Collie - second look

We returned to Collie to have a second look at the tracks in the same area as the first reckie we did a few moths ago. This was done in preparation for the trip Rob is running next month.
I thought the recent rains would have made some of the spots very boggy but I was wrong. The evidence of the rain was there - wash aways, soggy areas at the side of the tracks, big holes where the water had been flowing over the road etc, but the tracks were generally quite dry and very passable.
We did find a new track which at first glance came to a dead end. Upon inspection, we found that we could easily continue just by driving into the bush a couple of meters, over a few humps and back onto the main road. This looked challenging but was "piece of cake" for the Jimny and the two Sierras having such a short wheel base. Bad luck for the Grand Vitaras - they will have to just watch!
The 215-75 MT (Mud Terrain) tyres make this type of driving quite a lot better - higher clearance and better grip but does appear to impact on the fuel economy. The Jimny took 30 litres to travel 320K+5% (bigger diameter) making 8.3l/100k including the 4x4 section. The fuel used was 98 octane. I am really quite impressed!!
We had a great day and all is ready now for the trip next month.

Day at Dwellingup

Last Sunday was the rerun of our night out at Dwellingup we did a while ago. However, the daylight and lack of rain made a big difference to the level of difficulty experienced this time.
We did have a good time. But two relativly easy climbs and a moderate river crossing made me wonder why I put the mud terrain tyres on. Anyway, the Jimny looks great with them on, and I did not get stuck. And we had a good time exploring a new part of the forest that we had not been to before.
My gearbox is now working OK. My mechanic found two of the gear shift levers inside the gearbox had broken the keeper pins. He managed to take the back of the box off without removing it from the car, drill the old pins out and press new ones in. Smart eh?

Powerlines in the dark

The Jimny in the image is John's (see previous posts) and the Sieria belongs to Rob. No pic of my Jimny this time. Both of these cars have more fruit than mine; John now sporting both front and back lockers and Rob well renowned for the rear LSD and front locker combination.
This trip was just a normal run up the powerline track out of Munadring into the Sayer's Valley district. Although most of the fourteen participating cars found the going pretty easy with some reasonable challenges, the XL7 and standard Grand Vitaras gave up half way along. I didn't bother putting on the mud terain tyres and consequantly found the first challenge of two bolders set one on each side of the track and half a Jimny apart just to much without risking the sills. So I went around after a couple of half hearted attempts.
The climb out of the big hole was not even attempted as I did not have lockers - John showed how to do it with both front and back lockers active and followed by a strong burnt clutch smell.
My major thrill for the night was when I went to pass Rob on the way home only to find I no longer could engage fifth gear. Earlier as I was going along the track, I noticed some difficulty in engaging first gear to the point where Eugene had to take preventative action from running into me. After struggling with the gear stick, I eventually got it into gear and dared not to stop until closer to civilization. The first set of traffic lights back in the city proved my nightmare true - no first gear any more. I managed to limp the cripled beast back to home where investigations indicated something loose inside the gearbox preventing the selection of first, third and fifth gear without a lot of frustration and jiggling.
I have take the Jimny to the mechanic - it is quite difficult driving in traffic with only second and fourth gear, and a tendancy to jam into gear as well. I now have to wait for the diagnosis .....

