Grading Gravel Road Maintenance

[SPYDERLK]

Much also has to do with the amount of traffic and if drivers are aware enough to drive in a manner that preserves the roadway. I drive, and instruct visitors to dive at the very edge of the driveway, helping to keep vegetation at bay. I just shake my head when I see someone just drive through the biggest pothole! I guess someone has to make work for the mechanics and grader operators.

Yes. Use of special tools is unnecessary if you make every incidental trip of any vehicle on the driveway a maintenance run by driving as you describe. Always straddle the low spots. Drive slowly in the rain. Go out the day after a soaking rain and make several trips with a smooth tired vehicle driving the high spots and maybe hand rake a little gravel from adjacent high areas into notable low spots. Sprinkle a little extra gravel -- bucket width right down the middle -- in problem areas as they are observed. Make one or two trips through it slowly with a chain drag to blend. Intense maintenance will never become necessary unless faced with high travel by the clueless.

 

[Industrial Toys]

That's not the way the car/truck Ads imply we should be driving. Pedal to the metal, try and get as much suspension travel as possible and whenever possible, practice your drifting technique when coming to a stop.

 

[Scrambler82]

Well lets see:
- The Washboarding affect on a dirt road is caused by speeds above a certain MPH.
- The Washboarding Affect slows me down so I'm guessing here, but in itself the Washboarding Affect eliminates itself by slowing people down... wouldn't you think that !?! NOT !

On the road I am talking about, the Washboarding Affect FEELS like it has very small spacing between the raises, how can someone traveling at "X" speed cause this effect ? (Please, I am having trouble with this idea, not calling it wrong, I just don't understand and would appreciate someone knowledge to straighten me out) !

On one road that I like to travel, with the Washboarding Affect, I see vehicles literally FLYING while traveling along the road. As stated, some people think they are racing in Baja, what gives with that.
Along this same road people have posted signs stating to please help with the dust and drive slowly but to no avail people still fly low !

I have to ask or state again and please comment, "A Box Blade, Gannon, doesn't make the Washboard Affect" ?

Thx/Ltr

 

[deezler]

^ Washboarding is a kinda complex process. Basically someone driving too fast makes their suspension react more to normal small dips and bumps in the road surface. The return reaction to this undulation exerts amplified pressure against the road surface, which displaces material. When enough people follow this pattern, small washboards get bigger and bigger. And sadly no, they don't fix themselves, ever. It's basically a natural frequency response of the average vehicle suspension systems.

Some cool reading to be found if you want to get nerdy about it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

So I wasn't just imagining the cause. It had to be, because it was always after a pothole or bump. What threw me, was the width of the washboard. One would think it was just where most wheels travel, but it's often a very wide uniform pattern, as if made by a bouncing moudboard.

Those washboards can put a heavy sprung, light in the azz pickup in the ditch!

 

[Scrambler82]

^ Washboarding is a kinda complex process. Basically someone driving too fast makes their suspension react more to normal small dips and bumps in the road surface. The return reaction to this undulation exerts amplified pressure against the road surface, which displaces material. When enough people follow this pattern, small washboards get bigger and bigger. And sadly no, they don't fix themselves, ever. It's basically a natural frequency response of the average vehicle suspension systems.

Some cool reading to be found if you want to get nerdy about it.

So I wasn't just imagining the cause. It had to be, because it was always after a pothole or bump. What threw me, was the width of the washboard. One would think it was just where most wheels travel, but it's often a very wide uniform pattern, as if made by a bouncing moudboard.

Those washboards can put a heavy sprung, light in the azz pickup in the ditch!

OK, I understand the theory, sort of like wheel hop, BUT... when the road is almost flat, no pot holes, and washboarding for 100 yards or more, is this still caused by traffic ?

I'm not trying to be a PITA, I just want to understand my situation with THE road.
I dot want to try and educate myself with a Box Blade and find I am making something worse.

Thanks for the info, I'm becoming educated in the finer art of Road Work.

 

[bcp]

Trying to use a box blade on a badly washboarded road will be hard. The tractor will be rocking backwards and forwards, or both ends going up and down at the same time. The blade may only hit the tops or bottoms of the washboard. unless in float. A LPGS will do much better work.

If I had to use a box blade, I think I would put angle iron skids on the sides, long enough to span at least a couple of washboard tops, then let it float.

Bruce

 

[ovrszd]

Well lets see:
- The Washboarding affect on a dirt road is caused by speeds above a certain MPH.
- The Washboarding Affect slows me down so I'm guessing here, but in itself the Washboarding Affect eliminates itself by slowing people down... wouldn't you think that !?! NOT !

On the road I am talking about, the Washboarding Affect FEELS like it has very small spacing between the raises, how can someone traveling at "X" speed cause this effect ? (Please, I am having trouble with this idea, not calling it wrong, I just don't understand and would appreciate someone knowledge to straighten me out) !

On one road that I like to travel, with the Washboarding Affect, I see vehicles literally FLYING while traveling along the road. As stated, some people think they are racing in Baja, what gives with that.
Along this same road people have posted signs stating to please help with the dust and drive slowly but to no avail people still fly low !

I have to ask or state again and please comment, "A Box Blade, Gannon, doesn't make the Washboard Affect" ?

Thx/Ltr

Washboarding is not caused by mph.

 

[ovrszd]

OK, I understand the theory, sort of like wheel hop, BUT... when the road is almost flat, no pot holes, and washboarding for 100 yards or more, is this still caused by traffic ?

I'm not trying to be a PITA, I just want to understand my situation with THE road.
I dot want to try and educate myself with a Box Blade and find I am making something worse.

Thanks for the info, I'm becoming educated in the finer art of Road Work.

Washboarding is caused by changes in vehicle speed. Most times increased speed. Although sometimes decreased speed. Has nothing to do with constant speed. A 2wd vehicle will always washboard a road worse than an AWD vehicle. A vehicle with worn out rear shocks will always washboard a road worse than a vehicle with good shocks.

The wave length is caused by drivers trying to avoid the worst spots and moving laterally across the roadbed. If not treated, they will develop all the way across the roadbed.

A BB will remove washboarding. But it will take a lot of repetitions and patience.

A plane grader will fix the problem much quicker.

Whatever device is used benefits from a longer distance front to back.

This theory is why a road grader works so well. The effective wheelbase of a road grader is around 25ft with the blade suspended in the middle more or less. A couple passes over a severely washboarded area and they are gone.

 

[/pine]

To cut the ridges of a wash boarded lane use about any grading implement that ANGLES...i.e, rear blade, landscape rake...just about anything that ANGLES will make short work of washboards...the key is cutting against the ridges not with them...