Tyler,
throw in the Low Range of a transfer case (2.3:1 in the XJ), add a
torque converter that's good for approx another 2:1, all behind a motor
that made 80+% of its torque just off of idle, and there's no comparison.
36" of wheel travel at the front wheels in a Volvo wagon? i'd have
to see that to believe it, but even if that was the case, if that wheel
is in a loose sandy rut, i'd much rather it be *driving*.
not sure it matters much, but rear axles in XJs were Dana 35C, or
Chrysler 8.25" models. factory limited slips were a standard option (for
at least most years).
while a locking dif can indeed get you through a lot where an open
dif won't, when it gets as far as it will go, 4WD can still go further.
and frankly, there's no comparison on snow or ice.
sloppy steering? already covered that; many people just didn't know
there was a simple adjustment for that on the steering box, and most of
them only needed it once.
more commonly, many people didn't realize how lightly the steering
could be handled, as the power steering assist was much stronger than
other vehicles and required only the lightest touch. made it a breeze to
work the wheel at low speed when in deep sand, but seemed to be
'overboosted' for some people that didn't learn how how lightly it could
be worked.
since you brought up model years, the XJs heyday was in the
mid-'90s. after ~'96/'97, the interiors were revamped to be more
'plastic-y', and felt more restricted to me. by the time they'd gotten
to the end of the run in '01, they'd gone to funky multi-coil ignition,
and even a low-pinion front dif.
cheers!
e
Tyler wrote:
Perhaps you don't realize how low of gears, and how much travel a
volvo wagon has. Some Volvo wagons came with a 4.3:1 rear axle and a
4.03:1 1st gear. They can also have 2-3 feet of suspension travel even
with the stock front sway bar in place, and mine has a factory locking
rear diff. The rear axle is a Dana 33, which I beleive is the same as
the axles used on the XJ- but on a much lighter vehicle.
One I drove with sloppy steering was brand new in ~2001. It was a
fleet maintained government GSA vehicle...
Tyler
On May 9, 2009, at 10:42 AM, Kevin wrote:
Loose sloppy steering in an XJ is from poor maintenance. The fact that
you compare something with low range in a transfercase to a volvo wagon
for offroad prowess suggests you reaelly don't know what you're talking
about, especially when you say that an XJ lacks suspension travel.
I have two of them and while I can think of plenty of things to complain
about on them from owning them and putting hundreds of thousands of
miles
on them, you've hit on none of them.
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