Mild Off Roading nearly killed my Freeelander

The Freelander can get heavy loads up there though...

I couldn't just floor it, i was driving through a forest, I had tress either side of me with about an inch gap each side, I was in some deep ruts, at a steep angle (it felt like I was going to tip over), and I had to navigate through a very small gap, turning right, and going up a very steep hill.

Needless to say, my freelander made it

but a low gear would of been really helpful in that situation

Fitting bigger tyres makes it worse by raising the gearing and putting more strain on the clutch.
Pity they couldn't have fitted a crawler to the gearbox to make up for no low range.

just to show you what it was like

I think the final answer is that if serious off roading of the crawl-wade-and-winch variety is your game, dont buy a freelander. Get a defender instead.

Most of us use em on the road and the occasional field, green lane, snow covered road etc.

Which they are superb at.

lenny1234 said:

I think the final answer is that if serious off roading of the crawl-wade-and-winch variety is your game, dont buy a freelander. Get a defender instead.

Most of us use em on the road and the occasional field, green lane, snow covered road etc.

Which they are superb at.

Click to expand...

Agreed.

Personally I think Freelander 1's are fab machines, but I do like to go places unsuitable for them.

This is a little off road section I drive often. No bother for a 90/88. But an FL really isn't up to it.




It's not extreme off road at all. But the long over hangs, lack of travel and low ride height of a FL make it unsuitable.

I have driven a couple FL's over the section, although not the serious axle twisters and dip. And while they got round, it wasn't exactly a pleasant experience and resulted in lots of belly scraping and scuffing of the front bumper where it wanted to dig in.

I'm seriously impressed with my lifted Freelander Td4 auto. The only places I haven't taken it where the 'big' boys go, is really deep water as I don't have a snorkel. It can only cope with about 750mm in its current state. (Almost double standard vehicle though!)

The auto lets you crawl along at 1mph if you need. I tend to drive it almost too slow, but never got stuck.

Unfortunately I'm selling it. It is an awesome machine.

I have to agree the autos great and can take some ****e!

Epicuser said:

I'm seriously impressed with my lifted Freelander Td4 auto. The only places I haven't taken it where the 'big' boys go, is really deep water as I don't have a snorkel. It can only cope with about 750mm in its current state. (Almost double standard vehicle though!)

The auto lets you crawl along at 1mph if you need. I tend to drive it almost too slow, but never got stuck.

Unfortunately I'm selling it. It is an awesome machine.

Click to expand...

I'm glad you like it. But no, you aren't crawling along at 1mph. To put some figures to this.

Stock Disco 1 on standard tyres.

High Range 1st:
500rpm = 2.7mph
1000rpm = 5.4mph

Low Range 1st:
500rpm = 1mph
1000rpm = 2mph


And the issue isn't crawling along on the level at tickover. It's about wheel torque at low speed. e.g. a Tdi or V8 will be making shed loads of torque @ 2000rpm and in low 1st that is still 4mph.

In high range 2000rpm is 10.7mph much much faster.

The Td4 is pretty grunty, but probably needs at least 2000rpm on the engine to make significant torque. Which means you'll have to travel faster to get the wheel torque. And as gearing is a torque multiplier, at 2000 engine rpm you won't be getting the same torque at the wheels as a vehicle with low range. For technical off road work this is hugely important.

This isn't to take anything away from the Freelander or it's abilities, just stating a fact. For certain off road use, it is highly compromised.

e.g. driving something like this without low range would be very challenging, auto or not.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMnLTWY3dFo

Depends on your defenition of challenging [emoji2]

I'm sure my hippo would get around those mole hills no problems...it wasn't even muddy[emoji6] [emoji106]

You wouldn't have the control. That was a demonstration RTV trials section for a funday. So nothing too difficult. On a trials section you can't stop or hit a cane and must drive the correct route.

I'm not saying you couldn't physicaly drive it round, although suspect having actually driven two Freelander's over that terrain, beaching is a very realistic proposition. But it's the low speed control. That RRS was in first low. You just wouldn't drive it in high.

Sorry, what I meant was it will drive along at very low speeds eg 1mph, but I will have the brake on to keep it that low.

I known from my Range Rover classic days that it isn't the same etc etc.

But for what it is it surprises everybody what it can do, and with the lift and larger tyres it can follow a standard Defender most places. Not all.

No worries

I wonder if an auto Td4 would do this:



Ramp under diagonally opposite wheels.


I've tried with a Td4 manual and it just wouldn't do it. Taking it slow it'll stall. A little quicker and ride the clutch just a tad resulted in wheelspin on the wheels on the ground, but not enough to make the TCS make the other wheels turn. More throttle like this just resulted in lots of smoke from the clutch.

The only way I think it would have done it, was more speed. But then you run the massive risk of not stopping at the top and falling off the end of the ramps and likely damaging a sill and/or paintwork.

I'll dig out me ramps and let you know.[emoji106]

But can yours do this.[emoji33]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzLw1f3IiDA

i have taken my td4 auto on a couple of green laning trips and to a serious offroad site a couple of times and can honestly say the only thing that has stopped it is ground clearence.

Thanks for all this info guys