Another ‘what ute?’ Thread.

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
CU lost me at "modified test course". Why was it different for this car? Even then they only got it to lift 3 times out of 71 attempts, and only with exaggerated inputs.

To be fair though (alternatively that sentence could start with "On the flip-side", lol) they are a moderately rollable car. But having owned one, if you've rolled one, you've either had zero respect for the fact you're driving a tallish narrow car (ie: the driver is meant to drive to the conditions - even in emergency maneuvers), or have done something deliberately stupid. They have ridiculously good brakes too, so most precarious situations would be avoided in that manner. Heck I'm probably biased, but they're a great little car when you can manage without all the modern bells and whistles.

The "moose test" has been faked by journos a few times over the years for scandal making purposes too, which was more why I referenced it. The first Mercedes Benz A-class was another classic example of fiddled tyre pressures and yanking the wheel makes the car go A over T.
 
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FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
CU lost me at "modified test course". Why was it different for this car?
Same for me. That's why I went digging. I wanted to know their motive. It's in the article I linked. They knew there was a problem and set out to prove it. Why? I don't know. It seems relevance was the trophy they were after? Or revenue .....
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
It's in the article I linked.
Where in the article? I can't see any reference to why they modified the course for this one vehicle. It passed the test with ease, then they went looking for a way to make it fail.

It's a light, tall, narrow vehicle. Physics and a highish CoG will do their thing if you allow them too. If it designed not to roll, it'll understeer instead. Neither is "safe" IMO. You just modify your driving to suit.
 

FigBo0T

Puts verniers on his headtube
Where in the article? I can't see any reference to why they modified the course for this one vehicle. It passed the test with ease, then they went looking for a way to make it fail.
I referred to my curiosity about their motive. I read between the lines. "They knew there was a problem and set out to prove it. Why? I don't know. "

I didn't make any judgement on how good or bad the Suzuki was. After watching both videos, I wanted to know why they went so far to make it fail. The motive is in point form towards the bottom of the article. (in my opinion) The issue was discussed internally by Suzuki, and a TV show had declared the car unsafe.

Maybe it's as insidious as the magazine being contractually obliged to not negate what NBC had declared. Maybe they wanted to stifle Japanese imports. Maybe, maybe ....

I've invested far more in this topic than I would have liked to, and now I don't know or care. It's tiring having to defend what you never wrote.
 

Chriso_29er

Likes Bikes and Dirt
I referred to my curiosity about their motive. I read between the lines. "They knew there was a problem and set out to prove it. Why? I don't know. "

I didn't make any judgement on how good or bad the Suzuki was. After watching both videos, I wanted to know why they went so far to make it fail. The motive is in point form towards the bottom of the article. (in my opinion) The issue was discussed internally by Suzuki, and a TV show had declared the car unsafe.

Maybe it's as insidious as the magazine being contractually obliged to not negate what NBC had declared. Maybe they wanted to stifle Japanese imports. Maybe, maybe ....

I've invested far more in this topic than I would have liked to, and now I don't know or care. It's tiring having to defend what you never wrote.
As a keen 4wder I think they could also easily have missed the true meaning of the internal statement. IMO it could also have reference to off-road cross axle situations, where the short wheelbase, narrow track and high center of gravity did make them a little easy to get it wrong and loved to lift wheels.

We also used to have trouble with them in deep landcruiser/patrol ruts as they would ride the center and get into all kinds of unstable situations.

I agree with you, they got wind of the internal statement and then made it a mission to prove something.

At the end of the day all high center vehicles will get very unstable if you yank the wheel like an idiot.

 
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beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
As a keen 4wder I think they could also easily have missed the true meaning of the internal statement. IMO it could also have reference to off-road cross axle situations, where the short wheelbase, narrow track and high center of gravity did make them a little easy to get it wrong and loved to lift wheels.
Nailed it.

And yeah they definitely love to lift wheels, they are insane once diff-locked with a bit of extra reduction in the transfer, crappy pic - but this was way steeper than it looks - got up it though.
360834
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
That thing would be FUN (unless it was on its roof)
It definitely was! 1.6L, 5-speed, reduction gears in transfer, 31" mud tyres, diff locks front and rear.

Amazing on 4WD trails, but pretty sketchy on the road. Most people who roll them "let them have a nap" (ie: lay them on their side at low speed), the only time I truely nearly rolled mine though I nearly rolled it backwards. I don't think the roll-hoop would've done much for me in that instance. It was also getting pretty tired and would've needed a lot of love to spruce it up and I didn't have the space to work on it at the time so I ended up selling it. I'd love to buy a LWB version and get similar mods (minus the body lift).
 

flamin'trek

Likes Bikes and Dirt
Most people who roll them "let them have a nap" (ie: lay them on their side at low speed), the only time I truely nearly rolled mine though I nearly rolled it backwards.
Did the same with mine. Got a bit enthusiastic approaching a step up. Ended up with the ash tray full of change and CB mic in the back seats. Also needed new underwear.

Was heaps of fun even without the lockers or lift. Only sold mine when I started commuting up the freeway an hour. Arrive at destination half deaf and shaken to bits. Poor little thing flogged to death all the way. Be nice to get another one, but they are silly prices now.
 

Flow-Rider

Burner
Was heaps of fun even without the lockers or lift. Only sold mine when I started commuting up the freeway an hour. Arrive at destination half deaf and shaken to bits. Poor little thing flogged to death all the way. Be nice to get another one, but they are silly prices now.
Haha! I was going to say about the flapping canopies about 6 posts ago, a friend of mine had one and we used to scream down the hi-way at a 120. He rolled it on its side at Fraser island on a sand dune some how, 2 Hilux's and a Landcruiser went through and when he tried it went over but great little car they were, I can still remember the smokey & noisy two stroke ones.
 

Dales Cannon

lightbrain about 4pm
Staff member
@moorey has bought his hilux. Start another thread if you want to talk shit about 4wds or better yet do one as a project and post it in there.
 
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