traveling the tanami track

sloth142

Observer
Gday all

im looking at tackling the tanami track in my Isuzu FTS 700, im wondering any one here has done it recently or in a truck of this size at all?
ive got the super singles on 385/65R22.5, it weighs just over 7 T. what would be the recommended tyre pressure for the corrugations as from what ive been reading there pretty bad.

cheers
CJ
 

fastrhino

Observer
The Tanami is used by road trains who service the mine sites out in the Tanami desert, you should be fine in a FTS.
 

sloth142

Observer
i know it is used frequently by road trains a lot and the condition of the road changes, just reading reports on the net its very mixed as some say it was great and others have said that it was bone jarring. i guess ill just let pressure down to round 80 to start of with and sit on 60km/hr and see where the happy spot is.
 

Amesz00

Adventurer
You'll probly find it won't be that bad, otherwise the trucks just won't be able to run on it. Plus now, just after the wet most stuff should be just getting graded.
We just did 5000km thru the Pilbara, around 1800 on the dirt and most of the roads were smoother than the hwy haha
 

Fugly

Adventurer
Most of the trickies recon that the West Aus side is the worst...
But these blokes were carrying a **** load of weight and were down to 10/15 kph
This was about 4/5 months ago....

Cheers Fugly
 

Amesz00

Adventurer
If it is really bad, I'd be looking at going a lot softer than 80psi. Probly more like 40-50, especially on the front where you'll probly be around 1/3 the weight capacity of those tyres, and they are hard tyres..
 

sloth142

Observer
I've only gone that low on river rock and doing around 20km/h, will have to wait and see how i go, 80 was what i was planning on starting out at, but if I'm down to a slow speed dropping the pressure that low may be on the cards,
 

Amesz00

Adventurer
Fair enough. Not trying to tell you how to run your rig or anything, just speaking from what I've seen. That was a MAN tour bus up on the mitchell plateau rd (with those tyres) and a snapped front axle, we asked what pressures, guys response was "I dunno about 80".
Heard after that that some of the companies running Isuzu busses up to Mitchell plateau (which has lots of sheet rock across the track, and corrugated normally) had pallets of front axle housings in the workshop, bus would come back in, inspect for cracks etc, if it is then strip the guts out of it and fit up the new housing.
Though, these are company drivers so probably fairly little respect for equipment..
 

sloth142

Observer
I'm still playing with pressure so I'm not 100% of what to run on what yet, its a little different than me 80 series hahaha, cheers ill take it on board, cracking a housing isn't what i want to do.
 

sloth142

Observer
well i survived the tatami but my trailer didnt, i ended up dropping my pressures to 63.5psi in the from and 65 psi in the rear, i know your going to ask how i got 63.5 in the front, well i had a leaking valve core so when i replaced it and checked pressure thats what i had so i let the other one down to it. the W.A side was defiantly the worst end but it was still doable doing 70-80km/hr, the NT side was good until the last 100kms of dirt, there was some big holes that sneak up on you, thats where i broke my trailer, i hit a couple of them at 80 ks and tore the from and rear spring hangers off on both sides and smashed the under side of the chassis rails from the corrugation, had to drive the last 200ks of bitumen with only the middle hanger holding it all in place, when i got to alice i got some 5mm angle and patted it all up the best i could, didn't want to risk it so drove the blacktop home.
 

sloth142

Observer
yes a new trailer is on the mind, a more heavy duty robust trailer for sure hahaha, this trailer was originally built in the 70's (was given to me from the old man), only the floor and side walls have been replaced, still original frame so I'm surprised it lasted as long as it did. i think this trailer will be retired as a tip run trailer only for now on.
 

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