The advantages of independent suspension or not?

[Chicken Drumstick]

Thanks for the reply.

BTW - call me Matt. I have spoken to you before, on here, but a long time ago with an account I lost the login details too and over at BigJimny.

Chicken (do you have a real name?) Drumstick, I don't think Land Rover did a bad job actually! The setup has 12" travel before anything binds, though that's not fully utilised in the standard setup, and it's very strong. The drive shafts make Defender half-shafts look like matchsticks!

I've seen a RRS off roading (in Sand). It belongs to my friend Graham (Rocker on here) and although it lacked the clearance of my Defender, and was on road tyres (and he was afraid to boot it because of potential damage) - I was nothing but impressed with where it went! To the extent that I'm going to buy one to see what I can do with it!

In 10 years time, most of the off roaders will likely be based on this platform - and we will view the 'oldies' running beam axles, in the same way as we view 'leafers' now! I think the D3/4/RRS suspension setup with a bit of modification could out perform most of the not too extreme beam axle trucks. It's never going to win RTI challenges - but how often in real off road situations is that critical? More often it's stability on side slopes and being able to find traction while moving on bumpy ground (hill climbs in particular) - and (if set up correctly) in these situations, it's a winner!

I was a skeptic until I was photographing a challenge (some time ago) and there was a Suzuki Vitara competing. I spent most of the day at the foot of one climb and the only vehicle I saw climb it without winching was the Vitara! It was obvious that it was the IFS more than the weight that allowed it to do it as you could see it's wheels stayed in contact with the ground. A diff lock or beam axle doesn't help you when you are airborne! It was that day that persuaded me to build one!

Soren - all the things you have experienced could be matched by a beam axle vehicle depending on how the suspension is set up. The same is true for IS, it's just that the IS cars you can buy are set up for driving on the road, whereas an absolutely standard defender is configured with more off road bias and will out perform the former off road.

Si

[Chicken Drumstick]

A suspension set-up used on Ford trucks (IIRC). It's somewhere between a solid axle and IFS.

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/newbie-general-4x4-discussion/873239-school-me-ttb-axle-set-ups.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-Traction_Beam

Yep, found on the Full Size Bronco, from about 1980 thru to 1996. Although in the Bronco world, they still tend to opt for solid axle swaps over the TTB I think they have a lot of issues keeping it in alignment after you've been using the articulation and flex.

[bill van snorkle]

Yep, found on the Full Size Bronco, from about 1980 thru to 1996. Although in the Bronco world, they still tend to opt for solid axle swaps over the TTB I think they have a lot of issues keeping it in alignment after you've been using the articulation and flex.

The standard Ford TTB also uses the relatively weak Dana44 diff and very short radius arms, that add radical castor angle variation to the scary camber angles.

Whoever designed it must have been on an LSD trip at the time !