Why not Jeep???

[Flyin6]

Good question; lots of greased palms would be my guess. I saw a short vid on YouTube where a gal was touting the off-road prowness of her new Bronco while climbing over a low profile rock with the rear wheel high in the air. Sheesh!

Broncos...They speak to modern-day thinking. Sort of like washing your feet with your socks on. These days, everything is about looks. Off-road vehicles with independent suspension, men getting manicures, and the like, but do not really deliver. This Bronco, no matter how big you make those ugly wheel flares, will never be as good as a comparable vehicle (Jeep) without a live axle.
I tried it myself. I once purchased a Hummer and tried to make it work. On one outing, I broke the rear sway bar link. Tore it in half, trying to attack a slope the way I would have in my CJ. Did it again with a Taco, and that didn't work either. I guess if people believe men can have babies, then they also believe Broncos, ZR2's, and Pro 4X Frontiers are great off-road vehicles.

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[Ramboy]

Broncos...They speak to the modern-day thinking. Sort of like washing your feet with your socks on. These days, everything is about looks. Off-road vehicles with independent suspension, men getting manicures, and the like, but do not really deliver. This Bronco, no matter how big you make those ugly wheel flares, will never be as good as a comparable vehicle (Jeep) without a live axle.
I tried it myself. I once purchased a Hummer and tried to make it work. On one outing, I broke the rear sway bar link. Tore it in half, trying to attack a slope the way I would have in my CJ. Did it again with a Taco, and that didn't work either. I guess if people believe men can have babies, then they also believe Broncos, ZR2's, and Pro 4X Frontiers are great off-road vehicles.

You nailed it with the modern day thinking direction that is being taken. Being raised on a farm, then plucked out of that environment to be trained by Uncle Sam in the AF I felt it was a seamless transition until I got out and worked the rest of my career for an aerospace company. Although most of us were liked minded, there was the occasional employee that was “going through the transition”. At first it really took me by surprise but as long as we treated him/her as just another employee and they got their job done, all was good. But, those folks were few and far between; not so today. I wonder back now on my AF career and wonder if I could have made it through the “don’t ask don’t tell” era or any other direction the politicians du jour wanted to take us. Now that those days are all behind me I’m grateful that I don’t have to deal with any of that but I do pray for our country everyday, especially the brothers and sisters in arms. Thank you for your service. In terms of off road prowness, badging and decals mean nothing, it’s all about engineering from the ground up. The same can be said for some of our fellow “citizens”. America, love it or leave it.

 

[als2052]

I see that the US Armee is buying a crap ton of modified Colorados to use as light infantry vehicles. The modified Colorado features almost no body panels, all the ZR2 gear, stock axles, and a hefty roll cage.
Where was Jeep during this testing? In my view, a beefed-up Gladiator with a diesel would have been a better troop transport. I watched a video of the Colorado negotiating terrain with many instances of a wheel hanging precariously in the air, as you would expect with independent suspension. The Jeep platform would behave much better with its live axle.
It's a big miss in my opinion especially when you consider who will be driving those things...Grunts! For some reason, when young men join the military, they revert to the "Completely stupid" mode. You see things you never would expect to happen with them regularly.
A couple of examples: Flying Chinooks in the 101st, once, I delivered a sling-loaded HMMWV to a flat field, set it down, then landed nearby and let the grunts out. The driver gets into the vehicle and drives it right off a cliff! Another time, a buddy of mine is flying at 500 feet with another HMMV hanging below. The crew chief lying on the floor looking out the "Hell-hole" at the dangling vehicle decides to start fiddling with the emergency cargo hook release lever...Guess what happened.
And the stupid new-guy thing seems to be universally true. Talking to a frustrated Marine sergeant once in Kandahar, I asked him what was bothering him. He answered, "My two new privates." (At least I think he called them privates) He continued, "I swear if you lock those two idiots in a room with two steel balls, and come back in an hour, one steel ball will be missing, and the other one will be broken, and neither Marine will have any idea what happened!"

Trying to save money so someone ? can pocket savings....

 

[Batterycap]

Over 50 years ago, I was bouncing around Ft Stewart in a personnel carrier, and my unit came to one of the innumerable stops we would make to let the dust catch up with us. A couple of Jeeps were nearby, and I wandered past one just so I could sit in the passenger seat for a bit it was massively more comfortable that the narrow side seat in the carrier. Growing up in a grease rack in my granddad's filling station, I was always curious about any vehicle I was around. I popped the hood on the jeep to see how many cylinders the Jeep had, and the first thing I see is "Ford" on the valve cover. As it turns out, this was standard fare. There was always a comedienne around that would pick up the mike on the prc-77 and announce, "I just turned my Jeep......Over".

 

[moparnut72]

When I was in basic training in the Army a bazillion years ago we had an hour long class going over the dangers of driving a "Ford" Jeep. There has recently been a lot of new Broncos showing up in town. I got to look at one closeup yesterday. Just a pavement cruiser made for soccer moms. However we have so many Jeeps in town the Jeep wave is non-existent.
kk

 

[Ramboy]

When I was in basic training in the Army a bazillion years ago we had an hour long class going over the dangers of driving a "Ford" Jeep. There has recently been a lot of new Broncos showing up in town. I got to look at one closeup yesterday. Just a pavement cruiser made for soccer moms. However we have so many Jeeps in town the Jeep wave is non-existent.
kk

 

[Flyin6]

When I was in basic training in the Army a bazillion years ago we had an hour long class going over the dangers of driving a "Ford" Jeep. There has recently been a lot of new Broncos showing up in town. I got to look at one closeup yesterday. Just a pavement cruiser made for soccer moms. However we have so many Jeeps in town the Jeep wave is non-existent.
kk

No Jeep wave in Kali???

