Driving on Washboard

i find it impossible to drive slow enough on washboard roads to not shake the fillings out of my teeth. I've heard some say that the secret is to drive fast enough to sort of skim across but I've not been able to get that to work either. I'm considering airing down but not sure how low to go. I'm rolling on stock size Copper AT3. Suggestions?.

 

Airing down will help the most. Try 10-15psi. Don't go lower than 7 or 8 psi unless you know what you're doing.

 

There is a harmonic sweet spot for MOST roads suffering from washboarding. I've found that a range between 40-55mph works best. Sometimes a road is just too screwed for anything to help.

 

I usually air down and adjust speed depending on the size of the washboard. All washboard roads are not the same, you'll have to experiment a little to find your sweet spot. My tires are 235/85/16 and I typically drop down to 25psi. Speed will be between 30 and 40mph, usually slower though.

 

Another person with the same weird size tires as me. What tire brand/make?

 

http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/m...ake-a-bumpy-drive-smoother-by-driving-faster/

 

General Grabber AT2. I've got 'em on both of my Tacomas and really like them.

 

I ran those when I first got my truck. Had two get flats. I'm more than happy with my current tires.

 

Mythbusters did a washboard segment proving that faster is easier on the driver. It is not easier on the vehicle though. Air down and take your time. I drive a lot of Forest Service and rural dirt roads. I air down to between 20 and 30 psi depending on the road. If I'm climbing a decent grade, I shift into 4wd to keep the rear from bouncing for my comfort and to save on the u joint destroying axle wrap caused by bouncing the rear wheels under load. Taller tires help too. I'm on 255/85/16 now and even when not aired down I don't take as bad a beating as vehicles with smaller tires, but I still air down. It helps to have a reliable source of air that provides semi fast tire inflation.

 

I generally increase speed until it smooths out. Usually around 30-45. I've heard it called the 4-40 rule (or similar): You either crawl along about 4mph or get going 40 or so and fast enough that the interaction between your suspension and the road works in your favor.

- At those speeds on dirt roads, you need to be careful
- You are still giving your suspension a workout and shock fade may eventually ruin your fun
- Sometimes the road is just too darn rough and it doesn't work
- Airing down should help
- Slowing down for turns etc. will cause you to drop out of the smooth range into the filling-loss zone

There's a short clip in this video where you can see me running just fast enough to smooth things out. I even mention it in the narration. This is an un-stabilized camera (GoPro) and if you look carefully you can see things are relatively smooth and then start to shake as I slow down for the slight hill. (link takes you to relevant clip, which is just a few seconds)

https://youtu.be/hhn9DskVC_Q?t=1m22s

 

I remember riding in a RV about 15 years ago on a long wash board road in the Stoddard Wells OHV area near Barstow . That 4 mile washboard road literally destroyed the motorhome . Cabinet doors fell off and the refrigerator door broke off of its hinges

We tried going fast and even driving under 10 mph but it was a very bumpy 4 mile joy ride to the campsite

 

Washboard roads require speed in order to even out your ride. You hit the bumps fast enough that your suspension never travels the complete distance between bumps. This is how you keep the truck from lurching all over the place. However - one must be careful not to travel to fast for the road. And remember that braking hard on washboards can reduce stopping ability.

I drove around rocky trails in Moab at 18psi (cold) with Cooper ST Maxx and it did fairly well (OME 886's w/Dakars). Suspension plays a big role though. Guys with Icons were traveling at much faster speeds than me and had smoother rides.