Any Non-Jeepers Out There (4x4s)? :P

[dks]

Got a car back from the garage and had to test it...

[RimfireNZ]

I'm really missing not having a 4x4 I can wreck.

It looks liked there's a '98 Nissan Terrano 3.2L turbo intercooled diesel up at my dads work that he's going to get possession of... so if that works out I'll chuck him some cash for that and whack my tyres and winch on that and have a bit of fun with it.

The only problem is my Hilux isn't going to be rated to tow that. I'll be alright towing it (although I wont be winning any races) but trying to stop might be interesting. I'll be at 10,000lbs with that on the trailer and that requires having brakes on the trailer, which I don't have. I might be able to get them added... I don't know how much of a big deal that is. I'll ask my dad.

It's one of these.

[RimfireNZ]

Is this thread for people who actual take their 4x4's off road, or can those who simply own 4x4's to compensate for their shortcomings elsewhere join in?

If it's the latter, then here's mine:



(Image removed from quote.)

Damn J-sews... that's a nice truck. At over $8 a gallon for fuel over here, I wouldn't be able to afford to start it though. You barely ever see anything like that on the road here

[dks]

I found an unused unofficial motocross track..





Made it up once, before it started raining and the clay got slippery


I was glad I brought the short-wheelbase one.


Then went down a nice road..








Going up is a bit harder...

[derekmac]

That looks like a nice little trail!   Sweet pics too!

[dks]

The motocross track was serious fun too. And I was able to go round it comfortably, listening to the radio and without getting covered in mud.

EDIT: Watching Top Gear Bolivia special for inspiration...

[Cupboard]

RimfireNZ:
Regarding trailers, I don't know what things are like over there, but in the UK we can have unbraked trailers up to 750kg, trailer with over-run brakes up to 3500kg and above that you need coupled brakes. Trailers with over-run brake (that is when the trailer starts to overtake the tow vehicle the brakes are mechanically activated) are pretty common and cheap and you see quite a lot of car trailers around.

I think you'd probably be better off buying a second hand trailer set up with brakes already rather than trying to convert one.

[Grant Lamontagne]

That looks like a lot of fun!  I'd love to have a track like that around that I could go and play in!

Def

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[derekmac]

Here's what happens when a non-Jeeper goes out.





I do have to admit, a built Jeep also couldn't make it through.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Cupboard]

 

Something that amused me recently was this:



http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-27329458

Quite what was wrong with the road that its stuck next door to, or any of the more sensible routes I don't know. Well and truly cross axled! Only traction control or a rear locker would have got it out.

[RimfireNZ]

I hope they got a tow truck there in time. It only takes about a week and a half for a Land Rover to rust away if left out in the elements

[Cupboard]

 

It's funny but it's true.

I still want one.

[RimfireNZ]

It's funny but it's true.

I still want one.

Oh for sure... I love how even the new ones (I forget the model... defender?) are still riveted together and look like a classic... but my dad (being a mechanic) would disown me if I brought something home like that.

Not that I could afford one.

[Pacu]

I had an 08 jeep wrangler, traded for a 2013 Chevy 1500 ex cab, now im in a 2014 Nissan Xterra X. I like the xterra- 4.0 v6  better gas mileage than my chevy 5.3 liter v8, hauls all my tools. It's jeepy but not as $ as a 4 door jeep rubicon.  It'll do for a while. It flooded in Houston over the week so did a bit of off roading to avoid traffic. 

Think im gonna use my discount and pimp out the sound system since i travel a lot.

I miss the jeep wave. Nobody waves at an xterra 

[RimfireNZ]

I miss the jeep wave. Nobody waves at an xterra 

Certain cars attract that huh? I've owned a couple of miata's in the past and other miatas always wave. My old '68 Datsun used to get that too whenever you went past another Datsun or really anything that was old.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Miata huh? You know that's a girl's car,  right?   

As to the XTerra, I was so painfully disappointed in them when I test drove it before plunking down the cash for my JKU.   The interior was crappy and uncomfortable, and a base model with the Pro-4X package cost about as much as my fully loaded Sahara ended up being.

I was really looking forward to the XTerra.

Def

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[RimfireNZ]

Miata huh? You know that's a girl's car,  right?   

Oh here we go

I'd buy another one in a heartbeat if I had some spare cash (and space to park it). They're so much fun to drive you don't care how much of a poof you look like

This is going back about ten years, but this was my second one that some other person strapped a turbo onto the tiny little 1600cc engine (plus lowered it, had a heavier clutch in it, extractors and a bunch of other little tweaks). It only weighed 900kg/1900lbs so it went like the clappers. 200hp per ton and it gripped the road like nothing else I've driven.

