Took a Cybertruck with us jeeping in our Gladiators!

[BearFootSam]

It has a "mode button" for rocks. The lockers are automatic or manual. We found the auto lockers let it slip and shudder several times before engaging- so the manual engagement of lockers worked much better for her.
She told them when she bought it- she would test it. Raised in a Jeep family- she knows what we expect a truck to do. The air ride was weird for them- cork in a bathtub type deal. She wants handles inside... to keep from bouncing her head against the trim, she lost 4 plastic pieces of decorative trim on the outside.

Woof, I'd add durability to the basket of what makes a good off-road truck. Losing exterior trim pieces doesn't impress a sense of durability to me, decorative or not.

The electric offroader I'd like to see is a cab over (like a forward control) with rear passenger door and a cargo bed. F/R electric solid axles powered by a midship mounted 4 cylinder diesel.

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[Janster]

Unlike the 3.6L that needs 2k+ rpms to make any torque and 4500+ to make any horsepower, electric motors make nearly peak torque from 0rpm to 100krpm. They don't need gearing. Add in the fact that it makes 5x the torque of the pentastar and has finite throttle control and it could be the perfect crawling platform. Paired with solid axles and some real articulation and electric power would make ICE look silly off road.

A solid axle swap will never happen......unless you take away almost everything the truck was made for.

I was watching a video yesterday ...It was a long video and I can't find it now - but he went thru the entire truck, taking wheels off and explaining everything (suspension, sensors, yadda yadda yadda). If I find it, I'll post it up.

The only thing that was impressive, was the IFS 4 wheel steering .... IMO, not practical for offroading. Too much stuff to BREAK!! Unless you rip it all out and start over with solid axles .....

It's trying to keep up with all the regular midsized trucks with IFS.... and according to the video ... it's doing OK. But damn...that's one hell of a price tag to enjoy the trails.

 

[Zachanadandy]

A solid axle swap will never happen......unless you take away almost everything the truck was made for.

I was watching a video yesterday ...It was a long video and I can't find it now - but he went thru the entire truck, taking wheels off and explaining everything (suspension, sensors, yadda yadda yadda). If I find it, I'll post it up.

The only thing that was impressive, was the IFS 4 wheel steering .... IMO, not practical for offroading. Too much stuff to BREAK!! Unless you rip it all out and start over with solid axles .....

It's trying to keep up with all the regular midsized trucks with IFS.... and according to the video ... it's doing OK. But damn...that's one hell of a price tag to enjoy the trails.

Nobody is talking solid axle swap a cybertruck, it would still be hideous for 1. If Jeep brings a solid axle Wrangler EV to market it will be a better crawler than any production vehicle ever period.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Nobody is talking solid axle swap a cybertruck, it would still be hideous for 1. If Jeep brings a solid axle Wrangler EV to market it will be a better crawler than any production vehicle ever period.

As a blanket statement that is false.
packaging and weight are major issues as is drivetrain durability. It’ll either need massive axles and driveshafts to survive OR they will place the motors into the live axles and they then have to contend with keeping a very high voltage cable happy under travel and flex.

in a hypothetical bubble where the weight stays the same and drivetrain strength issues are solved along with two motors mounted like a transfer case that would be true but it still wouldn’t be that much better than the diesel with peak torque just off idle. The true advantage would exist in higher speeds and better traction modulation in soft surfaces or turning.

 

[Sweetums]

I'm thinking about how crazy your suspension could be if you use hub-centric motors in each wheel and don't have to worry about pinion angles or driveshafts. Imagine four wheel independent suspension with control arms that attach to the opposite side of the body - IFS smooth with solid axle articulation.

 

[Janster]

I'm thinking about how crazy your suspension could be if you use hub-centric motors in each wheel and don't have to worry about pinion angles or driveshafts. Imagine four wheel independent suspension with control arms that attach to the opposite side of the body - IFS smooth with solid axle articulation.

