So, I'm looking to see who else has taken their WK2 off-road and what their impressions are. I took mine off-road for the first time this weekend and was a little let down. I had plans to build it up and use it for overland travel but I am now thinking it will end staying on the highway and I will find something else.
Some back story so you understand my comparisons. I had a '13 JKUR with AEV 3.5 w/ 35" tires, then had a '14 LR4. So I have had a fair share of both old school and new school tech in a machine. My '14 GC w/ EcoDiesel is a Summit, so for the moment it does still have the stock 20" wheels and tires. I do understand the limitation this places on multiple aspects.
When taking it off-road this weekend for some sights of the fall colors I had a few issues:
1) The suspension wouldn't stay raised. I never went over 10 - 12 MPH and multiple times I would look down and be at standard road height. This was slightly frustrating as my LR4 never changed its height once placed in a position.
2) Off-Road 2 height was absolutely worthless. The vehicle becomes a 5k pound pogo stick bouncing around making loud thumping noises over every bump. This was a huge letdown compared to the LR4 that seemed to float on clouds and manage its weight and wheel articulation very confidently.
3) There was a constant battle between myself and whatever gremlin had control of my accelerator. The vehicle wouldn't just crawl. It would rev itself up to 1,500-2,000 RPM's and then drop back down. I could take my feet totally off all pedals and it would do it non-stop. Was very frustrating, especially going downhill.
Overall I am very pleased with the vehicle in terms of long distance cruising and fuel consumption. Just isn't as good off-road as I was hoping it would be. Maybe 18" wheels with 32" tires would make the off-road ride and handling improved as I would be able to air down some. But that doesn't solve the inconsistent suspension changes as well as limited articulation at full height.
It was really funny to see the 2 hunters faces that I passed when they saw a brand new Grand Cherokee on a tight trail when they had a beat up pick-up truck. :Wow1:
Anyone else have any other experiences? Looking to see if I am the only one with these issues.
Some back story so you understand my comparisons. I had a '13 JKUR with AEV 3.5 w/ 35" tires, then had a '14 LR4. So I have had a fair share of both old school and new school tech in a machine. My '14 GC w/ EcoDiesel is a Summit, so for the moment it does still have the stock 20" wheels and tires. I do understand the limitation this places on multiple aspects.
When taking it off-road this weekend for some sights of the fall colors I had a few issues:
1) The suspension wouldn't stay raised. I never went over 10 - 12 MPH and multiple times I would look down and be at standard road height. This was slightly frustrating as my LR4 never changed its height once placed in a position.
2) Off-Road 2 height was absolutely worthless. The vehicle becomes a 5k pound pogo stick bouncing around making loud thumping noises over every bump. This was a huge letdown compared to the LR4 that seemed to float on clouds and manage its weight and wheel articulation very confidently.
3) There was a constant battle between myself and whatever gremlin had control of my accelerator. The vehicle wouldn't just crawl. It would rev itself up to 1,500-2,000 RPM's and then drop back down. I could take my feet totally off all pedals and it would do it non-stop. Was very frustrating, especially going downhill.
Overall I am very pleased with the vehicle in terms of long distance cruising and fuel consumption. Just isn't as good off-road as I was hoping it would be. Maybe 18" wheels with 32" tires would make the off-road ride and handling improved as I would be able to air down some. But that doesn't solve the inconsistent suspension changes as well as limited articulation at full height.
It was really funny to see the 2 hunters faces that I passed when they saw a brand new Grand Cherokee on a tight trail when they had a beat up pick-up truck. :Wow1:
Anyone else have any other experiences? Looking to see if I am the only one with these issues.
