Too deep?????

I do not cross with the family in the car if the water is any higher than the car body its the pressure against the body and the floatation effect which carries the car away, and many crossings are very slippery

Drew,

I have had the bonnet of the 80 Series under water but it was only for a few seconds.

A few things that have to be looked at when doing a river crossing.

How deep, and remember when you drive through you will cause a bow wave. This will increase the hight of water on the front of the vehicle.
The vehicle can also float if the water is deep enough.

How fast is the water moving, if you can't walk the crossing because the water is pushing you feet away then it is not possible to drive it.

If the water is deep and flowing the water will build up on the side of the vehicle and this can push the vehicle off the causeway.

The other thing is water coming through the front of the vehicle and catching the blades of the fan and if they flex it could cut a hole in the radiator.

The last thing you have to ask is Do I have to drive this now. Can I go another way or should I wait until the water level drops.

Wayne

Everything Wayne has written would be correctm My opinion is different again because i use my 4x4 to make a living so try not to put it at any risk,I won't drive anything over 500 mm of still water. better to wait 1/2/3 days if need be for water to lower,better to drive home than catch a bus

I reckon anything over the tyres should be treated with alot of caution. A standard vehicle also has the breathers at about that hight

Hi Drew i had a patrol petrol '89' with a two inch lift have put it through rivers with the water above the bonnet height just had to keep a eye on the current flow this is the main thing i would worry about .
People called me crazy for doing this without a snorkel,but i just made the intake induction tube face the rear of the engine and it was never a problem..

The rule I use is to walk difficult crossings first. If the water is too fast to stand up it doesn't matter how shallow it is you'd most likely be swept away.
Forgetting for a moment the "should I" & "what preparation" questions the maximum depth a car like yours will ford is between 1 & 1.2 metres deep. Thats around the top of the head lights or up to the door handles (when stationary) in slow moving water only. When pushing a bow wave this may mean water breaking over the windscreen!
At this depth it's important to keep the car moving steady as stopping often results in the rear of the car floating & spinning around. (Ivan;-) How much weight you're carrying can be another factor in the car floating particually empty fuel tanks. In very deep water you should be prepared to open the doors & flood the car to put you back on the bottom in order to regain traction.
But to keep it safe, hub depth when fast flowing, top of the tyres when not.
Cheers Craig...........
HZJ105 Vic.

I have had water halfway up the windscreen on a Nissan but only for a very short distance.(Blind and snorkle fitted)

I agree with most of the above posts. Top of the wheel sould be maximum height to cross.

I would do what Doug does, however. Boil the billy and wait till the water goes down.