Did you all see the rip off Peterson gave the new X

[JoshC]

I don't know how many of you actually subscribe to Peterson Off road magazine but i do and i read the article they had on the new suv's and trucks and the gave the new X a poor rating off road because of the IRS. You know, 4wheelers are going to the IRS and they do so much better then the strait axle ones, you would think that it would help in some way on a truck. Wonder why that is?

Happy trailes!!

 

[ok89]

I bet the flex on it sucks though. The "axles" go through the frame rails. Gonna be hell to lift

 

[RFR2212]

Originally posted by Jot017
You know, 4wheelers are going to the IRS and they do so much better then the strait axle ones, you would think that it would help in some way on a truck.

Are you meaning 4x4 trucks or quads? Relating quads to an explorer is completely different... and I agree... I'm betting the new truck is gonna be horrible off road... IFS and IRS.... sad.... the wheelin capabilites are extremely limited because of that. And unless yer loaded and don't know what to do with yer money, the only way to get good flex, is drop the IFS/IRS and go straight axles front and rear.
Pete

 

[JoshC]

Ah man, strait axles on a new X, how sweet would that be, the new look, little stronger motor, bigger, man that would be some work wouldn't it!!

Happy trailes!!

 

[jeffseal]

i love explorers but the new ones,..... for a lack of better words, SUCK. Suspension wise anyway.

 

[mikeresin]

they only suck suspension wise for 4wheelin.
the kinda driveing i do, they are great. i like street driveing.
less of a chance of rolling is always better

 

[DesertSpive]

We love our new Ex. It is an awesome road trip machine, and handles amazingly. Its quiet and comfortable. We have even off-roaded it on some light trails and washboard roads. It did suprisingly well for all the crap everyone gives IRS. Of course I wish the'02 Ex was a better off-roader, but that what I have the FX4 for.

--Sean

 

[JoshC]

Good lucking shots desert! I'm anxious to see if maybe one day some company will grow some nuts and try to make a suspenion lift for it. Do you know how awesome that would look and ground clearance you would have, not sure how off road capable it would be, but i think it would look good. Hey if anyone has photoshop and is good with it, why don't u try to get some 33's on a new explorer or something just so we can see what it looks like!

Happy trails!!

 

[rustytr]

Sure it might do well on a desert wash board road but it woulnd't do crap on a road with bowling ball sized rocks or steps. But hey, what do I know.

 

[DesertSpive]

And I repeat, that's what I have the FX4 for.

The Explorer is a very capable and very purpose built vehicle, but for 98% of buyers. Meaning that it will be the perfect vehicle for those familes who use it around town and take it down the dirt road to the favorite fishing spot or camping area. The 2%, like us, will have to settle for the older Explorers or buy FX4s!

--Sean

 

[RTStork]

Originally posted by DesertSpive
The Explorer is a very capable and very purpose built vehicle, but for 98% of buyers. Meaning that it will be the perfect vehicle for those familes who use it around town and take it down the dirt road to the favorite fishing spot or camping area. The 2%, like us, will have to settle for the older Explorers or buy FX4s!
--Sean

This is the best reply I have read on this subject.

 

[rustytr]

If they don't want to build the explorer the way some of us would like they should at least offer it as an FX4 option, that would be pretty sweet.

 

[99explorer5.0]

That was the best response on this thread so far. Not many people drive their explorers over 5 foot rocks like most people on this board do. The occasional dirt path and if you live up north snow is probably what most explorers see in their lifetimes.

 

[JoshC]

Heck, my 97 is slightly modified and i still won't take it on rocks!! Rocks don't give, besides, i'm sure the new X will do what the average person needs to do, even if it is for work or something like that!

Happy trails!!

 

[cableguy]

I think Peterson's said it best in the article, "Load up the kids and head for the mall."

 

[CoryL]

2002 Explorer, 2002 FX4 Ranger, this that and the other thing.

Both of them were designed to function on the road and maybe see some dirt at a jobsite.

I saw the FX4 Ranger at Wellsville, OH, when the Ford Engineers brought it out to test it at the 2nd RRORC Anniversary Run. Basically it is a newer Ranger with a manual t-case. The only reason it did so well was because those guys knew they could ABUSE it and not give a damn.

Hell, even the design of the SLA suspension sucks in comparison to the Toyota's SLA.

The TTB was decent, but like any Independent Suspension, it was designed for the road.