Return to Collie

In my earlier post, I told you of our reckie to Collie. So this time, we returned to traverse the track we take in winter in the reverse direction.
The length of this track is only about two kilometers long but has some very steep and seriously badly rutted section.
As it turns out, only four cars turned up at the meeting place. There are Rob, our leader, with his modified Sierra - rock hopper kit, front air locker, rear limited slip, serious suspension lift and 235/75 mud terains. Next there was Mat in his Sierra - front and back air locker, serious suspension lift and big all-terrain tyres. Then there was Peter. His coil sprung Sierra has a lift and some monster mud-terain tyres. My Jimny has a modest 50mm suspension lift and 215-75 mud-terain tyres.
The start of the track has a badly washed out drop down into the track which worried us a bit. In the past, we have driven or been snatched up this so it was a bit strange going down nose first. However, with great guidence from each other, we all managed to inch down the rocky, dusty and rutted slope. Rob took a path to the right over some very big rocks and scaped his sill protector. The rest of us chose the left and it was only the Jimny that scraped the suspension hanger as we climbed over Jeff Pit's big rock from the previous trip.
The remainder of the drop down to the creek was a lot easier than we normally would find going up in the opposite direction. However, the climb back out was going to be another matter. Upon inspection, there was evidence of a recent roll-over which made us a bit more worried.
Rob decided to straddle the very deep ruts on the right in the same manner as we do when ascending. OK with lockers and after one failed attempt where he was only seeing blue sky and ended up in the hole, he sucessfully managed the climb without futher incident. Matt tried his luck on the left hand side where the camber of the first part of the track is a bit frightening followed by a very deep rut to straddle to get to the top. He made it up the first part but fell into the hole on the second. The lockers enabled him to keep going and, after a few tries, scraped his way to the top. Peter tried the same trick but, without the lockers, stopped in the hole. The track had a crossover to the right at this point so we manouvered him over to the other side and, with a bit of pushing, managed to get him going again and up to the top. My turn so I decided to take the track to the left and then crossover to the right. As it turned out, the Jimny just drove straight up with a few bumps as it crossed over and was up to the top in no time.
The next section down to Cowbone was very easy except that Rob tried to drive in some deep ruts and had to be extricated when all four wheels just turned and got nowhere, and I tried going over a mound at the bottom and unexpectantly slid sideways.
The last climb, although long and hiding some traps for the uninitiated, looked pretty easy. Rob tried a straddle that did not work the first time, but had no real difficulty getting up. Mat and Peter also did not appear to have any real issues either; however I took the first section a bit to far to the left (did not want to fall in the big hole) and found some very soft and loose soil so lost traction and stopped almost at the top of that section. A change in direction back up onto the ridge got me going again only to get two thirds up the next section and to keep falling off the ridge into the rut. I tried Rob's path but without lockers, I went nowhere. After a few more attempts, I figured that I was turning to soon near the top as the track went to the right and so managed to stay on the high side and get over that section.
The remaining section was just a bit tricky and all of us managed it without any real issues, unlike the Nissan we pulled out of there on the previous trip.

Australia Day Beach trip

This proved to be a pretty uneventful day (as expected). Just a run up through the dune area of Wilbinga, north of Perth.
Paul brought his sister along in her Sierra. She was unexperiences as was easy to tell as she was having problems as soon as there was a little challenge - we all have to learn some time and I am sure she has a much better idea on how to get up a sand dune now!
Of course there were lots of other learners out there to as we found out just after we set up the umbrellas on the beach. An intitial volly of "big machines" roared through the middle of us as the first of the them made their way off the beach and up into the dunes. The second needed a push (from us) to keep going and the remainder (Nissan Patrol, Toyota Prado and Ford Teritory) just sat at the edge of the beach looking stupid! After a few frustating and fruitless attempts, I recommended that they let their tyres down to 10psi and have another go. Again, approaching the incline off beach like snails, they still sat there. This time, I told them to get back a bit along the beach and get some speed up. At last we saw them dissappear into the dunes.
On the return journey, I came across a "lost" 4x4er. I think his girlfriend must have been chewing his ear as he was very keen to follow me to where ever I was going so long as it was back on the black hard stuff.

Mylup to Mandurah

This trip is a real easy one in that for quite a bit of it, I could have not even used four wheel drive. However, getting started while up high on the beach near the dunes required low range and for the sake of my transmission (and the environment) four whell drive is a good way to go.
The tide was really low and, unlike other years, we had plenty of beach to drive on and the sand near the water's edge was quite firm.
I took my mate Jim with me. He just veged out and enjoyed the passing sand and water vistas and we had some "in depth" conversations on the meaning of life - I am still confused!! :)
Graham thought he would try to catch a fish on plastic. Although I am no expert, I think I should show him how to do it. Next weekend's trip to Wilbinga might be a good time. After all, I have caught at least six (6) herring on plastic so far. Maybe I need to start a blog on "fishing with plastic"?
Anyway, we made it all along the beach from Mylup to Tim's Thicket this time - we usually can't get past the rocks at the Mandurah end but the very low tide solved that problem for us.
I can't say it was a really exciting, problem ridden 4x4 adventure but is was a nice day out.

I am really looking forward to the reverse Collie run!

Reckie to Collie

Rob called to organise the reconnoitre to Collie in preparation for the return reverse trip in February.
An early start on Saturday saw us back in the Brunswick Junction area heading for the exit point of our normal winter Collie excursion looking for an alternate route to the main road rather than scratching our way along the very overgrown exit track.
Fortunately, I had taken the time to look at the DOLA Land On Line site the day before and made up some mud maps using the arial photographs of the area we were interested in. In no time at all and after following fence lines and inspecting firebreaks, we were at the exit point with some new challenges in store for those zookers who are brave enough to return with us next month. Rob gave me 14/10 for navigation!
Futher investigation also provided us with a second, alternate exit route and an escape route halfway along the "track of no return" just in case we need it in the future.
The entrance point for next month trip (old exit point) is not looking good, with deeper ruts after the winter rain and a very rocky, rutted drop off!
Should be a fun trip! I will let you know.