4WD Ground clearance specifications!,Where are they measuring it from??

Submitted: Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 20:02
ThreadID: 84523 Views:4987 Replies:7 FollowUps:8
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The accountant said maybe time to replace the work ute!....WHAT!!!, Allright for them...LOL.


So with no interest really i had a wander around and had a look at all that was on offer at the local dealers. (STEALERS). The thing that stood out in my mind with all the mid range 4bys, was the ground clearance at the front end, With the wishbone front endthe clearance from the bottom of the ball joint to ground is what???, and with a load on????. ..So everyone wants something that suits their needs, being in earthmoving i need very good ground clearance something that the old defender has and has served its purpose very well. As i am a great fan of Isuzu engines the new DMax 4x4 cab chassis did draw my attention, but they seem to be the worst out of the lot for front end clearance, So its a matter of outlaying more money for a heavy duty new 4x4 work ute in the 50_60k price range, its back to the big Three!!, Patrol.... Landcruiser... Landrover.

IMHO, The Nissan patrol for the price and what it offers would win hands down,But ARHHHHHH!, that God Damn 3.0Litre Donk.

The Cruiser, Great, But for what you get for the price," No Deal"

The Landrover as a daily work ute in mixed terrain Very Very good!!, BUT!!!..lol The prices are up for a vehicle that will loose its iconic look and probably its status in the next couple of years whether that matters i can't make up my mind,Depends how long i kept it i guess, .....Or buy late second hand,Dunno!..dunno....dunno,,,,,,Keep the ol girl",..Stuff the accountant...LOL.I'm Going Mad!!.

Cheers Axle


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Reply By: disco driver - Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 20:54

Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 20:54
Hi Axle,
The accountant is probably only looking at it from a tax point of view, the landy has depreciated to zero, therefor it's time to claim some more depreciation by buying a new vehicle, bugger the price, he's not paying.
However if that's all he's worried about ignore him.
You could do a total rebuild on the old girl and claim the costs as repairs and renovations in the one year.............. unless the tax people have changed the rules from a few years back .

You'll never be happy unless you keep the old girl and you know it.

Disco.
AnswerID: 446208

Follow Up By: mikehzz - Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 23:20

Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 23:20
Its just about always cheaper to pay the tax but you don't get anything good for it. Mike
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FollowupID: 718560

Follow Up By: Axle - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:29

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:29
G/day Disco.....".Ouch" don't the truth hurt.



Cheers Axle.
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Reply By: Steve - Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 21:49

Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 21:49
ha - just been through the very same. My figure juggler suggested I look beyond the legendary exploits that my Defender has taken us through (so did my now elongated teenage boys squeezed in the back of the old 130)

I looked at the D-max and the Colorado and was very tempted by their towing ability and decent rear legroom but wasn't impressed by plasticky interior, low clearance and above all, by the time I'd got a canopy and a drawer system to accommodate a neat dual battery system in the tray/tub I could've bought a decent used Cruiser or Prado. Aaaagh - sacrilege. I looked at a new Prado and given the reduced (although still decent) fuel tank and reduced rear luggage area didn't think it was worth the extra pain $$$$$$$$ over a later model 120 d4d......and that's what we got last week. After the Defender the kids think they're now being chauffered in a Bentley. Very pleased with it given the extra comfort and plenty of power etc but after finding a good buy in the mid-$40,000s, need to trick it up a bit. Was also tempted by a a few Cruisers that now seem to be decent value but the Prado with near enough equivalent power and the Mrs prefers the driveability of the Prado (I can play on the laptop whilst she tows the van;))) she hated the manual. They seem to have superceded the Cruiser in sales now, whereas a few years ago when I had the petrol version the opposite was true. Oh, and I suppose the dealer network is better on the Toyota as opposed to Isuzu. I like the Grenade, whoops 3.0 Patrol but knowing my luck.........

Good luck.
AnswerID: 446212

Follow Up By: Steve - Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 21:58

Monday, Feb 21, 2011 at 21:58
whoops .......should've read "earlier model 120 series d4d"
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Follow Up By: Axle - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:27

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:27
Good Luck with it Steve, The wifey has the 100s Toyo wagon, so no more Tojos around here...LOL.

What to do?.....I 'm buggered if i know.


Cheers Axle
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Reply By: Robin Miller - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:50

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:50
I thought that would have been an easy choice axle - the Patrol cab chassis being a lot better.

When in rough country and on slippy building sites most of the people I know go for the extra stability it has via its wide track and optional wide wheel pack than the cruiser utes better enigne , and the suspension is already the best assuming you get it with coil springs not leafs.

Just think , you can even play with the electric windows.

The engine - well , a concern but now its better than some give it credit for and I'm sure all of us would only buy such a car with the extended warranty in place.
Robin Miller

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AnswerID: 446233

Reply By: Isuzumu - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:53

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 07:53
Check out post 84507....249mm with underbody protection and 265mm with out
AnswerID: 446234

Reply By: nick b - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 09:23

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 09:23
regarding ground clearance measuring you could look at( Ramp over angle) try googling etc
Cheers Nick b

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AnswerID: 446247

Reply By: Shaker - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 09:43

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 09:43
Surely ground clearance would be measured from the lowest point, most likely to be the diff housing.
AnswerID: 446250

Reply By: Ozhumvee - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:37

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:37
Except on a vehicle with IFS one wheel can be climbing over a bump and the other can drop into a dip/hole and hey presto NO ground clearance, mainly due to limited travel.
With a solid axle the clearance stays the same only affected by bits of terrain sticking up.
AnswerID: 446256

Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 11:24

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 11:24
Minimum ground clearance would be a static measurement.
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Follow Up By: Ozhumvee - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 14:11

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 14:11
Yes but in reality not the same for different suspension setups.
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Follow Up By: Shaker - Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 14:55

Tuesday, Feb 22, 2011 at 14:55
Agreed, but a manufacturer can't take that into consideration, because there are way too many variables.

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Follow Up By: Member - Phil G (SA) - Thursday, Feb 24, 2011 at 08:18

Thursday, Feb 24, 2011 at 08:18
When I had a 90series Prado, the ground clearance (245mm) was measured at the front cross member. Being IFS, this static measurement became very dynamic once off road. So you lost ground clearance when travelling down steep slopes (nose would dip and you'd hit rocks) and gained it travelling up slopes.

But with IFS it is very easy to improve ground clearance. Higher profile tyres added 15mm.Suspension lift improves the clearance by 40mm. And with those two changes you had more front clearance than Landcruisers and Patrols.

The old Subarus were good too - put a lift kit on them and you'd end up with more clearance than the live axle 4wds.
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