Date: Fri, 14 May 2004 10:38:22 -0600 From: "Jess Englewood" <pleasennospam.com> Subject: Re: Cost of repair Audi BMW Saab...(crossposting)
"JP Roberts" <1234nospamo.com> wrote in message news:c82bfv$q92$1nospam.ya.com... > I have always contemplated the Land Rover Defender as the most efficacious > off-road beast That would actually be the Hummer, original version > and I doubt it very much it can't make it up your > three-roller, It can't....as a stock vehicle. Land Rover's 4x4 system is not predicated on 4 wheels locked to one and other, but rather two axles locked to one and other. And the planetary center diff does not effect apparent torque transfer fast enough. Remember Land Rover's design is predicated upon the belief that planting 4 wheels, by their tremendous articulation, is the way to effect the best traction. But that won't cut it where the traction patch moves from one wheel to the other quickly. Remember my comment was about vehicles in the US. When Defenders were available here locking axles were not an option. If LR now offers defenders out-of-box with locking axles then I have no doubt it would make the ramp, but as supplied here with open axles that is simply not the case. In spite of that I do have agreement with LR that open axles create a more reliable offroading machine in most cases. > Then again, if you'd elaborate on why > Quadra Drive and the X could possibly be better than the rest of those you > mention, I might get to be enlightened :) Being a Rover fanatic, it is unlikely enlightenment is in your future :^) Joking of course, but really it is matter of the speed with which the 4x4 system allows the evidence of torque to the requiring contact patch as well as the ratio of torque being made availbable to a single contact patch. On the tri-roller the shift from roller to substrate happens in inches, and then happens again and again and it is the simple truth that only the Quadra-Drive and "x" vehicles make it. One disclaimer here: The Hummer won't fit on a tri-roller, though I have liitle doubt it could make it easy. On our Moab runs Hummers, the real ones, not the H2's work as the gunners and they make most of the obstacles everyone else struggles with, easy, forward or backward. A truly, unbelievably, astoundingly, capable vehicle. > In the meantime, I have much more > than a fair amount of reasonable doubt that your test is not biased. Most Landie people do :^) But everyone tries to drive over the *same* ramp. A ramp that basically forces any vehicle to drive with only one wheel, while moving that wheel around the four corners of the vehicle, quickly. > In our country roads here in Europe, it is usually Cherokees that get stuck > first on difficult terrain, There are lots of 2 wheel drive Cherokees, lots of Quadra-Trac Cherokees, lots of bad tires, and lots of bad drivers. Out test is on "Quadra-Drive Grand Cherokees". You would have to be far more specific if I am to lend any credence to your experience on "country roads". > and I have yet to see the Porsches and Tuaregs > perform, but I can tell you that just about any Land Rover - except for the > Freelander, beats the whole legion of Cherokees hands down. Ah...now you've earned another Landie merit badge. Bigger "nuts", you haven't said that yet though. But I drive offroad, in the snows, muds, gravel and elevations of the Rocky Mountain as well as the slick-rock and formations of Moab, and we have all kinds of wheelers in our club and in almost every case it comes down to tires and driver. My personal opinion is that the most capable offroad machines are #1) Hummer (original) and #2) in no particular order: Jeep (TJ,YJ,CJ), D90 (not D110...too long), and a number of FJ's (indeed Land Cruiser probably makes the very best full line of offroad 4x4's). Your insecurities caused to you to perceive my reply to be a comment against Land Rover. But I can only tell the truth.......it is your problem to inject a sense of proportion to your perpsective.
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