Hey GrumpyOldFart that country side looks awesome, I bet the rock is hard on the tyres. What sort of rubber will you run on it?
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Hey GrumpyOldFart that country side looks awesome, I bet the rock is hard on the tyres. What sort of rubber will you run on it?
I will probably rum Bridgestone Dueller A/Ts only cos I do a lot of bitumen to get here. Most long term vehicles up here seem to get 20,000km out of tyres! The clinic troopies run Cooper ST Maxx with no problems. The Police are trying Mickey T's and hate them, they prefer Goodyear Wranglers but still only cet about 10,000km out of them. The Police have problems with OWHS in that they must run manufacturers pressures and they do high speeds on shit roads.
I run my Duellers at 40 front and 50 rear and keep my speed under 100, usually 80. Higher speeds seem to leave the rock standing up from the front tyre running over it ready for the rear to get cut up by it! Hence the Police getting 10,000 km out of tyres.
Going off road there is no substitute for careful driving and tyre placement. Any tyre will get staked or slashed! I killed a near new tyre on a sharp rock hidden in a sand dune.
So pick what suits majority of your driving and drive to the conditions.
Dru
Left Warakurna Roadhouse today. Had a good trip out until just after Docker River! Must have found a sharp rock or something in the soft sand. Next thing I know is ute all over the road and blown tyre flapping noise!
Bugger....took it slow, only 1/2 hour to change, but think it is a bit beyond a puncture repair!!!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/10/51.jpg
A couple of plugs might fix it?
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/10/52.jpg
Yours truly changing tyre!
Bit of damage to the mudguards. Have to get the hammer out when I get home.
Dru
Was in the N.T. And as you would, had to see how the troll & pod handle 130 kmh!
I can report that we survived launch and re entry and had no dramas cruising at 130!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/10/78.jpg
Weeeeell
Got home yesterday arvo after a three day drive and head office rings......
"Where are you?"
I say "Home why?"
They "how soon can you get back to Warakurna Roadhouse?"
Me "I can leave tomorrow but have to get a set of new tyres fitted first."
So 1 night sleep in my own bed and back on the road again.
Only got 4 new tyres, it is near impossible to find any tyre dealer with a set of 6 tyres in stock.
Am trying out the Bridgestone Dueller 697's in 265/75R16.
Dru
I will be very interested in your assessment of those tyres Dru. They are what I have & my eventual intent is to use them similarly to you, but you will click up the miles on yours long before I do on mine.Quote:
Originally Posted by GrumpyOldFart
Cuppa
No wuckers Cuppa, will keep you posted.
At the moment we are spending the night at Marla.
Should make it to the Road House tomorrow.
Started with the tyres set by Bridgestone at 38F & 40R
Felt like I had to push it all the time...went to 40F & 46R and it drives lots better.
Think I have a cooling problem. In today's heat (high 40's) and a crosswind I fought to stand up in, we started climbing the temp gauge if I pushed over 100kmh. The needle only went from its usual spot just on the left edge of the waves to just on the right edge of the waves.
Think I might have to pull the radiator and clean it. Also recon a diesel tune up is in order as I might be over fueling a bit under load. I think that will do the same.
Dru
OK, tyres
Had a good trip in on the Great Central Road, most was 90 to 100kmh.
Some bloody rough bits on the NT side around Docker River.
The Bridgestone Dueller AT's handled OK.
They are not as stable as MT's on loose dirt. Tend to want to find their own tracks, so it all feels a bit loose.
If you do turn though the square edged tread seems to dig in.
They are no worse than any other AT tyre I have driven high speed on dirt. Although I seem to remember a set of Toyos that train tracked dangerously, so bad in fact that The tyre dealer refunded and supplied other tyres. My other test of tyres is to go off the bitumen edge gently at speed, good tyres will hardly notice the transition from bitumen edge to dirt and back. Great tyres will let you hang on the edge with ease, the AT Duellers do this with ease. With the Toyos I had you could have easily lost control.
MT tyres bite through the soft dirt better and give you a more stable ride.
I can handle the loose feeling without a drama and prefer the better ride on bitumen of the AT's.
Not to mention the longer life! Goodyear MTR's I have would be lucky to see 30,000km.
Hope the above helps
Dru
Well, just got the news today.
They have appointed managers for the roadhouse.
So were outa here on the 30 Nov.
Maybe back home or..........
Dru
OK all, fuel economy.........
Over 15,385km traveled I have averaged 17.35l/100km.
Best I got was about 15l/100km being a granny cruising at or under 100kmh on a day with no headwind:icon_driving:
Worst was about 21l/100km pushing 110kmh plus and a bloody strong headwind (had to piss downwind that day!)
Pod is lightly loaded and some 5000km plus of Sandy dirt roads in 4wd high thrown in. Also Melbourne to Adelaide then to Brisbane and back to Adelaide towing a Jayco Swan Outback (1700kg) sitting on 100kmh. The Jayco didn't seem to make any difference to the fuel economy nor did the change from 235/85R16's to 265/75R16's. Just did a quick 1600km round trip to Alice and back for another dose of chemo. Better than Adelaide!
Will try to find a decent diesel tuner and see if that makes any difference.
Finishing here at Warakurna Roadhouse on the 30th November after we have trained the new managers. Then off to find a caravan (unless head office have other plans for us!). Looking for a Windsor Rapid, like the 2 bed idea. Was great in the Jayco but too hard for me to set up. And you had to set it up to get inside. At least with the Windsor a roadside lunch, brunch or snack stop is easy...just open the door and step in! We are trying to find one that is somewhere we haven't been!?!