<scratching head> ....... It'd be an an engineering masterpiece to design where all the wires, cables, and sensors would go around that setup!!

 

[Zachanadandy]

As a blanket statement that is false.
packaging and weight are major issues as is drivetrain durability. It’ll either need massive axles and driveshafts to survive OR they will place the motors into the live axles and they then have to contend with keeping a very high voltage cable happy under travel and flex.

in a hypothetical bubble where the weight stays the same and drivetrain strength issues are solved along with two motors mounted like a transfer case that would be true but it still wouldn’t be that much better than the diesel with peak torque just off idle. The true advantage would exist in higher speeds and better traction modulation in soft surfaces or turning.

Or...like the magneto concept vehicles just replace the ICE engine with an electric motor. 950ftlbs at 2 rpms makes a diesel feel underpowered and laggy by comparison. Add in nearly infinite motor braking, the crawl control isn't even on the same planet. There is no better powertrain for crawling as well proven in the rc crawler world. Scale it up and go. The tech is obviously there at this point, they just have to build it.

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

I'm thinking about how crazy your suspension could be if you use hub-centric motors in each wheel and don't have to worry about pinion angles or driveshafts. Imagine four wheel independent suspension with control arms that attach to the opposite side of the body - IFS smooth with solid axle articulation.

Ever seen the "Chain-Drive 4x4"? It doesn't use hubcentric motors, but the "suspension" is certainly crazy.

 

[Sweetums]

Yeah, that's part of what I was thinking of with the trailing arm idea, but without needing all those chains to drive the hubs. An EV setup would be way simpler, more durable, and more efficient with more torque at the wheels.

<scratching head> ....... It'd be an an engineering masterpiece to design where all the wires, cables, and sensors would go around that setup!!

Just run the lines either inside or along the top of the control arms or the trailing arms from the pivot all the way down to the hub assembly, nothing to snag and it would barely move, even at max articulation.

 

[TheSolarWizard]

Or...like the magneto concept vehicles just replace the ICE engine with an electric motor. 950ftlbs at 2 rpms makes a diesel feel underpowered and laggy by comparison. Add in nearly infinite motor braking, the crawl control isn't even on the same planet. There is no better powertrain for crawling as well proven in the rc crawler world. Scale it up and go. The tech is obviously there at this point, they just have to build it.

The magneto is way heavier than a gas jeep and it’s running 60/80 and still breaking parts.

my cybertruck does not have unlimited regen and the brakes in general are not very good.

could you build a bespoke rock buggy without concerns for range? Of course.

can you currently build a jeep that offers the range required to be a daily driver with appeal for the masses and kicks ass in rocks?

not right now.

 

[BearFootSam]

I'm thinking about how crazy your suspension could be if you use hub-centric motors in each wheel and don't have to worry about pinion angles or driveshafts. Imagine four wheel independent suspension with control arms that attach to the opposite side of the body - IFS smooth with solid axle articulation.

The beauty of electric is the world of new configurations possible. Non-traditional suspension systems, HV cables run through control arms, so many possibilities. We just need to solve the range and charging problems.

 

[Sweetums]

A friend shared this with me earlier today.

 

[ttn333]

I'm partial to this test drive of the Cybertruck.
Not a fan of the guy, but it is entertaining in a train wreck kinda way.

 

[Janster]

I'm partial to this test drive of the Cybertruck.
Not a fan of the guy, but it is entertaining in a train wreck kinda way.

I found a sick sense of pleasure watching that...... Saw it last week and even my husband enjoyed watching it.

 

[Tommyd]

Unlike the 3.6L that needs 2k+ rpms to make any torque and 4500+ to make any horsepower, electric motors make nearly peak torque from 0rpm to 100krpm. They don't need gearing. Add in the fact that it makes 5x the torque of the pentastar and has finite throttle control and it could be the perfect crawling platform. Paired with solid axles and some real articulation and electric power would make ICE look silly off road.

Too bad it’s freakin ugly as sin. And electric.

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