High C of G Loads

ED That Land Rover would be interesting to drive with a roof top tent and all those jerry cans on the roof. It seems traditional on Land Rovers, almost exclusively, going back to the pommy Sahara type expeditions. Certainly allows you to use the interior for passengers or whatever but really high odds of a little lay down on seriously rough or steep going.

Standard Land Rovers are rolly enough (giving them a comparatively good ride and ability to keep their feet on the ground over rocks etc). Have gone very close to tipping one and have seen several gracefully fall over back in my Army and 4WD Club trip days. Range Rovers scare the hell out of everybody in the bush or even cornering hard on a good road. I think later models have addressed the body roll somewhat at the expense of losing the reputation as the best hanging on 4WD on the market. Anyhow who is going to flog a $200,000 vehicle up a timber track?

Tell us about your L/R adventures.

Lang

Look at that body roll.



Lucky the Sahara is flat with 150 litres of fuel on the roof.



Not just Land Rovers but Jeep insanity.

Wonder if RangeRovers were better or worse than the LandRovers for rollyness with coil spring suspension ?

I would of thought leaf springs would of been fairly good

Maybe the later 110s were with coilshad more rollyness ?

Paul

Paul

I had an early Range Rover for a while. What a delightful vehicle to drive.

When I first picked it up I really s..t myself on the first few corners. The body roll was horrendous. Just on a normal winding road you would see the passengers holding into the seat.

Off road they were the best vehicle I have ever driven for traction walking slowly up a steep rough track. Unfortunately the body roll left you taking the bypass when all the Toyotas and Nissans were traversing a marginal side slope. Once I had to get 4 people hanging off the high side to straighten it up when the roof leaned against a tree all the others had driven easily past.

Maybe someone with 110 coil experience could comment?

Lang

I've had a highly modified early Range Rover for almost 30 years (OK it only has a Rover chassis, suspension and wiring left and a fibreglass body) that we used in the Australian Safari many years ago.

The officials loved the way it could cross black soil areas at high speed whilst everything else struggled across it as their suspension didn't have the suppleness of the Rover. They also thought it sounded awesome when driven hard.

If you can get used to the Rover-roll they can be driven very hard. I know our car can lift an inside front wheel when provoked but I've never had a feeling of it wanting lay on its side.

I did have a Series II Landy that was a horror to drive.

Had a series 2A with no body roll. Springs were rusted solid from previous owner’s beach work.
Towed it home as the box had no gears. Mrs steered and I pushed it the last 100 yards, hoping for it to roll up our driveway. Bloody thing took off, Mrs foot slipped off those wonderful checker plate pedals and she drove it through the brick piers and garage door. Neighbours we’re impressed.
Gearbox had just dropped the front layshaft bearing so was an easy fix.
I then ripped the chassis in half when pulling shrubs from the front yard.
Box chassis was rusted to bits from the inside.
Completely rebuilt her, all new panels, chassis the works. Everything was available from some Land Rover spare parts crew operating under a servo at Annerley.
Would never entertain another one.

I had a mid eighties Range Rover for a while and found it very confidence inspiring on winding roads once you got used to the "roll" - not that it ever really bothered me. I changed it for an 80 Series Toyota simply because it used too much petrol when towing my caravan BUT my first months of driving the Toyota were somewhat disappointing because the Range Rover could have run rings around it on the same roads!
I treated the Rangie with the same level of respect as I did for my old HJ47, never worried about the odd rocks, overhanging scrub, or deep holes, etc, and often considered how I would simply jack it back onto its wheels IF it ever fell over.
Perhaps I don't treat my vehicles with the same level of bravado as some of you guys, maybe I'm a whimp when it comes to pushing my vehicles to the point of near destruction or expectation?
That having being said, I do not think they are fantastic, they have done what I have asked of them well, as have the Toyotas, Pajeros, and even the Jeep Cherokee(!?) that have been subjected to my ownership.
Older and wiser the current Ford Territory diesel will do me for now, and I'll leave the newer, bigger Ford and Toyota stuff for my kids. No disrespect for previous comments, just stating my point of view.
P.S. I may be quiet re my Bedford, but things are still progressing inch by inch.