New Defender - mini review.

I've not seen the dash in real life but in pictures it looks like some huge monster that's crawled into the cab and sits there giving you the evil eye. Does it looked tacked-on and dominating in the flesh?

Hopefully this one will have traction control, I'm interested to know what that turns out like.

On or around Tue, 3 Jul 2007 20:42:59 +0100, "Nige" enlightened us thusly:

That's exactly what you want for a test drive, though, find out what it can do without TC... traditionally, 90s are reckoned to be pretty competent with nothing more than a centre diff.

I'll have to go and talk nicely to J.V.Like, see if I can blag a test drive... sounds like it's worth it.

Did the Land Rover experience today, what a machine, utterly superb. Never braked to go uphill before!

The TC works very well indeed.

Since you mentioned it. What on earth do people mean when they say 'refined'? I have listened to the term used again and again but whatever the context I just can't understand what it means.

I have come to terms with 'leverage' as in 'leverage your investment' or 'leverage your old assets'. It just means 'use'.

But what does 'refined' mean?

Compare it to oil . I think Nige is saying that the TD TDi and TD5 are like a sticky crude oil slick where as the new lump is like a pool of refined oil... all the pooey bit's taken away but may still smell of cats pee (in the case of EP90) HTH.

Lee

Thanks for the in-depth review ;-P

OK, here goes. Took the Defender round various tracks & hills with & without TC on. Over the rollers it is easier to get over without having to wiggle the steering or rock & roll it off. When it came to a steep rocky hill with TC off we hit at a slowish speed, no throttle at all, apart from anti stall, once it started slipping just apply a small amount of brakes & up it went. TC on it was up without any slipping. I tried the brake & anti stall on my own D2 auto later on as the TC is borked. As it's an auto & doesn't have anti stall as such (although it does) it started slipping up a steep muddy hill, hit the brakes & up it went. No diff lock on it either, as it doesn't have one.

It does work a treat, but i don't really think it needs it if it's a cost issue.

The engine is utterly superb, just sounds like a bus.

Seat are much improved too.

Cheers mush.

Slightly puzzled by this, coming as I do from 10-year-old technology. Is there brake trickery going on here, i.e. does it release the brake on non-slipping wheels on these newfangled machines even without TC?

My guess is it just stops it spining thus sending drive to the other wheels and regaining motion.

But like I say it's a guess.

We used a simialr technique to help free my Fergie TEF-20 the other week when it got stuck up to the axles... although the Fegrie had individual brakes for each drive wheel. As long as it doesn't stall the concept should work fine.

Didn't Rich have a trialler with Jiggle brakes on not so long ago?

Lee

Not trickery, as the TC is off no brakes are getting applied (thats how TC works) at all until you apply them by foot. On a hill the rear loads up & the front goes light, the front wheels spin first, hitting the brakes applies the front brakes before the rears slowing the fronts & dropping power to the rear, or thats the way i understand it! Either way, you get up the hill without TC &I proved it in my D2 that afternoon.

Of course TC on youjust drive at the hill on anti stall & up you go.

I know about that trick, have used it myself, but it's often not that effective and takes a lot of practice to get it right, just trying to find out if there is assistance from brainy brakes on later machines or not.

I often found that just jumping up and down on the brakes does it fairly well, for those of us (such as me) who haven't really had the opportunity or need to really master the idea. The original Humvee uses this trick instead of diff locks but it has torsen diffs that greatly over-exaggerate the torque transfer to the non-slipping wheels, either 6x or 10x (can't remember which) the torque gets transferred to the non-slipping wheel than you get using the technique on normal open diffs.

Didn't you just get shot of one? Not learned yet then ;-)

It all comes down to NVH (noise, vibration, harshness). A bit like comparing the feel/sound/behaviour of the engine in my diesel Hilux to my new Monaro.

Refined mean what it says?

I thought the TC works by selectively applying the brakes on slipping wheels.

Sounds plausible, I've only ever used the brake trick on level ground when stuck in goop, in that case a variation on cadence braking seemed most effective.

I like being warm at night - I'll never learn. ;-)

It does, the same way, but more independant.

It works a treat Ian, i tried it several times yesterday & I know i have no diff lock or TC on the D2.

Bet you cant get it into another thread....

Already have :p