Anne Beadell corrugations

This is a serious question. How do you "drive to conditions" on a road like that?
Kevin

hey Kev..... exacty that, "drive to the conditions" ........ let the tyres down, i mean right down and drive slow, the "conditions are there for all to see and take it easy eh...... they are bad but that is why most go bush, if we are after smooth roads and no dust then we all would stick to the black top and cruise along at the "conditions" ....
Cheers
Joe

Thanks Joe. I asked the question for a reason. I don't think there is enough information about rough road driving techniques on this forum. Contributors often ask about road conditions to be told "Drive to the conditions". Many of them will not know what that means. Questioners are often advised to slow down but speeding up seems to be a technique used by many drivers to smooth out corrugations.
I know where you are coming from with the reason for driving on back roads. That's why my conventional van has gone and an off road version is on it's way. So I am trying to get as much information as I can on changed driving approaches for when I take it off road.
Kevin

Fit BIGGER wheels and tyres. :-)

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

Hi Kev

We were running 18psi and drove quite slow, anything from 20 - 40 kilometres per hour when lucky, and in that way you are driving to the conditions.

Also driving to the conditions also involves many regular stops to stop and smell the roses and let the shockers cool down. You will find the ones that have trouble are the ones that travel faster and do not let their tyres down.


Cheers


Stephen

interesing you say that about speed Kev, speed is a big factor in getting it right, for instance on the Tanimi we had to slow down to about 25-30 klms, so we let the tyres down to 18psi and found it best at about 60klms, any less it was bad and any more it was not safe yet with harder tyres it was not possible to go at that speed .............. there is possibly some "technically explainable" reason to do with harmonics, it is the same as a glass breaking with a certain sound frequency, it is exactly the same with your car and all the factors that make it happen, the shockers and the rate of rebound, the springs and again the rate of re-bound, the tyre pressures and even the type of tyres will affect it, every vehicle is different, you can have 2 x 1998 80 series landcruisers with exactly the same tyres, motors, springs ect and one can travel better than the other for some reason, maybe the shocks are older and the re-bound is less and wont adsorb the bumps, it is "technically" explainable but for us as a traveller we just drive to the "conditions" and that is not limited to the road and climate, it is half to do with the vehicle, you know that on a really cold day the oil in the shocks will be colder, cold oil is thicker so the shocks will respond slightly slower ...... so driving to the conditions is simple to say eh but is really up to the driver and how well he understands the vehicle, no not the road but the vehicle and how it responds to any road that goes under it's wheels, you get to know how it "feels" and that is when you can finally learn how to drive to the conditions ..... you "read" the road ahead and then make a plan to "drive to the conditions" adjusted accordingally to what type of vehicle you have and how it "feels" at the time .... (sounds like an answer Juliar would give hahahaa)
Cheers
Joe

I ran tyres on the tug at 16psi and 10psi on bush trailer and sat on 60kmh over the bad parts of the AB. Seemed to work then. Shockies got a bit hot tho....lol

Spoke with a much travelled bloke in his late 70's yesterday who said that he leaves tyre pressures on tug and caravan around 55psi and has never had an issue with punctures or breakages.

Two different trains of method......both seem to work!

Thanks for the detail. A lot of things there that I would never have thought of. Shocker oil temperature, for example. Obviously trial and error but the underlying principles help it all to make sense.
Joe, love your Juliar comment.
Kevin

Hi SIF4X4

Firstly a lot of mature aged people think that they know it all, and sometimes they do, and there are a lots that know nothing, but there is no way the car would survive an Anne Beadell Highway trip at 55psi, the car would simply shake to pieces.

The lower tyre pressure acts like a shock absorber and at that very high pressure, you would feel every any hole.


Cheers


Stephen

Your right Peter, I drive a Unimog with 12.50 x 20 tyres and these type of tracks are not a problem as the tyre is to big to fall into the hollows Regards Noel

Any driving off the black top is a whole range of compromises. Speed, tyre pressures, vehicle weight and weight distribution, modifications, road conditions, driving style, vehicle type and model, driver experience etc. There is no right answer to "driving to the conditions". There is no science behind most of the accepted approaches to these situations. They are just some generally accepted principles based on experience and some sort of logical approach.

I find I get more punctures if I drive fast so I drive slower. Others will tell you they do 110km/hr and have never had a puncture. Good on them. It is not my experience. So driving to the conditions is what you do in particular given your previous experience. You can try others suggestion if they seem sensible but in the end it is for you to decide. If you don't feel comfortable with something it is likely not a good idea to be doing it.

