Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:44:18 -0400
Reply-To: Jeff <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Jeff <vw.doka@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Science of Washboarding
In-Reply-To: <4ABF9B86.5040709@gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="US-ASCII"
You found the sweet spot for that washboard. Years of driving in Baja have
taught me to seek the sweet spot on the many (so many) washboard roads down
there. Sometimes, it's not possible as you just have to go too fast to get
"on top" of the bumps.
BTW: it's much easier on the equipment (and driver) when you find the sweet
spot.
Cheers,
Jeff
-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of
Rocket J Squirrel
Sent: Sunday, September 27, 2009 1:06 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Science of Washboarding
During yesterday's exploration of local campgrounds I encountered a couple
unpaved roads that were heavily washboarded,* some causing such bad
juddering that I had to slow down and creep along so the van would not
shake itself apart.
On the return trip I tried going sufficiently fast (40 mph or so) that the
tires and suspension could float a little. The ride was nearly smooth.
Okay, this has Vanagon content because I don't want to damage the van with
that technique. While it felt miles better in the driver's seat when I was
going fast, I wonder if I wasn't putting a lot of stress on the tires or
suspension.
Thoughts? Or even better, knowledge?
====================
* I recall reading someplace how cars create washboard in the road due to
bouncing off some existing bump and mashing a second bump into the road,
which bounces the next car, creating a third, &c., until you got them
washboards. However, yesterday I came across a device parked on a side
road in the forest that appears to have been specifically designed to
imprint the corrugations into the road surface. It consisted of two large
drums, each about 6' wide and 4' high, roughly, mounted side-by-side on an
axle. The circumferential surface of the two drums had steel corrugations
spaced about a foot apart all around the drum. I bet any tyro FBI
fingerprint student could match up with the grooves in the road. The
device had a trailer tongue that the front so it could be towed behind a
tractor or something. To make the roads into washboard roads.
--
Mike "Rocket J Squirrel" Elliott
84 Westfalia: Mellow Yellow ("The Electrical Banana")
74 Westrailia: (Ladybug Trailer company, San Juan Capistrano, Calif.)
Bend, OR
KG6RCR
