The COVID-19 & Corona free thread.

[Bigbjorn]

I wonder if people in those days knew about letting tyres down? Or were reluctant to do so because no portable compressors?

Some of the people who lived and worked on Fraser and Stradbroke Islands used Goodyear Custom Hi Milers as sand tyres. In the early 70's the only dedicated commercially available sand tyres were Michelin Sahara. We did fit a few sets at Leyland for commercially owned vehicles but the sheer price made most enquirers blink. A tyre company at Merrylands did very wide wheels that took surplus bomber tyres. Big fat doughnuts that could be run at very low pressures.

[Saitch]

Spent some time working on Fraser and the Cooloola Coast area in the mid '70s, driving a SWB Tojo. They came with the Road Track Majors and I certainly didn't let the tyres down. I can't remember getting stuck either but, it was a long time ago.

[Ancient Mariner]

Some of the people who lived and worked on Fraser and Stradbroke Islands used Goodyear Custom Hi Milers as sand tyres. In the early 70's the only dedicated commercially available sand tyres were Michelin Sahara. We did fit a few sets at Leyland for commercially owned vehicles but the sheer price made most enquirers blink. A tyre company at Merrylands did very wide wheels that took surplus bomber tyres. Big fat doughnuts that could be run at very low pressures.

I used to run 900x13" sand tyres back in the late sixties .With 8 psi only 2wd was needed Dunlop or Olympic Used a sparkplug pump to reinflate


Noel

[JDNSW]

Some of the people who lived and worked on Fraser and Stradbroke Islands used Goodyear Custom Hi Milers as sand tyres. In the early 70's the only dedicated commercially available sand tyres were Michelin Sahara. We did fit a few sets at Leyland for commercially owned vehicles but the sheer price made most enquirers blink. A tyre company at Merrylands did very wide wheels that took surplus bomber tyres. Big fat doughnuts that could be run at very low pressures.

In the 1960s in the Simpson Desert our trucks mostly had the aeroplane tyres. One was fitted with Michelin Saharas. They gave the best results, but were so expensive that no more were bought.

We used a local grazier, Mac Clark, as a fuel trucker - he had a Leyland Super Hippo 6x6 and towed a six wheel dog trailer, all on Michelin Saharas. Can't remember the size, probably 1200x20.

Our light vehicles (mostly IH120, FJ40, FJ45, FJ45V were all fitted with 900x13 sand tyres. These were not terribly effective - they tended to move on the rims and tear the valves out of the tubes if you let the tyres down low enough to get anywhere. When I got my Series 2a diesel to replace the Series 2 I fitted Goodyear Unisteel radials (7.50x16) - they performed nearly as well as the Saharas. I think they became available in late 1965, and we also fitted them to some of the landcruisers if I remember correctly.

[V8Ian]

In the mid 70s I had a RAEME Major as a neighbour who visited Fraser Isle regularly. He purpose built a 109 for these adventures, shod with 9.00 aeroplane tyres.

[scarry]

I wonder if people in those days knew about letting tyres down? Or were reluctant to do so because no portable compressors?

We did,but don't ask me what pressures,although one of my brothers may remember.

i remember using the hand pump or the engine pump to re inflate them.

For those that dont know we used to call the engine pump the line that went into the head where the spark plug was removed.

The vehicles tyres were usually road tyres,Goodyear,as they seemed to work the best in the sand,although i remember some on the island,mostly residents, using aircraft landing tyres on their vehicles,as others have said.I have a vague recollection of some tyres being Olympic Trojan,maybe,as well?

Here is one of the few old pics we have of our vehicle on Fraser.This pic was enhanced by a good friend.

[V8Ian]

We did,but don't ask me what pressures,although one of my brothers may remember.

i remember using the hand pump or the engine pump to re inflate them.

For those that dont know we used to call the engine pump the line that went into the head where the spark plug was removed.

The vehicles tyres were usually road tyres,Goodyear,as they seemed to work the best in the sand,although i remember some on the island,mostly residents, using aircraft landing tyres on their vehicles,as others have said.I have a vague recollection of some tyres being Olympic Trojan,maybe,as well?

Here is one of the few old pics we have of our vehicle on Fraser.This pic was enhanced by a good friend.

Haha, I'll bet that's not you on the end of the shovel.

[scarry]

Haha, I'll bet that's not you on the end of the shovel.

By the time the pic was taken,us kids had done the Harold Holt,there were fish to catch.Thats me,top right of pic,looking for pipis.Tide was going down,so we waited and it drove out.

The guy with the shovel had the unenviable reputation of drowning probably the first Series 3 in Ellie Ck,a couple of years later.It was brand new,purpose built for desert trips,LWB,modded with water and fuel tanks,winch,rack,bar,scrub bars,etc.There is a pic somewhere of the waves crashing over it but i can't find it ATM.

Long story short,eventually it arrived back at Annand and Thompson,to get fixed.It still had the 'running in please pass' sticker on the rear window.

When we got it back,the sticker read 'Yellow Submarine'

Maybe someone would know on here,there was muttering that the battery was mounted under the passengers seat,changed from older models.So it was lower,didn't help in deep water.I don't know if that was a modded fit,or standard for the model?

[JDNSW]

Six cylinder I think had the battery under the front seat.

[4bee]

We did,but don't ask me what pressures,although one of my brothers may remember.

i remember using the hand pump or the engine pump to re inflate them.

For those that dont know we used to call the engine pump the line that went into the head where the spark plug was removed.

The vehicles tyres were usually road tyres,Goodyear,as they seemed to work the best in the sand,although i remember some on the island,mostly residents, using aircraft landing tyres on their vehicles,as others have said.I have a vague recollection of some tyres being Olympic Trojan,maybe,as well?

Here is one of the few old pics we have of our vehicle on Fraser.This pic was enhanced by a good friend.

Curious in Adelaide writes.......
So the engine pump actually pumped an Air/Fuel mixture Paul ???

Even with the throttle closed, which wouldn't be if you wanted to pump air you'd still get some fuel vapour added to your tube right? In a sudden Blowout situation would that not have an undesirable reaction or did you possibly take the view that, that **** only happens to other people?

Curious in Adelaide.

EDIT. Maybe the Running In sticker should have read "Running in Water"?