Steve

Hi to a;l
what I find interesting about "drive to the conditions" is that people should really drive to their capabilities. We have just returned (sadly to floods and wet in Gippsland) from doing the Gunbarrell followed by Canning Stock Route, to Halls Creek to Kununurra, across Gibb River Road to Broome and onto Beagle Bay fishing, back to Halls Creek and down the Tanami to Alice Springs.
There were 6 of us and one couple continually asked everyone they saw "What's the road like" then stressed ...... We had opinions ranging from the "worst" to "sensational" bit of road. It all depends on what you have as an expectation, what kind of driving you like doing and what experience you have and your ability to adapt to where you are.
The couple who stressed headed off to Mitchell Plateau alone when we went to Broome and it has put them off their trip to the Simpson in September. It's all a matter of perspective, common sense and getting out and doing it.
We had a ball and can't wait to re do GRR and up to Mitchell Plateau and Kalumbaru next trip.

Hmmmm "drive to the conditions" or the capability of your vehicle.

I've been on the AB twice (both directions) and Connie Sue (which IMHO is worse) in a 1982 HJ47 (Leaf springs) running BFG Muddies. Never had a flat and let the tires down to low 20's. I find no matter the tire pressure, if I travel at less than 65 kmh on these roads, the troopy wants to jackhammer itself to bits.

Despite the fact that you can't jackhammer a 40 series to bits, the gear and the driver get hammered. I've got to keep the old girl above 65-70 kph to keep from needs a spine replacement.

Yeah...what if?.....lol

Gday ob,
I agree you can definitely drop pressures too low. But there are a lot of factors - not just pressure. I caused minor delamination of the sidewalls on some Goodyear MTRs when I did the Anne Beadell/Connie Sue/Gunbarrell Hwy etc etc in a 45 degree heatwave. Got them replaced when I got home. But it is the only damage I have had and I do parts of the Anne Beadell Hwy and other corrugated outback roads every year.

My advice is still to keep the pressures low - I'd rather damage a tyre than trash the rest of the vehicle or trailer. I've see some amazing sights every trip - bent chassis, bullbars broken off, side windows broken, lights shaken out of their holes, damaged trailers etc - most I believe are from travelling too fast with high pressures, and too much weight behind the rear axle.

I must support ob in the pressure debate. While I havent done the AB, I travelled the
Ood, Tanami, Mereenie,Gulf, GRR, Kalumburu & Bungle roads...all at 40 psi & 30 in the C/t.
I have yet to suffer tyre or any other damage & the tyres werent always BFG/Cooper
AT or similar. I'll admit to losing a 20L water container on the Tanami when the
securing bolt shook loose, but the well worn Highway pattern Silverstone tyres on the
front were fine. I have lost count of the times I have been overtaken at speed by
wallowing 4wds with half flat tyres..only to find them stopped up the road with the
side torn out of the tyre. I dont expect to win any argument with the low pressure
lads, but I am happy to be a "know nothing" old b who considers correct load &
speed protect from tyre & other damage..not fiddling with pressure......oldbaz.

G'day Bruce
Just back from the Anne Beadell and Connie Sue ourselves.

The trip you plan will miss some of the worst of the corrugations which were around Emu - but you'll still get to experience them. They are most of the way to Ilkurlka. However no doubt your track to Vokes Hill Cnr will see you well and truly corrugated by then!

You'll see heaps of wild flowers and probably camels along the AB.

Make sure to look at the signs at the SA/WA border and see if you spot the stuff-up!

As we turned down the Connie Sue I can't say what the rest of the AB is like. The CS was smooth as - at least to where we turned off (Plumridge Lakes).

As for tyre pressures I drive a 100 series IFS petrol and had 20psi at front and 28 at back. Others in the group (2 x 100 series, 1x 79 series and 1 x Nissan ute) had similar. One doesn't believe in lowering pressures too much stayed up around 40psi.

We stopped regularly to check out flowers etc and never had any shockie issues. Travel speed was very variable - anywhere from 20kph to the very odd 60kph. After Ilurlka you will speed up significantly.

It's a wonderful trip with heaps of great camping spots.

$2.70 for both diesel and Opal petrol at Ilkurka - great hosts. Give them a call in advance and they'll keep an eye out for you. I think they are closed Sundays if I recall correctly. Plenty of good water there.

Happy travels.

Thanks MightyMoose,

That's really good info. We are quite happy to lower our tyre pressure and 'smell the roses'. The group going are experienced but we feel that this might be the most remote trip we have done.

Thanks about Ilkurlka as we had intended to let them know we were 'on the way'. It's great to hear that it is a wonderful trip.

Thanks,

Bruce and Di

Hi Bruce & Di

The pic was taken zero ground zero.

Laurie

Laurie,

They are certainly beauties! We'll just lower tyre pressure markedly and toddle along with lots of rests. We're not in a hurry anyway.

Thanks.

Bruce and Di

Well there you go, I thought it was just me being a grumpy old fart. You hit the nail on the head Phil.......natures speed humps.

ob

Thanks Beemer,

That's what we think, take our time, lower the pressure and just enjoy. We intend to go west too; to Laverton.

Cheers,
Bruce and Di