give me a centimeter and I ll take a kilometre
Hmmmm, convince a wife that her way is wrong if she has already convinced herself it is right.
Good Luck with that one! But if you figure it out, please let me know the correct procedure.
I drove on washboard roads all the time as a teenager. In an empty-bed pickup truck, so I’d definitely notice and hear the quality of the ride. There was usually a certain speed where the ride was clearly the smoothest. That speed varied from road to road, tended to be 35-40 mph. Sometimes you just had to be close to that speed, sometimes the speed range was very narrow, +/- 2 or 3 mph. Slower or faster than that and the ride was definitely worse. I don’t know how it affected the wear on the truck’s suspension system though. The truck needed new shocks every few years I guess, but no springs or mounting brackets ever got broke and needed welding.
I’m a stay up on top of the bumps guy myself. Of course if that wears out the shocks or struts- so be it.
I view a car as a tool to be used and even abused as I see fit.
That attitude may come from years of being paid by the mile and driving company trucks that I didn’t have to pay to repair.
Do you want to be right, or do you want to be happy?
Btw...the faster any car drives over washboards...the worse the wash board gets !!!! Your wife is making the road worse by speeding
Really? I thought that washboard was formed by cars all driving the same speed, with the same general shock rebound characteristics, etc…sort of like how skiers create moguls. I’d think that being an “outlier” (either fast or slow) would act to break down the washboard.
the washboards I have seen are created by grading the dirt road.
Well, the guys tested this:
Science and physics aside, on the private road to our cabin, the speed limit is 15 mph. When the road hasn’t been cared for and has washboards, even that speed is too much. Much faster and I’d bounce right off the road. So I guess I’m just for slowing down over bad roads. I don’t know what causes them. I thought it was the wind.
probably many causes…
There are washboards, then there are washboards. W/some versions there is no other alternative than to go slow.
My experience has been exactly like Caddyman’s and Myth Busters. I learned to drive on gravel roads in the early 60’s. There was a lot of washboard and at a certain speed, it smoothed out. the car runs along the top of the bumps, and the suspension doesn’t suffer except when starting and stopping.
Here in Mexico, several years ago, my wife’s aunt and uncle were near the end. A cousin took care of them, and it was a long drive around the mountain to get there. He hates to drive anyway, so he would call me at any hour of the day or night if the caretaker called him.
There was a three mile stretch of gravel and rock, with a lot of washboard. Yes, same thing, speed up and at a certain speed, it smooths out. The other choice was to drive around 3 or 4 mph.
When I finally wore out that set of tires, I bought new, during my annual visit back to McAllen. They checked the tire wear, and didn’t even bother to align the front end.
Where washboard formation is the worst, they form in these locations because it’s impossible to go fast enough so they don’t form to begin with…
They can be formed by poor acceleration habits over poor traction areas and increased by run off from the rains. On paved roads, you get skid marks. On poor traction areas, you get ruts on low speed acceleration and washboards at slightly higher by solid axle trucks. Being able to keep speeds constant is a key to not forming them. They come back in low traction areas where people do not know how to drive with out making their tires slip. It is exacerbated by solid axle vehicles, including delivery trucks and pick ups without sufficient weight in the back. It even forms readily on snow covered hills.
Everyone wants to believe that just “driving faster” is a cure for everything. It isn’t !
The dumbest thing I ever read was why the DOT raised the speed limits locally which already seemed quite adequate for the poor road surface. They said every one was driving five miles per hour over that speed all ready. Heck, every one does regardless of posted speed limits and they will find the majority of trafic going five over their new posts. Why ? Because everyone going to work is in a rush and always does without fear of being picked up and ticketed. For the same reason, every one driving a washboard road just looks for an excuse to do (drive faster) so too. I bet the wife drives too fast on many more occasions…hey there’s a pot hole…let’s speed up and jump it.
Depending upon the grade and the speed at which it was formed, there can be variations in washboards so it’s just trial and error finding the speed at which your car may appear to drive a little more smoothly.
:Thanks 252525, just what I was looking for… NOT
Wheelbase, tire diameter, suspension rate, vehicle speed…any one or all of those factors can dictate how much your car is affected by the washboards. We have some nasty stretches of gravel roads over marshlands where I live. They constantly degrade into severe washboards.
As pointed out, if you go at a speed faster than the reaction time for your vehicles suspension, it is far less jarring and damaging to the car. In my cars, I tend to ride the tops but am aware of the hazard OK4450 pointed out that you’re only in contact with the very tops and could lose control if not paying attention. But it certainly reduces the impact to the car to do so.
My motorcycle has a shorter wheel base than the majority of vehicles creating the washboards and also larger diameter tires so it rides smoothly over them at almost any speed. I suspect the bad “harmonic” would appear at speeds I wouldn’t be comfortable running at on gravel.
There is a big problem driving on dirt roads fast enough for your suspension to be less jarring. Dirt roads are filled with rocks from small to medium which are hard on tires and any body parts they come into contact. There are pot holes, larger rocks and bumps that the car comes into contact with also. I don’t know what type of dirt road you travel, but slowing down is ALWAYS best. The idea that washboards should be driven fast is only theoretical and seldom a practical way to treat a car. Ideal dirt roads that exhibit these perfect lab conditions don’t exist.
Money can’t buy happiness, but it can by suspension parts, go for suspension parts and have some happiness.
Now wait. If the wife said nothing about one of his bad habits that could damaged the second most expensive purchase a family makes, I would agree. Being a completely equal rights advocate, if that’s not the case, I would say what’s good for the goose is good for the gander.
Oh boy. One thing for sure, the marital advice here is worth exactly what is paid for it.