east - west is a cool trip past the Turquoise mine (if you know what you are doing - tire pressure, gears etc)
If you want to play it safe, go west - east.
Nice photos of La Turquesa Canyon trail and climbing the grade... then I saw some of the Punta Final (Molino de Lacy) south to Pioneer Mine/ Coco's
Corner track that was recently discussed here.
About nine years ago Roy (The squarecircle) with TW and others pioneered the La Turquesa trail in Roy's LR-3. They also needed to clear overgrown
brush. Ken Cooke and some Jeeps tried to get through a few months earlier.
All this after I posted photos from the top of the grade looking down, in 2007: http://vivabaja.com/207/
Here are some photos from the bottom of the grade to the monument at the top and beyond toward Hwy. 1:
doesn't have lockers, but traction control
not very effective on that grade as the spinning tires and dust clouds tell us
tires do not have enough volume of air to be aired down effectively
so, he is chewing up the grade, making it harder for the next vehicles
very much like widow maker
used to be an easy drive - now driven to chits by bad drivers
I drove both around 1990, bumpy but semi graded
10 psi, both lockers, no dust, no glory
almost boring
when we did the cow patty grade (turquoise trail grade) again in 2014 it was a challenge even with lockers
and 10 psi did not do it any longer
No, the Land Rover has a traction control system similar to Toyota's A-TRAC, an amazing no-slip device that is best described as "automatic lockers"
on the front and rear wheels.
Roy went to Mission Santa Maria in 2007 with that LR3 and had no problem with the Widowmaker or any other section. Neither did a I with my '05, rear
locker Tacoma.
here is a tip for airing down that I have not published yet
if you have a really steep grade (like the cow patty grade)
when tilted up, the center of gravity of your truck changes dramatically
meaning the rear carries substantially more weight than the front
if you would have equal tire pressure in all 4, your front would have much less traction as a result
spinning front tires and not making it up the hill are your last concerns
the increased torque load will lead to broken rear axles (even wonder why Jeeps usually break the rear?)
your way out is to have the front aired down to 40-50% of the rear
that will create equal traction on all 4 (that's why they invented WD in the first place)
so, on our last trip up the grade I had the rear at 10 psi and the front at 4 psi
no slipping, no dust, no trail destruction
of course you have to have a good compressor (high volume) to correct the front right after.
too lazy, no compressor? You'll pay in broken parts. And you are fugging the trail for the next
here is a tip for airing down that I have not published yet
if you have a really steep grade (like the cow patty grade)
when tilted up, the center of gravity of your truck changes dramatically
meaning the rear carries substantially more weight than the front
if you would have equal tire pressure in all 4, your front would have much less traction as a result
spinning front tires and not making it up the hill are your last concerns
the increased torque load will lead to broken rear axles (even wonder why Jeeps usually break the rear?)
your way out is to have the front aired down to 40-50% of the rear
that will create equal traction on all 4 (that's why they invented WD in the first place)
so, on our last trip up the grade I had the rear at 10 psi and the front at 4 psi
no slipping, no dust, no trail destruction
of course you have to have a good compressor (high volume) to correct the front right after.
too lazy, no compressor? You'll pay in broken parts. And you are fugging the trail for the next
Excellent tip!
This center of gravity shift, when climbing, is also why a rear locker is far more valuable than a front locker (for non-electronic traction
controlled rigs) if you have funds for just one locker and wonder which axle to put it on!
Excellent tip!
This center of gravity shift, when climbing, is also why a rear locker is far more valuable than a front locker (for non-electronic traction
controlled rigs) if you have funds for just one locker and wonder which axle to put it on!
one locker is a bad idea!
one locker plus traction control is kinda acceptable
like I said before, with most of the torque (due to the locker) on the rear axle, it is prone to breaking
any torque not transformed into movement will go into stressing vital metal parts
Excellent tip!
