What is good enough?

[Freakazoid]

That shorty in the video is quite stiff. Unfortunately shorties need to be stiff otherwise they fall over. A LWB can be a lot more flexible but the front end still the problem. I don't know of any Nissan in the Outback that uses anti-sway in the front and those okes drive like crazy. I spoke to Dennis yesterday about it and he hasn't owned a Patrol to date with front sway bars on. Just leave it off. Only hassle is of course insurance. if you are in an accident, will the accessor find out and will he nail you for it.

[Tunja]

Hello all

As you might have gathered I did not have a very happy Patrol weekend.

My submission is that the Patrol in standard form is a great vehicle for the average 4x4 use, but as soon as things get a little more technical they do not cope as well as some other standard 4x4 vehicles. (Land Cruisers, some of the Jeeps and the G-Wagon).

This weekend at the Klipkoppie thing I could not complete two of the obstacles because of the break over angle on the Patrol and the fact that I did not have front lockers. At the 60th birthday celebrations at Three Provinces I did everything with ease except that hill climb that Cedric and a couple of others completed. At Heidelberg 4x4 route I got soundly stuck in the mud.

So now my rhetorical question is what is good enough? The fact that I can do, say 70% of all obstacles with the minimum effort, or to spend at least R 50 000 extra ( a set of BFG MUDS will set me back about R 15000, a good suspension kit (EFS) in the region of R12000, Snorkel at R 4500 and lockers or limited slip diff at R 12000??? and then a rear replacement steel bumper to stop the tow bar from ploughing furrows in the rock, mud, sand) on the Patrol to be able to do 99% of all obstacles.

I ask myself after this weekend how much testosterone is involved in this unease in my heart. Is it hurt pride that my beloved Patrol could not finish and that my ego got hurt in the process or is it the untapped potential of the Patrol that is latent but evident?


As Obelix said when he was in love, Sigh, BIGGER SIGH, BIGGEST SIGH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Izak, I have a very heavily modified XJ Jeep - lifted, Khumo Muds, both bumpers done, ARB lockers rear AND front..... I STILL need recovering at Atlantis Dunes sometimes... Yes I do try some extreme stuff and thats when it happens but believe me I will not try 50% of the stuff I do now at AD in the Troll - It's all about horses for courses.

I've had my fun with a modded toy and now I'm content to have the Troll - will suit my purposes better than the XJ. NB I don't often use the XJ's lockers and they are +- R28K for both...

I've taken my wife's '09 Suzuki GV into AD and was very impressed with what it could do but did have mixed results - It badly needs a 50mm lift and I've been recovered more times than I'd like to admit - but that's just me trying to do things I shouldn't. Should also mention the wife banned me from taking it again after she found sand on the roof carrier.....

Get the lift Kit and some decent tyre's like suggested and you will be 99% there

[Jorrie]

Tunja

I think it is necessary to decide what you want to do with the vehicle. I you you want to go where only Unimogs go, then thats what you need. Even Patrols have limits.

[Tunja]

Yes, you are right Jorrie and that's why I decided to buy the Troll - have recognized the need to stop acting like a hooligan with the Jeep - the guy's at AD will ask me, think you can do that? and I would say, nope but will give it a try ........

So decided to (like I did with my motorbikes - sold the superbikes and bought a bmw GS1200 and slowed down), drive a highly capable 4x4 that will do most stuff I want to do and still be a pleasure on the long road. It's not an ego thing anymore and I don't let it worry me

[Jorrie]

There's a lot of us that are in the same boat.

[Tinus lotz]

i feel that yes there are 4x4 with a bit better of road abilities but................not many
i look at it as a everyting in one car ......
as for doing a trail or two it works and will keep on working
for towing boats and caravans cant beat it
driving form pta to moz ,best 4x4 on the tar
playing in the sand when i get there ?????not one car can play with the 4.8 when it comes to that
at this stage to me it makes sence to when your car needs tires ,buy the ones you want not the ones you need .
when your shocks and coils need replaceing buy the ones that will work best in all tipe of senarios
my patrol is knocking on 150000km and needs shocks ,going to put coils and 50mm lift kit beacouse I can and beacouse the ome are now not so lekke anymore
i love my patrol and if i want a monster to only play with on trails i will build a pipe car
we all have to look at the buget and to me it is the best combined use 4x4 out there

[Peter Vee]

Hear hear Tinus...

I have been using working 4x4's as of 1979.. while workng for JCI Exploration and running my own Safari Outfitting business.. this ranged from a few "Toys".. including Hi Luxes and Cruiser... to the Brits as in Defenders and Discos.. this has given me the opportunity to form a view on what is good enough from my perspective.. all I can say is I love my 4.8 GRX and wont swop it for anything.. have added all I need to make it a tad better.. now if I come short it can be ascribed to the nut behind the wheel and nothing else.

My Toll goes no where unless it has a fishing rod or rifle in it.. (but then again even my platkar has a permanent flyrod mounted in the boot ;)

Cheers, Peter

[Jorrie]

Something I learnt from SWAMBO.

Enough is when you (or mostly SWAMBO) decides that it is enough!!