Thread: Auto 4WDing on non bitumen roads

Originally Posted by copba

Whist autos are probably a contributing factor, as most people only use D, R and P; the biggest issue in my opinion is people not knowing how to drive on dirt roads and going too fast.

I nearly rolled an 80 series Cruiser’ on the Cape about twenty years ago 🤫 simply going too fast, and not paying attention. Fast gravel road, hubs unlocked, too fast into a bend then over corrected and over corrected, and over corrected again fish tailing down the road. Scared the **** out of me and taught me how to drive!

My moment like that was in my VW Kombi - 56 years ago! (somewhere in the section east of Barcaldine)

Originally Posted by donh54

Learn. To. Drive. On. Different. Surfaces. Simples.

i agree with you but where do you expect tourists to do this learning?

There is the age old saying.....

’learn from your mistakes’

Originally Posted by copba

Whist autos are probably a contributing factor, as most people only use D, R and P; the biggest issue in my opinion is people not knowing how to drive on dirt roads and going too fast.

I nearly rolled an 80 series Cruiser’ on the Cape about twenty years ago 🤫 simply going too fast, and not paying attention. Fast gravel road, hubs unlocked, too fast into a bend then over corrected and over corrected, and over corrected again fish tailing down the road. Scared the **** out of me and taught me how to drive!

Its a 4wd thing... I tend to be a driver that ...er ... likes to have a little "fun" on gravel..... Every other car I've ever driven was easy to slide around corners ... the old Rangie though ... you get it loose in the @rse end and it's easily correct, but them the mass takes over throws its mass over onto the susspension on the other side of the the car ... so it overcorrects .... Its hard to straigthen it out without the mass of the body and soft suspension throwing the tail back out in the other direction. I have lots of cars with really soft suspension but have never experienced this before. If i keep the go pedal down all my other cars straighten instantly with a bit of opposite lock.

seeya,
Shane L.

It's a normal instinct to over correct, which just makes it worse.

Originally Posted by DiscoMick

It's a normal instinct to over correct, which just makes it worse.

The mass of the body swinging over and compressing the suspension on the other side of the car that pushes the back out of line again. All my crappy old citroens have very soft suspension, but the body swinging around above the suspension has no effect on handling (you can get them very sideways with some trailing throttle ... and just punch the accelerator hard and throw on a touch of opposite lock and they pull themselves straight every time without fail).

seeya,
shane L.

Originally Posted by weeds

There is the age old saying.....

’learn from your mistakes’

Much better if you can learn from other people's mistakes.

Many of us learnt to drive long before we got our drivers licence in the paddock using vehicles where brakes and good tyres were an optional extra.
Yes we had our mishaps and the odd pileup But these were usually at low speed and no real damage was done to either the vehicle or driver.
Mustering Sheep and cattle is a huge learning curve for the novice driver and the skills picked up doing this are directly transferable to Any on or off road driving situation.
Much Much better that a few lessons with Mum/Dad/Driving instructor and jumping straight into a high powered motor car with a brand new licence