38 - Driving really, really fast with Bruce Garlard, 4WD and Dakar Rally Driver
4x4 Earth - The 4WD, Camping, Fishing and Outdoors podcast.Show Notes
We look at the number of people who don't finish the Dakar Rally. It is a very tough course, expensive to compete in and there is some unforgiving terrain, so the failure rate is very high. The vehicles aren't stock, so they are heavily modified to make them capable of surviving the terrain at speed, whilst trying to keep the weight as low as possible. There are some fundamental changes to the vehicle, including moving the radiator to behind the cabin. There is nothing in the car that doesn't need to be there. Recovery is another issue. You have to be able to self recover, so vehicle design is done with recovery as a big issue. Bruce talks about how the change in temperature in the sand dunes can make a big difference in how hard the driving is. We talk about the mental preparation that you need to be a Dakar Rally driver. How can you prepare to do some epic Big Dune driving. We look at the technique required to drive down Big Dunes. It is not as easy as it looks and getting the technique correct is really important. Bruce talks about the Australian Safaris, which was a smaller version of the Rally. It no longer runs because of the cost to run the event, which is sad. The Redex trials were a precursor to all of this and gave a big boost to the Australian 4 wheel drive industry. The Rallies are a big bart of 4WD tourism, and in countries like Chile, hundreds of thousands of tourists go to Chile to visit some of the places that are highlighted by the Dakar Rally and the Desert Challenge. We discuss Bruce's experience as a mechanic and the kinds of things that he learnt that helped him with his Rally driving. We talk about some of his driving in Asian countries. Join the conversation about the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum. www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month. If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch. The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast! It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open.
More from 4x4 Earth - The 4WD, Camping, Fishing and Outdoors podcast.
We continue our conversation with Matt from MadMatt 4WD after the tragic death of Ryan Woods. This episode looks at correct techniques and alternatives to snatch strap recoveries. Here is the link to the original post on 4x4earth. WARNING - graphic images. Check out MaddMatt's video. Robert Pepper's video looking at forces generated by these kinds of dynamic rescues. Check out the show notes on 4x4earth.com for more details and links to the sites we've mentioned in the podcast.
Ryan Woods died in tragic circumstances while 4 wheel driving in Arizona last week. We talk to Matt from MadMatt 4WD about what happened and what lessons we can all learn. Here is the link to the original post on 4x4earth. WARNING - graphic images. Check out MaddMatt's video. Robert Pepper's video looking at forces generated by these kinds of dynamic rescues. Check out the show notes on 4x4earth.com for more details and links to the sites we've mentioned in the podcast.
We talk to Jason Lock, one of the Judges for the 4x4 Australia 4x4 of the year competition. Which vehicles won and why? What vehicles should be in the running next year. There are some pretty exciting vehicles coming out that will make the competition very interesting. Check out the show notes on 4x4earth.com for more details and links to the sites we've mentioned in the podcast. Join the conversation about the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum. www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month. If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch. The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast! It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open.
We talk to Jason Lock, one of the Judges for the 4x4 Australia 4x4 of the year competition. Jason scored a dream job, heading out with the 4x4 Australia team to judge the 4x4 Australia 4x4 of the year. What vehicles where on the long list and how did they narrow the field done to the short list? Jason talks about the entrants and the judging process. All of the vehicles were stock, so there were no after market mods, including tyres! This obviously makes a big difference because some of the vehicles would really struggle with roadies on. Which 4x4s where on the long list? Which 4WDs made it to the short list? How did they run their tests? A really interesting story about determining the best 4WDs in Australia. The 4x4 Australia 4x4 of the year is a major milestone for vehicle manufacturers, so it is great to get an insiders view of the judging process and what makes the grade and what doesn't. Join the conversation about the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum. www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month. If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch. The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast! It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open.
What will EV 4WDs be like in 5 or 10 years time? Whether climate change is real or not (it is!), there is an undeniable trend away from fossil fuel vehicles, so what will EV 4WDs look like? We talk to Robert Pepper about the EV 4WD myths and possibilities. Obviously range is going to be an issue. How will long-range trips be managed where there is nowhere to recharge? Can a 4WD recharge with panels on the roof? Will improvements in efficiency and battery power to create vehicles with 1000km range? What about hydrogen fuel cells for 4x4s? Will the technology enable this cheap, but dangerous, fuel to provide the kind of range and power required to go offroad? Hydrogen's energy density. Diesel has an energy density of 45.5 megajoules per kilogram (MJ/kg), slightly lower than gasoline, which has an energy density of 45.8 MJ/kg. Hydrogen has an energy density of approximately 120 MJ/kg, almost three times more than diesel or gasoline. Will Hydrogen be the answer for everyone heading offroad? This is a big opportunity as we look for a solution that provides the range we need before filling up / refuelling. I've still got an oiler, which every time I see what comes out the exhaust when I hit the accelerator, I think there has to be a better long term solution. Join the conversation about the 4x4earth podcast on the 4x4earth forum. www.4x4earth.com is Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel driving website with over 200,000 visits per month. If you are loving 4x4earth.com, check out the 4x4earth Merch. The sales help to keep Australia's largest free and independent 4 wheel drive website and the largest Australian 4x4 Podcast! It helps us to keep on doing the work to keep tracks open. For more information on Robert Pepper, check out L2SFBC.