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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 29510
Registered: 9-2-2006
Location: Punta Banda
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WASHBOARD ROADS
Here's a question that has been on my mind almost forever and what better place than here on Nomad to get a definitive answer...or two....or.......
On a washboard road, what is the best method to drive over it...fast?...slow?
By best I mean for your vehicle suspension, tires etc.........and for your kidneys.
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krafty
Super Nomad
Posts: 1052
Registered: 8-23-2010
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fast-to get it over with as quickly as you can, I think.?!
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Bajamatic
Senior Nomad
Posts: 571
Registered: 8-31-2006
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driving over the top - speed depends on distance between the weaves. 35 usually does the trick. And air down.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmxMQwhcVF0
[Edited on 5-24-2011 by Bajamatic]
yuletide
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oldlady
Banned
Posts: 1714
Registered: 10-31-2005
Location: BCS
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My husband agrees with Bajamatic. They are ubiquitous in our neighborhood. I drive very very slowly, the rattle and bounce isn't any worse and the
dust on my neighbors' laundry is a lot less.
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Curt63
Super Nomad
Posts: 1171
Registered: 3-28-2009
Location: San Diego, Ca.
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Mood: Fish tacos and Tecate
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Faster is better but you have less control - ABS brakes may not work. Best to turn them off if possible.
Put it in 4HI if you got it for more control
Air down to 20 PSI or lower if you got beadlocks.
Good shocks are the key.
Drive on the berm if possible or look for the smoothest part of the road.
Careful if you touch the shocks to check temperature. Bajawarrior burned his hand but has an excellent remedy for that malady.
Duct tape all fillings in and get on it!
No worries
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Mike99km
Nomad
Posts: 178
Registered: 5-23-2007
Location: San Dimas and ? in baja
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I have never melted shocks by going slow, I have melted shocks though.
Speed is harder on the vehicle. Slow speed is harder me, I sometimes get upset when my beverage foams over.
At speed:
tires will break down
gas cans will show you where they leak
racks and the stuff in them tend to come apart
wash board is like a liquid wrench fro all things bolted
you don't have time to change things headed the wrong way
I still can't hold myself back sometimes and go fast. I understand the price and am willing to pay.
[Edited on 5-24-2011 by Mike99km]
[Edited on 5-24-2011 by Mike99km]
You live the life you settle for.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W. C. Fields.
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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My experience is that the WORST speeds are between 15 and 25MPH.The vehicle is bouncing on the washboard and the suspension isn't doing what it's
design to do. 35-40 and the suspension is absorbing the ups and downs of the road for a smother ride. 4-5 MPH and you go up and down with the
washboard and are not hitting the bumps with force to cause big jolts.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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comitan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4177
Registered: 3-27-2004
Location: La Paz
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Mood: mellow
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I'm also willing to pay the price!!!
Strive For The Ideal, But Deal With What\'s Real.
Every day is a new day, better than the day before.(from some song)
Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand over my mouth.
“The sincere pursuit of truth requires you to entertain the possibility that everything you believe to be true may in fact be false”
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18376
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DENNIS
By best I mean for your vehicle suspension, tires etc.........and for your kidneys. |
best for you car is very slow. fast is OK for your car, but not better for your car than really slow. medium speed can cause a lot of wear and tear.
i really doubt you can damage your kidneys from driving bumps. it may feel like it, but the damage is imaginary, not real damage to your kidneys.
probably what you feel is general fatigue from your body being jostled. if you got a big gut and poor muscle development in your trunk, you probably
fatigue more easily with jostling.
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bajajudy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6886
Registered: 10-4-2004
Location: San Jose del Cabo,BCS
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The old 4 or 40 rule
I lean toward 40 also.
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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We have 15+ miles of mostly washboard between us and town. The best compromise for body, vehicle and safety is 4-20-40.
4 wheel drive
20 psi
40 mph
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CDB
Junior Nomad
Posts: 68
Registered: 2-11-2011
Location: San Felipe
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I definitely prefer to run on the tops. Especially in the Baja Bug.
