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Then again I think a rear LSD is overkill on a road going vehicle. I once tried my miata in a fresh 1 Inch snowfall and with the rear LSD engaging the back end was essentially floating free. Granted they were summer tires, but if only one rear was spinning, I would have had more lateral stability.
Traction control systems don't increase spinning so they may be a better solution for a road vehicle. They usually work on all driven wheels.
-mike
Also, how is TOD different? From what I've seen by Isuzu it's essentially the same as the Trailblazer and other Triplets A4WD.
-mike
I never looked at it as the style just isn't for me. I've also heard they lean and bend in turns more than most making it less fun and what not. Not sure if that's changed in 01-02. Plus, I love the I-6 in the Trailblazer. It's a blast and with some simple mods, I no longer miss my sport sedan.
tim
-mike
-juice
-mike
At least let Isuzu assemble it in the same place, given the solid track record for build quality.
-juice
"most durable SUV "
you may want to check out how a 5mph parkinglot accident would affect the almighty Isuzu's. let's hope it takes to off road use okay as the grocery store and malls will cost you some money.
Check out the costs on the others too! WOW!!!
http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/low_speed_midsuv.htm
He has a hitch mounted rear bumper thingy, too. Pretty wild.
30hp from an exhaust by itself? Sounds optimistic. Maybe if you get headers, new cat, mid pipes and mufflers.
-juice
Yeah and that Trailbazer has the worst angles of approach and departure. Why would you need a dual exhaust anyway? Are you drag racing your trailblazer, cause most sedans will outrace the trailblazer.
The Trooper won 2nd place in the JD Power & Associates Mid-size SUV reliability award right behind the Toyota 4-runner. I don't think any American SUV has come close to that recently.
-mike
I'm building mine to have just one pipe out the rear of the vehicle similar in appearance to the Toyota Sequoia Setup. Of course dropping the resonator will be needed and adding a quite flow flowmaster in place of the stock muffler will be needed for me to do this and still maintain a quiet(er) truck.
I'm not actively racing my TB at the track like my GTP, but I have and will take it. Bone Stock it ran 15.675 in the 1/4. Eventually I'll have it below 15. Even in today's world though, 15.6's aren't bad for a performance sedan let alone a 4500lb SUV.
tim
-mike
Anyone know the details on Envoy locking rear diffs? How are they actuated?
I live in the middle of "nowhere" - a place that can literally receive many feet of snow overnight. I work in EMS and Rescue Services, so I must have something that can maneuver at speed during the nice days (plus I enjoy driving - feeling the road), and take on the depth of snow during those "other" days. It also has to carry all of my gear, too, and a dog that's with me all of the time - the Passat is a tight squeeze & we need more room.
I'm trapped between wanting a car or a SUV - something that hugs corners versus sloshes all over the place never feeling the road through the wheel.
I've contemplated squeezing into an A4Quattro, a VW 4Motion, a wagon (I'm not sure if I'm ready to be seen in a wagon - ha!) of either brand that would allow me to keep the furrball in the back, or a Trailblazer (I know that doesn't even belong in the same category - but they don't look too bad, and dealers are everywhere). I recently ruled out the 4Motion sedan that handled because the back seats don't fold down, unlike the Audi! Must be able to carry backboards (spineboards). I've looked at the entire Subaru line-up (I better - I'm affiliated with rallies) but I very much dislike the looks, and the interior's are a little too cheap feeling and when you close the door....where's the nice, quality thud sound?
Help - Suggestions? Others to look at? Should I keep saving my sheckles to buy something that will truly fit my needs that's more than 30K? What should I sacrifice on, if nothing is going to fit the bill?
-mike
Subaru's sedans do not have seats that fold, either. They do have 6-8" of ground clearance, so too bad. The frameless doors mean the glass rattles when you slam the doors, but don't mistake that for a less-than-solid structure. Crash test results have been great.
Other wagons with good ground clearance? Volvo XC, but that's only a wagon. Audi allroad quattro, also only a wagon, no sedan.
S60 is supposed to get AWD soon, and the baby Jag will have it standard. BMW offers it, so choices are getting more abundant, but I doubt any of these will have the ground clearance you want.
So you may need to look at SUVs.
-juice
Leo
-mike
What system does the Acura MDX employ? How does it stack up against competition?
I got different answers from different dealers and I want the truth!
Help!
-mike
Having said that it's more capability than most people need, even though I prefer the feel of full-time or even rear-biased systems.
-juice
Driving into the upper parking lot at the summit became a challenge, one after another I watched as vehicles had to give up the "climb", back down and turn around.
