[A4] skid plate

[Mitchell Segal]

Hi Peter, 

If it's only 1-2 spots, and the rocks are too big to remove, then how about
raising the road around it, where the tire tracks are, to either side of the
big rock?  

>From the sound of it, this is a dirt/gravel road that is occasionally
scraped level.  The trafic has probably made tire tracks, which stradle the
big rock.  As the tracks get deeper, the rock in the middle gets higher.  

So get some friends, grab some shovels, and in those 1-2 spots that cause
you problems, re-grade the tire tracks so they're a little higher.  Fill in
the tire tracks with some more gravel (you can buy it by the bag at most
renovation centers).  This will raise the part you drive on, thus "lowering"
the rock relative to your oilpan.

Grab a sledgehammer or a pick, and smack the top of that rock a bit.  Maybe
you'll knock off enough of the top to no longer be a problem for your car.  

I understand that this is a shared public lane, but perhaps some of your
other neighbors are having similar problems, and also want to do something
about it, so one Saturday you can get together for 1-2 hours and try to fix
it.  Just because it's not on your property, doesn't mean you can't get
together and do something for the public good.

If you can't or won't do something about the road, then you'll have to
change your driving habits.  Slow down at the spot, don't follow the tire
tracks and stradle the rock, instead move over so your wheels go over the
rock instead of the oil pan.  If you sometimes forget where the rock is, set
a flag of somekind just before it along the road, like a reflector nailed to
a tree.

Hope some of these ideas help.

Mitchell


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Date: Wed, 6 Jul 2005 11:53:23 -0400
From: Peter Kirby <4pkirby at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [A4] skid plate

Hi Rocky

...

The road to get to our cottage has one or two spots where if I am not
careful, I will hit the oil pan on rocks.

Thanks.

Peter