Trip to Lake Eyre and Simpson Desert

[harro959]

Hi guys, i was wondering if i could get some help with planing for a trip that i am going to do withe my family....

Basically we are planing on taking 2 cars ('99 disco 2 td5 manual and a '07 Pajero) from innamincka up to bridsville the across simpson desert along the french line, then back down past oodnadatta to William creek and into lake Eyre. With a possible side journey up to Kulgera and Uluru.

What does everyone think that we will need in the way of equipment?
atm i am thinking

recovery kit
hand winch
2 spare tires per car
full filter kit per car
tool kit
nanocom
exhaust jack
tyre repair kit
shade cloth for radiators for the locusts (if ther are any)
air compressor
shovel
axe
tyre deflator
satellite phone
Fuel pump relay
engine oil
Transaxle oil
plastiweld (that plasticy stuff that you can use to patch up a cracked sump
spare belts and hoses


..... Is that a decent list? or am i missing a few crucial things?

Thanks in advance for the help

[d2dave]

Make sure your tyre repair kit has plenty of spare valves and valve caps as they are easy to lose. Sometimes when deflating and re-inflating the valves can start to leak.

Dave.

[85 county]

if you get a bad batch of fule, you will need a bunch of filters not just the one

[bblaze]

Brake fluid (nearly drove the birdsville track with no brakes, gibber sheared off a metal brake line
cheers
blaze

[harro959]

bblaze, how did you repair the brake line? also how rough was teh birdsville track?

Thanks to everyone for the replies so far.:)

[Bushie]

Generally the Birdsville track is pretty good, you'll be able to sit on a good speed.

Pretty unlucky to flick up a gibber and break a brake line :o

Martyn

[bblaze]

bblaze, how did you repair the brake line? also how rough was teh birdsville track?

Thanks to everyone for the replies so far.:)

Broke the metal tube where it T's on the rear diff, crimped the flex line with vice grips but had lost all fluid, drove to mungarannie (sp) and purchased 1/4 of a 500mm bottle for $10.00 but wasnt enough floid to get brakes, was travelling solo so that made it a bit harder. that was in 2008, in 2009 I did the otherside line on the oonandatta track just out from mt dare, that was fixed and retained front brakes. If you need to do it use lots of tape and zip ties as I lost one set ofvice grips andthe adjustment rattle out of one other set
cheers
blaze

[Tombie]

Only 1 spare & tyre repair kit.

Too much weight in vehicle will increase probability of breakage.

We do those tracks with almost no excess gear.

[Tombie]

Dish washing liquid makes good emergency brake fluid.

Helpful hint: don't let wife pack vehicle.

Lighter is better.

Tyre Pressures are important

If an object doesn't have 2 or more uses don't take it!

[NomadicD3]

[
If an object doesn't have 2 or more uses don't take it![/QUOTE]

Jeez mike i hope your wife can cook :p:D

[2stroke]

On the brake line repair, we had one break (at the tee on the rear housing) on the heavily corrugated Earnest Giles Rd after leaving Boggy Hole in 2009 and a small brass screw from an electrical terminal strip (593/15) fitted neatly into the end inside the flare. At least we had 3 brakes then until we found someone with a flaring tool (Mt Dare about 1800 km later)

[Tombie]

If an object doesn't have 2 or more uses don't take it!

Jeez mike i hope your wife can cook :p:D


Absolutely :cool: Can also clean fish :D

[Michael2]

2 Jacks. - You'll have this because you have two vehicles, but I'm not sure what the Paj has. The air jack is useful, but sometimes you need 2 bottle jacks in soft sand. Also a jacking plate.

Electrical : Fuses, including all the big ones. Wire, crimping terminals, multimeter; heatshrink, tape, an inline circuit breaker (incase you need your lights, but can't find the intermittent fault. You can get small ones that plug into glass or blade fuse holders. Butane or 12V soldering iron (unless you have 240V invertor). Bulbs.

Cable ties

Tarp to lie on / spread tools out onto.

36mm viscous fan spanner for the D2, it makes accessing the fan belts, thermostat etc so much easier. Remember the D2 is a RH thread on the fan.

Metal putty

Hose repair tape

Duct tape

Silicone / Gasket Goo / Stag Paste

Spare tyre valves

Spare hose clamps

CRC / INOX / WD40 or similar

[harro959]

Thanks all so much for the help,

when you say tyre pressures are important, what pressures do you run?

where do i get a 36mm viscous fan spanner from (i take it that it is not the same as a normal 36mm spanner?)???

Realistically, how likely am i do destroy a brake line??? because i have never bleed brakes or even touched them.... been too scared too. (i might have to learn before i go.... better to learn in the garage than out woop woop lol)

thanks

[KarlB]

I'd leave the axe at home.

[Tombie]

Pressures depend on loading.
I tend to run around 22psi for fast gibber.
Speed is also a factor, dont do 100+ just because you can, knock it back a bit, take your time and enjoy the trip.

