why can my stock suzuki go more places than any of my mates highly modified toyota rigs?

Sorry wizzard....mate it is just that they are a good thing, as Alien says it doesn't take much to get a Suzuki really showing up the field.

And don't some of the big boys hate that.

I was on a trip recently with my Vitara on baby 31's ,
along with a few larger trucks on 33's plus.
Some guy came up and asked"
Are you sure the trip leader knows you are coming"
I just smiled, and said yes.
I let the car do the talking for me

bertzook, I'm going to disagree with you on your assertions about what makes a suzuki capable.

The very short wheelbase of a Sierra is as much of a disadvantage than it is an advantage. Whilst it (along with a narrow body and narrow overall width) allow more line choice, the shortness of the wheelbase makes for extreme weight transfer when climbing and a lack of directional stability once the front end goes loose.

For that reason, I run a LWB sierra with an extra 7" in the wheelbase, so I am very close to 100" of wheelbase, generally considered to be the magic number for an all purpose car. 79" isn't where it's at for climbing.

Sierras do not, by any means, have high power, (or torque) to weight, even by 4WD standards. Whilst some Diesel 4WD's have lower power to weight, they have far higher torque to weight, so it's a moot point. Near enough 47KW/tonne isn't much chop - a 4.5 petrol land cruiser - 160Kw, 1900KG. Even a 4 cylinder 2.7 litre petrol hilux exceeds the power to weight of a sierra.

Where a heavier 4WD has lower power to weight, it smashes a sierra on torque to weight. A Sierra has about 100Nm/tonne. I can't think of any 2 tonne 4WD's with 200Nm (except my Gwagen, which is terribly underengined)

IMHO the advantage of a sierra offroad is all about low weight and acceptable ground clearance. How much these factors are worth for capability is proven by the fact a sierra has low power and torque, little wheel travel, poor gearing, and isn't very stable at all, yet still owns heavier cars that have all of these things in abundance.

Steve.

A Zook on 31"s by Comparison should have the same clearance at the diff than a Cruiser on 34s on average

What's the measurements?

I'm not that clever, so let's all go get Portal Hubs

not really, as the clearance from the ground to the diff or axle is given by the size of the tyre as is the only link between two, the bigger the tyre the more clearance for the diff and the less able to hit a rock or something....

now maybe you re talking about ramp over angle, that tyre and lift help to increase that, but as we have a swb and they a longer one, we have a better angle than theirs already in stock mode

but a pootrool going for 31 to 35 it would be similar to a zook going for 27 to 31s in what gearing and upgrade to a more capable 4wd refers, not clearance for diff

Zook's have smaller diff pumpkins....

yeap yeap we get all that, but these rumours keep recycling on forums and i don't beleive that any of the people have measured anything. It's a fantasy.

Well yeah, if people are going to keep recycling the rumour that a Sierra on 11inch tyres will out drive a Hilux on 35s, ... then some L plater sees that and repeats it on another forum, .. i'm pretty sure it must be on Outerlimits because it keeps getting repeated here, because you call people on it and they say "oh umm, i read it somewhere"