Articulation vs. Ground Clearance

[Willy G]

 

[RMP&O]

Very obviously articulation. You can drive over just about anything with enough of it and lockers. If your truck is getting hung up due to ground clearance, you are most likely picking the wrong line. Deep mud would be different. For that, clearance and traction is key along with some hp. For example portal axles will beat anything else in the mud any day and enough power to spin the tires won't hurt it either.

 

[RMP&O]

I have a pinz and stock the ground clearance is around 16" unloaded and 14.5" fully loaded, this is clear from inside of wheels to inside of wheels. I have almost no articulation and it is a problem on some more extreme trails.

I flipped my 712m Pinz on it's side super easy once. And it wasn't in extreme terrain. About an 18" tall ledge in the mud, hit it with not much speed but not 100% straight on. The front came up onto the top of the ledge, back RHS dropped into a hole and over she rolled onto her RHS. The good thing was, after sitting on it's side for at least 15 minutes, we rolled it back over and it fired right up first try. Also no body damage at all but I did have an exo cage on the cab.

The Pinz has great ground clearance, a narrow track which is nice on tight trails and an excellent turning radius. Oh ya and lot's of ground clearance plus a central chassis tube you can slide the truck on. So in deep mud and or fairly flat terrain it will excel way beyond most trucks. As soon as you get on a hill, off camber or in the rocks everything changes in a Pinz, which is why I got rid of mine.

Here is some 712 Pinz flex for ya!

 

[RMP&O]

what the hell did i just watch? that is one ************ rig.

After more than 15 minutes of searching I failed to find a picture of one but...

It is adapted from a tractor or that is at least where he got the idea. I see the same set up on tractors all the time in Eastern Idaho. It is chain driven with no actual axle shaft between the wheels which allows for massive clearance. The tractors I have seen it on look to be used for spraying fields with tall rows.

 

[grimbo]

Articulation to a point is handy but super fleecy rigs can run I to problems as well.

When I was at Moab about 12 years ago super flexy rigs was all the rage.

We were on Upper Helldorado and a very flexy jeep was stuck with all four wheels on the ground spinning and the problem was contact pressure, he couldn't generate enough traction. The same obstacle had most other rigs with less flex just walk through while lifting a wheel.

For me it is about balanced flex front and back ( nothing worse than having only end flex like crazy, you just fall over) combined with lockers front and rear

 

[grimbo]

That Chainlink was an exercise in engineering but in practicality it lost out. It failed miserably in a few rock crawling comps and from I remember was too heavy and complicated as a trail rig