OE Long Travel 200 (2 Viewers)
- Thread starter WesSiler
- Start date
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- Thread starter
- #42
Alright, got the ARB bumpers, Lightforce HTX2s, Warn Zeon 12-S and SwitchPro 9100's installed. Doing a proper photoshoot with a real photographer tomorrow night, but here's a first photo of all that.
Initial impressions of the above:
- The ARB bumpers are as nice as always. Flawless fit and finish. Glad we skipped the rear swingout, makes using the truck normally so much easier.
- The Lightforce HTX2s are revelatory. These are to other driving lights what good binoculars are to crappy ones, the clarity, totally shadow-free pattern, and lack of glare has to be seen to be believed. From our block in downtown Bozeman, I was able to clearly illuminate an office building half a mile away, through a tree covered street that undulates downhill. Where other lights just brightly illuminate the trees and parked cars and whatnot, these look like you flicked a lightswitch on at the destination of their illumination. The LED floods don't get in the way of the HID spots at all, but still provide as much fill as anything else out there.
- The Warn's a Warn, they thought of everything. Will fit a Factor55 Ultrahook at some point, when I get around to it.
- The SwitchPros are great too. The app is functional (if not that pretty), and the customization potential is really appreciated, given the wide variety of functions they'll eventually control.
Some other takeaways:
- Stock gearing with the 8-speed pushes 33s just fine. No need for gears. But that will limit us to a rear locker only. That's fine for now.
- Every alignment shop here is totally booked up this week. Found one appointment available Thursday, so having the 33.2x10.8-18 Toyo ATIIIs mounted then along with the alignment, and will actually be able to drive the truck some then. For now, even around town, the long travel and BP-51s are working great. Stock like ride quality, can't really drive it hard enough to tell anything about handling yet.
Sorry for the crappy photo, it was crazy bright out yesterday afternoon. Like I say, proper photoshoot coming Thursday evening.
Initial impressions of the above:
- The ARB bumpers are as nice as always. Flawless fit and finish. Glad we skipped the rear swingout, makes using the truck normally so much easier.
- The Lightforce HTX2s are revelatory. These are to other driving lights what good binoculars are to crappy ones, the clarity, totally shadow-free pattern, and lack of glare has to be seen to be believed. From our block in downtown Bozeman, I was able to clearly illuminate an office building half a mile away, through a tree covered street that undulates downhill. Where other lights just brightly illuminate the trees and parked cars and whatnot, these look like you flicked a lightswitch on at the destination of their illumination. The LED floods don't get in the way of the HID spots at all, but still provide as much fill as anything else out there.
- The Warn's a Warn, they thought of everything. Will fit a Factor55 Ultrahook at some point, when I get around to it.
- The SwitchPros are great too. The app is functional (if not that pretty), and the customization potential is really appreciated, given the wide variety of functions they'll eventually control.
Some other takeaways:
- Stock gearing with the 8-speed pushes 33s just fine. No need for gears. But that will limit us to a rear locker only. That's fine for now.
- Every alignment shop here is totally booked up this week. Found one appointment available Thursday, so having the 33.2x10.8-18 Toyo ATIIIs mounted then along with the alignment, and will actually be able to drive the truck some then. For now, even around town, the long travel and BP-51s are working great. Stock like ride quality, can't really drive it hard enough to tell anything about handling yet.
Sorry for the crappy photo, it was crazy bright out yesterday afternoon. Like I say, proper photoshoot coming Thursday evening.
Looking forward to the pro pics but it looks sharp as is.
- Thread starter
- #45
More importantly: 1 lux at 1.1 miles. They're the only company that pays an independent lab to measure light performance. So these numbers aren't claims, they're reality.
I know this is slightly off topic but wanted to pass along what I found on my 2020.
I elected to do the first oil change at 2,500 miles with 5W30. I was surprised by the amount of visible metal shavings in the original filter. I encourage you to change your oil well ahead of 10,000 as well.
I elected to do the first oil change at 2,500 miles with 5W30. I was surprised by the amount of visible metal shavings in the original filter. I encourage you to change your oil well ahead of 10,000 as well.
- Thread starter
- #48
Going in firvt
Going in for that oil change shortly.
