Posted by Winget on Tuesday, November 07, 2000 at 11:38:29:
In Reply to: Does the 4.89's make any difference off-road? posted by Roy Sanders on Tuesday, November 07, 2000 at 05:13:59:
Well, it is, unless you hit the brush, then you slow down.
I've had the 4:30's in my Command Car for ten + years. I can't go four wheeling much around Virginia. In the few instances I went off road, I had NO problem. Would I try the Rubicon? Hell NO! I didn't spend all my time restoring it from a farmers wreck for that. In the snow, she works fine (especially with the new 4 disc's)
In the sand, she'll dig right down to the axles if I don't idle along (tires are the problem, especially towing the 57mm AT gun...)
When encountering trees, I used to take out the occasional 6" maple or pine by placing the bumper against her and crawling up the tree till gravity won. (Sorry Green Party!) And if I do this, invaribly I had to paint the bumper (Go figure...) The truck skids over the remnants of the tree (what hasn't fallen into the cab......) and continues on diligently. (Go try that in a NEW Truck....)
Haven't encountered Mud, as when it rains that much, I tend to drive a closed cab vehicle, and I really HATE cleaning mud out of NDT's if a show is forseen in the distant future.
Bottom line, they work fine off road (In first) but on road, those gentle grades slow her down to 45mph! even if it's floored to the max the govenor permits.
I can start out in 1st at lights if towing the gun, but 2d will work just as well and save a shift. It depends on if the guy beside me needs to have his doors blown off (for the first five feet)
(By the way we did a race with a NEW Bradley and a NEW M1 Tank once, the Bradley M2 diesel WON! but only for the first 10 feet or so, as the tank turbine came to speed.....)
I'd rather have a lockright in the rear for good 4 wheeling, as the only time I was stuck was straddling a ditch in sand. (one wheel of each axle was in the air) Had to use the German half track to pull me out (happened to be available on-site)
Regards WAW
An attempt at a web page below. WAW