Admittedly the first generation was built for little japanese fellas... not a 220lb 6 foot kiwi (or 5'11" as my girlfriend always points out if I say that). It was a bit of a squeeze.



You can see the old Suzuki Escudo my brother and I had for offroading in the background too.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I love two seat roadsters, including the Miata. One of these days I'll get an old MG or Triumph, and I certainly can't knock the Miatas.  They are a sweet little car.

I just wanted to say it before someone else did....

Def

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[RimfireNZ]

I love two seat roadsters, including the Miata. One of these days I'll get an old MG or Triumph, and I certainly can't knock the Miatas.  They are a sweet little car.

I just wanted to say it before someone else did....

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

Oh I expected someone would pipe up and say something

The old MG's and Triumphs are nice (especially an old triumph convertible... I don't know the model, they're not common here)... but my dad would disown me if I brought something british home (he's a mechanic so knows he'd be the one always having to fix it... and since they're british and from the 70's... well they spend more time broken down than running). A datsun 240z would be what I'd love... but I don't have my own house yet so I can't get any more toys.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I was driving a 240Z for a while years ago as a company car.  Man that thing was a potent beast.  We were well into third gear by the time the tires stopped spinning!

This is why I drive trucks.  They are powerful but not overly fast or agile.  If I had a high performance sports car I'd drive it the way it's meant to be driven and I'd be dead or in jail.  I'm bad enough with my ultra peppy VW Golf.   

Def

[dks]

I do like exploring places, so I tend to try and go off-road with any car I am driving..

I made it half way up the steep hill with a smaller car but it started spinning a bit and the rocks were too big... I was following a sign that said nothing about the condition of the road, or the distance.
I may have been able to go further up by going in reverse (front wheel drive) but there was a risk of serious damage to the tyres, or to me  (I was threatened by the passengers)...

So next day I took a proper offroad car, and was able to explore (a different area) easily (knife in door pocket, in case of bear attacks).

[zoidberg]

I tried to take a shortcut last week by driving a few km up a near dry riverbed only to find the ramp out had been washed away leaving no possible exit for me.

[RimfireNZ]

The hilux got some decent offroading over the weekend.

I went on a possum hunting trip (not the same as your US possums, they're Australasian brushtail possums) up north, getting close to the top of New Zealand. I ended up shooting about 50 of them.

It was a farm that backed onto a forestry block that I had access to.



After a couple of hours of driving you run out of sealed road.



Once I arrived at the property I found out all the tracks weren't very drivable in the winter (pretty much just quad bike tracks) and had lots of river crossings. Just as well I like getting the hilux muddy and still have enough tread on my tyres! I found a spot on the farm (behind the shed you can see) that I thought I'd set up camp at.



Setting up camp was easy as I just needed to set up my bed in the hilux. I need to take the folding down seats out next time to give me a little more room. I keep forgetting to do it and it results in an uncomfy night sleep.




I went out for a quick shoot myself for some bunnies before tea, but didn't have any luck. I think the calisi virus killed off most of the rabbits. I did get two. Then it was back to camp for dinner.




Once it got dark I went back to pick up the farmer as I offered for him to come out (since he doesn't have his firearms license and doesn't get to shoot).

We must have dropped 50~ possums. One tree had 7 in it. After a little bit of instruction the farmer turned out to be a natural and popped off a few nice head shots. I didn't take many kill pics as I was plucking fur and had blood on my hands.

The truck got a very good workout with washed out forestry roads, having to climb nearly foot high collapsed bits of road, having to drive through some of the mushiest farmland I've been on, and crossing these streams all the time.

Trying to do "river" crossings in the truck at night is pretty scary. So much of the farm had apparently been changed by storms so I had to get out and check the depths before driving through. That was some cold water...


Once it got late I took the farmer back to his place and drove back to camp. I went out and got another dozen or so possums. Then it was bed time. Check out the new LED lighting my brother helped me get set up in the truck. I think I mentioned it but I also mounted a 2000 lumen rear spotlight that lets me see where I'm backing up in the dark.



Sorry for the lack of photos of kills, but I was baby-sitting an unlicensed person so had to keep my eye on what he was doing with my rifle and was busy making sure I wasn't going to get shot.

[Max Archer]

There's a big 4x4 shaped hole in my garage. (I have a Fiesta, an S2000, and an M3, so nothing even close to off road capable.) I've always wanted a utility/adventure vehicle, something that's reasonably usable on the road, competent on a trail, and with lots of enclosed space. An older Land Cruiser, Range Rover, Series/Defender Landy, or maybe even a Wagoneer would be awesome.

[ducttapetech]

Rimfire, it looks like you had one hell of a good day! Sweet pics too.

That's us mobile.

