front and rear track

Post by **..lee..** » 21 Dec 2007, 21:46

more advise please guys. what track is best for offroad use i`m guessing running the same front and rear would be best but it is just a guess.

the syncro with me looks to be running a wider track at the front than the rear although i haven`t measured.

thanks lee.

Post by **Syncro G** » 21 Dec 2007, 22:32

Personly for off road use I think easyest track to live with is something simular to a Land-Rover defender. Resion being most ruts are made by them (in the UK at least) so the vehicle sits in them nicely, in deap ruts however this could be a disadvantage as your more likly to get stuck in the same ruts as them. Compromises like that mean there is no such thing as the perfect offroad vehicle (though there are plenty that are rubish at everything, they usally have plastic trim).

My series 1 hops around terably in ruts bacause the axles are much narrower than modern ruts so both wheels on an axle often can't sit in a pair of ruts at the same time. Mines actully crab tracked as the rear axle is original S1 but the front is series 2A, 1.5" wider; that actully reduices the problem slightly as only 1 axle is really too narrow. My dads S1 has both axles narrow and thats noitaceably more anoying in rutts. Series 2's don't suffer nearly as badly with their equal width axles despite being a good 7" narrower than a coilsprung landy. - must put it within tolarance, as it would seem my syncro is as that doesn't hop all over the place eather.

In short, an inch or so out between axles doesn't seem to make much difference unless an axle is very different from the terain (ruts) your on, though that'll just make it more fijity, can still make my S1 go where I want though so I don't worry about it.

Post by **..lee..** » 21 Dec 2007, 23:26

didn`t even concider that you`d be in other peoples tracks but a very valid point.
i`ll be fitting spacers to the syncro soon and just wondered whether i should be trying to correct any differances that it may or may not have by using different width spacers front and rear.

Post by **lloyd** » 22 Dec 2007, 08:58

Haven't driven off road here, but agree with above. (have many miles/years experience elsewhere) Track and wheelbase can cause problems on some tracks, but can usually keep going. Land Rovers made the lanes what they are here and are best wheelbase/track to use.

Keep in mind that changing wheel position on axle from stock changes the design geometry and puts more angled load on bearing and suspension.. Usually it puts the load farther out then stock increasing bearing wear, ball joint load, etc. and chance of breaking things.

Use 2 factory Golfs as an example: One plain with narrow tires and the other a sport model with lower suspension, wide tires (more offset) etc. The sport model will wear out suspension and axle components much faster then the plain model will. .. Off roading is much harder on things then on road.

Post by **HarryMann** » 22 Dec 2007, 10:24

... but then narrow is good when there are tight gaps to get through at ground level, often gates and gaps with rocks and wall foundations.

There are some very narrow lanes in Devon, and a few Green Lanes have extreme width limitations at one end or other. The Syncro scores here....