Bongo Fury

Nice one
traction and driving method / skill is what's required for mud driving
LSD should help
Good tyres help
BFG ALL TERRAINS are good and arnt to noisy / bumpy ride on Tarmac
Driving skill is real important select correct gear and use HOLD button
Nice steady pace about half throttle , hold that pace as you hit it ( but there's a bit left in the throttle if you need it )
No need for speed 1st or second gear and HOLD BUTTON
And gently increase throttle if needed
Straight line if poss
And don't stop just after get out and go yes I made it
Only stop on good ground

4x4 on the bongos only kicks in when the rear wheels loses grip
I've a 4x4 bongo LSD winter tyres and have got out of some really muddy glastonbury festivals and farm campsites with a caravan on the back
And I really don't think mine has ever gone into 4x4 mode
Nice steady acceleration in correct gear is the trick
Unless your trying to get across a ploughed field you should of done the trick with a LSD and good tyres
Doubt you will need to 4x4 it
Remember complete mud tyres grip pattern are a nightmare on tarmac

2 hours labour. Then some LSD oil.

About £125.

Thanks, that sounds ok to me.

On the off chance you have 17" wheels we found Michelin Latitude Cross to be excellent off road tyres and ok on road too.
Like yourself, we need lots of off road grip.
Our 4WD Bongo with LSD managed to get up a field where a modern 4x4 pickup needed towing up by a tractor.

Thanks all. Good to hear of your experiences.

In the longer term, well probably go for a 4x4 Bongo, and a new shape hopefully. But for now, we'll see how the old girl manages the muddy field with an LSD. Spent part of today de-rusting the "new" LSD cast housing and painting 2 coats of POR15 to give it long term protection.

We will still use it 95% on road, so I'm wondering whether to invest in some tyre chains for our off road trips.

PS, we are on standard 15" wheels, so possibly looking at Goodyear Wrangler AT/SA if we do go for new tyres. Unless anyone else recommends others?

I'm not sure chains would suit for brief excursions off road as they are a right pain to fit.

That said I may have a set in the shed you can have if I can find them.

Well done getting the lsd fitted. I'm watching this thread with interest as currently having my alloys powder coated and got to advise them tomorrow what 215/55/17 tyres i want fitted. Been impressed with my Avon Ice Touring 15" tyres but can't get them in the size i need so looking for a suitable affordable alternative for wet roads and snow. Will check out the recommendations above and would welcome any others!

I know Grippers is a 2WD but this has set me thinking.
I believe the 4WD is a push along system locking in the front when it detected wheel slip?
Anyone out there with a definitive description of how the Bongo 4WD works?

I've seen a description on here somewhere. Try a search.

As I understand it, there is a viscous coupling connected to the gearbox which transfers the torque to the front wheels if the rear's spin. There is no LSD as standard on the front diff, so I think the Bongo is 3 wheel drive at best (if you lose grip on a front wheel), and if no LSD on the rear axle, they are 2 wheel drive, compared to 1 wheel drive of the non LSD 2WD.

Update

Took the bongo onto some waste ground and drove up some muddy/grassy slope. Seems more grip than before, and when they did slip, both wheels were spinning together. This demonstrates that the LSD is working properly, as if it wasn't, only one wheel would spin.

Now for some off road tyres. Considering the Coopers Discoverer AT which seems to have a thumbs up for the Bongo.

From what I can remember
When the rear wheels slip
A big chain is engaged in transfer box to power front wheels

So I always wondered why they have " full time 4WD " stickers on them

I think the label says, "Full Time...", as it isn't selectable, but you're right.

The front wheels are only driven once the viscous coupling senses a difference in speed between the back and front wheels and sends a bit of oomph to the pointy end.

Facinating thread
i've a 4x4 road 15" tyres with and fun on real swamps in Wales but always got about except on one occassion when I had to remove 3x4 trailer to get up the hill, yes front wheels kicked in even unlayden.
would LSD or half way house tyres be the better option.
if tyres which?

There is a great post in the PDF members section of this website that gives a very good description of how the Bongo push along works.
I am intrigued as to whether the 4WD has an LSD as standard.Need to decipher the Russian web site.
But can it believed...... ??

The 4wd does not have LSD as standard.