I'm fairly new to this site, but I don't see any section on off road techniques. I see a lot of people looking for tips but being re-directed. So, unless I've missed something, here's my starter for ten:
I've been riding trials motorcycles for a good while and needed a 4x4. Got given a 200tdi Disco and being totally ignorant of anything 4x4 (yeah really I know !) I can give my tuppenceworth for any newbies.
1/ From trials riding : Walk the section. Walk the section. Walk the section.
If you drive off road blind you will 100% definitely be in trouble.
Don't be tempted to go more than 20 yrds at a time - you'll forget.
Get out. Walk some more, go back, get in and do it again.
2/ Mud - Even if it is two foot deep (especially!) walk the section. Learn how to get traction (see below)
In mud, dig down by foot and feel for rock or stone or grip under the mud.
If there is, you know you can spin and dig down until you hit it.
If there doesn't appear to be, then forget L1 and crawling. picked the highest gear you think you can get away with and launch it. Usually L3 - you need torque not wheelspin. I've happily gone to High box for this! Even better - try carrying boards and placing them where they will assist you. then crawl if you like - provide your own grip in advance ! p.s Keep your thumbs out the steering wheel !
3/ Traction - 4 wheel drive isn't. It just means traction CAN be provided to four wheels IF traction pemits.
If you spin one wheel front and one wheel rear : You are probably going nowhere. The front Diff and the rear Diff will provide power to the wheel which has least resistance. Exactly as with any standard car. But you have three Diffs. Your Diff lock does not lock the Front/and or Rear Diff. It just couples the drive in the middle - the Centre Diff.
So what now? You are looking at, perhaps, a single stationary wheel while three are spinning..... Damn. If only I had traction to that wheel, It's the only one on a grippy surface ! Well, it can be done. A technique familiar to racing drivers. "Heel and Toe" Applying a braking force to the spinning wheel while keeping rev's up. This allows some torque to be transferred from the spinning wheel to the static one. This is best applied by dabbing (like ABS braking but slower) you don't have to use one foot (heel&toe) use two feet if you want. Whaddy want a clutch for? You're spinning aren't you - It won't stall !
This takes a little practice, but you may be pleasantly surprised at how effective it can be.
4/ Traction part 2 - Ok you are bogged down. Hope you aren't sitting on the Diffs? Didn't you walk the section? Well, you had a little grip on the way in, and you can see a little grip on the way out. Why not try rocking her. When rocking; you gradually build momentum applying a little power at the apex of each swing, using the weight and inertia of your Landy to help push you out.
Now the best technique is to USE THE CLUTCH for this, not the throttle. You will only be applying a little more throttle at the 'top' of the swing. Basically, keep the rev's steady so you are not spinning up fountains of mud, but the wheels are rotating enough to give you a few inches of movement (hopefully) before you keep losing traction.
You are trying to drive out your own wheel shaped divots. They slope upwards front and rear. Now at the highest point you lose traction, dip the clutch and allow her to fall back (this may only be inches) as you feel it stop on the backswing, feed in the clutch promptly and gain a little more on the forward swing. Dip the clutch again and repeat. You should find you gain every time. Now with a little practice you will feel if you can feed in a little more power at the top of the swing.
If you get good you can couple this technique with the old heel and toe dabbing the brake. You will need to know if you have a static wheel which you want to bring into play. Get a mate to spot for you. Or, as I have done, leave her spinning in place and walk (stagger) round about and check.
Having a friend, winchman or passenger get out and spot is very useful. They can see where you may be gaining grip or which way to turn the wheel to find traction.
Talking of which; you may find that swinging the wheels slightly side to side may help. They may find grip on the edges of the sidewalls where they don't when facing straight.
Well that's my starter. I bogged myself down my first day out and had to be towed by a Shogun (the ignominy) I went home, thought about it a lot. decided I had done the exect opposite of what I would have done on a trials bike. Thought hard about differentials and went back deliberately to bog myself down again. Using the above techniques I never failed to get myself out or through a section.
