Why no SAS on "expo" type trucks???

[Kevin108]

I spent years wrenching on older rigs to keep them alive to avoiding newer IFS stuff. After 15 years an older Silverado and 5 years in a later-model Cherokee XJ, I went with an FJ Cruiser.

It drives better on road, soaks up the bumps better offroad, offers better ground clearance, and hasn't proven to be nearly the impediment to effective offroading that I thought it would.

That said, I have torn boots as well, but new Duralast Golds with a lifetime warranty are sitting in the garage when I find the time.

 

[Wilyone]

My real question is why has no one come up with a better way to seal or protect the boots! I mean how hard could it possibly be to make some polymer snap on guards for the boots?

This! We need to get somebody developing some sort of boot guard, think they would sell a ton of them.

 

[Box Rocket]

I currently do some fairly long distance trips with a solid axle rig, my 80 Series Land Cruiser. I know of many others who do as well, and the 80 series is has a remarkable reputation for that kind of travel worldwide. The problem with the 80 series is that the newest ones are almost 20 years old. Personally I think they work very well for this kind of travel. The flip side of the coin as many have already pointed out is that most manufacturers have moved away from solid axles and use IFS through their 4WD product line. I recently sold a Tacoma with IFS and used it in a similar way to how I use my 80. As good as the 80 is, the Tacoma was a more comfortable ride, easier to control and could travel at higher speeds over corrugated and rough surfaces. So if your travel style involves the need to cover long distances each day or traveling at a quicker pace I'd take an IFS setup everyday.

 

[dozrmn]

Seems to me a person should own at least one of each.

 

[toyotech]

I have just been wondering, why you don't see many guys doing the solid axle swap on their Expo type trucks? Every time I crawl under my tacoma and see a ripped CV boot or see the leaky rack, I miss the solid axles my Jeeps had.

Why haven't you SAS your tacoma yet? This alone should answer your question. Most cv boots I seen torn are due to improper lift and over extending the cv axles.

Imo most ifs guys rather spend money on expo type gear like RTT camping gear and snow peak stuff. Than gas to get to cool places rather than driving 13 hours to moab to flop because when you go SA you tend to do the harder stuff. It's more about getting to see cool places and easy long trails. Than to be beat up in rock gardens. Reduce the risk while being so far from home. Most SAS guys trailer or stay local. Minus the jeep guys but they don't do any harder trails than a ifs when far from home.


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[p nut]

I'd love to find out if Honda's AWD system is worth a damn these days, it sure as hell wasn't in '04 when they built my old Element. Thing defaulted to 2WD all too often when I needed traction the most. Ridgeline looks really good to me on the surface though. Basic utility, style, size, Honda. No manual trans though, real shame too, nobody does a manual as well as Honda IMO.

http://youtu.be/0mu9Ie5FF1M

Not half bad. I'm assuming the Ridgeline will get the same, if not, perhaps a bit more robust/aggressive AWD system.

And I agree with Honda's manual transmission comment. Slickest system I've driven, from the high end NSX down to the lowly Civic.

 

[Clutch]

The smarty pants types take dirt / trail machines in from the end of the dirt road camp sites. See hauling Dirt bike thread...

98% of getting to the trail is pavement anyway ;-)
For really remote world travel most stick with stock parts for reliability and ease of getting parts when needed. Custom stuff, brakes too, and requires custom fab work to fix too.. All depends what your into, traveling or fabbing up custom stuff.

All this talk about making a 4 wheeled vehicle more capable, tossing a ton of time, money, and effort at it...which really isn't all that much better than stock...it is a wonder why more people don't ride dirt bikes. It is pretty cheap comparatively. Will go a hell of a lot more places than any 4 wheeled vehicle could ever dream of going, and capable right of the box...heck, Jarvis races a nearly stock bike, they just armor it up.

http://www.enduro360.com/2014/01/31/featured/2014-husqvarna-te300-first-look/

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

All this talk about making a 4 wheeled vehicle more capable, tossing a ton of time, money, and effort at it...which really isn't all that much better than stock...it is a wonder why more people don't ride dirt bikes. It is pretty cheap comparatively. Will go a hell of a lot more places than any 4 wheeled vehicle could ever dream of going, and capable right of the box...heck, Jarvis races a nearly stock bike, they just armor it up.

http://www.enduro360.com/2014/01/31/featured/2014-husqvarna-te300-first-look/

Have you ever ridden the Rubicon on a dirt bike? It's much easier in a 4x4. Sure, you can do the whole trail start to finish and back again in under 4 hours on a bike, but you're still sore a week later.

 

[Clutch]

Have you ever ridden the Rubicon on a dirt bike? It's much easier in a 4x4. Sure, you can do the whole trail start to finish and back again in under 4 hours on a bike, but you're still sore a week later.

Yeah, we kinda laugh at the 4X4 guys struggling along. 4 hours is a short day for most of my friends and I. If you stay in shape and ride often you don't get that sore. Riding keeps you healthy. I dunno...feel like I get more beat-up bouncing around in a cage. Why I don't do it much anymore. Even just going down a wash board road..alway think to myself...it would so much smoother and faster on a bike....ooh...look single track! Then go bust down a narrow ribbon of trail.

 

[Stoffregen Motorsports]

That's the thing about the Rubicon, there are no single tracks for bikes. It's like a ballet trying to stay on top of all the rocks. I've never done it on my trials bike because it doesn't have a seat, but one of these days, I'll get a seat for it. I think that bike, with BMX like handling, would be the perfect bike for a rocky trail like the Rubicon.

 

[Clutch]

That's the thing about the Rubicon, there are no single tracks for bikes. It's like a ballet trying to stay on top of all the rocks. I've never done it on my trials bike because it doesn't have a seat, but one of these days, I'll get a seat for it. I think that bike, with BMX like handling, would be the perfect bike for a rocky trail like the Rubicon.

Doesn't have to be all single track...trails like the Rubicon and you can kinda go all over the place finding lines, finish with that you can bust down some single track. I find 4-Wheeled vehicles very limiting in that respect, I like to do these rides we dubbed "Cruel Sport"...high miles with everything thrown in...high speed roads, to in the trees on ST, sand washes, slot canyons...and places to play in the rock gardens.

This trail started with a forest road, to an ATV trail, to single track then wound up...where there was no trail through the slick rock garden just marked with cairns, to get up over that ridge in the back ground....easy to super gnarly. I used to be into 4-Wheeling...then got into bikes, realized how much more you can do with them...then the cages fell out of favor... hate throwing money at them now, just keep them maintained for hauling toys, and I am good.

 

[p nut]

Here is one good reason why I don't go wheeling on a bike:

Kiddos and wife necessitates a truck, no matter how much I want to justify a KLR.

 

[Clutch]

Here is one good reason why I don't go wheeling on a bike:

Kiddos and wife necessitates a truck, no matter how much I want to justify a KLR.

Ha ha! Guessing why most don't do the dirt bike thing...family...*whew* costs go through the roof!

Couple of my buddy's kids ride...little rippers, already tearing it up...can only imagine how good they are going to be when they get older.

This kid is only 11.

 

[Kevin108]

This! We need to get somebody developing some sort of boot guard, think they would sell a ton of them.

Polaris does it on their ATVs.

 

[Buddha.]

Polaris does it on their ATVs.

I learned the expensive way that those guards are only protect the front of the boots. Had a Polaris (sportsman?) busting through some small trees, as soon as I had to reverse back out the cv boots are torn up.