D4 vs Stockton Dunes (D4 didn't win).

**Smcconnell** · 13th July 2015, 09:58 PM

Hey all,

I've been lurking around here since taking delivery of a new D4 in February, but recently had an unusual adventure which I think is worth sharing with you all.

I'm an absolute beginner when it comes to offroading, so I started my adventures in the least risky way - I booked in for a tag-along tour through some muddy bits and sand dunes around Stockton Beach.

The D4 didn't flinch at the mud, however after a few minutes in the sand dunes I promptly got stuck (see photos).

Not a huge deal, right?

Except that as soon as I tried to reverse I heard horrible metal clanking noises and the car snapped its CV joint. It took us almost 4 hours to get the car off the beach - largely thanks to a legendary effort of Bruce at www.4wdtour.com.au, who led the tour (I definitely learned a lot about recovering a 4WD from sand that day - and my wife and I chuckled that the D4 looked like a preppy schoolboy on its 20'' rims next to Bruce's snarling, modified beast of a LandCruiser).

Back at the Sydney dealership they were all scratching heads at how this might have happened - they've never heard of a brand new Disco doing this before. The car ended up being at the dealer for almost 3 weeks, during which time it was throwing up error messages, which led them to also replace the vacuum pump.

Anyway, not the best start to D4 ownership (at some point on the beach I was wishing I bought a Toyota instead), but I'm remaining optimistic (the wife, however, now views the car strictly as a tarmac-only grocery bus).

What's your take on this - was this just an extreme case of bad luck, did I contribute to it or is the D4 prone to snapping that joint?

Steven

**Roverlord off road spares** · 13th July 2015, 10:36 PM

Did you lower your tyre pressures?
Those low profile rims probably don't allow much tyre footprint when run at lower pressures any way, as there wouldn't be much tyre to balloon out.
Regards,
Mario

**spudboy** · 13th July 2015, 10:37 PM

Do they (LR) think it's a manufacturing defect on the CV?

**Slunnie** · 13th July 2015, 11:09 PM

I think a CV on sand is just bad luck. I would say that it either had a manufacturing fault or it had been shock loaded previously (when the wheels spin and then suddenly get grip).

**letherm** · 14th July 2015, 01:15 AM

Can't comment intelligently about the failure but for future reference, in case you are unaware of it, you need to turn the Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) off in sand. If you didn't do this it would have been a major factor in why you got bogged. Quite a number of threads about it here. I had a Pajero before buying a Disco in November 2103. The dealer sent me on a free one day course with a LR tour operator and it opened my eyes considerably. I was competent with the Pajero but had to learn new techniques with the Disco. Gordon (GGHAGGIS of Green Oval Experience) a forum member and vendor is running a seminar in Sydney CBD soon and you may be able to still get in. It would be worth the money. There is a thread about it not too far back.

Martin

**Ben_Vapid** · 14th July 2015, 02:13 AM

Yup DSC in sand is almost guaranteed to bog (I learnt this when I hit it but didn't hold it down, which left it on). With it off it's MUCH harder to get stuck.

Those tyres look pretty inflated too.

**Graeme** · 14th July 2015, 06:40 AM

The vehicle doesn't look to be high enough to have been put into super-extended height, which wouldn't have helped with the de-bogging.

**SimmAus** · 14th July 2015, 06:42 AM

Agree: doing a CV in sand is a bit of bad luck
Your D4 is an awesome machine, don't let this concern you. Many have taken these vehicles far and wide with no problems. They do require a different driving style sometimes to other 4wds; AULRO is your friend on this.
A 4wd course with someone who knows the D4 would be great, and fun. It's a pity that LR don't do this as a courtesy to dispel that shopping trolley theme....

**PhilipA** · 14th July 2015, 08:00 AM

You should consider this problem as a freak and not worry about the car off road.
I know the Range Rover club of NSW has run many driver training trips to Stockton without a single problem by a d3orD4 . ( except the handbrake jamming LOL) .

I have attended 1 and the only bogging problem was in an RRS on 20 inch rims driven by an expert driver who had driven the Australian safari, but who didn't know about DSC.

I have to ask how you got into that position, unless you were specifically training for reverse recovery on a failed climb. To dig that far down is not good practice.

I can recommend the RangeRover club for sand and general driver training specific to Land Rover products.
Regards Philip A

**Redback** · 14th July 2015, 08:17 AM

Did you have it in sand mode with the DSC off, when bogged did you have it in Rock Crawl when trying to back out and when backing out did you just ease it out or was it full noise, did you dig out around the wheels before backing out, did you have any traction aids(ie) sand tracks, did you lower your tyre pressures??

You have to remember, your D4 is 2600kg standard, that's a lot of weight when bogged in sand and you can't just bury the boot backwards with the wheels turned.

I managed to get bogged in river sand with the camper on, I put the car in Rock crawl and eased it out backwards back onto hard ground.

Anyway there have been a couple of cases where a CV has gone in sand that I know of and both were going backwards when it happened, and both with lots of right boot involved.

Baz.

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