Car recovery from ditch

Murtle · Nov 17, 2015

Had a knock on the door earlier from an elderly gentleman who had managed to reverse his Pug 208 into a ditch just down the road from my house. Only the back wheels were in the ditch but the car had grounded out in the middle and being front wheel drive was unable to pull it's self out.

Simple I thought, got the Landy out (1980 S3 88" 3.9V8) out and a strap, connected it all up in a nice straight line, told the guy just to make sure the brakes are off but not to try driving just stop when the car pops out the ditch. My Landy was in low 4 with the front hubs engaged, would it pull the car out,,,, not a chance, just sat there and spun one front and one rear wheel. Useless.....

Now I also have a small tractor (David Brown 30D) this weighs less than the Landrover at about 1700Kg's and is only two wheel drive and only 36HP. It pulled the car out the ditch without issue, didn't spin or sound like it was working hard.

Both attempts were on clean tarmac, so why are Landrovers so useless on tarmac at pulling a car probably half the weight out of a ditch?

Coffeelandy · Nov 17, 2015

Maybe because Landy tyres are better suited for offroad? Mind you, your tractor hoiked it out ok so who knows?

blue beasty · Nov 17, 2015

An 88" is about the same weight as yer DB give or take.

It's all down to footprint, just look at the size of the tyres.

If you used difflock on the DB then you had the same number of driven wheels as the Landy but with far more rubber on the road.

Murtle · Nov 17, 2015

No diff lock on the DB, just independents which I didn't need to use, weight wise your probably right that there's not much in it. I was just amazed at how much effort the Landy made it look, and how simple the tractor made it look.

Just pushes me one stage closer to selling the Landy and buying a Unimog

LifetimeLandy · Nov 17, 2015

Murtle said:
Had a knock on the door earlier from an elderly gentleman who had managed to reverse his Pug 208 into a ditch just down the road from my house. Only the back wheels were in the ditch but the car had grounded out in the middle and being front wheel drive was unable to pull it's self out.

Simple I thought, got the Landy out (1980 S3 88" 3.9V8) out and a strap, connected it all up in a nice straight line, told the guy just to make sure the brakes are off but not to try driving just stop when the car pops out the ditch. My Landy was in low 4 with the front hubs engaged, would it pull the car out,,,, not a chance, just sat there and spun one front and one rear wheel. Useless.....

Now I also have a small tractor (David Brown 30D) this weighs less than the Landrover at about 1700Kg's and is only two wheel drive and only 36HP. It pulled the car out the ditch without issue, didn't spin or sound like it was working hard.

Both attempts were on clean tarmac, so why are Landrovers so useless on tarmac at pulling a car probably half the weight out of a ditch?

Could it be the tyres you have had not enough tread or not an agressive enough tread to grip the tarmac ? And were they on standard small wheels ? Or maybe slightly over inflated ? Don't forget a tractor has very big drive wheels which have a large footprint.

Murtle · Nov 17, 2015

Tyres are 235-85r16 Toyo open country M&S inflated to about 25 psi. Laws of physics loose me on this one.

freelance · Nov 17, 2015

Higher hitch point on db tractor so aiding weight transfer to driven wheels, don't forget the tractor would make a better job of pulling a plough!

jamesmartin · Nov 17, 2015

blue beasty said:
An 88" is about the same weight as yer DB give or take.

It's all down to footprint, just look at the size of the tyres.

If you used difflock on the DB then you had the same number of driven wheels as the Landy but with far more rubber on the road.

plus 1

Beneagles · Nov 17, 2015

Our winch is better at recovering vehicles from ditches, or down embankments, than using the landy itself. Anchor the landy...let the winch do the work....

norseman · Nov 18, 2015

It has to be a question of traction.
A few years ago I was called to the scene of a single vehicle RTA involving a friend of mine. His car had collided with a set of traffic lights so hard that the complete set, poles & all, was jammed under his car that also had flat tyres due to the impact with the traffic island. As the recovery truck the plod had requested was some time away & the incident was causing an obstruction, I offered to clear the car off the road. Tow strap attached, low range & diff-lock engaged (part-worn AT tyres) I dragged the car, with the street furniture jammed underneath, across the tarmac & OVER the kerb onto the grass verge (that I was pulling from) with no appreciable effort on the part of my 20 yr. old V8 Range rover auto. The cops stood there open mouthed & I admit to wearing a big grin

warrior · Nov 18, 2015

My 300tdi 90 dragged an l322 rangi that was obstructing a wetTarmac road, although it dint move at 1st I engaged the front and rear arb lockers and it moved then. 1st gear low range and steady away.

Car recovery from ditch

Murtle

Active Member

Coffeelandy

Well-Known Member

blue beasty

Leaks an prone to bits dropping off

Murtle

Active Member

LifetimeLandy

Active Member

Murtle

Active Member

freelance

Well-Known Member

jamesmartin

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Beneagles

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norseman

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warrior

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