How D4 Suspension handling on corrugation and Simpson?

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Originally Posted by IgorKaz

I'm new to this forum. Looking at buying a Discovery. Currently, I'm a Toyota guy. I have a 76 Series Landcruiser 2013 with all the things you can possibly install/attach to it. BP-51 suspension, underbody water tanks, larger fuel tank and massive list goes on. The stories I was told about the Simpson when I mentioned on Toyota forum that I was going there solo... scared me quite honestly. When I got there, going over every dune I thought this is it, it is going to be horrendous over the other side. It wasn't. This was all the way until Big Red. Unticlimactic really. It's nowhere near as bad as people say it is. Remote, sure. Other than that, there was a fellow I passed who was doing it solo in a Freelander 2. That should tell you all you need to know. Oh and the corrugations... regardless of how good ARB says their suspension is, it was a nightmare for the Landcruiser. I thought the panels were going to come loose and this is with their top of the line Suspension. There are massive bogholes that all have an alternate route right next to them so if you don't tempt fate, you will be fine.

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I know where your coming from mate,I've driven solo across vast parts of remote Oz in Land Rovers only for non Land Rover owners to tell me I won't make it.Lucky for me I have poor hearing.:D.

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Originally Posted by IgorKaz

That's exactly what I had to do.... drop the pressures (obviously) and take a run up. Being manual, I would run out of steam at the top and just wouldn't have enough to get over from stand still. So run up was a must for me.
Part of the reason I am looking to get into a Discovery. Don't want to drive stick anymore. Getting lazy.
If you went from the Big Red into the Simpson, that's East to West. This is supposed to be the harder direction with steeper dunes etc. what you drove over at the entry pretty much continues all the way. In fact it is probably "steeper" and "more difficult" closer to big red.

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I went west to east and twice had Tracey get out because I didn't want her I the vehicle if it went over :o.We went in November and there was no track,there had been very strong winds with high temps so we had nothing but sand hills,at one point we simply drove towards the morning sun.After the fourth day way off across a clay pan we saw a reflection,20 mins later you wouldn't believe it but a green Td5 defender turned up,they were lost also and navigated by keeping the morning sun on their backs:cool:.After that we were all good,they followed our tracks,we followed theirs.It ended up being an awesome trip. Pat

On corrugations, I switch the drive mode to grass/gravel/snow. I reckon it feels smoother again as it doesn't try to launch off the top of the peaks like when in normal mode.

Or, I could just be dreaming it and having fun using the gadgets.

Must try that! :D

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Originally Posted by catch-22

On corrugations, I switch the drive mode to grass/gravel/snow. I reckon it feels smoother again as it doesn't try to launch off the top of the peaks like when in normal mode.

Or, I could just be dreaming it and having fun using the gadgets.

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Placebo effect? Either way, your perception is your reality so therefore it is smoother.......:)

I'll give it a go next time also.

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Originally Posted by Dagilmo

Placebo effect? Either way, your perception is your reality so therefore it is smoother.......:)

I'll give it a go next time also.

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It could be the effect of the lower throttle response?

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Originally Posted by Grentarc

It could be the effect of the lower throttle response?

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Yeah that's part of it, for sure. The TC as well, probably.

Around bends with corrugations, whilst towing, absolutely no doubt it's better in gravel mode.

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Originally Posted by catch-22

Yeah that's part of it, for sure. The TC as well, probably.

Around bends with corrugations, whilst towing, absolutely no doubt it's better in gravel mode.

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Yep I do this also when towing, it takes away that tendencey to slide, but it doesn't work on sandy tracks or climbing, for obvious reasons, I found that out the hard way, although in my defence it was my first trip:p

Here I was thinking it was just me, glad I'm not the only one who uses Grass/gravel/snow in certain situations:D

I tried it on gravel when I first got the car but hated the lack of throttle response. I'm all for sliding on gravel!


When I tow I often use sand mode on gravel tracks because of the great throttle response and holding the lower gears a bit more. Especially good on the up and down and round the bend Bungles road.

Having done the Simpson both towing a camper and without at least annually since 2002 I can categorically say a D4 will have no problems at all on those corrugations. This was proven last year when we did the GRR twice and every track, apart from Munja, in the Kimberley all towing and it was the driest season in five years so more corrugations than normal. All good and we kept to on road height unless seriously off road which was rare and when towing or not

Your greatest traction aid in the Simpson is tyre pressures. Get them down to around 18F and 20R if fully loaded. As well and after now covering 57,000km in slightly over 2 years of ownership I reckon in pretty much all conditions when driving dirt roads and tracks we leave it to its own devices. I find sand mode in these situations far too heavy on fuel. The only time I would do that in the Simpson is at the base of a dune then walk it up. The car will do the rest. But you should do a decent sand driving course to actually understand and appreciate how to drive properly in sand regardless of car. As well it is not the corrugations you need to worry about in the Simpson. It is the seriously chopped up tracks over each of the 1,100 dunes caused by numb nuts not lowering their tyre pressures that really cause the problems for traction. Many recommend speed which is not correct. Momentum is the key and that has no relation to going flat out over really rough terrain. Now that is a path to disaster and lots of broken bits. Mostly a D4 well driven will walk up this sort of terrain. A Simpson dune goes like this. Corrugations at the bottom followed by lots of soft and deep wombat holes and just before the top when the numb nuts run out of traction and bury the foot digging a whacking great hole which slowly fills with sand, you end up with a very nice bog hole which is where a snatch strap or maxtrax can come in handy. Crossing is a learning process take it easy and learn. You should be OK after the first 20 dunes and be prepared to not cross first time there is no shame and it ain't a competition. You will reverse down, in low range of course, having tackled it most likely in high but it will be different each time. Then add a small amount more momentum and try again.

Enjoy

Rob