Grande or VX

[Justo Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Justo]

I will add a 3rd to that, I've had my fully stretched out on numerous occasions and never had an issue. I've also had at least a 2.5t trailer behind it without a hassle.
The air bag rear is brilliant and being self leveling sure beats anything else I've seen or used.
It's a bit like the traction control debate..those who haven't got it and know little about it dont like it..!! Kinda speaks for itself huh...

I doubt any of the Grande owners on here would say they don't like it..!! :P

[bilobill Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bilobill]

Totally agree with Justo

We have travelled from Port Macquarie to Adelaide, loaded to limit with camp gear, also towed a trailer to Queensland, fully loaded.

A very comfortable ride, lots of power and corners beautifully, loaded or empty.

Magnificent, Terrific, Awesome

[Guest Close Guest]

Thanks for the replies people - and sorry for the thread hijack - but it's not the articulation that concerns me, it's the load.

I'm not kidding when I say it will be loaded, it will have a cargo barrier, roof rails removed and ARB full length roof rack full of stuff. Back will have loaded 60l fridge, 30kg battery pack, recovery gear, food, stuff, blow up dolls... oops.. wait, not those :shock: etc, etc.

It makes me a bit nervous :?

[Guest Close Guest]

Sounds like a basic load to me! I have seen heaps of people loaded to the gills when going away.
Ask Chippy he just did an across Aust, I am sure he had heaps loaded and a trailer I think.

The Grande is actually safer with a load, as it can self level and keep the vehicle at the correct attitude to drive safely.

Talking airbags and load, you know those BIG expensive Semi trailers that have up to 40-50 tons on them? Yep, a lot use Air bags.. :shock: Shock horror!

Load is not going to be an issue. If your planning on going over the manufacturers limits then your asking for trouble no matter what model you buy.

I occasionally throw a Quick up marquee (70 kilo), 30x30 Canvas tarp30 kilos), 4 Rims with heavy rally tyres (120 kilos), Tools, Fuel, Jack (50 kilo!), 3 guys, helmets, etc etc into mine and have had no issues. Oh I forgot, a trailer with WRX on it also goes along with all the above... Thousands of km's done like this, problems: Zip, nada, none.

[Chippy Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chippy]

I would have to agree TP. When you fill a Prado up with 5 people, 110 L fridge freezer, as much luggage as you can fit in the car, load up the roof rack and then hang a camper trailer off the back, then put a luggage bag on the CT's roof rack and load that up too .... I would have loved the self levelling airbags of the Grande. I made the most of a set of Polyairs - just to stop the butt from dragging on the ground and was constantly out inflating or deflating depending on whether we were hooking up or unhooking.

I've got the '03 GXL and spend a lot of time matching it up with Justo's '03 Grande. That thing articulates so well in standard form that I had to go and fit a set of OME suspension to try and keep up with him ... and there's been no dramas with air bags dropping out ... and I can tell you, from personal experience, that it's not because he drives it like Grandma :shock: 8)

The only thing keeping me out of the Grande is the leather ... I just don't like leather seats :shock: :roll:

Cheers
Chippy

[lawrance Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close lawrance]

Lawrence , what model Prado do you own?

The known instances of the Grande Airbags failing is bugger all, (Like less than 15 Aust wide on Toyota's papers)....And out of all of them, I am yet to hear of ONE that has "torn the tops out"!

G'day Team Piggy,

I don't actually own a Prado - I drive a Land Rover Discovery II that has coils all around. I go wheeling with lots of folks with the SLS on the rear suspension. My information is anecdotal based on research into the SLS and reading up on Darren's comments from ATS4x4 in Geelong. Most people hold his opinion in high regard. I think I may have misread what he said and assumed that the failures are due to the airbags "tearing up" at the top - but maybe what he really was saying is that the airbags fall out.

I am also a subscriber to the various 4x4 Aussie magazines and I distinctly remember one particular edition where an article pointed to a Grande which suffered an airbag failure whilst doing modest four wheel driving.

Anyway, assuming that the airbags do not fall out or tear out, I really don't have an issue with their load carrying capacity. I do know that the roadtrains do use air suspension, as do our public transport trains. No concerns about that.

My concern, which has not been raised before in this forum, is the "spring rate" of airbags. Most people are under the impression that airbags have the same springing characteristics of conventional metal coil springs but with the ability to vary the rate depending on load. This part is true. However, one aspect that seems to be rarely considered is the damping rate on the shocks that need to cater for the characteristics of airbags. In other words, if you have a set of coil springs compared back to back with a set of airbags, the shock absorber needs to be revalved to suit the rebound characteristics of the airbags. In airbags, the rebound rate of the shock absorber needs to be set a lot higher than in the case of coils. Otherwise the shock will be very prone to topping out all the time with airbags, assuming same loads are carried.

This is one learning from the Land Rover community on SLS suspension, as we've got several years of learning experience there - the SLS suspension on Discoveries came out back in 1999, some 8 years ago. So if someone is selling a suspension kit to suit a Prado and they specified the same rear shock absorber for the SLS version as the coil version, they really haven't investigated the SLS suspension properly.

Anyhow, this post wasn't aimed to demote the SLS in the Prado, but merely to serve as a point of awareness to be considered when modifying the Prado's suspension, in this case, the Grande's suspension.

[Guest Close Guest]

Thats probably part of the reason the Grande has electronic shock absorber control. You can adjust from in car the amount of valving you like, Soft, Normal, Medium, Hard.

[Guest Close Guest]

Thanks for the feedback guys, it's all valuable.

I am 10-12 months away from a Prado (long time 4wder, ex-Series 1 Prado owner) and I research all purchases as thoroughly as possible.

Everything I buy I end up knowing more than the salesperson.

Anyone want to know which 32" LCD telly to buy?

[Damien Parker Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Damien Parker]

I would like to know actually :lol:

[Guest Close Guest]

Ha ha... no worries DP... 2 months research...

http://www.samsung.com/au/products/tv/l ... 2r81bd.asp

3yr warranty, swivel base, gazillion inputs etc etc

BTW, don't fall for the HD vs SD argument, there isn't any reason to buy an HD TV for the next several years. Just by an SD screen with an HD tuner.

RRP $1999, picked it up for $1480. Can PM a copy of the receipt if you want to terrorise your local consumer-goods-slicked-back-hair guy :wink:

Best bang-for-buck 32" LCD telly on the market.

Maybe I'm in the wrong game :?

Cheers

[Justo Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Justo]

Thats probably part of the reason the Grande has electronic shock absorber control. You can adjust from in car the amount of valving you like, Soft, Normal, Medium, Hard.

Well said TP.
And in addition to that when you hit the centre diff lock it also changes the shock dampening rates to suit offroading.!

[mototrim Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mototrim]

I dont want to sound biased but Grande,Grande,Grande,Grande,Grande,Grande,Grande,G rande :lol: :lol: :lol: