Recommended tyre pressures on the Oodnadatta Track

[ScottieTd5]

G'day,

I'm going up to the Alice in mid May 2011 via Broken Hill, Peterborough, Leigh Creek, Lyndhurst and then on to Coober Pedy. I plan on travelling around 450k's along the Oodnadatta Track to William Creek and then left on to Coober Pedy.

I'm running Maxis Bravo A/T's 235/70/16's (all new) and would like a few tips as to your suggested tyre pressures all round. I'm travelling light with only camping gear and supplies for two people. I’ve always run 40psi all round and achieved 80-90,000 k’s from highway driving but this 450k stretch is a little different.

Your views and insights would be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Scottie...

[crash]

When I did the Oodnadatta track about 10 years ago I did it on road pressure, running stock Micheline A/t tyres. I was also pulling a trailer. I did eventually get 1 puncture while on the Mereenie loop, several days later which was a much rockier road.
I think road speed has just as much to do with puntures as does tyre pressure. If you have never been on the Oodnadatta track, sections of it are just like driving on bitumen, where other areas can be corregated and rocky. Slow down to 80km/hr and enjoy the scenery.
As to what tyre pressure to run? My guess is as good as yours, but 32 always sounds good to me.

[vnx205]

The guy who runs the Pink Roadhouse at Oodnadatta is adamant that more tyre problems on the Track are caused by overinflation than underinflation. He has probably seen more damaged tyres in his lifetime than most of us are ever likely to see.

Have a look at this page of information he produced.
http://www.pinkroadhouse.com.au/Pink/graphics/docimages/tyre-pressure-pdf.pdf

Basically his message is lower pressures and lower speeds.

The whole site is probably worth a look.

Pink Roadhouse - Oodnadatta Track (South Australia) (http://www.pinkroadhouse.com.au/biziworks/BiziGen4117.html?ownerID=WILLIBR&docID=29)

[wardy1]

I just LOVE that tyre pressure link.... Great info that an illiterate can understand (which lets face it, many of those backpackers from foreign lands are...at least in English).
Bloody fantastic effort I reckon.

By the way, there is a great article on "The Pink Roadhouse" in 4x4 this month, a great read indeed about 2 very interesting people who just 'had a go'

[slug_burner]

The Oodnadatta/Birdsville/Tanami are all outback highways. I ran the same pressures I run on sealed roads on 750x16 tubed tyres and had no problems.

[John W]

It all depends. When I did the track, the southern end was graded and wide and smooth and the north end was rough as. Interestingly I had a puncture at the south end from a sharp rock and yes I blame over inflation and speed. If your load is not too heavy then about 28-30 psi. More weight then a little more pressure but keep speed down and I would expect a trouble free trip.

[XHPBT1]

Did the Tanami many years ago in a Defender 110 fully loaded, the corrugation was so bad that we had to let the tyre pressure down cause of the roughness, to around 18 - 20 PSI at the front and around 22-25 PSI at the back, the tyres looked like for sand use... But what a huge difference in ride quality.

Look at the road and try different pressures, though having them in the lower PSI range will result in higher tred wear...

we had brand new Coopers A/T from the start of the trip when we got back home they were finished, chopped up like you wouldnt believe...

[vnx205]

As John W suggested, there can be a big variation in the conditions.

I had a smoother trip up the Oodnadatta Track in my Series III than I did a few years later in the Defender. It had nothing to do with the vehicle or the tyre pressures. In the Series II, for quite a lot of the distance, I was the first vehicle along after the grader. Most of the surface was like a billiard table. When I did the trip in the Defender, it was obvious that the road had not been graded for a long time.

Drive to the conditions is the usual advice. In this case that means drive to the conditions you find at the time, not the conditions you found last time or the conditions you had been told to expect.

[rusty05]

Did the Tanami many years ago in a Defender 110 fully loaded, the corrugation was so bad that we had to let the tyre pressure down cause of the roughness, to around 18 - 20 PSI at the front and around 22-25 PSI at the back, the tyres looked like for sand use... But what a huge difference in ride quality.

Look at the road and try different pressures, though having them in the lower PSI range will result in higher tred wear...

we had brand new Coopers A/T from the start of the trip when we got back home they were finished, chopped up like you wouldnt believe...

Funny u mentioned the cooper AT didnt last. Did the the oodna, b'ville, strez, merentie loop tracks last year, and the coopers got hacked to bits also. Did 9500km, 3000km on dirt.
When we left the tyres had approx 80% tread, on return about 10-20% left.
I was disappointed with the wear.
Back to the tyre pressures, the pink road house is a good guide, I had the pressure around 28 at the front and 30-32 in the rear. Was happy with this. I wasnt keen on 24-26 in the rear.