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Hi All,
Took out my 97 3-Door 3.4L (manual transmission) for the first time to the desert for some dune bashing yesterday (photos to follow shortly), the temps were around 47C, the sand was very hot and soft! This was my first time out to try the car and determine whether she was capable as compared to my recently sold 120 series 5 door.
Here are my findings:
- Started out with a tire pressure of 14 psi, found out in a few minutes that you need a minimum of 11-12 psi, it was very soft!
- The engine is quite low on grunt as compared to the 120
- The gearing is very short, changing gears during an ascent, especially sharp ones, is not a good idea
- Used 1st gear in H-L for the very soft parts and most of the ascents (3,500-4,250 RPM)
- No heating issues at all, in fact, the temp needle stayed below the mid point
- Lost my alternator belt, I guess the stealership DOES NOT inspect belts, the battery started discharging midway through the trip but it got me home
and I changed it next day
- The clutch started smoking while trying to dig her out of one hole! I know I was not slipping it on purpose so I was a bit surprised, I let her cool down for 5 minutes, used L-L to get out, and then back to business
- The suspension height was not an issue, the car never bottomed out, although I think it would be good idea to take off the side steps ahead of the season
- The suspension is very soft, it just bounces around a lot, I guess it is good to soften the landing, but it felt way looser than my 120, just remember, it has 120K Kilometers and the original shockies are 10+ year old
- The dashboard shakes as if it was posessed! Non-the-less, there were no creaks or rattles evident following the end of the run, maybe it was designed that way?
- You need to be prepared and take extra belts with you, last thing you need is to be stuck in a far away place, it will cost you a lot more to get your car back
My question to you is, should I keep the transfer case in H-L or L-L? The LL just kills the car and bogs it down. I was running with a guy who had a Jeep Cherokee (old square model), he said that I was killing my car by staying in first during the steep ascends! I tried second in H-L, but unless you have the momentum it just dies on you! He claims that that he uses low gear and stays in second or third most of the time, confused? I was too.
For the next trip, I intend on taking out my 2001 5-door automatic and give it a shot, only then will I decide which one to keep! The Auto transmission has D, 2, L and I assume would be more flexible in the dunes, but it is the longer car!
Any suggestions on which gear to use in these conditions will be helpful.
Took out my 97 3-Door 3.4L (manual transmission) for the first time to the desert for some dune bashing yesterday (photos to follow shortly), the temps were around 47C, the sand was very hot and soft! This was my first time out to try the car and determine whether she was capable as compared to my recently sold 120 series 5 door.
Here are my findings:
- Started out with a tire pressure of 14 psi, found out in a few minutes that you need a minimum of 11-12 psi, it was very soft!
- The engine is quite low on grunt as compared to the 120
- The gearing is very short, changing gears during an ascent, especially sharp ones, is not a good idea
- Used 1st gear in H-L for the very soft parts and most of the ascents (3,500-4,250 RPM)
- No heating issues at all, in fact, the temp needle stayed below the mid point
- Lost my alternator belt, I guess the stealership DOES NOT inspect belts, the battery started discharging midway through the trip but it got me home
and I changed it next day- The clutch started smoking while trying to dig her out of one hole! I know I was not slipping it on purpose so I was a bit surprised, I let her cool down for 5 minutes, used L-L to get out, and then back to business
- The suspension height was not an issue, the car never bottomed out, although I think it would be good idea to take off the side steps ahead of the season
- The suspension is very soft, it just bounces around a lot, I guess it is good to soften the landing, but it felt way looser than my 120, just remember, it has 120K Kilometers and the original shockies are 10+ year old
- The dashboard shakes as if it was posessed! Non-the-less, there were no creaks or rattles evident following the end of the run, maybe it was designed that way?
- You need to be prepared and take extra belts with you, last thing you need is to be stuck in a far away place, it will cost you a lot more to get your car back
My question to you is, should I keep the transfer case in H-L or L-L? The LL just kills the car and bogs it down. I was running with a guy who had a Jeep Cherokee (old square model), he said that I was killing my car by staying in first during the steep ascends! I tried second in H-L, but unless you have the momentum it just dies on you! He claims that that he uses low gear and stays in second or third most of the time, confused? I was too.
For the next trip, I intend on taking out my 2001 5-door automatic and give it a shot, only then will I decide which one to keep! The Auto transmission has D, 2, L and I assume would be more flexible in the dunes, but it is the longer car!
Any suggestions on which gear to use in these conditions will be helpful.
Has anyone used their cars in very soft sand and has a manual? Are you happy with your car's performance?
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