WANTED RESEARCH ASSISTANT - for SAND TEST
Submitted: Monday, May 10, 2010 at 19:23
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Robin Miller
These things looking promising but the record breaking warm weather in Victoria is about to end with a bang and their is no way I will find some soft dry sand in the next few weeks and I need a victum, err Research Assistant to help determine if these things can do half a job at sand recovery.
Nothing goes in our car unless it earns its keep, so what have we got here - as the picture shows I came across these heavy duty plastic drains for $20 each at Bunnings and although 1/2 the size of MaxTracks they would be much more
convient (about 125mm X 900mm about 1kg and 2cm thick).
Note -Use just flat ladder section and throw away the rest!
However its pointless if they don't work, now I tried them on wet grass as per picture 2 and they were a dud.
Well not quite , they bit down really
well into the soft ground but the wet tyre just spun on the top surface against the hard plastic , I suspect that any hard plastic device would probably do the job.
They are really and meant to be driven over and pack up
well.
While they would not be as good as Maxtrack , they cost so little and pack up so
well that you would probably carry 4 in which case 1 under each wheel maybe better than just 2 maxtrax.
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Reply By: Crackles - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 20:21
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 20:21
I suspect Robin the money may
well be better spent putting some tread on those tyres but anything's worth a try :-)
Cheers Craig.............
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:42
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:42
I agree with that one Craig , they are my reference set of BFG AT which are now 8+ years old ,and I am running them out on the local sharp rocks , they are so old they chip like new Coopers.
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Reply By: 944runner - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 20:38
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 20:38
not sure I would rely on them. I recently had to remove one from our driveway as a kids toy went down there, as I was pulling the grate part out it snapped, and yes they were the same ones you have in the
pic and have only been in ground for 6 months. They are super strong across the width (which is what they are meant for), but put pressure on them length ways and not so. I wouldnt rely on them to get me out of a sand bog thats for sure. I think you would be better off with shade cloth or some old
conveyor rubber.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:44
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:44
Interresting 94 , certainly surivived driving on them ok , but I wondered if UV might kill them
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Follow Up By: 944runner - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 22:38
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 22:38
I guess the hard surface under neath didnt allow them to flex very much, I am still interested to hear reports if they work in sand though, as you said cheap compared to other stuff you can buy, also very light and easy to carry.
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Follow Up By: MrBitchi (QLD) - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 08:54
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 08:54
Mate, they're as weak as.. Even new they're very easy to break, as I found out when installing some of that guttering recently..
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Follow Up By: baldman - Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 21:35
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 21:35
Robin, we cut up a plastic pallet and ended up with similar looking tracks to what you had.
On our last trip to the coorong we had to use them to get a tourist's CRV out of the sand it was bogged in.
They worked fine.
The sand that scomes through the tracks actually provides some friction against the palstic as we could see the melted marks on the tracks.
A very good cheap alternative, and they bend
well.
Plus no one is likley to nick them when your stopped :-)
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 08:17
Thursday, May 13, 2010 at 08:17
That sounds interesting Baldman and it sounds like you made a tourist happy - can't say I have seen a plastic pallet !
I note that several replies have shown alternate things that people use
and I guess the tricky thing is how
well compared to Maxtrax which are
probably the standard. Just wish they weren't so bulky and
orange.
The sections I have , and perhaps yours , are pretty flat and have other uses as
well.
I suspect that as you say , sand coming thru onto top surface would significantly increase co-efficent of friction.
I would just love to be able to
check it all out before carrying something
that might be inadequate when the time comes.
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Reply By: Kim and Damn Dog - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 20:43
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 20:43
Gidday Robin
Have you ever thought about using the ribbed floor mats under your feet?
These things have got me out of so many bogged situations over the years.
I’m not saying they’re the bee’s knees, but they work very
well in many situations
Regards
Kim
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:46
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:46
Hi Kim
Yeah thats I good idea and do have
mine just for that possibility but hoping these things may do better and also have structural advantages , but
well I just can't
check out throughly.
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Reply By: Dasher Des - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:11
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:11
Very Interesting idea there Robin. I think that their weakness may be in the length and lack of flexibility but I will see if I can get some samples from a couple of local plumbers and try them out on the weekend at
Big Desert. I'm too much of a tight wad to go buy some for a trial but the locals may have a few bits left over.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:48
Monday, May 10, 2010 at 21:48
I'd send you
mine If I could Des, don't think your near
melbourne if so I would drop them into you , happy to buy you one free If you give us a report.
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Reply By: Member - Christopher P (NSW) - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 00:11
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 00:11
Hi Robin,
Have you thought about winding some rope in a figure 8, probaly a better word would be weave the rope thru the holes in the grate, as then the rope act's as caterpillar tracks and has grip both sides.
i would use some thick cheap rope.
Yes, they call me Mac Guyver
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:36
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:36
THats sounds like a good idea Christopher - was surprised by how easily the tyre slipped on hard nylon , I also suspect that
the gap between the grates was not wide enough to allow the tyre to deform and mould around , if so grinding each 2nd one down a bit would help as would you idea to increase friction - mind you this was not the situation they were meant for.
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Follow Up By: Member - Christopher P (NSW) - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 10:11
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 10:11
Hi Robin
Would be easier then trying to grind down every second one, they are built to support the weight to some extent, the other advantage with the rope is you can weave two of them together to increase surface area!!!
cheap easy effective.
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Reply By: V8 Troopie - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 00:29
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 00:29
I used fencing mesh when traversing the Canning back in 1991, before these fancy plastic thingies appeared on the market.
The mesh did the trick, I used 25 x 50mm mesh, 3mm wire size and cut 6 sections out of a 2.4 x 1.8 mesh.
One end of the short side had the wire stumps bent back to form a hook so the mesh sections could be linked together.
I carried this lot strapped to the bull bar, ready for use, but only needed it twice when bogged after stopping on top of a dune to take pictures. One would think I should have learned the first time to stop on the down slope not the flat bit.
The mesh bent a bit from driving over but was easy straightened by just jumping on it.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:43
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:43
Hi Troppie
OK , I guess I would have thought that mesh would be to open , I have a large roll of 25mm square 1.6mm mesh and could easily
test that out this weekend, never thought of that and it sounds like it worked for you.
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Reply By: Muntoo - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 00:40
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 00:40
Better then that, and they work is milk crates. Cut a side of each milk crate, and just cable tie them together. They can then be folded back up and laid flat on one another. Have been using these for years and they work
well for me in mud and sand. Sometimes if really stuck i stick in some big plastic tent pegs to hold them down and not get flicked out. The old fella had some old rope wrapped and weaved around his for traction, but they didnt fold up as good. I thought some light chain might be better, but have never tried it.
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:40
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:40
Keeping my eye out for some of those Muntoo , I think that the difference they have over these grates is that the pressure point is thinner and so probably gives something for the tyre to grip , I guess the catch is to get enough grip without breaking the edge - but then crate are probably cheap to replace.
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Reply By: Member - DAZA (QLD) - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:34
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:34
G/Day Robin
We use the Orange/Red Road Works Barricade Mesh, the type council use, I do a bit of beach driving and I find it very handy when towing the van on the powder stuff in difficult sections.
Cheers
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Follow Up By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:46
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 07:46
Hi Daza
Think I know the stuff , I think you can buy it at garden
places,plastic , maybe 75mm square ? and couple of mm think - will try that too , thanks.
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Follow Up By: Fab72 - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 09:46
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 09:46
It's called bunting.
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Reply By: Alloy c/t - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 08:47
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 08:47
I made up "tracks" from an old ally security screen door , width of tyre x 1mtr long x 4pieces , cost =$0 + time to cut door , weight = 1 maybe 2 kg. Works on the soft sand on
Moreton island.
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Follow Up By: Member - Porl - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 12:46
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 12:46
May I enquire how you cut the security screen door, I have one downstairs, and I go to Moreton.
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Follow Up By: Alloy c/t - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 17:11
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 17:11
Porl , 4" cutoff disk on 4" grinder then trimmed sharp edges with normal disk , 1hr or so to do whole job.
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Follow Up By: Member - Porl - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 22:43
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 22:43
Ta allpy, and grinder I do have - and the safety glasses!
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Reply By: Member - Gary J (NSW) - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 14:16
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 14:16
Has anyone used those door mats used out of old car tyres? The ones with steel wire holding them together.
They have another use too - as a door mat for the annex.
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 20:48
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 20:48
Gary, I bought one the other day from Bunnings for $10. i bought mine for the back door but i reckon you may be on the money..Michael
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Follow Up By: Michael ( Moss Vale NSW) - Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 20:58
Tuesday, May 11, 2010 at 20:58
This is probably what you are talking about Gary!! Made from recycled tyres!!Image Could Not Be Found Michael
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Follow Up By: Member - Gary J (NSW) - Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 08:48
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 08:48
Yes, that's them.
I wonder if a couple of them linked end wise by cable ties or even rope might work as a cheap alternative to maxxtraks.
Might be worth an experiment especially at 4x $10.
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Follow Up By: trainslux - Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 13:53
Wednesday, May 12, 2010 at 13:53
shade cloth also works well in sand.
I have 2 pieces rolled up smaller than a small sleeping bag.
They unroll to just over 1m wide by 6m long.
Also used carpet from the tray, as it was handy at the time.
Got the shade cloth for free, as it was being thrown out at the time.
Trains
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