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tiotomasbcs
Super Nomad
Posts: 1837
Registered: 7-30-2007
Location: El Pescadero
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Is that what they call it--4-40?? I'm with the air down--20lb and 35mph. However, when driving my Odyssey it's slow, slow slow! Fill up the cooler
and fire a fattie! The Tacoma don't care but da Honda sys why hurry?? So
many variables but easy does it!  Tio
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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Its a very good question. A lot of it depends on what you are driving. We drove our 4x4 Ford F250 with Lance cabover camper down to Gonzaga Bay on
that very rough washboard road a few years ago. I had to go pretty slow or I would have rattled my camper to it's possible death. On normal roads I
have 75 pounds of pressure in each tire, so airing down to 20 pounds they would be flat, because of the load. I did air down to about 50 pounds and
we made it fine, with very little damage to the camper. However, it took us 6 hours to drive 40 miles or so.
But, it was worth it once we got there (had our kayak on top of the camper). The bay was slick as glass the first morning and we loved it!
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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Sublimity
Junior Nomad
Posts: 27
Registered: 10-21-2010
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Fast...Fast...Fast
I hate the "beating" everything takes when going slow over washboard roads. However, it is much dependent upon what kind of suspension you are
running. Shocks do make all the difference; it was explained to me that once "cheap" shocks fade they rarely come back, good shocks on the other hand
will fade with heat but will restore once cooled. I suppose each must find their own happy speed!
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BajaWarrior
Super Nomad
Posts: 2307
Registered: 9-27-2006
Location: Mission Bay, San Diego. Playa Hermosa, San Felipe.
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Mood: Anxious to get south
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Curt63
Faster is better but you have less control - ABS brakes may not work. Best to turn them off if possible.
Put it in 4HI if you got it for more control
Air down to 20 PSI or lower if you got beadlocks.
Good shocks are the key.
Drive on the berm if possible or look for the smoothest part of the road.
Careful if you touch the shocks to check temperature. Bajawarrior burned his hand but has an excellent remedy for that malady.
Duct tape all fillings in and get on it! |
Ah yes, a proven remedy!
Haven't had a bad trip yet....
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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Fast as you can. My favorite road to really gun it is to and from La Gringa at BOLA. About 50-55 mph does it good. Dangerous though on curvy roads.
There's zero traction. I drive a big 5.7L Tundra.
[Edited on 5-25-2011 by Marc]
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Roberto
Banned
Posts: 2162
Registered: 9-5-2003
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bajalou is correct (of course). Above or below the full impact of the microbumps of the washboard. Below can be painfully slow. Above can be painfully
punishing on the parts if they are not up to the job.
If you are NOT equipped for high-speed travel on washboard (i.e. stock suspension) bite the bullet and pay the price in speed or repairs, depending on
your choice.
If you are - enjoy. It's an exhilarating feeling to "float" on the washboard - just don't slow down!
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redhilltown
Super Nomad
Posts: 1130
Registered: 1-24-2009
Location: Long Beach, CA
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I'm with Roberto on this! Either know what you are doing and have the truck and spare parts to do it with or slow down.
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El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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We too live about 13 miles of bad road from the nearest pavement. So we get a lot of practice. We run the Pilot tires at 15 psi in all wheel drive.
4wd on a dirt road makes you track sooo much better. Never understood people that have it and don't use it, like they are saving it for something?? 35
mph does work well when road conditions merit. Faster on long straightaways. BUT you can't stop in a hurry. You just slide. We bonked a cow in the
head the other evening coming home from dinner out. One side mirror damage.
An interesting thing I've found is that generally the left side of the road is smoother going up hill and the right side better on the way down. Most
people stay to the right and the spinning and skipping of tires on the up-hill side cause bigger washboard.
To Paula and me the worst part of the drive is what it does to our spines. Low back, neck, you get the picture. But hey, its worth it to be here
looking out at that beautiful blue sea.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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