A Dodge/Chrysler FWD minivan was first, almost made it but then lost traction and never regained it. Honda Odessey next, even less success. Toyota HL, couldn't tell the model, didn't even make it to mid-point. Aerostar not only did fine there but went all the way up to the third parking area.
Our youngest grandson soon got too cold and my wife and I returned with him to the car. My curosity got the best of me so I cruised the lower parking area until a parking spot opened up within sight of the bottom of the first incline.
Lots and lots of vehicles couldn't pull the incline, most of them recognizably FWD. Quite a few vehicles did make it but some that didn't were quite a surprise.
An 01 or 02 (VSC badge) RX AWD. He was clearly having trouble on the incline but he wasn't going to give up easily. I finally got out of our car and walked over to help by pushing and of course this made him just a little peeved. He finally had to give up and back down the incline.
It was clear that his rear wheels were "driving", but apparently not enough to be of any help. I thought that I could also hear the TRAC "thumping".
But the real surprise of the day was a late model 4runner that couldn't pull the incline. That driver was REALLY peeved. He even put in "low" range before he finally gave up.
Absolutely no one seemed to have any trouble (driving, walking is another story)within the snow and ice packed LEVEL parking areas.
The incline:
Maybe 5% or less, and about 25 yards, packed snow and ice with some gravel and sand. We arrived late in the day, around 2 PM, and I'm sure the incline had been sanded early that morning but by now there was clearly more slippery surface than otherwise.
It was so slippery in the center that you couldn't walk on it without falling and I watched several kids slid down the center of the incline in their ski boots.
Why did the Aerostar do so well, equipped with simple summer tires, over others that shouldn't have failed? I don't know enough to be really sure but I suspect it was the fact that the Aerostar is basically RWD, 30/70, and switches to 50/50 if the rear wheels begine to slip.
But why didn't the 4runner make it? The driver was using a conservative approach, not gunning it like most would.
I'm wondering if this new type of LSD, using the brakes for implementation, just isn't up to these types of challenges. The reports I keep hearing is if you aren't carrying enough forward momentum when you hit a slippery area then you dead in the (frozen) water.
Is there anyone out there with this type of experience with the ML?
-juice
-mike
-juice
Anyone have experience with chains on 4WD vehicles?
Had an 85 Jeep Cherokee Limited, purchased in 87, and then a 92 Jeep Cherokee Limited, purchased in 92. 92 is now serving time on a cattle and wheat ranch in North central Montana. Had four tire chains on both of them numerous times. never off-road except times I needed to drive into the ditch or in the median to get around so many FWD stalled vehicles.
Basically not much reason for only two tire chains on a 4WD vehicle.
Bought a MY2000 RX300 AWD in late 99, upgraded to 2001 RX300 AWD for HID, VSC, and TRAC. Ignored the ML320 at the time becuase of its poor reliability record.
Oh, actaul link chains never cable chains.
Leo
Any thoughts.
LTS: Low Traction Surface.
-juice
SUV/pickup cannot compete with a 4x4 no matter what size engine you have! Let's see the outback owner take the car 4bying. I gues this is a common misconception due to the fact people think they are the same. Heck the car companys don't give people enough info. My point is that people need to understand the difference between these two systems. Yes the C3 Sierra and Silverado are the same. But one can go 4buying while the other has freakish handeling....Just my thougths.
But in the spring, come thawing...
-mike
I'm not saying I can go rock crawling, but then again I never wanted to. Not in my primary driver. I've seen the damage Jeeps suffer after off road trip, limping home. No thanks!
The Kia commercial was a total set up. Watch it again - they carefully place the front tires in a dip full of sand, and the driver doesn't stay on the gas long enough to send any power at all to the rear wheels, he just pumps the gas and lets go. The video has been picked apart many times on the CR-V threads.
Besides, Subaru's system is different in that the rear axle gets power all the time. All AWD systems are definitely not created equal.
To answer your question, I am sure that with studs I would easily make it up that icy slope. Remember, I'm only carrying 3100 lbs.
Mine has done well on soft sand, on dirt/grass at farms, and on unimproved roads at the Pine Barrens (mostly mud and sand). That's enough for me, I don't need any more capability.
paisan is right, though, the achilles' heel is the angles of approach/departure, and to a lesser extent ground clearance. But you can get skid plates, taller springs, lift kits, and even angled bumpers to improve on that. Problem is, you give up what started as the best handling Sport/Cute.
-juice
-mike
-mike
We had some of that today. I was stuck behind cars that could not climb a 1/4 mile hill near my house until a truck laid down sand.
The Foresters weigh 3100-3300 lbs, pretty light all things considered.
-juice