Thread: Puma failure in the Simpson

Puma's are just minivan engines in real man trucks..... I really don't like. I used to critiziced who put another engines in their LR, but with this crappy (TDCi are well known here for being the weakest engines in work pick ups, really far from 2.5 Hilux or 3.0 Dmax. Just a few drops of bad diesel batch and there goes the injectors) engines coming from factory, I'd rather to look for options out of LR in case I need another new car.

In case somebody try the youdontknowbecauseyouhaventdriveit, I have drive about 1200 km in a 2007 Puma with all the "luxury" features just to find my cousin's Hilux sounds a lot more like the work car I love. In off road it's superior to my TD5, but really don't like the face of the engine, the low noise or the way it revs.,......feel more in home driving a Toyota 76... why the hell LR didn't made and effort and built a proper Defender engine, not just taking this gutless minivan heart? for all this money, they could put a 200 hp 3.2 Ford, at least that can goes faster...

You know what having a Puma means here? you have a USD 20.000 minivan engine in a USD 130.000 Land Rover, it's disgusting... how can you explain to your friends it? I can't even explain it to my wife......

If there is a time I want another real man truck from new, I think i'm going the obvious way: Toyota 70's or even a Mahindra, both of them are more Defender - like than actual Defender.

Ian, I ran a 3.5t truck on two desert runs and over plenty of average roads around 80 to 90klm. If the rocks got bigger, the tyres went lower. But mostly 22-26 in front, and 25-30 in the rear. BFG MUDs km2. Those tyres look to high for the centre to be cut up like that. I didn't find heat build up in them an issue, so didn't worry about the pressures being low.

Thread proper:
I guess with my Tdci, the only thing gone wrong on those two trips was an EGR valve, noisy but no show stopper. And a dust collapsed filler cap, which was replaced in Alice Springs.
A trip o the high country produced the drivers window falling out, but we put the bolt back in and all good. It's the big bad city mine doesn't like.

Originally Posted by Iain_B

I run 30-35 psi cold, depending on the road. 35 psi on high speed dirt ( 90-100kph) and less for sand roads. We have around two tons on the rear axle fully loaded.

The punctures were all on strethces of road littered with other damaged tyres, the road up to Gove just past halfway, one stretch of the road to Mornington Wilderness camp and the Gibb River road past Mt Barnett ( going west) We did not get much wear going to Cape York on the first trip, not much wear around Diamantina Lakes, but a lot of wear between Leichart Falls and Normanton. Then I noticed a lot more wear on the Savannah way between Boroloola and Roper bar - there seems to be a type of rock the is pretty sharp that does the damage. I think the front tyre pick up the stones, and the rear tyre hit them, all the punctures were dead centre of the tread.

The front tyres are still good - they run 25 psi as the load is much less, temperature are around 10 degrees lower as well.

At GVM in my 110 I run 18 front, 24 rear for rough dirt. 14 front, 17 rear for sand or really brutal dirt. These are cold pressures - on a hot day you can make up to 8 psi in the rears (~5 in the fronts).

Based on my experience, you're potentially running 40psi in your rears on rough stony ground - i.e. road pressures. I intend to go down to 20 (cold) in the rears next trip.

My experience suggests you should consider going a lot lower - it'll let your tyres flex over the rocks and greatly reduce tyre damage.

Originally Posted by Iain_B

I run 30-35 psi cold, depending on the road. 35 psi on high speed dirt ( 90-100kph) and less for sand roads. We have around two tons on the rear axle fully loaded.

I'm guessing you've had it over the weighbridge to check those weights?

I'm with the other blokes, I used to run 26psi all round on high speed dirt/gravel/crushed shale with the old KM's in 255/85, and my Deefer 130 in work mode tared out past 3000kg on the weighbridge.

Different carcasses require different pressures too, it just depends on the construction. Maxxis 762's in the same size need more air for the same footprint and stability as they are more pliant than the BFG's.

I drove it over a weight bridge before I left.

I'll drop the pressures further over the next leg of the trip. Anyone know how hot tyres can safely run at?

Iain,you'll be OK but maxxis traded abit of durability to get grip,bighorns are very grippy for a mud tyre but they will cut on rock,the wear on mine was very noticeable after a couple of trips out to water holes on iron ore lined tracks,just keep an eye on them.Fantstic blog also,I remember being in tunnel creek and my son Declan wore his ''gansta'' shoes and I had to carry him throught the water. Pat

Originally Posted by djam1

Really Pat its such a good sport so few words can get such a huge reaction.
A bit like PhillipA found the in the D4 thread.

I don't own one probably never will, I like my air vents and a decent rear diff.
I hope all those that own Pumas are happy with them and that they become the new 4BD1.

I'd rather people don't write up replies based on thoery,opinion or my mate said,If I wanted replies like that I'll join Exploroz,4wdAction,Overlander etc.Lets keep this forum full of replies based on real life experiences and fact. Pat

Originally Posted by Iain_B

I drove it over a weight bridge before I left.

I'll drop the pressures further over the next leg of the trip. Anyone know how hot tyres can safely run at?

No, but my rear KM2s hit 68c (laser thermometer) a couple of times with no ill effects. Interestingly the tires on the sunny side were sometimes over ten degrees hotter than the shady side! Given that the bitumen was 52c at the time an extra 16c (in the rears at high speed) seemed reasonable.