How many Folks Actually go Off Road?

[al gu]

On Mon, 01 Sep 2003 07:59:11 GMT, T Berk <"TBerk "@ sbcglobal . net>
Subaru awd is, of course, designed for use on tarmac, where it gives
huge advantages. In fact, Subaru don't build a true off-roader atall.
The Forester is the nearest you will get.

Are you forgetting the Baja?

 

[Lance B]

That's why we got all-wheel drive, so we don't go off road
inadvertently.

Years ago (late 60's), a buddy of mine got a Toyota Land Cruiser. We
took a ride in the Lewis and Clark Forest in Montana and promptly got
stuck in the middle of a stream when it stalled. The water was over the
sills but did not come in. He was able to restart it even with the
tailpipe under water and we made it to the other side. I wouldn't dare
try that with my outback.

Al

Ah yes, but the Outback wouldn't have stalled. Don't underestimate how
well the Forester and Outback are offroad. I have heard of plenty of
stories where Outbacks and Foresters have left the so called proper
4WD's for dead in tough situations. I've not gone offroad myself but
that is not why I bought my H6 Outback.

 

[Bill Putney]

Hi TBerk, All!

I have traveled offroad extensively in my old GL wagon, and have
embarrassed drivers in full-sized 4X4s. Ya gotta be good at driving
the high line, and callous indifference to dings and bashes doesn't
hurt either ("What the hell; it's just an old Subaru!"). It doesn't
like rock crawling, deep water or deep mud (even with all wheels
chained . . . don't ask), but other than that it's a game little car,
and will go 95% of anywhere my lifted, locker equipped Jeep Cherokee
would; but in greater comfort, and with far better mileage. Sold the
Jeep, kept the Subaru.
I drove my WRX wagon all of the way to the end of the Spruce Creek
jeep road last friday (SW of Breckenridge CO), goin' fishin' (fishin'
but not catchin', alas . No problems, and was the only non-SUV/4X4
parked at the trail-head. Had good rally-fun on the way out as well,
passing several lumbering SUVs. Again, you gotta pick a good line thru
the rocks and wash-outs, and then be able to stay on it.
Caveat: Spruce Creek isn't (IMO) a very difficult jeep trail, and
there _were_ a couple spots where the WRX _wouldn't_ have gone if it
had been much worse. Never-the-less, there and back in fine style.
Didn't stop for fotos Friday, but visit
<http://chester.uccs.edu/wrx/offroad/> for fotos from a trip last
fall. Lincoln Gulch Road in the White River National Forest east of
Aspen CO (significantly easier than Spruce Creek, BTW), and the
fishing at the lake (Grizzly Lake ~12.5K ft.) in the last foto was
good. Snowed a bit on the walk out, tho.

ByeBye! S.

Sounds like fun stuff!

So, Steve - I gotta ask. Do you have one of those Colorado bumper
stickers that says "How's your Aspen?"? (one of my favorites)

Bill Putney
(to reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with "x")

 

[TransFixed]

Ron Ginter wrote:




A "real" 4x4 (like a Jeep) has the front and rear drive axels "locked"
whereas a Subaru has a center differential between the two.

The MT versions have a viscous coupled rear drive axel, that is the
transmission directly drives the front wheels, but goes through something
like a torque converter to drive the rear wheels.

It is actually the inexpensive AT AWD version in Subarus that drives the
front wheels permanently, with the back driven indirectly through a
clutch pack. The MT transmission Subarus have a center differential, as
do the more expensive AT models (VTD/VCD). As such, they drive both
axles at all times. Older models differ (e.g., my '77 has a manually
locking center diff).

The front and back wheels
can turn at different speeds when you are, for instance, driving around a
parking lot, but if you get a front wheel on ice, the large difference in
speed of the two ends of the center differential causes the viscocity of the
liquid to increase and turn the rear axel, despite the difference in torque.

AWD is as good as 4x4, unless you are driving across bolders and through
foot deep mud, which is why it works great for WR cars, which are doing
100kph on dirt/gravel roads, but also need to drive on dry pavement.

I believe in most cases clearance is the limit, as well as the rather
poor approach and departure angles in Subarus. After that, the lack of
a low range in the North American market affects their off-road ability.
I would list the ability to lock center or front/back axles manually
as the least reason that restricts Subarus.

 

[Dominic Richens]

It is actually the inexpensive AT AWD version in Subarus that drives
the front wheels permanently, with the back driven indirectly through
a clutch pack. The MT transmission Subarus have a center differential,
as do the more expensive AT models (VTD/VCD). As such, they drive both
axles at all times.

Right, now I see the drive shaft is actually two co-centric shafts. The
outer one, connected to the drive gears, drives the center differential and
the inner shaft is driven by the center differential, through the outer
shaft to the front open differential.

http://www.freebmw.net/share/CarsBoatsBikes/Subaru/GimmieGears/Install/IMG_5
427.JPG

 

[Geoffrey]

That's why we got all-wheel drive, so we don't go off road
inadvertently.

Years ago (late 60's), a buddy of mine got a Toyota Land Cruiser. We
took a ride in the Lewis and Clark Forest in Montana and promptly got
stuck in the middle of a stream when it stalled. The water was over the
sills but did not come in. He was able to restart it even with the
tailpipe under water and we made it to the other side. I wouldn't dare
try that with my outback.

Al

Yes, I did just that with my 90 Legacy. Years ago I drove it, together with
some friends and another FWD car, into mountains in South Island, New
Zealand. While crossing a shallow river my friends refused to stay with me
inside my car. I had to left them on the river bank and drove the car into
the water alone. The water was above sills and the tailpipes was definitely
under the water. The car stalled in the middle of the river because I was so
nervous and didn't push gas paddle hard enough. However I didn't have any
problem to restart the engine and managed to drive across the river. My
friends wouldn't follow me in the other FWD car and I had to drive back
across the river again. They all said I was a bit crazy, and I had agree
with them after that little adventure.



Geoff