How to grade a road that has "ripples"

[Pixguy]

I maintain about 1500' of private road and although it is in fairly good shape, I still can't eliminate the ripples that I get after raking it. Much of the road is a 14 percent grade and my small scut and york rake doesn't eliminate the washboard ripples. I believe one of my problems is that by rake can't float and as the scut rises so does the rake. I do have gage wheels but they help.

The road is crowned and has side ditches that work well in rain storms. It's just the darn ripples.

So I have a rear blade(used in winter to remove snow), a york rake and the ratchet rake.

Your ideas are appreciated.

 

[oosik]

Pixguy - surely your road is not a 14% grade. I don't know of many cars that will navigate a grade such as that.

Anyhow - you must use an implement that will totally float independent of your tractor. I can think of two such implements - land plane grading scraper or just a plain old drag. We all know what a LPGS is - here is a pic of a very effective drag I made out of some 4x4's, some big old spikes and some plywood. If you make a home made drag - eliminate the spikes and see how it works. If it needs to be even more aggressive - drag a length of chain link fence behind your home made drag. OK - I drag this abortion with my ATV - rope halter - one set of spikes in front - the other set in the rear. It works fantastic to smooth, bust clods and otherwise level out freshly broken land. Minus the spikes it should clear up your washboard right pronto. Pile on bags of sand if you need added weight.

Now - go make some dust!!!


View attachment 570348

 

[YLee Kioti]

I watched a 20 minute or so video by 'Dave Knows How' u-boob channel.

The summary is adjusting the 3ph control valve to fast. This allows a box blade to quickly drop and adjust to terrain contours as it approaches a dip and carry the material into it.

He did a good job of demonstrating how this all works.
I've used this principle last week with the draft control as I'm also working on removing bull dozer ruts on a couple of acres.

Let us know how it works out for yah.

 

[Pixguy]

Pixguy - surely your road is not a 14% grade. I don't know of many cars that will navigate a grade such as that.

Anyhow - you must use an implement that will totally float independent of your tractor. I can think of two such implements - land plane grading scraper or just a plain old drag. We all know what a LPGS is - here is a pic of a very effective drag I made out of some 4x4's, some big old spikes and some plywood. If you make a home made drag - eliminate the spikes and see how it works. If it needs to be even more aggressive - drag a length of chain link fence behind you home made drag.


View attachment 570348

Sorry, don't know what a LPGS is.

14% ?? I was told my paved drive was 24% and that's why he refused to pave it but I do believe he was full of it. My pickup even in 4wd will dig it up and we've had many commercial snow plowers refuse to price it.

btw, I was finally able to find a paver who does the interstate but he got $16k for 400ft back in '04.

 

[CalG]

A drag or a rake doesn't really "cut it".

The established ripples are caused by the vehicle traffic (spring rate). They represent compaction, and in order to remove them in any meaningful way, the surface needs to be cut to the the level of the lowest trough.

A box blade with ripping teeth is a good start. A York rake with grade wheels pulled behind the tractor from the drawbar is a great finish.

3 pt mounted rakes just change the frequency of the ripple. If that.

You need to "Cut them out"!

Yes, I live on a hill too. Road work is a given, It has been for the past 30 years.

 

[ovrszd]

There's a huge difference between percent and degrees.....

Google search LPGS. It will cut your ripples with repeated trips. Rather pricey attachment but might be worth it for you. You'll never wear it out so upkeep is cheap.

A loosely dragged piece of equipment will not fix the ripples. It might fill the low spots with loose material but first trip up the drive and you'll spin it out.

You have to cut off the high spots. Today I graded 20 miles of rural gravel roads. We've been in extreme drought so they hadn't been worked since early Summer. Ripples at every intersection and on the slopes of most hills. Had to slow down and cut off the tops. How long this repair stays will depend on weather. If it stays dry for a week or so the ripples will be recreated by traffic on the loose cuttings. If it rains tonight the repairs will last a few weeks.

 

[oosik]

LPGS = land plane grading scraper.

 

[Pixguy]

There's a huge difference between percent and degrees.....

