Driving off-road

As a newbie to the 4x4 experience, except tractors and dumpers, I was wondering if I could tap into the experience on this forum, around how best to drive my S3 swb over different surfaces. For example; Snow, mud, sand - is the sop to deflate tyres down to 15 or there abouts? I'm fitting 235/85's on Wolf rims. What other tips generally, do you lot have for negotiating muddy fields? My previous "technique" has been to let the vehicle travel at tickover and use the slow torque to try to maintain momentum without breaking traction, but that's on mud. You see so many vids of people getting stuck in snow and just flooring their 8 litre diesel running on 36" tyres and dragging themselves out that way - which isn't ,instinctively, my way. I am fully intending finding an off-road place as locally as possible and taking tuition, but I thought I'd ask you first. BTW; any recommendations for off-road tuition in/near Cornwall?

Slow speed torque vs high speed power. It's up to you. There's an old episode of Scrapheap challenge where 2 teams tractor pulled a tug of war, one had speed the other had torque and it was remarkably close.

I'm of the same opinion, and agree with LR, as slow as possible and as fast as necessary.
Most of the time, keeping a slow momentum will get you where you need to go.
I love watching a diesel series go round a course on tickover, a sight to see!! Not something my 2a petrol can do, a bit of throttle is needed so it doesn't stall
It all depends on vehicle, how it's sprung, terrain and tyres

There are some great LR intruction vidoes and some army ones, all date from the 60s and 70s and are for Series. I'm sure someone will have the links, they are all on youtube. The answer to everything seems to be low range 2nd gear...

Or low 3rd for going up a steep incline

kermit_rr said:

I'm of the same opinion, and agree with LR, as slow as possible and as fast as necessary.
Most of the time, keeping a slow momentum will get you where you need to go.
I love watching a diesel series go round a course on tickover, a sight to see!! Not something my 2a petrol can do, a bit of throttle is needed so it doesn't stall
It all depends on vehicle, how it's sprung, terrain and tyres

Click to expand...

I like the thought of a hand throttle for this reason. Set it just above tickover, to avoid the stall - mine is the 2 1/4 petrol - I would have thought a big old lump like this could summon up a sufficiency of torque. This is probably related to my tractor days where a hand throttle was a godsend for bouncing across fields and setting nice, consistent throttle demands to the engine.

loose surface ie sand or snow require little torque at the wheels so as higher gear as practicable,low box is just that its not the off road box though obviously there are times you need it ie higher revs low forward speed

These coverall you need:


Just remember (2nd vid 5:30) "a Land Rover immobillized is a moral defeat for the driver..."

I ran a series 3 diesel for several years doing 4x4 trials and would often come out on top over the V8's. Where as with the V8 you have the choice of slow torque or speed/momentum. With the series you have little choice [ Except going down hill ]

rob1miles said:

These coverall you need:


Just remember (2nd vid 5:30) "a Land Rover immobillized is a moral defeat for the driver..."

Click to expand...

Thanks for these.

notice that you need to be wearing overalls so you can nip under and put the wading plug in!