[Cupboard]

There's a big 4x4 shaped hole in my garage. (I have a Fiesta, an S2000, and an M3, so nothing even close to off road capable.) I've always wanted a utility/adventure vehicle, something that's reasonably usable on the road, competent on a trail, and with lots of enclosed space. An older Land Cruiser, Range Rover, Series/Defender Landy, or maybe even a Wagoneer would be awesome.

Get a Range Rover classic or Classic, with the 200 or 300 TDi engine. Lovely bits of kit.
Or a Defender - they're a bit more utilitarian but fantastic workhorses.

I would be inclined to stay away from a Series Landy unless you really know what you're letting yourself in for:

Leaf springs: you really want coils on the road because they're much more comfortable, and you really want coils off road because you get far better axle articulation. Something that few if any current pickups other than the Defender have.

No power steering: sure the Series vehicles are lighter and not having power steering makes you less inclined to put stupid wide tyres on*, but for driving off road power steering makes a huge difference.

Gearbox: unless you go for a Series 3, you don't have synchro on all gears.

4WD: On the road, the permanent 4WD of the Defender or Range Rover makes a big difference and I speak with a bit of experience from a friend that was forced in to running his Discovery in rear wheel drive only for a bit. It also makes a big difference to on road towing. Off road, just stick the centre diff lock in and you're in the same position as a vehicle with selectable 4WD.

Engines: most Series vehicles were petrol engined. They're tough, reliable and go on for years but if you're going to get them wet you're better off with a Diesel. Not that the petrols can't be waterproofed, it's just easier and sort of "built in" with a Diesel.


Bearing in mind what I've said about permanent 4WD and coil springs it's frustrating that the majority of the pickups on the market don't have these features. It's not like it's new technology - it was pretty revolutionary when the Range Rover introduced it in the 70s but both should really be standard these days IMO rather than a bit of a Land Rover oddity.

*The comment about "stupid wide tyres" is a divisive one. Lots of people think that the wider the tyre is, the more grip you get and whilst there can sometimes be an advantage to wide tyres they usually make things worse. Traction is a function of the contact *length* with the ground, not contact width or area - it isn't just me saying this, there's been a lot of research done about it, books published by tyre manufacturers, research my boss did when he was doing his Masters, etc etc. Taking two tyres of identical pressures and heights but differing widths, intuitively they'll have the same contact area but the narrower tyre will have to spread that over a longer (in the direction of attempted travel) piece of ground.

Not to say wide tyres are always bad - if you're driving on very swampy ground and want really low ground pressure then they're good, and if you want to do high speed cornering then wide, low profile tyres are good (suddenly the forces are sideways rather than front to back, but like you're ever going to do that in a Defender). The rest of the time though, you're spraying more mud up the side of your truck, reducing the turning circle, making the steering heavier, the handling even worse and hitting the fuel economy.

Our farm Defender has full profile 7.50 R16s on it (that's 7.5" tread width, 7.5" sidewall height, 16" wheel - tall and skinny) and the only time that's ever been stuck in driving and towing across muddy fields is in a really boggy bit of track that our neighbour got two tractors stuck in the year after.

[dks]

I combined hunting with a bit more off-road fun than usual today. I went to some of my usual spots, up some cliffs, etc and...




I saw some nice mud and drove through it, spinning happily. I kept the car in 2WD for extra fun.









(I went through several times...)


I also went up a nice hilly road that is usually challenging but passable and entertaining. Unfortunately, as I discovered halfway up, the recent rain had moved some rocks/boulders into one side of the road, a ditch, making it impossible to drive up. I did try to climb over them and ended with the car stuck and practically on its side. I could not open the door and my passengers were complaining. Unfortunately I did not take any pictures  .
After considering getting winched I managed to unstick the car and slowly drag it/drive it down the road a bit, onto firmer ground. It was fun, but next time I will try to do it with a spotter as it was a pain reversing down a slidy cliff using just the side mirrors.

Here is a picture of the tyre, after I stopped for some hunting fun.

[derekmac]

Looks like a nice little adventure!

[dks]

Yes, I am glad for good ground clearance, short wheelbase (for easy reversing- I had done similar things with a pickup truck and when you are stuck reversing is a pain) and cheap wheels and tyres (and good underbody protection, based on the bumping from the stones I was getting).

[Higgins617]

I do like exploring places, so I tend to try and go off-road with any car I am driving..

I made it half way up the steep hill with a smaller car but it started spinning a bit and the rocks were too big... I was following a sign that said nothing about the condition of the road, or the distance.
I may have been able to go further up by going in reverse (front wheel drive) but there was a risk of serious damage to the tyres, or to me  (I was threatened by the passengers)...

So next day I took a proper offroad car, and was able to explore (a different area) easily (knife in door pocket, in case of bear attacks).

I want to hang out with you, you seem like fantastically good fun!