Our first topic is; I will go to the land, should I be careful when choosing a 4×4 vehicle ?
In my opinion, the major factor for off road vehicle selection is personal taste. The landlord is in love with his 4×4 vehicle . If the lander’s eyes weren’t blinded by this love, there wouldn’t be such a variety of off-road vehicles . Everyone would say “this is the right thing to do” and only one off- road vehicle was agreed upon and only that car was used.
Now let’s come to the factors that affect a successful off-road driving. Each of these factors are issues that need to be examined on their own. As a matter of fact, I will talk about all of them in detail in the ongoing process. Here, I will only mention it as the main topic and give some personal preferences and general opinions.
– 4×4 Traction system :
The vehicle must be a 4×4 . Sometimes there is a desire to go out into the field with 4×2 double cabins. While 4×2 double cabins that are sufficiently high from the ground can serve on dirt road driving, one should not expect more.
Another question is 4×4 or AWD?
Rather than the technical differences between them, I will address the philosophical difference between the two in a longer article. Although land users generally tend to use 4×4 vehicles, I have actually witnessed in the trips I participated in that AWD vehicles are more successful than many 4x4s within the vehicle’s physical capacities. However, if we are going to do off-road, our preference should be 4×4.
– Land Transmission (transfer case)
All-terrain vehicle, in addition to being a 4×4, must be able to serve with a land transmission locked ( middle lock ). If there is no middle lock, it means that you start the land match with a 2-0 defeat. Although it is very rare, some vehicles may not have a middle lock.
What should we pay attention to in the Selection of Off-Road Transmission?
There must be a low rpm option, which we know as Low . In most cross-country transmissions, the center lock cannot be activated in 4H (high speed 4WD) mode. In order to activate the middle lock, you need to switch to 4L (low speed 4WD) mode. No matter how much you press the gas in 4L, there may be more difficult passes or unsuccessful rides on some tracks, since the vehicle is not as agile as in 4H. Unfortunately, very few vehicles offer the middle lock option on the 4H.
I repeat, when choosing off-road vehicles , do not think about vehicles that do not have a middle lock.
– Differential locks :
I can’t say for sure that there are differential locks. Because there are not many vehicle options with both front and rear locks. If we say this is it, we will limit the options for 4×4 vehicle selection . However, if possible, at least try to choose a vehicle that offers the rear lock as standard. Or try to choose a tool that can be done later without the cost and hassle of locking.
– Off-Road Tire Selection for 4×4 Off-Road Vehicles
HT-AT-MT-XT comes to mind when it comes to off road tires . The aspect I will mention is the size of the off-road tires rather than the pattern. The bigger the tire of your off-road vehicle, the greater your ability to overcome obstacles with your off-road vehicle. In addition , the only reasonable way to increase the ground clearance of the off road differential watermelon in solid axle off-road vehicles is to use large MT or Extreme off road tires . Using portal axle , which is another method, is a very expensive solution. Try not to prefer off-road vehicles that do not allow you to expand the tire at a reasonable level due to both mechanical constraints and physical constraints in the area where the tire is located. In order for an off road tire to be enlarged, it is not enough just to physically fit inside the fender. All elements in the powertrain of the vehicle must be strong enough to withstand the increased effects due to the growing tire. Frequent axle cuts of 4×4 vehicles with large off-road tires are caused by ignoring this and growing tires.
– Height :
All-terrain vehicle. The cup should be as high off the ground as possible. Do not prefer 4×4 vehicles that are too close to the ground than the original. Because off-road vehicles do not have an unlimited ability to rise.
– Angles :
The higher the approach – departure – snow angle, the better the off-road performance in different conditions. If the nose of the vehicle is too long, the approach angle will be low. We can give Toyota Hilux as an example. This is the reason why some off-road vehicles leave a front bumper on off-road trips. Examine the vehicle’s front bumper structure well. No plastic hanging down. On 4×4 vehicles with a very long stern, the departure angle is very low. Almost all double cabin pickup trucks have this problem. That’s why strict landlord double-cab owners cut and shorten the body of the vehicle. Abdominal angle is related to both cup height and wheelbase. Short chassis vehicles are very advantageous in this respect.
– Axle and suspension system :
Off-road vehicles usually have solid axles, but some also have IFS (independent front suspension). Almost all double cabins are IFS. There are situations where both are advantageous and disadvantageous depending on the obstacle position. In general, solid axle is more preferred in the field due to both higher elevation possibilities and greater articulation capability . By the way, all trophy trucks are independent suspension. However, there is a gap between them and the 4×4 off-road vehicles that are the subject of our discussion.