Remember..
You don't stop laughing because you get older,
You get older because you stop laughing!:hpfredgeorge1:
Dru
How do you find the parabolics after all this travelling ?
I must weigh the ute so this info makes sense.
Unladen they gave a bit of a thump over big bumps as the heavy leaf contacted the rest!
Now with a bit of a light load the heavy leaf is only 10mm off the rest so not noticeable.
They are not as good as coils in ride comfort, but not far off it much better than a multi leaf pack (empty it still rides nice and smooth). Far more articulation and flex and good over corrugations. You must have very heavy duty shocks though as they have a lot of rebound. I would say better load handling than coils, better manners than a 7 or 9 leaf pack. Only problem, not for me though, is that Westralia Springs don't do a GVM upgrade only max GVM.
Jayco on the back did not seem to make any difference but that was only about 180kg ball weight.
My only drama is I think they went too heavy on the front coils so after weighing I will ring them and swap for lighter ones. Front crashes a bit on bumps and corrugations, not enough give.
Dru
thanks for the info ill have to check them out
A couple of photos of the ute I'm getting parts off.
Not a great deal left!
4.2 engine has no head and is rusted in the bores
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/11/94.jpg
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/11/95.jpg
Bit of a storm rolling in!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/11/96.jpg
Dru
Nice pics Dru. Amazing what you can find laying around in the outback.
I know where there is a huge diesel generator in perfect running order out Birsville way, but would need heavy lifting equipment to retrieve it. I also heard of islands in the Buchaneer archipelago east of Ardyaloon (aka One Arm Point) at the tip of the Dampier Peninsula above Broome where there are complete abandoned townships with their own generators, street lights, houses, shops etc etc. Just not economic to retrieve the stuff.
A few more photos of our Podtrol's excursions.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/113.jpg
On the way up the Rawlinson Range behind Warakurna Community.
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/114.jpg
More of the track, just a few rocks
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/115.jpg
Must get a new windscreen!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/116.jpg
Still going up and up
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/117.jpg
Nearly there, just a few hundred meters to go
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/118.jpg
The end is in sight
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/119.jpg
The cairn on top. Bit hard putting another rock on but we did it!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/120.jpg
View of Warakurna Community from the top
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/121.jpg
Fantastic views on the way down
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/122.jpg
No problems for a Podtrol with Bridgy Dueller 697's aired down to 20 front 30 rear
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/123.jpg
Low second and just let it walk down…easy peasy
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/124.jpg
Bumps? hard to hold the camera still sometimes
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...013/11/125.jpg
Much better down the bottom
We are out of here tomorrow. 900 odd km trip to Alice Springs for some more chemo then back out to Warakurna for a short holiday! We seem never to gat enough time off to visit any of the other communities around here. So coming back to see friends at Wanarn, Blackstone, Tjukurla and of course Warakurna.
Have fun cos we are
Dru
Know what you are saying Cuppa
There is a truck load of GQ wrecks out here, but too expensive to get out (about $1000 per vehicle to Alice Springs)
Most, if not all of the wrecks are in the communities where even if you have a permit for the Great Central Road you can not enter. You can't get a permit to enter the Communities.
I may be able to be bribed by the GQ mob to do a parts run, but I'd need a tough trailer for the bits!
And lots of burbon after:cheers:
Dru
That’s a cairn & a half!
Travelling out yesterday, just got past Docker River and we got stopped by a local for a quarantine inspection!
Lucky for us there were no carrots on board..........
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/12/11.jpg
:smileyvault-cute-bi
If there were carrots would you have looked like an ass?
Love it, keep them pics coming, especially the quirky ones like this. Pretty tame eh?
They say in the south Simpson there are wild Ostrich
roaming around about 20,000 of them, Can anyone confirm this??
Threedogs
I can't use "phone a friend" but I will ask the mob for you.
Don't know how to describe a ostrich though.....weird white emu?
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/12/14.jpg
Not like this one. Taste good though!
Dru
This one is for Cuppa
We haven't bought jocks or knickers for a while now.
Have this secret location where we found an underware tree!
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/12/15.jpg
Dru
Got a Photo like that when working on the Ghan line in early 80s
I'll put pic here when I find it.
Tried heaps of tucker when living up there but missed out on the emu
Another one for Cuppa
A bit of bush sculpture
Or
101 uses for a dead camel
http://www.nissanpatrol.com.au/forum...2013/12/17.jpg
Dru
Now that's a cairn & a sculpture rolled into one! :)
Here you go Grumpy was about 30 k south of Marla bore on the Ghan line circa 1980,
full set of feathers back then and fit as a fiddle
have,nt changed much except the hairQuote:
Originally Posted by threedogs
When I see all that camel bone all I can think of is Knife handles[scales].so much camel bone
Ok, can’t ignore it any longer .................. What does ‘palya’ mean?
In Ngaayatjarra language palya has a lot of meanings but all similar to OK or good.
It is sometimes used for thank you but that is stretching it as there is no thank you in their language.
Dru
On the road again
Coober Pedy tonight
You should get a "coat of arms pizza" from Johns pizza there, made with Kangaroo and Emu and bloody tasty.Quote:
Originally Posted by GrumpyOldFart