Here's what we had inboard for a run to Innaminka.

Serviced Vehicle
40litres of water
Spare fuel filter
Tool kit with some wire, steel putty and soldering iron.
Tyre repair kit
Compressor
Factory jack & plate
155l of fuel (long range tank)
Food, scotch, coke
2 swags + sleeping bags
First aid kit
Sat phone
Gas bottle and burner
Dish liquid, hand sanitiser
Pot and kettle.
Clothes.

Like I said, less is safer and better on the vehicle.

[harro959]

Food, scotch, coke



..... ahhh i see you pack light, so only the very important stuff.... i like :)

[digger]

2 Jacks. - You'll have this because you have two vehicles, but I'm not sure what the Paj has. The air jack is useful, but sometimes you need 2 bottle jacks in soft sand. Also a jacking plate.
Electrical : Fuses, including all the big ones. Wire, crimping terminals, multimeter; heatshrink, tape, an inline circuit breaker (incase you need your lights, but can't find the intermittent fault. You can get small ones that plug into glass or blade fuse holders. Butane or 12V soldering iron (unless you have 240V invertor). Bulbs.

Cable ties

Tarp to lie on / spread tools out onto.

36mm viscous fan spanner for the D2, it makes accessing the fan belts, thermostat etc so much easier. Remember the D2 is a RH thread on the fan.

Metal putty

Hose repair tape

Duct tape

Silicone / Gasket Goo / Stag Paste

Spare tyre valves

Spare hose clamps

CRC / INOX / WD40 or similar


in all the travelling we've done up there (and I lived yunta, andamooka, coober pedy, marla and oodnadatta at different times) always opted for trolley jack, much safer and less likely to topple, still need jack plate, but if another needed can use standard car jack too as back up.

before going check thet everything (spare etc) is ok and that bolts/nuts can be undone (surprising how many have the gear but its rusted/jammed on)

remember water and emerg food and (although everyone knows I'll say it again) in all cases STAY WITH THE CAR. I have "bagged" 5 people in this country who would most likely still be alive had they stayed with their cars (this wasnt all in one go...mostly one at a time.)

Plan to have a good time, don''t make super solid plans (be here by this date or here by this date but everything in between should be fluid...you may want to stay a day longer somewhere.

Some suggested spots to visit in the area:-
**clayton spa (overnight spot) birdsville track 50k from marree
--(watch the OUTBACK MAILMAN about Tom KRUSE and visit the sites that featured in the film...the history is huge... also visit places off the track (talk to the locals at MUNGERANNIE (ANOTHER BEAUT SWIMMING HOLE!)

**birdsville working museum (take the tour __DONT INTERRUPT! DONT FALL BEHIND! NO QUESTIONS TILL AFTER!!)

**farina campground (a little south of marree..alternative to claytons but wrong direction unless coming from south)

**curdimurka siding (another nearby campspot)

**blanche cup , the bubler and mound springs

**coward springs

**strangways telegraph stn

**William Creek pub etc (races in april are great!!)

Thats just stuff on the "main roads" -anyway, dont miss anything, take it all in and enjoy!

[Michael2]

Thanks all so much for the help,

....
where do i get a 36mm viscous fan spanner from (i take it that it is not the same as a normal 36mm spanner?)???

....
thanks

I bought mine out of the UK on ebay. It's a combo 32mm (300Tdi) and 36mm (TD5) spanner. It cost $29 including delivery and took 4 days to arrive. from Foundry 4x4. Local units were around the $90ea. Since then, I've seen the combo one available on ebay from Australia for about $36, from memory it was landy_bits selling them. A normal spanner is not narrow enough to fit behind the fan hub. On the RRC I could use a narrow adjustable spanner, but the Tdi and TD5 don't have enough clearance between the fan hub and the bolts on the pulley, so you need the especially made narrow spanner. If all you want is the 36mm version, you should be able to get it even cheaper.

Another think you may want to carry is a spare bearing for the tensioner. It should only be about $5 and take next to no space. I also like to carry a spare tie rod. I try to accumulate simple, inexpensive, easy to fix spares that make the difference between going again in under 30min, or stranded for a day.

- Michael

[d2dave]

I got this from Bursons for about $30. It is for doing Falcons but it fits my TDI.

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/3188/img4982kz.jpg (http://img651.imageshack.us/i/img4982kz.jpg/)

Another handy tool(for TDI not sure about TD5)is a 10mm single hex socket in half inch drive. On my TDi a few of the belt pulleys are held on with 8mm threaded bolts.

Now an 8 mm bolt on a Jap car would have a 12 mm head or on a Falcon 13mm head. With LR using this bolt with a 10mm head it can be very hard to undo with 3/8 drive socket and with double hex socket can easily round the bolt head.

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/9747/img4984.jpg (http://img845.imageshack.us/i/img4984.jpg/)


Dave.

[discostu]

WATER!!!:D:D