Any additions or corrections welcome.
Cheers
I've been riding trials motorcycles for a good while and needed a 4x4. Got given a 200tdi Disco and being totally ignorant of anything 4x4 (yeah really I know !) I can give my tuppenceworth for any newbies.
1/ From trials riding : Walk the section. Walk the section. Walk the section.
If you drive off road blind you will 100% definitely be in trouble.
Don't be tempted to go more than 20 yrds at a time - you'll forget.
Get out. Walk some more, go back, get in and do it again.
2/ Mud - Even if it is two foot deep (especially!) walk the section. Learn how to get traction (see below)
In mud, dig down by foot and feel for rock or stone or grip under the mud.
If there is, you know you can spin and dig down until you hit it.
If there doesn't appear to be, then forget L1 and crawling. picked the highest gear you think you can get away with and launch it. Usually L3 - you need torque not wheelspin. I've happily gone to High box for this! Even better - try carrying boards and placing them where they will assist you. then crawl if you like - provide your own grip in advance ! p.s Keep your thumbs out the steering wheel !
3/ Traction - 4 wheel drive isn't. It just means traction CAN be provided to four wheels IF traction pemits.
If you spin one wheel front and one wheel rear : You are probably going nowhere. The front Diff and the rear Diff will provide power to the wheel which has least resistance. Exactly as with any standard car. But you have three Diffs. Your Diff lock does not lock the Front/and or Rear Diff. It just couples the drive in the middle - the Centre Diff.
So what now? You are looking at, perhaps, a single stationary wheel while three are spinning..... Damn. If only I had traction to that wheel, It's the only one on a grippy surface ! Well, it can be done. A technique familiar to racing drivers. "Heel and Toe" Applying a braking force to the spinning wheel while keeping rev's up. This allows some torque to be transferred from the spinning wheel to the static one. This is best applied by dabbing (like ABS braking but slower) you don't have to use one foot (heel&toe) use two feet if you want. Whaddy want a clutch for? You're spinning aren't you - It won't stall !
This takes a little practice, but you may be pleasantly surprised at how effective it can be.
4/ Traction part 2 - Ok you are bogged down. Hope you aren't sitting on the Diffs? Didn't you walk the section? Well, you had a little grip on the way in, and you can see a little grip on the way out. Why not try rocking her. When rocking; you gradually build momentum applying a little power at the apex of each swing, using the weight and inertia of your Landy to help push you out.
Now the best technique is to USE THE CLUTCH for this, not the throttle. You will only be applying a little more throttle at the 'top' of the swing. Basically, keep the rev's steady so you are not spinning up fountains of mud, but the wheels are rotating enough to give you a few inches of movement (hopefully) before you keep losing traction.
You are trying to drive out your own wheel shaped divots. They slope upwards front and rear. Now at the highest point you lose traction, dip the clutch and allow her to fall back (this may only be inches) as you feel it stop on the backswing, feed in the clutch promptly and gain a little more on the forward swing. Dip the clutch again and repeat. You should find you gain every time. Now with a little practice you will feel if you can feed in a little more power at the top of the swing.
If you get good you can couple this technique with the old heel and toe dabbing the brake. You will need to know if you have a static wheel which you want to bring into play. Get a mate to spot for you. Or, as I have done, leave her spinning in place and walk (stagger) round about and check.
Having a friend, winchman or passenger get out and spot is very useful. They can see where you may be gaining grip or which way to turn the wheel to find traction.
Talking of which; you may find that swinging the wheels slightly side to side may help. They may find grip on the edges of the sidewalls where they don't when facing straight.
Well that's my starter. I bogged myself down my first day out and had to be towed by a Shogun (the ignominy) I went home, thought about it a lot. decided I had done the exect opposite of what I would have done on a trials bike. Thought hard about differentials and went back deliberately to bog myself down again. Using the above techniques I never failed to get myself out or through a section.
Any additions or corrections welcome.
Cheers
