helps too you dont hear the bits that are rattling off:D

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That worked fine until the stereo rattled off.

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Originally Posted by isuzurover

That worked fine until the stereo rattled off.

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Time for plan E then ear plugs

Thanks everyone, Sue, I'm off to Birdsville, to Mt dare to kings canyon to Alice, and hopefully up to Lorela springs, taking in some of the track along the way! Nothing written in stone we are going to talk to people and see which tracks are in the best condition and worth doing? Thanks ted

Hi all, just been thru Port Augusta, Lake Eyre, Birdsville to Isa then Cape York and return to Tassie next week. Roads are all real good although now need a new LT85 if anyone has one in the Brisbane area? Had it rebuilt by the experts 6 weeks ago and now dead ! No probs with the roads at all though with OEM all round towing tandem trailer and 5 kids in 86 110 Isuzu. Cheers and happy travels all, Lizard

Just one more thing to add to the all ready good advice.

Weight it your enemy so travel as lightly as possible. That is why most people break things and get stuck, not inferior products etc.

well 2 things, don't listen to what people have to say either, just get out there and do it. You can read so much on these forums and get yourself right stressed out and worried. When you are finally out there you will be saying 'I don't know what all the fuss is about!'

Thorough check before leaving, travel light, reduce tyre pressures, check truck daily.

Relax.

Enjoy.

Post us some pictures.

G

www.siroccoverland.com

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Originally Posted by Sirocco

Just one more thing to add to the all ready good advice.

Weight it your enemy so travel as lightly as possible. That is why most people break things and get stuck, not inferior products etc.

well 2 things, don't listen to what people have to say either, just get out there and do it. You can read so much on these forums and get yourself right stressed out and worried. When you are finally out there you will be saying 'I don't know what all the fuss is about!'

Thorough check before leaving, travel light, reduce tyre pressures, check truck daily.

Relax.

Enjoy.

Post us some pictures.

G

www.siroccoverland.com

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Well said.

So true. Weight is the biggest killer. I learnt from my recent Gibb trip (Including Mitchell Falls). I was 100kg under GVM with a roof top tent. Next time I will tow a trailer and spread the load. I was able to sit on about 65km/h while most the other I passed were struggling to do 20 - 30km/h. Something I found hard was pushing past that really rough point of about 30 - 35km/h.

The faster you try and move a shock, the harder it will resist, there's a word for it but I can't remember. If you have your tyres down on pressure a bit and the shocks are resisting movement then the tyres will roll over the corrugations rather than the wheel boucing up and down. Vibration with a little bit of pace feels far better than the whole wheels, axle and unsprung parts smashing up and down. Also at speed as the shocks are moving up and down less combined with better air flow, they stay quit cool (just warm) and continue to work. The longer you stay slow the more the shocks travel, the more heat they build up, the hotter they get and the less they work.

Also so true about listening to what people say. We had spent alot of time setting our vehicles up for the trip and didn't have any trouble at all. Others did very little such as a Jeep driver who destroyed 2 shocks and said to us his suspension was the last thing on his mind. It's guys like that that turned a lot of other people off doing the Mitchell Falls becasue they didn't want to damage their vehicles. It's all subjective. For someone from the city for that was there first trip might think the road was just crazy but another person who lives there and travels the road frequently probably wouldn't raise an eye.



Happy Days.

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Originally Posted by scarry

And lower tyre pressures to suit.
My sons has done thousands of k's on corrugations,no problems at all.One trip they were that bad the upper spring hangers,i think they are called,broke on his mates patrol.
Fully loaded Puma,Kings and Billys,no problems at all.

As others have said,the OEM coils and shocks are very good as well.

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The spring turrets always break off the ''bulletproof'' Patrol,it's not your sons mates fault. Pat

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Originally Posted by joel0407

Well said.

So true. Weight is the biggest killer. I learnt from my recent Gibb trip (Including Mitchell Falls). I was 100kg under GVM with a roof top tent. Next time I will tow a trailer and spread the load. I was able to sit on about 65km/h while most the other I passed were struggling to do 20 - 30km/h. Something I found hard was pushing past that really rough point of about 30 - 35km/h.

The faster you try and move a shock, the harder it will resist, there's a word for it but I can't remember. If you have your tyres down on pressure a bit and the shocks are resisting movement then the tyres will roll over the corrugations rather than the wheel boucing up and down. Vibration with a little bit of pace feels far better than the whole wheels, axle and unsprung parts smashing up and down. Also at speed as the shocks are moving up and down less combined with better air flow, they stay quit cool (just warm) and continue to work. The longer you stay slow the more the shocks travel, the more heat they build up, the hotter they get and the less they work.

Also so true about listening to what people say. We had spent alot of time setting our vehicles up for the trip and didn't have any trouble at all. Others did very little such as a Jeep driver who destroyed 2 shocks and said to us his suspension was the last thing on his mind. It's guys like that that turned a lot of other people off doing the Mitchell Falls becasue they didn't want to damage their vehicles. It's all subjective. For someone from the city for that was there first trip might think the road was just crazy but another person who lives there and travels the road frequently probably wouldn't raise an eye.



Happy Days.

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Your last paragraph is exactly right,too many experts with no experience at all giving advice,quality suspension/safe secure storage/quality tyres/driving to the conditions/being ruthless on limiting weight is more important than lift kits and ARB ''Bling''. Pat

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Originally Posted by PAT303

...being ruthless on limiting weight is more important than lift kits and ARB ''Bling''. Pat

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I agree that weight is the enemy but with the accessories it's hard to do without them isn't it? I mean a bullbar is a very good idea and you also need to think about two spares. Do you carry the second on the roof on a rack or a fancy rear wheel carrier? You could carry it inside I guess but it's all weight. You'll need a fridge, tent, camping gear, food, water, fuel, some tools, second battery and it's all weight unless you say this is not required. Sure there's some things that aren't really required like an awning or a coffee maker.

Not trying to stir just interested as I'm always looking ways to reduce weight.

As for OPs question my advice is good tyres and good suspension. What will fail is the stuff bolted to the car that LR didn't put there. Although I did have my front diff to housing bolts loosen on the Finke to Alice road.