There sure are allota handles and buttons in there. Jim, do you know what all those things do? Lance said,
OK, lets start with the dash...........
Upper left switch is the main power
1st button down is the starter button
2nd item down is headlights
3rd item down is the turn indicators, left or right, (this will also be
a part time trail rig)
4th item down is the winch control, in or out
5th item down is the service light, (running reworked stock computer)
Moving down to the console
Lokar shifter
Atlas shifters, left is rear axle, right is front axle, forward is low
On top of Atlas shifters are line lock buttons for there respective axles,
Kick the axle out, step on the brakes, thumb the button the
wheels are locked up, (with a front dig, you kick out the rear
axle, lock the rear brakes and you have the use of the foot
brake to control the front wheel/tire speed.)
Levers behind the shifters are for pull downs, left lever is rear axle.
Push forward to pull the rear down and pull back to release pull
down. These levers activate cylinders in the rear or
the front, depending on drivers selection. The cylinders are
connected to the axle with a limiting strap. The cylinder limits are
preset so there is no guessing on how far your max down is or
where your max up is. You can let the chassis all the way up and
not be concerned with how much rope is out. You run the
cylinder to its stops, either up or down and you have it at it's
preset limits, or if you need to just restrick axle travel you can
stop in between limits. These limit straps act as both pull down
and limit straps for the axle. (Why not just run winches like most
others? Weight savings was one issue, but pulldown control was
a major factor.)
Driving impressions..........
It is a rig that will spoil a driver. It will take obscene lines and
make them look easy. It will do incredible climbs, and take off
camber sections with unbelieveable stability. Has impressive
amounts of power available, and it is there (right now, no
hesitation) just for the asking, but it is very controlable if you
just want a little to thump the tires. The brakes are hydro boost
and do thier job without fault. The steering is full hydro and is
two turns, lock to lock. It turns with ease but still gives you
feedback. The front axle is crazy with articulation and will turn
an unbelieveable tight radius. The rear is very stable, is
tighter than the front, but feels very good. Body roll is non
existant, overall, very flat and stable.
We will be doing more testing and fine tuning in the next two weeks. The first comp is at Katemcy. It will be a local event, but it is a W E Rock sanctioned event.
I want to thank all at Sunray for the outstanding design, craftsmenship and innovation with this rig.