- Thread starter
- #49
Oh, and as an interesting aside, I realized while writing about the new Bronco the other day that this suspension system gives us more front articulation than either that truck, or a Wrangler Rubicon. Not bad for something that still rides and handles at least as well as the stock 200 on road.
Plan on measuring RTI soon too. The stock 200 returns 661, the top spec Bronco manages 700. I reckon we'll exceed that number.
Plan on measuring RTI soon too. The stock 200 returns 661, the top spec Bronco manages 700. I reckon we'll exceed that number.
bloc
SILVER Star
Very excited to see this number!
Interesting. Would that be the top spec 2-door Bronco that does 700? Does that mean the stock Cruiser can still out RTI a top spec 4-door Bronco?
- Thread starter
- #52
Correct, the best number for the two-door Bronco is 700, for the four-door it's 620.
One area where the Bronco has us seriously beat is traction though. Mechanical lockers are optional front and rear, and Ford's electronic off-road traction system is so vastly superior to Toyota's it's silly.
Yeah, Toyota has been classically conservative. There's definitely a contingent of population, enthusiasts, that Toyota doesn't particularly cater to, that would buy factory locker options. Their bean counters run a tightly focused ship. Funny especially as the 200-series does have a factory rear locker option in the rest of world spec.
Even small things like the OEM front shock spacer. That's in their arsenal and a part of a factory spec somewhere in the world as it shows up in the FSM. That alone increases suspension travel at the front, with 1" additional droop travel, to 10", matching the rear. And their conservative tire spec. These alone would probably put RTIs near 700s stock. Yes, probably all to better meet some guideline or standard for MPG, rollover, crash, etc. But Ford and Jeep are able to create exiting trims despite all that.
Are you talking about Ford's Trail Control system? It seems to be more aggressive and smooth. Yet, perhaps giving up some accuracy and precision. I say this because Toyota's system, seemingly more fussy and noisy, manages traction much more finely. From Ford's promotional vids, they seem to manage 1/2 wheel turns as the lowest quantum. Hard to say what Toyota's is, but it's definitely down to something more like 1/10 rotations or less, which is more effective in really tricky situations where extra wheel spin doesn't help, e.g. sand.
I think Toyota's strategy on the cruiser for traction is heavily leaned on the KDSS and Crawl Control. This tech IMO is meant to overcome the lack of lockers... Gimmicky as it may be it probably isn't as good as the traditional all-locked approach but it is probably better than open diff without a swaybar-disco system
- Thread starter
- #57
I believe it's called Terrain Management, but it's all part of the same package. All of these systems use ABS to individually tweak brake calipers, matching wheel speeds across axles or front to rear. Additionally, throttle response, shift points, etc are altered. And the various modes work in 4H too. I basically never activate the rear locker in my Ranger, the modes work better. Ford never responds when I ask them, but I suspect they got this tech from Land Rover when they owned that company for 5 minutes back in the 2000s, then continued development of it themselves. In my experience across vehicles like the Raptor, etc, it's not just way smoother than the Toyota system, it's more effective at finding traction too.
I like the Ford system enough that I'm not adding a front locker to the Ranger, and seriously don't use the rear ever. I dislike the Toyota system enough that I'm adding a rear locker to the Cruiser ASAP, and will add a front at some point too. Hoping ARB figures out a part for the 2016+ gears.
bloc
SILVER Star
200s with lockers are available ROW, but is that the case for KDSS models too? The US KDSS rear bar doesn’t leave room for the actuator. Not that there isn’t a different ROW part, but if the rear locker comes on high trim models it might only come with AHC.
Also at least in my parts program the OE strut spacer is only a valid part on US cruisers. It could be wrong, but ROW cruisers might have an entirely different strut and spring accomplishing the same thing.
Classifieds are a different section along the top bar. Or see if your local club section has a dedicated for sale thread.
Also at least in my parts program the OE strut spacer is only a valid part on US cruisers. It could be wrong, but ROW cruisers might have an entirely different strut and spring accomplishing the same thing.
Classifieds are a different section along the top bar. Or see if your local club section has a dedicated for sale thread.
I owned a Land Rover LR4 for 10 straight years (2010, 2016) and the terrain response was seamless. Never experienced the seizures that CRAWL induces. Ford quite possibly got that from Land Rover or maybe its the other way around but regardless the system works seamlessly.
I am with you on that and am already on Slee's shop schedule for front/rear lockers.
