Canning and Mechanical Failures
Submitted: Monday, Aug 09, 2004 at 16:46
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sean
People
I have just done a trip down the CSR and wow!!!! - what a trip.
In 20 days that we were on the canning we know of the following - each on seperate vehicles.
- Trailer with snapped off stub (independent
suspension).
- Broken sping on fourby
- Fire in underbody insulation, melting auto box wiring and then limp mode.
- melted shock covers on new shocks (major offroad company branded)
- airbag failure
- another airbag failure
- power steering pipes fatigue cracking off and fluid lost
- winch gearbox rattled loose and would not hold wire
- lost antennas
- driving light rattled to bits (self destructed)
- tail light wiring on late model broke loose due to vibration.
- cracked underbody
water tank on trailer (lost all water)
- cracked roof rack
- cracked fuel tank
- cracked exhaust system
- broken exhaust system
- dislocated rear axle (all diff oil lost)
- another broken stub on trailer with independent
suspension
- and another broken
suspension on trailer (independent)
- and again another broken trailer
suspension (independent)
- fuel injection leak
- bolts and nuts coming loose and falling off
- exhaust system coming loose (another)
- flat and staked tyres
- steering box failure
and the best if not least - a late model TD IFS cruiser dropping off both front wheels with fatigue failure of both wishbones. Oh what a feeling that must of been.
And sorry to dissapoint, I did not see any 3 litre nissans blown up.
and most intersting, there were 2 suzuki swifts that did the lower half from south to north (where we say them) and NO Problems at all in these little 2 door FWD cars running on 8psi on the harder dunes that had some Patrols and Cruisers stuck.
Sean
Reply By: Member - Jeff M (WA) - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 12:04
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 12:04
Bloody hell, sounds like people must have been hammering some vehicles, I wonder if they just go too hard up there because of it's reputation of being such a big mission. I have never done the CSR but I did grow up as a kid in
Marble Bar and my old man used to drive Telecom Landcruisers, wore out 3 of them in 6 years! I don't think that it's particuarly rough terrain, I would imagine it's the constant day after day belting of these vehicles.
I mean what do we normally do, at most 3 days over the long weekend, most of it on the black top, compared to 15 days or so of full on belt the crap out of your vehicle.
IMHO if these people took it a little easier they would still get through everything and would have a vehicle left at the end to take
home with them.
Mind you in saying that I'm as bad as anyone when it comes to giving the 4by a hard time! But normally only on day trips, the further I get away from
home the easier I go on the ol' girl.
I suppose the other factor is that these vehicles are probally very
well setup, but are probally carrying a lot more supplies, fuel, water, food etc than normally, people probally don't curve their driving style to accomdate this extra load.
AnswerID:
72008
Reply By: Member Colin - NSW Bungendore - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 14:25
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 14:25
Without seeing the vehicles we would all have to agree that this is a result of - "too much gear and too fast"
I know Subarus are not everyone choice of 'offroad' vehicle, but some of the trips we have done in them prove the point that - regardless of what you drive, you need to be 'conservative'. Good prepartion and taking time to 'smell the roses' is critical.
Here are some examples of trips we have done from
Perth (return)-
1997 east from
Nullagine via
Bocrabee Hill to Rudal R NP - 1 week - no punctures or mech failures
2001 Jigalong/Durba/Calvert/
Carnarvon Ra - 3 weeks - 2 punctures, no mech failures
June 2004 Carnegie/Calvert/
Carnegie - 2 weeks - 2 punctures on road ??, 1 off road, no mech failures.
Below is an article from the Sunday Times newspaperof WA 18/10/81 to prove the point about preparation and speed.
Six members of WA’s Subaru 4WD Club recently took their vehicles over the
Canning Stock Route, which runs ........... Tackling the
Canning stock route in 4WD vehicles is now becoming fairly commonplace. What makes the Subaru Clubs effort unique is that the trip was made in the original 1600 Subaru, which even club members admit is a family
sedan designed for street driving. Club members wanted to prove that their street cars could do the job and even used the standard two ply radials for the trip. Apart from removing the back seats, adding roof racks and additional shock absorbers on two of them, expedition members kept the Subaru’s as near as possible to standard as possible. "Everyone else who has tried the Stock Route has done so in huge Landcruisers or similar" ......... "We took family cars, where strictly speaking they shouldn't be able to go. I also believe it was the first trip of is kind to be done by Subarus without the help of
winches and backup vehicles carrying parts or petrol,". Ten months planing went into the 18-day trip. Members not only studied maps of the region but also boned up on its history, flora and fauna. The three vehicles sell on the trip were two 1976 and one 1979, four cylinder Subaru station wagons powered by 1600cc engines. Each vehicle carried two people and a 550kg load including spares, a medical kit, a high frequency radio and an extra week supply of food. The massive loads caused problems with the extra pumped up shock absorbers. These were removed and the vehicles completed the journey without a hitch on standard shockies. The only other problems on the 1800km trip were two punctures. Tyre pressure were kept at 30psi and not adjusted for the soft sand on the more than 1000 sand dunes encountered, some of them up to 20m high. ......... Some fuel was carried from
Wiluna but the expedition had arranged more fuel to be left halfway along route. Average consumption was around 22mpg coupled with an average speed of 15mph. The vehicles ran in 4WD for the whole trip and used only first and second gears. None of the vehicles needed repairs after the trip, ..... "We planned the trip carefully and took it easy and I think that's why the Subarus came out of it so
well. We were extremely pleased will their performance." From
Halls Creek the expedition drove across to the coast and completed the trip on the blacktop back to
Perth.
AnswerID:
72035
Follow Up By: duncs - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 20:59
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 20:59
Hey Collin,
Do you know a guy from the Subie club in
Perth called Mark White? Used to have two Liberties, 1 white and the other
grey. Did a trip with the club to central oz in about 95 but remained active with the club for about another two years. He quite tall wife quite short two girls.
Duncs
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Member Colin - NSW Bungendore - Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 22:15
Tuesday, Aug 10, 2004 at 22:15
Sorry Duncs
I don't know that name, but I'm not a member of the Club - maybe an honorary member ? - but I do know quite a few members.
If you are trying to contact that person, get in touch with someone from the Club - use their Web site.
Colin
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: duncs - Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 22:20
Wednesday, Aug 11, 2004 at 22:20
Colin,
I was just fishing to see if we had something in common. He's my brother. He had quite a good time with the club for a number of years. The
Perth Subie Club sounds like a great bunch of people.
Duncs
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