pemarsh

Does the Lexus LX 470 have the capability of routing all power to a single wheel?

As I understand it, The Mercedes Benz GL450 has this capability, and seems to have a more advanced 4wd system (in its off road pakage) than the lexus lx 470. Can anyone elaborate on this that knows more????

valgs350

iTrader: (1)

This Thread will most likely end in a big argument!

All I know is that the 2001+ Land Cruisers/LX470's have A-Trac so I think LX470 has a very good 4wd sytem.

Personally you shouldn't rely on a 4wd system to not get you un-stuck. Its more about the driver than the truck.

but

Mercedes uses the term 4wd with the G-Wagon but not with the GL. So would you really call the GL's power train 4wd.

The GL has 4matic, the specs don't say 4wd but four the G-Wagon its 4wd. I think its just a bit wierd.

lol

Anyone else see what I mean!

I think you mean when the wheel starts slipping if it gets more power, the lx470 does that to I think.

Lexiss_sc430

iTrader: (2)

Pemarsh yes you are correct Mercedes is one of the few manufactures that offers that option on their G-wagon and the new GL sport utilities, It is basically a 4 way locking differential, where technically you are able to give all your power to the one wheel which has traction and not the other three, now this option is readily available on every sport utility you can imagine, its just an aftermarket add-on you would have to install your self. You’re LX can be equipped with that same option and you would be able to lock each wheel independently and do the same and the Mercedes SUV’s.


Now that being said, I have gone off road in many sport utilities, from rovers to the G wagons to the Toyotas/Lexus. I personally thing that the 80 series 91-97 Toyota land cruisers and the Lexus LX450’s are one of thee most capable SUV’s out there. But again in my opinion the rover discoveries, and also the G wagons are a strong competitor in that field. Owing both a 97 Toyota land cruiser, and a LX470 I have taken both off road and I feel 10X more comfortable in the 80 (land cruiser) than the LX. The 80 series is just one of the most capable, well rounded off road vehicles around.

If you’d like to do more reading about the capabilities and lean a little bit more about the Toyota/Lexus SUV’s visit this site, WWW.IH8MUD.COM. There is a wealth of knowledge on that site.



Please excuse any grammatical errors or run-ons I might have.. Its 2 am here and I am a little bit tipsy from a long night of drinking

tigmd99

The GL does NOT come with lockers as standard equipment. If you get the OFF-ROAD PACKAGE, then it will come with center and rear diff locks, but no front diff lock.

There are only a few vehicles currently in production that comes with a full set of lockers (front + rear +/- center): Hummer H1 (till end of this year), Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Dodge Powerwagon, and Mercedes G500. These are the only true vehicles that can claim that 100% power can be routed to any one single wheel if needed.

tigmd99

As for off-road ability between the new MB GL450 and LX470, i would pick LX anyday of the week. They have the same traction-control-based system (except when you pick Off-Road Pkg in the GL). Difference is that LX has solid rear axle (overall, much better articulation) and rugged body-on-frame design. With the GL's Off-Road Pkg, then the capability gets closer between the two, but i would still pick LX.

valgs350

iTrader: (1)

If I was going to do some serious off-roading I would get the 40 series Land Cruiser!

Nothing can beat that!

tigmd99

I would pick 2007 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon...it is simply the best out-of-the-box off-roader you can buy. 832 RTI, solid strengthened Dana 44 axles, full set of lockers, 4:1 low-range, 73:1 crawl ratio, and amazing approach/departure angles. You going to have to heavily modify TLC 40 (or any vehicle for that matter) to even come close to a stock Rubicon.

V8_Fan

Not the US version. :-) Our version can guarantee 50-50 power in the front and rear axles using the center diff lock. Beyond that, the traction control takes over. The key to success in using traction control lies in giving it little throttle. If you give it tons of throttle, the traction control is overriden (off). I'm not exactly sure if the LX/LC traction control only applies brakes (it must, since the diff is open otherwise and not a torque-biasing type), but it is more sophisticated than what you get on a 4runner or Sequoia despite the same name, and far better than on a H2, which blindly clamps on the brakes (the more throttle you give it, the harder it brakes). It depends on what you want to do. If you have no traction on talus/scree (say all wheels), gun the engine, and a tire grabs solid traction (like a big rock), this is a recipe for a breakdown regardless of the vehicle...either the diff or axle is likely to blow. Read the FJ cruiser site. A number of guys have blow apart their locked rear diffs doing this. On older 4runners, usually the axle will snap before the diff, but the FJC uses the same ring size (8") as on the old 4-cyl 4runners, yet weighs like 1000 lbs more! The LX/LC have a 9.5" rear diff, 8" front. You don't want to tow someone out using reverse or back up a very steep hill, if you can avoid it.

Max707

I'm willing to bet on the LX470 beating the GL450 in any off road challenge Unless its done by a auto magazine where they count things that have nothing to do with a vehicles road/off road ability. The last comparision that "Truck Trend" did with the Landcruiser included (this year), they made it last place because it was "old Technology", even though when you read how it did agains't the other vehicles it was one of the best and if you looked at how dependable its been over the years it would be a run away first place. Truck Trends comment was Toyota has made a ton off this old truck since they have paid for the tooling several times over. I don't disagree with that conclusion about Toyota making a huge margin on the LC/LX but they wouldn't if no one wanted to buy one. These magazines suck when it comes to their conclusions, you have to read the article and then draw you own conclusions.

valgs350

iTrader: (1)

The 2006 Land Cruiser did get 4wheeler of the year award and beat the Range Rover Sport + H3.

I think you can take any truck and off-road with it, its all about the driver. All you need are some diff-locks, good clearence at ur set!

Max707

What magazine was that?

V8_Fan

None of those magazines/awards really address the issue of reliability over the long haul, like 8, 10 yrs. The closest thing I've seen is consumer reports on 3 yr old vehicles (LC/LX are the most reliable full-sized SUV). The latest ratings show the new Yukon highly ranked, but there is an asterik next to it, denoting it as "perceived quality." The only way to know how well a vehicle holds together is to drive it for that many years. If you take any new vehicle, put it on dyno rollers, and continuously drive it for 100K mi, they'll likely all perform well in terms of the engine/transmission holding together. But this isn't how we drive. Plus as you mention, most of those magazines review new body style vehicles. They aren't concerned about reliability, but more about their advertisers and showcasing their latest products. How would it look if a 5 yr old LC/LX beat the latest and greatest SUV offroad and for reliability year after year in magazine tests?

PSiedTSi

Our Durango(Full-time 4wd option) has a "4wd Lock" selection that locks all the wheels together...

tigmd99

No, it does not. That option only locks the center differential to keep power supplied to both axles. However, each axle is OPEN. That is, if you have no traction on one front wheel and one rear wheel, then you're screwed.

LXotic

guys stop the argument okay tigmd99? stop being so picky