Forum:
Many of you "uk" fellows would have noticed the amount of rain we have recieved again, (even after the summer!)subsequently this has resulted in many floods!! yeah!! however its allways a little scary when ur driving though country lanes which are heavily flooded with no 1 around, so on my 97 fourtrak how deep is it safe to go with having problems?? (mainly above or below headlights?) ps i have no snorkal clearly :D:-D:lol:
Thanks
I'm no expert on 4traks. But
I'm no expert on 4traks. But as a rule of thumb most vehicles half way up the wheel is the maximum, this is because the differentials on the axles and also the gearbox have breather hoses to allow for expansion of the oil as it warms up. when you drive through the water you cool the diffs and oil rapidly causing suction on the breather pipes, which if it sucks in water won't leave you stranded but will cause long term damage. you can extend the breather pipes, with suitable hose and jubilee clamps from a diy shop, to the height of your air intake.
After that depending on how deep it is you may want to slacken the fan belt or disconnect it if electric to prevent it snapping any blades or spraying water over the engine, a piece of plywood or plastic sack (ikea bag) infront of the radiator will help push water away and prevent the radiator getting full of mud.
Then technique comes in you dont want to hit the water too fast or too slow, you need to drive in slow then pick up speed to generate and maintain a bow wave (like the 3rd pic in my signature below) and keep pushing water away from the car. Last of all even a 4x4 will float for a while which prevents the wheels touching the ground until its full of water so don't go too deep if its your main car.
If its a case of having no choice,, below the headlights should be ok without a snorkel, remember to slacken the fan belt and change your diff oil soon if you haven't extended the breathers.
www.centraloffroadclub.co.uk for free fun offroading in the midlands
www.centraloffroadclub.co.uk for free fun offroading in the midlands
Right according to Daihatsu
Right according to Daihatsu you can easily go to just above the headlights, but i`d still be careful incase you hit a pot hole and drop. As for the diffs, gearbox they should all have a breather hose attatched, rear axle goes into the chassis, and gerabox/transfer has one that goes behind airbox, the front diff breather should go by the brake master cylinder.
But as above take it easy, and follow the steps above to make a bow wave, and have a plastic sand bag to put over the grille!!
Mud makes excellent Toothpaste.
Great advice thankyou to
Great advice thankyou to all!
Waders
Daihatsu recommend a wading depth of 23 1/2 inches for a standard vehicle, without modifications.
In practice though, and with the correct driving technique, and terrain, this can be much deeper, the other posts have mentioned the breathers and air intake.