Muddyell's Lada (trial by fire!!!)

[MuckingFuddy]

Gaz, Muddyell (the Lada) and his son Michael took the new Lada out for its first taste of mud. I went along just in case

On arrival to the green lane that we decided to use for the test run Muddyell hesitated and spluttered to a halt :shock: , so under the bonnet we went with tools in hand...... moments later having bled the fuel system through she fired into life and the test run was back on!!! :lol: .

The first section of this lane is by far the worst with deep ruts full of water and mud (11inches deep at a guess) the Lada was having a supprisingly hard time getting through this... Until Gaz engaged the diff lock :lol:  :lol:  :lol: ... so off she went with mud flying everywhere and Gaz getting rather heavy on the gas. after about the 4th attempt of getting out Muddyell powered by the lead foot of Gaz went through the ruts with lightening speed back onto dry land and spluttered popped and banged  to a halt yet again :shock: . This time when we lifted the bonnet it was easy to see the problem. the dizzy cap and rotor arm had taken a very bad battering (how! im not sure :? ). After about 5 zip ties and some pvc tape the Lada was running better than ever and roared around the lane in and out of the mud with no problems. Lucky we took the zip ties.

Attached are a few photos.

She needs a little bit of fine-tuning to be ready to go to Lydd next month.

[muddyweb]

The first section of this lane is by far the worst with deep ruts full of water and mud (11inches deep at a guess) <snip>    ... so off she went with mud flying everywhere and Gaz getting rather heavy on the gas. <snip>

This is a green lane is it ?

 :?

[MuckingFuddy]

Its a green lane near to Eastbourne yes... problem is the locals dont like us using it as they think its for horses only .... hence the local council have put a closure notice at each end of it. :(

[Ben]

Haven't seen the photos - hopefully they've been removed

The description of the route taken leaves little to the imagination, and sounds like it's somewhere that we should be avoiding for this type of activity.

As affiliate members of GLASS, Mud Club members should be frowning on - not promoting or partaking in - this type of driving.

If the lane is as bad as it sounds, please don't drive it again, but report its condition to the local highways authority.
The other interesting point you make is that there is a closure notice on the lane. If this is the case, you are risking hefty fines and loss of vehicle for driving it intentionally. TRO's are there for a reason - they protect the lane from further damage until they dry out, or until the council repairs them.

This is not a personal attack - please don't see it as such - I've just spent a fantastic weekend laning in Derbyshire, and don't want to lose the ability to do this because of some ill thought out trips. We're close enough to being hounded out of the countryside as it is (see various posts on the DEFRA proposals)

Thanks

Ben

[MuckingFuddy]

:shock: As you seem to enjoy having a go before getting the FACTS maybe you should think of joining a different club. Your attitude is totally un-called for. The green lane gives access to a piece of land that is owned by a friend of ours, when the council close the byway off we will be unable to have access to the said land, we drive to and from this area using the local byway we treat it with the utmost respect. The land we use is a woodland track that is nothing to do with the byway and we have full permission to drive on this land from the landowner.
In future will you ask me the questions in full before you post an aggressive reply, then i can answer you in full, without you trying to humiliate us through the forum!

For your information the lane is closed off every year or two for works to be done, and we often help out...

Maybe i have misled you with the information that i have posted, if this is so I apologise. But think you should too.

[turtle]

Its a green lane near to Eastbourne yes... problem is the locals dont like us using it as they think its for horses only .... hence the local council have put a closure notice at each end of it. :(

Sorry to butt in but you said it was a green lane MF? At no time did you indicate it was access to private land. Hence I believe the response from Ben.

[Digsit]

In Bens defence I did feel that the description of driving a greenlane was more like a review of a motorsport event.

Also Ben did end his comments stating that it was not a personal attack on you MF. These are just very difficult times for those of use who enjoy the 'tread lightly' motto. It only takes a few to cause problems for the majority of sensible lane users.

Just MHO

[ChrisW]

In the current climate that we are all trying to protect our pastime in I think stories like this are probably best kept for round the bar at the local meet. The forums are easily accessible to others that may not share our passion for enjoying sensible driving in the countryside and as such I believe most of us try and show a bit of restraint in our tales of getting one over on the muddy stuff.

This is not a dig, a go or a moan and hopefully it will be received in the manner it was posted - a friendly word from one enthusiast to another  :)

Perhaps an edit of the original posting may be a good idea  

[muddyweb]

Perhaps an edit of the original posting may be a good idea  

I understand what you are saying Chris, but...

If this occurred on a public right of way, then surpessing the evidence of it is not the answer.   Just because we don't advertise the fact, doesn't mean we can drive on anything we like.

If this is just an exaggeration, or didn't take place on a lane, then fair enough, and this needs to be made clear.

I was quite specific about asking for clarification of the facts... and the response I got indicated that it was on a lane and that the lane was possibly unsuitable to be driven.  In any case, tales of mud flying in all directions are not good.  I suspect I was not the only one who understood MF's post this way.

[muddyweb]

The green lane gives access to a piece of land that is owned by a friend of ours, when the council close the byway off we will be unable to have access to the said land

Just as an aside, if the current byway is access to the land, then the council won't be able to close it completely.  

Landowners and authorised vehicles will still be able to gain access to the Land via the RoW, even if it was changed to a Bridleway.

[ChrisW]

I agree Tim, my comment re editing the original post was in context with the follow up reply referring to the driving was done on a track on private land - if this is the case then the original posting (wrongly) reads that it was done specifically on a green lane.

On arrival to the green lane that we decided to use for the test run...
The first section of this lane is by far the worst with deep ruts full of water and mud (11inches deep at a guess) ... mud flying everywhere

The follow up reply however, goes on to imply that this was done on a track on private land.

I'm not keen really on discussing this specific incident without MF having the chance of putting a reply up and defending his corner so to speak before we go on disecting any further.

I do believe that we as "off-road" enthusiasts - not just members of this or any other club - need to be more self policing both in pointing out the errors of our ways but also in accepting where we are going wrong and educating ourselves as to what is wrong and what is right.

Perhaps if the original posting had described a track on private land none of this would have been discussed and possibly some members may have been none the wiser as to acceptable and unacceptable behaviour on green lanes.

[MuckingFuddy]

If I have missled anyone, I am truly sorry. I just used the term green lane without thinking (in the heat of the moment), but still don’t understand why Ben had to air his issues in public. It seemed like he was trying to make an example of me as a rogue 4x4 owner, that’s why I am fighting my corner.
I fully understand the issues of green lanes and Row’s and am fully aware of the gits that cause the problems.....
I would like to offer my apologies to Ben for my reply to his post and hope that he can make an effort to gain the facts before posting a bollocking on the forum.
this web-site is a friendly one. Lets keep it that way!

[Ben]

MF

I am sorry if I have caused offence - as I said in my original post, this was not designed to be a personal attack - I am as concerned as every other green lane enthusiast that we are going to lose all our access to the countryside on 4 wheels. My post was meant to be friendly advice to the world at large - it clearly came across badly.
I am also sorry for not posting this response sooner - I was unable to get onto the internet until this morning.

I am not the only person to have taken your original post out of context - you say I should try to gather all the facts before replying. I simply replied to what was offered, and confirmed.

Ben