One of the issues discussed in the suspension system is spring or spring systems? Choosing an off road vehicle sometimes does not allow you to make a choice in this regard. For example, if you are going to choose a double cabin vehicle, you will probably have very few options other than scissors. But the general trend is spring + shock absorber systems rather than scissors off road vehicles. I will also touch on shock absorber systems, which are the basic instruments of articulation, in a long article with numerical examples.
– Articulation ability :
The basic requirement for driving off-road is that the tires are in contact with the road. If the articulation ability is low, the vehicle will fall diagonally very easily, and if there is no mechanical lock or electronic supporting systems that will prevent the idle wheels from absorbing the power of the engine, you will not be able to move forward. Naturally, this capability is greater in large vehicles.
What is the effect of articulation on handling? What is useful articulation?
– Wheelbase :
When choosing a 4×4 vehicle, you should pay attention to the wheelbase. Being a long or short chassis has its own advantages and disadvantages. However, I do not like short chassis off-road vehicles because I keep general driving safety above all else. Short chassis vehicles are more risky on steep descents and ascents. On the other hand, long chassis is disadvantageous, while short chassis vehicles are very advantageous.
– Track width :
The greater the distance between two tires on the same axle, the greater the safety of the vehicle on side slopes. So be a little more cautious on very narrow 4×4 vehicles.
– Luggage Capacity :
The landlord has a lot of stuff. In addition to the fixed belongings of the car, there will be a lot of additional items that you take with you for the trip. Short chassis off-road vehicles are very disadvantageous in this regard. Double cabins are very advantageous. However, they pay the price of this advantage with a bad distance angle.
– Engine – power – torque :
A powerful engine is generally better. However, if you take the vehicle at low speed, the power of the engine should not be of great importance. Do not prefer if the off-road vehicle is piling up even though it is low-circuit. The answer to the question of high horsepower or high torque can be found in hundreds of places on the web. Let me give you the brief information, high horsepower is required for a high top speed and agile 4×4, high torque is required for high traction power. If you don’t drive in Rally format off-road, you should prefer torque rather than horsepower.
– Gearbox :
It is between manual and automatic options. Automatic transmission is one step ahead in terms of driving comfort and ease. But he also has problems. If it is used for a long time in very harsh conditions, the transmission oil will overheat and you need to rest the vehicle. You can also strip the pads in manual gear. In some conditions, manual transmission can provide more controlled driving. My personal preference is for 4×4 off-road vehicles with automatic transmission.
– Fuel consumption :
Needless to say, it’s okay to have a scarce one. However, it will not be possible to burn even a low-burning 4×4, especially in the field, and the power we desire must have a price.
– Fuel type :
My personal preference is for diesel, though not for much thoughtful reason. Diesel is less dangerous as it is not very flammable. If gasoline is left in the open, even its vapor can cause a fire. Apart from that, water passage is easier in diesel. Gasoline off-road vehicles are more agile. In general, let’s not forget that 4×4 vehicles that give higher horsepower are gasoline, while vehicles that give higher torque are diesel.
– Supply of spare parts :
Get spare parts cheap if possible. However, 4×4 selection should not be made just because the spare part is cheap.
The price is meaningless if the spare part is cheap or expensive, not available. Choose an off-road vehicle with spare parts available. Think about it, you are waiting for the part to come from abroad for 3 months. It also turns out to be incompatible, you wait another 3 months. The vehicle spends half the year lying down.
– Master who understands :
If your vehicle is a vehicle whose mechanics or electronics are very unknown, it shouldn’t be a problem until a problem arises. But when you start having problems and can’t find a solution to them, you curse the car and life. Try to choose off-road vehicles with enough knowledge and experience of our masters.
– Cost and age :
You will have to choose one of the old – cheap – many failures or new – expensive – less failure options. This is a generalization of course. Even if it is very old, a well-maintained off-road vehicle will not upset you. Before buying a 4×4 vehicle, make sure to take advantage of the appraisal service of someone who understands the language of that vehicle.
– Experience :
Respect the opinions of friends who have been channeled into a single off-road vehicle, but also take into account the opinions of our friends who have experienced 4×4 vehicle diversity.
All of these main topics are topics that can be written on their own for very long articles. In the coming days, I will continue to share detailed posts on both these issues and many other topics.
Regards, Love.