This center of gravity shift, when climbing, is also why a rear locker is far more valuable than a front locker (for non-electronic traction
controlled rigs) if you have funds for just one locker and wonder which axle to put it on!
one locker is a bad idea!
one locker plus traction control is kinda acceptable
like I said before, with most of the torque (due to the locker) on the rear axle, it is prone to breaking
any torque not transformed into movement will go into stressing vital metal parts
Well, lockers are usually selectable and few vehicles come with front and rear lockers. The Jeep Rubicon, has front and rear selectable lockers yet
some Jeepers don't always use them or use them both... Here's a video of a Rubicon that had to be pulled out of a rut in the road:
The Tacoma Off Road has a factory rear locker (selectable) and is advertised for emergency use only (to get unstuck). Since 2009, the 4WD Off Road
Tacoma has A-TRAC, and the locker is really just in one's 'back pocket' now. The A-TRAC has never failed me, and where I needed the locker on my '01
and '05 Tacomas (for places like the Widowmaker), my A-TRAC Tacoma doesn't need it.
Traction is an interesting science... and one thing anyone can do to improve traction or get unstuck is to LOWER the air pressure in their tires!
too much air in the tires of the Rubicon (especially the front - remember CG?)
front locker not used
winching vehicle too close to winched vehicle (at this length, winch has less than 40% of it's pull - maximum pull only when cable is all out)
winch cable handled without gloves
looks like (correct me, if I am wrong) that winch is hooked up to winch
woman steps over winch line
winched vehicle uses too much gas when pulled (overrunning cable)
I would have used a few rocks in the rut to ease the climbing angle
if the winch were absolutely necessary, I would have used the winch only (safer)
if time were of the essence, a tow strap tandem pull would have been much faster
just observations to make things safer next time (there will be many next times) - all those things are very common mistakes, so don't feel bad about
it.
harald, did your mercedes come with a factory FRONT locker?
of course - a professional 4WD (Unimog, Pinzgauer, Rubicon, G, Toyota before 2000 etc) has to have lockable center font and rear - otherwise it is not
a serious 4WD.
So, when I do buy a vehicle I need to have front and rear lockers... it only makes sense.
I am looking at the VW Amarok crew cab when I do make the jump.... I need a daily driver, a work truck and something we can camp out of for surf trips
and interior trips during the summer.
the Amarok is a pavement vehicle that can sometimes (not too much) be taken to play in the dirt
doesn't have lockers, but traction control
not very effective on that grade as the spinning tires and dust clouds tell us
tires do not have enough volume of air to be aired down effectively
so, he is chewing up the grade, making it harder for the next vehicles
very much like widow maker
used to be an easy drive - now driven to chits by bad drivers
I drove both around 1990, bumpy but semi graded
10 psi, both lockers, no dust, no glory
almost boring
when we did the cow patty grade (turquoise trail grade) again in 2014 it was a challenge even with lockers
and 10 psi did not do it any longer
responsible people that respect the wilderness strive to tread lightly, leave no trace.
once again we see photoblogging of nomads treading heavily, leaving traces, cutting brush, creating road scars where road scars had previously
healed,...
So, when I do buy a vehicle I need to have front and rear lockers... it only makes sense.
I am looking at the VW Amarok crew cab when I do make the jump.... I need a daily driver, a work truck and something we can camp out of for surf trips
and interior trips during the summer.
the Amarok is a pavement vehicle that can sometimes (not too much) be taken to play in the dirt
That pretty much describes all 4x4 pick ups.
The Amarok holds its own offroad.
Hey goat, what is it called when they built a paved highway through the deserts of Baja California and bulldozed down millions of cardon and cirio
trees so you could zip down the peninsula on pavement? The dirt road we drove to La Paz on in 1966 passed between and in the shadows of those
magnificent trees. The clear-cut of all life, hundreds of feet wide for a 19 ft. wide highway was insane, IMO.
Hey goat, what is it called when they built a paved highway through the deserts of Baja California and bulldozed down millions of cardon and cirio
trees so you could zip down the peninsula on pavement? The dirt road we drove to La Paz on in 1966 passed between and in the shadows of those
magnificent trees. The clear-cut of all life, hundreds of feet wide for a 19 ft. wide highway was insane, IMO.
David,
it is not a numbers game. It is not about rational arguments. The one who see nature suffering are very emotional. Have you ever argued with someone
who is emotional (like your wife)? You know the outcome.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
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