Capability

[shifty]

I really dont want to be accused of asking stupid questions but I just wondered if anyone could give me an authorititive answer based on experience.

How capable is my standard no mods freelander for any type of offroading.

I know it wont handle deep water and I know the road tyres arent best but, is the HDC really any use etc.

2003, 5door, 1.8 petrol serengeti.

Thanks in advance.......and.p.s Ive heard all the freelander jokes and no, my doors didnt fall off first time they got wet...lol

Also...forgot to add...yes it has a new HG.

[Llanigraham]

Very capable in nearly every situation ACCEPT ruts. but then we don't have 9" of ground clearance. However if you can straddle the ruts then no problem.

Tyres do make a big difference, but nothing more than All Terrains are needed. Too aggressive tryes can actualy cause more problems, as the Traction Control relies on "wheel slip" to work, and too aggressive tyres won't do this. You may be very surprised on what you will get through with standard tyres.

LR state that wading depth is 400mm, but many of us have been deeper than that. Check where the air intake is and take that into account. Snorkels are available in Europe but not here currently, but are of doubtful need in this country.

HDC works well, especially once you trust it. Personally I would like it to be a bit slower, but you learn to take it into account. It is brilliant in snow!!

I have surprised lots of people with the capability of my standard Freelanders. Ask the guys from Powys 4x4 Response!!

Join the Freelander Club and come and have fun.

[TEMPL4R]

You tend to find the people who take the Pi$$ out of a vehicle haven't actually driven one. Those that have will offer constructive criticism.

We deal in all makes of car and I test all our incoming 4x4s to make sure the transmissions are OK, very few are absolute rubbish. The vast majority are on the wrong tyres and are purely for road use. Agressive treads are too noisey on the road for a £30,000 Prestige 4x4 (and for most non off road 4x4 drivers).

A Freelander on the same tyres as anything you put it against ex factory spec, will perform just as well. It also matters who drives it and how.

Chris

[MrRob]

How does a freelander handle ruts with a 2" lift?

[Tomo1971]

How does a freelander handle ruts with a 2" lift?

Would all be relative, a 2" lift would help ground clearance and approach and departure angles slightly but if you find a rut thats a little worse than the last one then you wouls still get stuck!

Ideally traversing over ruts would need a low range box too as you would want to take it nice and easy so if something did come into contact with the ground then you could back off and try another route without causing damage. In a freelander you would be slipping the clutch an awful lot to maintain a dead slow speed.

No expert on off roading, although have driven 4x4's off road for a few years now for work but thats my "basic" take on it, I stand to be corrected though from any experts.

Steve

[Llanigraham]

Tomo, basically correct, but it is surprising how well a Freelander travels just on tick over.

[robbie77]

I climbed a very long 1:5 hill in mine just on tickover the other day, albeit on a country road not off road

[Tomo1971]

Tomo, basically correct, but it is surprising how well a Freelander travels just on tick over.

Not had chance to try that off road really, well not in the FL anyway, will maybe have to find an excuse to try somewhere!

Steve

[maffy]

Evening all, what Robbie didn't tell you was that he was pushing one of his cut and shut beasts at the time, the only thing on tickover was his brain!!
Hi Robbie, hope all is well, ray sold his landy after CHG blew, he fixed it and flogged it!!! did a good job. now buys and sells old vectra's.
cheers for now:biggrin:

[fergie2035]

Its great for what its designed for but lack of low box means it can't deal with serious upslopes at all. I tried it around the fields and its fine on moderate terrain but as soon as you try to go up a "proper" slope it just dies. Low box means I can take my old series a lot of places I couldn't think about taking the Freelander.

HDC will get you down a hill ok but it won't get you back up again.

If you want to do serious off roading on hills or on rough terrain you MUST have a low ratio box so that you can go slow enough to be under control and still keep the engine revs high enough to develop the torque you need to get up, say, a 40 degree slope.

Provided you stick to terrain that's within its capabilities the Freelander seems to perform pretty well but you do have to bear in mind that it is not designed as a true all-terrain off roader.