Bone Stock LR3 versus Bone Stock P38: Thoughts?

[pugslyyy]

I'm tempted to get an LR3 to play around with so I can compare. We have a couple in our club (Chicago Land Rover Club), but some of the stuff we go through with the Defenders and Discos would probably destroy them, mechanically and aesthetically. They usually drop out when we hit the harder trails.

They LR3 has a big butt - it will struggle compared to a Disco 1 and Defender with rear overhang (but be okay against the Disco 2). The independent suspension is very capable on it but required a driver that knows how to make the traction control system work.

 

[nwoods]

So you don't think the straight axles are inherently better off road than the independent suspension, all else being equal? Again, that's off road, not on.

Yes, straight axles are better than. Independant off road. No question. There is the inherent opportunity to have a greater range of motion (articulation) and lift potentional with straight axles. However, the comparison between the LR3 and P38 is the question, and in normal circumstances with halfway decent drivers, the LR3 is superior up until you get beyond trash can sized rocks

 

[David Harris]

Yes, straight axles are better than. Independant off road. No question. There is the inherent opportunity to have a greater range of motion (articulation) and lift potentional with straight axles. However, the comparison between the LR3 and P38 is the question, and in normal circumstances with halfway decent drivers, the LR3 is superior up until you get beyond trash can sized rocks

What if you took traction control and lockers out of the equation?

 

[nwoods]

What if you took traction control and lockers out of the equation?

If you have no traction aides, then articulation is king. Solid axles wins

 

[nwoods]

I'm tempted to get an LR3 to play around with so I can compare... I'd be interested to really wheel one like that to see how it would do in the really tough parts.

Just keep this in mind. The LR3 takes a different line than what you are used to. It's hard to express in writing, but its absolutely true. It's a function of several things:
1. Phenomenal turning radius. This alone changes the game
2. Traction Control means that if any one wheel has grip, you are pretty much good to go.
3. There is no differential to hang on a rock
4. The amount of clearance is greatest immediately below the door sills, and NOT under the gas tank!

Use #1 and 4#, with judicious applications of #2 to choose your line and don't worry about #3. This results in a different line than all the older rovers on the trail.

 

[LR Max]

The Independent Suspension of the LR3 is a compromise all around. You get awesome on road manners with the ability to hold its own off road.

The nice thing is you can drive the LR3 across the US then hit some trails. Are you gonna hit the hard trails at Moab with it? No. Wrong truck. Get your rock crawler, stick it on your deck over trailer, then hook it behind your brand new diesel 1 ton truck and go. Enjoy that open cab when the freak rain storms hit.

It doesn't even qualify compared to a solid axle with 14" coilovers tuned by the Bilstein truck man. That said, enjoy your twerky suspension driving to and from work everyday.

As mentioned before, it looks like less of the truck capability and more of the driver capability.

 

[David Harris]

So has anyone you know of ever taken one of these on a trail like the Rubicon or Dusy Ershim, etc. How do you think it would do?

 

[nwoods]

So has anyone you know of ever taken one of these on a trail like the Rubicon or Dusy Ershim, etc. How do you think it would do?

Yes, the LR3 has been on the Rubicon. Two guys in the LR3's from the Southern California Land Rover club (SCLR) did the Rubicon two years ago. Or attempted to. They budgeted 4 days including travel to and from SoCal, and they didn't get any further than Spider Lake (I think, my memory of their report is fuzzy), due to tree fall. They had arrived right after a thunderstorm on a Tuesday morning and had to cut and clear half a dozen trees between PostPile and Little Sluice, which greatly slowed them down. They were well equipped with spare parts, recovery gear, shortened exhausts, and Faultmate computers. I think they also removed their plastic bumper covers. They ran out of time and gas before they ran out of ability. To my knowledge, they have not yet reattempted the run, but are wanting to. One of the two is a doctor and has difficulty getting the requisite time off work.

 

[LR Max]

Both of those trails are no joke. Full armor and skids is about the bare minimum for something like that.

On the flipside, jacking up a P38, getting it on 35s and turning it into a trail limo would probably be easier. Of course everything below the chassis would have to be reworked and tons of spares.

Once again, if you want to run rubicon and Dusy, put your rock crawler on your trailer and tow it there with your DMAX/PSD/CTD.