Thanks for the replies.
Firstly a bit of qualification. Second car Ford Bronco. Back in the day when you got into Wonnangatta via Zeka Creek Track. Drove that car on a solo West East crossing of Australia. Then too it South to North in the wet season. Try the trig track in early December!!
Next came a custom built Pathfinder fully rebuilt with buggy bits from Jim Conner Racing in the USA. Car was built to do a solo person / solo vehicle crossing of the Canning Stock Route back in 1989 along with numerous trips through the High Plains and beyond.
Then came the Range Rover love affair starting with a 78 2 door with a stroked 360 V8 and double lockers. There wasnt many places that car wouldnt go. Then a couple of 89 four doors, his and hers. His with a VP injected stroker and hers with the off road gear. Then came the P38 with double lockers, lift kit, bull bar, winch etc. 378000 kms later and she's still doing active bush duty.
And then the L322.
So in the last 38 years I've driven cars to places many people could only dream of. North into Alaska from Canada, the Hoggar Mountains in the Sahara, Central America, The Pyrenees in Andorra, and all corners of Australia. So the point is not to brag, but to point out that I'm a pretty accomplished 4w driver and don't really need a course to help me drive the car, unless of course, it's specifically relates to the L322, as there is obviously something going on with all this electronic trickery that I'm failing to understand, being 'old school' and used to driving the cars manually with no traction aids, abs, etc.
But this car just didnt seem to do the right thing. It's responsive. As I saw I was going to get into trouble and that only momentum would get me through, even if I was bellied, the right foot went down hard but the car didnt respond as expected. Clearly I already had drive issues, and when I booted it, it seems I only had one wheel doing the work.
I'm going to put it in the paddock tomorrow, chain it to an 8 ton loader and allow it to break traction so I can get some idea of what the system is attempting to do. I didn't buy it for heavy off road work, I have the P38 for that, but it's certainly nice to know the cars limitations and quirks so you don't have to be scared to be adventurous if the time and place arises.
Last year I followed a D4 through the bush. Stock as it rolled off the showroom floor, and it was certainly impressive. Particularly in deep mud. Seemed to have no issues. But my L322 wasn't in that league.
I'm sure there are a few blokes here who may have some serious personal knowledge of tackling extreme conditions in an L322.
Rob Hayden
Lilydale, Victoria
1995 4.0 SE P38
2003 L322 Vogue
1992 4.0 Supercharged Active Suspension Soarer
1988 Ferrari Testarossa
1955 Buick Riviera Coupe
1972 DeTomaso Pantera
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