Vehicle & Technical > Range Rover

off roading in an auto

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Jonny Boaterboy:
I have a auto on my 1994 3.9 V8 Rangerover and I was also told that haveing a auto is better for offroading due to the fact that you do not lose power to the wheels.... however I have found it difficult to controll off roading as when trying to get over obsticals like big steps in rock, or a lardge bolder, you have to increase the power untill there is enogh, to power over the rock/obstical at which point you have to jump on the brakes and then back on the power etc. I have just read from Mr Range Rover Blues that there is a technique called "left foot breaking" after thinking about this does it go something like this: increase the engine reves whilst holding the foot brake on, and then realeae the brake to move over the obstical? therefor the movement of the Rangerover is controled by the brake not the engine reves? If that is right can you damage the auto box using this method? and do you just keep the reves up around the 2500-3000rpm mark?
Apart from this auto is the best!

DaveS:
We have an 89 auto and have used it for some serious laning and at fun days, have had no problems with it.

Plenty of engine braking in low and lots of traction.
Mine is standard apart form mud tyres, and "armour plating" on the sills, diffs and a front steering guard.
Plus the obligatory scratches and dents!!! :shock:

Range Rover Blues:
Jonny, you're justabout there, say you are trying to drive over a rock.  With a manula you'd be slipping the clutch, mine also bangs and hamers through the backlash in the transmisioin just to make things worse, well your clutch starts getting hot and if you declutch too early you slide back down, if too late you fly over the top and possibly damage something.

Well with your auto obvuoulsy you have no clutch, so build the revs to get the wheel to climb the obsticle, say the rock.  Keep your left foot over the brake and dab it to prevent the car running away, so it's checking the motion rather than stamping hard on the brake and reving out the engine.

Practice it on the easy stuff and you should soon get the idea.

As for damage, well there is a test for the auto box, you put the box in D and stamp on the brake, rev the engine out and it should not rev beyond 2200 RPM, it's called the stall speed.  It will heat up the auto box fluid but the boxs themselves are way stronger than a manul box because of the way they are built ie a planetery gearbox.

I can't imagine you'd need to give it full throttle AND be stood on the brakes, so you're well withing the ability of the 'box to use left foot braking.

Jonny Boaterboy:
Thanks Mr Blues, I have been having a go at it today and it seems to work quite well and as you said the rves were only about 1300rpm I think with pratice it will make offroading alot more controlled for me.

I been thinking about the test you mentioned.... if the Auto will not rev above 2200RPM if all the wheels are locked you will have not reached the peak power output of the engine? So is it ever possiable to get in the situation offroading where this might happen and if so surely you will need the engine to rev up to 3000-4000RPM to gain the extra power to move the wheels......haveing said that I guess that will never happen but interesting all the same!!

Range Rover Blues:
I think 1300 might be a bit low, are you sure your rev counter is accurate? they are notoriously poor.

Anyway, don't think about power, think torque, peak torque is roughly 2000 rpm and that';s what you need to get stuck wheels moving, that's why the auto box is set up like that.

Anyway, provided you aren't ghoing OTT with the brakes (gently does it) then you're on your way.


One question I don't know the answer to, how do you do a failed hill climb in an auto? or do they never stall when they run out of steam?

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