Yes, and I obviously am showing my ignorance of that. :ashamed:

 

[oosik]

I willingly bow to the knowledge of those who have "fixed" ripples/washboarding. I've not had the pleasure. My mile long gravel driveway sure has most of the other concerns of a rural road. I know that my Land Pride GS2584 with shanks(LPGS) sure does a good job of first ripping and then smoothing the bone dry ruts that form in a 100 foot section of my driveway.

 

[ultrarunner]

We have some real steep roads/driveways around here... but it never snows and rain is rare in large amounts.

I have driven the road in Hawaii several times just because in a plain old Ford Escape.

The 1� Steepest Streets In America | HuffPost

My Grandfather used Water Bars to control wash boarding on gravel roads... that and making sure people drive SLOW.

 

[airbiscuit]

I have a rear blade and a box blade, but here are my two preferred weapons for maintaining a 1/2 mile drive:

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Sorry, don't know what a LPGS is.

14% ?? I was told my paved drive was 24% and that's why he refused to pave it but I do believe he was full of it. My pickup even in 4wd will dig it up and we've had many commercial snow plowers refuse to price it.

btw, I was finally able to find a paver who does the interstate but he got $16k for 400ft back in '04.

The pictures show a heavy duty 5' LPGS. This type of implement will make short work of wash boarding. :thumbsup:

 

[rekees4300]

The pictures show a heavy duty 5' LPGS. This type of implement will make short work of wash boarding. :thumbsup:

Bingo that's the proper tool for the job. Good ones are available at Dual Edge Land Leveler Land Plane Utility Grader V2.0

 

[IHDiesel73L]

My Grandfather used Water Bars to control wash boarding on gravel roads... that and making sure people drive SLOW.

+1 on water bars. My neighbor and I maintain our 1/2 mile gravel road which is only flat for about the first 600' or so from the county road. The rest of the road has a gentle downslope for the rest of the way and we have water bars probably every 30-40 yards or so.

 

[CalG]

I have a rear blade and a box blade, but here are my two preferred weapons for maintaining a 1/2 mile drive:

View attachment 570372

Ha Ha!

When we first got into this place 30+ years ago, the neighbor had one of those pull behind graders.

I hooked on with the Fordson to service the road. It worked a treat on the way down hill, but was just too much to pull up again with the blade carrying any material at all. I wanted to preserve the crown on the road, and making adjustments after making an empty pass was just tiring. Then the big sector gear that sets the blade angle broke and the old implement was hauled off into the woods.

We tried though!

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

+1 on water bars. My neighbor and I maintain our 1/2 mile gravel road which is only flat for about the first 600' or so from the county road. The rest of the road has a gentle downslope for the rest of the way and we have water bars probably every 30-40 yards or so.

Yup, when you're steep and straight down, it's the only way to avoid washouts.

 

[LouNY]

I have a steep driveway also, 14-16 degrees which comes to 25-29% slope, with an "S" curve in it.
I don't use a crown I do water cuts instead of water bars, when I dress mine I turn my back blade around and pull it backwards with it set at an angle it will move material sideways and fill and pack the low spots after a few passes the ripples "washboards" will clean up.
the following video is mine in the winter

 

[/pine]

FWIW...Grades cited as a percentage are a rise/run ratio...since percentages use a factor of 100...whatever the grade is (in the OP's case 14) the cited figure is the difference in elevation in 100 linear feet...so a 14% grade changes 14' in 100... a 100% grade would be a 45* angle...

As for the wash-boarding remove the gauge wheels and set the rake on an angle...make a pass or three and then make whatever adjustments to the attitude and angle of the rake to increase efficiency...

 

[GirlWhoWantsTractor]

I have a steep driveway also, 14-16 degrees which comes to 25-29% slope, with an "S" curve in it.
I don't use a crown I do water cuts instead of water bars, when I dress mine I turn my back blade around and pull it backwards with it set at an angle it will move material sideways and fill and pack the low spots after a few passes the ripples "washboards" will clean up.
the following video is mine in the winter

Assume a "water cut" is just a ditch running cross-wise, whereas a water bar is a "speed bump." Mine are both, a shallow ditch plus a small speed bump.

Agree a crown is of limited use on that grade. The only reason I do a very slight crown is to avoid the water sluicing down the center.

 

[airbiscuit]

So, when you use your York Rake, do you have it set straight across, or set at an angle?