how deep can you go....

[DavidB]

What with all the rain and Karma Supra's puddle photo, I was wondering how deep into water you can go in a standard height surf without a snorkel before you get into trouble - over the side steps , over the wheels?

Thanks

[BUSHWHACKER]

See below.

[DavidB]

See below.

lmao - I never realised that would happen - cheers

[vette]

Top of the tyres - max.

vette

[NiftyNev]

Top of the tyres - max.

vette

What about the diffs?

Nev

[vette]

OK for short times, crossing a river, or deeply flooded road, but if your going to play all day well, breathers.
Diffs have "1 way valves" on now, that stop the water being sucked in, when the warm diff is submerged in cold water.
They are not infallible, but work well.

Before I put the snorkel on my LC3, I had previously crossed the River Corwen, in North Wales, with the river water lapping the wind screen wipers.
I wouldn't like to do it again without a snorkel.
The back of the LC3 lifts off the river bed, so locked rear and center diff's is a must.
Steering becomes vague as the river current starts to sweep the lifted back end, in the flow direction.
Front stays firmly planted, so no worries, and It was only rear floating for maybe 4-5 meters, until the middle of the river was passed, and the rear wheels dropped back onto the river bed.
There was no water in the air filter box, as that was my first worry, after climbing out of the water.
That was a few years ago, and I have done 40,000 miles since then.

Gra.

[NiftyNev]

OK for short times, crossing a river, or deeply flooded road, but if your going to play all day well, breathers.
Diffs have "1 way valves" on now, that stop the water being sucked in, when the warm diff is submerged in cold water.
They are not infallible, but work well.

Pressure in the diff has to equalise somehow. That's through the seals when diff is hot and cooled suddenly driving through water, so the water enters diffs through the seals. Seals are designed to keep oil in, not water out.

Nev

[MWS]

This question doesn't have a straight answer. There are so many variables, including;
Is the water flowing, or standing?
Are you sure that the water that you are entering has an
even depth with no hidden drops?
What is the bed that you are driving along, mud, gravel,
or tarmac?
Is your vehicle equipped with diff, and transmission
breathers?
Do you have a petrol, or a diesel engine?
How reckless are you?
Do you have someone to recover you if you get stuck?

[NiftyNev]

This question doesn't have a straight answer. There are so many variables, including;
Is the water flowing, or standing?
Are you sure that the water that you are entering has an
even depth with no hidden drops?
What is the bed that you are driving along, mud, gravel,
or tarmac?
Is your vehicle equipped with diff, and transmission
breathers?
Do you have a petrol, or a diesel engine?
How reckless are you?
Do you have someone to recover you if you get stuck?

Very good points.

Nev

[DavidB]

Thanks for the replies....

The first post on the first thread below, pretty much described the extent of my curiousity/recklessness and for very similar reasons - I got the surf stuck 2m from an incoming tide in Donegal last year, after dismissing my wife's concerns in a very offhand way......

While driving home last Friday, I was confronted by an officer of the law standing in the middle of the road turning everyone back the way they had come. The reason for this was due to the road ahead being flooded. The officer was motioning to his thigh. This either meant the depth of the water was up to his thigh, or he was showing how well endowed he was.

So, we had to go a different way which meant driving through some fairly deep water. Finally, we got to within about 500 yards of our house but the road was again flooded. this time there was a handy depth marker in the shape of a Mercedes S-class stuck in the deepest part of the water. The water was about 2/3 of the way up the headlights, so I estimated the depth to be about 2 to 2 1/2 feet.

Now I was left in a quandry. Do I attempt to cross and risk looking like a plank when I get stuck, or do I go around another way.

In the end the decision was made by my wife saying "If you try to go through there with me and your daughter, and I'll cut your nuts off"!

I finally made it home with my manhood intact, but it got me thinking.

What depth can an unmodified, bog standard Surf with stock wheels and suspension go through?

Please supply answers on a piece of card that I can keep in my glove box ready to read out to my wife if I am in the same situation again.

Cheers
Dave

If I assume that I don't have diff/transmission breathers, then am I risking damage going over axle depth?

I had read all those other threads and understood that with level ground and a steady bow wave that bumper/door cill level was ok?

Any further answers will be taken without prejudice, because if it goes wrong I'll still get the blame as a result of previous form

[TonyN]

Just remember the air intake is behind the N/S headlight, so top of bumper is really max safe depth for engine. How fast you drive through the water affects the way the water surges around the front bumper, thats where the experiance comes in.

Also keep engine revs low, so if it does suck any water up you minimise the possible damage caused. If you're idling or just above, the water normally just blocks the air filter and motor just shuts down. If you're giving it the beans Top Gear style, it'll suck buckets of water through the intake and probably destroy the motor.

I wouldn't worry to much about diffs, if you're worried about getting water over them you might as well buy a Mini, they are the closest parts of the truck to the ground! Its what regular servicing is for, to check oils and stuff.

Most Surf breathers are siezed closed, especially on the rear axle, so don't worry about it!

[DavidB]

Just remember the air intake is behind the N/S headlight, so top of bumper is really max safe depth for engine. How fast you drive through the water affects the way the water surges around the front bumper, thats where the experiance comes in.

Also keep engine revs low, so if it does suck any water up you minimise the possible damage caused. If you're idling or just above, the water normally just blocks the air filter and motor just shuts down. If you're giving it the beans Top Gear style, it'll suck buckets of water through the intake and probably destroy the motor.

I wouldn't worry to much about diffs, if you're worried about getting water over them you might as well buy a Mini, they are the closest parts of the truck to the ground! Its what regular servicing is for, to check oils and stuff.

Most Surf breathers are siezed closed, especially on the rear axle, so don't worry about it!

Thanks for the reply Tony.

I ripped the exhaust off a 110 Landy going through a flooded road doing Top Gear antics, so no those days of 'wonder what will happen if....' have been replaced with maybe little more sense.

[Orinoco]

We found ourselves wading through a ford which had actually become a flood last night. About 50 yards at a gentle pace, with one slightly hairy part where the actual stream crossed the road and the water, or at least the wave we were making, came over the bonnet.

Noticing today that the handbrake is quite a bit more tightly adjusted - I'd be interested to know if this means anything important?

Nary a drop inside the cabin though - I was impressed!

[Apache]

As deep as it takes to almost float - in a diesel with a snorkel and everything breathered - near Welshpool airport around 2008.







Had to take the spotlamps off to drain the water out of the bulb holes, and pull the fuses cos the relays (on the top of the inner wing) had shorted out.

[KERRSURF]

Get a nice steady bow wave going and I would say the top of the bumper in a diesel Surf is ok.

going for a wee river rumble was one of my favourite things offroad.