 

[MSFTMatt]

No Jeep wave in Kali???

I give and receive numerous Jeep waves daily in California but typically they’re from non-stock Jeeps.

 

[Cansberry]

I've driven the ISV (the Chevy based Army truck). It's a better vehicle for the design intent. There's a reason military light trucks have largely had independent suspension all the way around since the 50s. It ain't about going over the roughest terrain, but going over most about as fast as you can with as much stuff as you can. The ISV is great for it. We've got a beefed up version of RZRs in the Marines for it.

The Gladiator and it's solid axles just adds weight and slowness for a vehicle that needs to move.

 

[Flyin6]

I've driven the ISV (the Chevy based Army truck). It's a better vehicle for the design intent. There's a reason military light trucks have largely had independent suspension all the way around since the 50s. It ain't about going over the roughest terrain, but going over most about as fast as you can with as much stuff as you can. The ISV is great for it. We've got a beefed up version of RZRs in the Marines for it.

The Gladiator and it's solid axles just adds weight and slowness for a vehicle that needs to move.

I guess that makes sense, the speed part. Heck, when I'd drive from Kandahar air base to a nearby FOB, I'd take one of our Prados and go like hell until I reached the other gate.
But I've also been in an Army that used K5 blazers and K20 or K30 trucks, even a W250, which had straight axles. They worked fine as well.
Given what I know about independent front suspensions in 4WD applications, I've seen a ton of boot failures on the flexy axles. Once the boot fails, the joint is soon to follow. The way the military stays in mud, sand, dust, and the like, those boots will become a weak point.
In Afghanistan, we used Razors in Special Operations, as you probably know. I'd say they were OK, but no better than a JL or JT without the body panels, in my opinion. Heck, I flew helicopters that were constantly worked on when not flying, and they were going through parts like people were counting votes for the other team!

 

[Cansberry]

I guess that makes sense, the speed part. Heck, when I'd drive from Kandahar air base to a nearby FOB, I'd take one of our Prados and go like hell until I reached the other gate.
But I've also been in an Army that used K5 blazers and K20 or K30 trucks, even a W250, which had straight axles. They worked fine as well.
Given what I know about independent front suspensions in 4WD applications, I've seen a ton of boot failures on the flexy axles. Once the boot fails, the joint is soon to follow. The way the military stays in mud, sand, dust, and the like, those boots will become a weak point.
In Afghanistan, we used Razors in Special Operations, as you probably know. I'd say they were OK, but no better than a JL or JT without the body panels, in my opinion. Heck, I flew helicopters that were constantly worked on when not flying, and they were going through parts like people were counting votes for the other team!

I've spent my entire time in on the ground in RZRs and JLTVs. Both are independent front rear. Never tore a CV boot or broke an axle. Typically the powertrain gives up first. They make them stout enough these days. Anecdotally, beating a JLTV for 2 months in the desert with minimal maintenance, it was mostly fine. The computers were more problematic than the mechanical bits. And it's a way more mechanically complex beast than these ISVs.

 

[Sandman 4x4]

Kinda doesn't matter since there hasn't been a diesel Gladiator for 3 model years now.

Or Colorado diesel even longer. But between the two? Even after owning two last gen Colorados, one a diesel, with my current being a24 Gladiator Sport S. Both trucks are very different and similar at the same time. But the Baby Max is a better choice, in a chassis with higher payload capacity.

 

[RudeJeepin]

Or Colorado diesel even longer. But between the two? Even after owning two last gen Colorados, one a diesel, with my current being a24 Gladiator Sport S. Both trucks are very different and similar at the same time. But the Baby Max is a better choice, in a chassis with higher payload capacity.

While it's neither here nor there, as far as this thread, but...
I haven't been around the Colorado diesel, but have the Chev 1500 Duramax. I've got the Gladiator EcoDiesel and my father in law had the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel.
I'd take the EcoDiesel every time, if it was still available, kinda.
The Colorado doesn't offer enough over the Gladiator to switch. So I'd step up to the 1500s and I prefer the Ram. But then I'd probably just go up to a 1 ton and get the Cummins.
Currently the Colorado would do everything in I need. Eventually I plan on going 37s and doing more extreme trails. That's when the Gladiator will be the better choice for sure.

 

[Flyin6]

While it's neither here nor there, as far as this thread, but...
I haven't been around the Colorado diesel, but have the Chev 1500 Duramax. I've got the Gladiator EcoDiesel and my father in law had the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel.
I'd take the EcoDiesel every time, if it was still available, kinda.
The Colorado doesn't offer enough over the Gladiator to switch. So I'd step up to the 1500s and I prefer the Ram. But then I'd probably just go up to a 1 ton and get the Cummins.
Currently the Colorado would do everything in I need. Eventually I plan on going 37s and doing more extreme trails. That's when the Gladiator will be the better choice for sure.

Side-tracking my own thread!

When you get there, you will be flabbergasted at the power of the Cummins Ram. My 3500 dually feels as light as a feather. I barely touch the throttle, and it blasts away. Mine is the HO with 1075 ft/lb and 4.10 gears pushing 35" tires. It will spin the four rear tires if I'm not careful. These trucks are the definition of power!

 

[Bandit’s Lair]

No Jeep wave in Kali???

It’s hit or miss. I think it’s because the ratio of Jeep to Non-Jeep is EXTREMELY high. Modified street, modified trail, stock. If it’s made for a Jeep chances are you’ll pass someone with it installed in SoCal. Not a bad thing, but can’t expect waves every time.

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