Now you might argue and say that desert racers and higher end pre-runners use a-arm setups on their trucks. That they do, however, you and I both know that neither one of us could afford to have it built. It's also terrain specific. While it may suck up 4ft whoops at 70mph, it's not going to do well on rocks.

Bottom line is that the newer stuff being produced (early 90s-present) was put into production with the idea that the vehicles wouldn't be taken off-road by 95% of the people who buy them and consequently have no real off-road prowress.

 

[DesertSpive]

Originally posted by CoryL
2002 Explorer, 2002 FX4 Ranger, this that and the other thing.

Both of them were designed to function on the road and maybe see some dirt at a jobsite.

I saw the FX4 Ranger at Wellsville, OH, when the Ford Engineers brought it out to test it at the 2nd RRORC Anniversary Run. Basically it is a newer Ranger with a manual t-case. The only reason it did so well was because those guys knew they could ABUSE it and not give a damn.

Hell, even the design of the SLA suspension sucks in comparison to the Toyota's SLA.

The TTB was decent, but like any Independent Suspension, it was designed for the road.

Now you might argue and say that desert racers and higher end pre-runners use a-arm setups on their trucks. That they do, however, you and I both know that neither one of us could afford to have it built. It's also terrain specific. While it may suck up 4ft whoops at 70mph, it's not going to do well on rocks.

Bottom line is that the newer stuff being produced (early 90s-present) was put into production with the idea that the vehicles wouldn't be taken off-road by 95% of the people who buy them and consequently have no real off-road prowress.

Here we go again... Apparently, those of us who enjoy off-roading have no choices when it comes to new vehicles. And if we own a TTB or SLA truck, we can't be REAL off-roaders. I think that mentality is just wrong, of course, what do I know, I just off-road at job sites. All you need to do is to take one look at some of the wonderful SLA Explorers that are on this board, Paul's for example, and look at how capable they are. How can this sport be furthered if we all say "that new suspension is junk, I give up!" No, we work with it, we make it better, and we modify it for our needs.

Also, the FX4 is a heckuva alot more than just a manual t-case, and you would be suprised at how well a careful driver, not trying to bang it up, can do. Granted they are not the greatest off-road rigs ever made, but they do mighty fine in a dual purpose role of daily driver/weekend warrior. And I believe many people on this board will disagree with you that the TTB is a street oriented suspension...it is one of the most rugged IFS ever offered to the public by a vehicle manufacturer. And your comment about being terrain specific, ever think some of us on that board use our vehicles in exactly that terrain? My board name starts with "Desert" for a reason. And if it is so terrain specific, why does Gorden take his truck to the dunes and the rocks? Or maybe he just goes to the job sites...

--Sean

 

[CoryL]

I never said that an SLA was bad, what I said was FORD's version of the SLA was bad. Take a look under a Taco and see ow to make an SLA that works on the road AND off-road.

Trust me, I know all the benefits to an SLA suspension, especially one that utilizes coilovers or coils rather than torsion bars. There is very little static camber change during the cycle of the suspension. Granted the ability to get wheel travel out of a stock SLA setup is rather difficult, it's quality of travel is better. I'd still rather have 22" TIB travel than 10" of SLA travel for the same price.

In reality though, 95% of people with a newer 4wd vehicle NEVER take it off-road with the exception of some grass or a jobsite. That is why the vehicle was designed the way it was.

I think you over-exaggerated my point about the TTB being a street suspension. It's not. But like the SLA, it came at a time when people were off-roading less with the solid axle vehicles they had and were driving on the road more. It has been transformed by race teams and shops into a highly functional, stout (it has MAJOR drawbacks however, bearing design and hub design being the largest), inexpensive suspension. But when it was designed, a better ride on the road was taken at the expense of off-road ability.

I never said you couldn't be a real off-roader either. You brought that up. All I said was that the design of the SLA LIMITS it's abilities off-road.

When someone comes along and makes a suspension worth buying that aids in it's abilities rather than not help them at all, I will be interested to see how well it works.

I guess my point of all this is that they don't make 4x4s the way they used to. They don't have off-road ability in mind anymore in the design room. They are making them for the droves of people that want people to think they take them off-road.

 

[JoshC]

You all are bringing up some good points, but what does SLA stand for? I've not seen it yet.

Happy trails!!

 

[BislamJoe]

SLA - Short/Long Arm I think...