Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

TC go tell all the fellows at the Top Truck Challenge, virtually every rock crawler, mud bogger, etc, that IFS is the way to go.

Desert racing? You bet....everything else. Hell no.

Brian

[HoosierGTA]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

The problem with indepedent suspensions is when those A-arms go up the frame comes down.(Generally off-road trails aren't flat so,this is the last thimg you want. )Real Hummers get away with it because of there portal axles. )stacked reduction gears at the end of the axles.

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

UNIMOG has IFS

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

No way dude. Big ass portal axles and torque tubes.

http://petrolsmell.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Suspension-Articulation.jpg

[scottl]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

Who the hell thinks for one second anyone who would buy a truck like this is going to buy it to haul plywood and rocks...stupid.

this truck is for attention and 4 wheeling...nothing more. maybe a bike or motorcycle and some gear...

Thats like saying gosh..the new mustang and camaro sure are not great family cars.. :

this will never see production... too much of a liability.

A truck is for hauling stuff, what's the use if all it is for is looks. I regret getting rid of my flatbed for the soul reason that my full size Chevy bed isn't big enough. Now they want to produce trucks that you can't even transport the simplest of building materials in. It just seems like a bad idea to even produce this truck. I mean why not just buy a full sized 4x4 and get the added room. And on top of it straight axles??, everyone knows you get more travel with independent suspension. Basically this truck is for a small market of people that are into 4x4's and that is it.

Basically it is a wannabee truck for a wannabee 4x4er as most of these trucks will have women driving them to get the groceries and the trucks will never see an unpaved road.

With all due respect Tubbed, you are honestly wrong on several levels.

First, if you want a flatbed, order a Ford or Dodge (or I'm not sure, possibly Chevy) with the "bed delete" option and you can still have your flatbed. But it's 2 or 3 percent of truck owners from what I've seen that use a flatbed, not 2 to 3 percent (though still low) that actually take them off road.

Second, this is in the full size truck class.

As for this truck not being for those who go off road, are you serious? To be clear, the Power Wagon option is a 6 thousand dollar upgrade specifically made for those that go off road, with a full skid plate set, a 12,000 pound Warne winch, reciprocating ball steering vs. the standard rack and pinion, larger tires and wheels for clearance and dual selectable lockers. It's a specialty truck built specifically for that. Dodge has 5 other models for the rest of the population that don't go off road, and not many of them will spend 6 thousand dollars extra just to get a badge that says "Power Wagon." They'll get all the pretty chrome, leather seats, and oh yeah, electronic t-case shifter instead of the manual one this has, specifically for off-roading.

And on the comment, "...everyone knows you get more travel with independent suspension..." - I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic or serious, but I hope not serious. Go to any, and I mean any serious 4x4 shop or 4x4 online forum and ask that question. Honest challenge here. No one, and I mean no one, outside of the go-fast desert racer prefers independent suspension, both because it's more prone to breakage and because it's truly impossible to get serious travel out of them. The last hard core wheeler we built had 42" of rear wheel travel and 28" in the front. Not possible with IFS or IRS. The plain and simple fact is that your point of rotation axis is simply too far out - all the way at the frame - vs. essentially at the center of the truck. That means your angular offset to get that type of travel is well, well beyond the potential limits of even the desert racing, custom built CV axles (and those are changed after 1-2 races.) Would anyone use a solid axle for desert racing? No, but that isn't because of the wheel travel, it's for a variety of other reasons.

The good news is we agree on one point anyway. This is a truck (specifically the Power Wagon model) that's made for a small market of those interested in serious 4x4-ing. What confuses me in your post though is that you immediately followed that with a post saying it's for women going to get groceries and most of these trucks will never see an unpaved road... Huh?

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

You forgot the truly cool ability to disconnect the sway bar end links with the push of a button in the cab.

Here's an 05 'wagon on an RTI ramp.

TC, check your theory on IFS by trying this with your Chevy.

[min301]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

Yeah, but it's still a late model Dodge truck...ugh.

[TC]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

With all due respect Tubbed, you are honestly wrong on several levels.

That can be debatable. ;)

First, if you want a flatbed, order a Ford or Dodge (or I'm not sure, possibly Chevy) with the "bed delete" option and you can still have your flatbed. But it's 2 or 3 percent of truck owners from what I've seen that use a flatbed, not 2 to 3 percent (though still low) that actually take them off road.

I had a flatbed, 2001 GMC extended cab. And I didn't by a 3500 with a bed delete, I bought a cab and chassis made to a have a flatbed put on it. Mainly the frame is longer and it also had a handle package that made that truck handle like a dream. What I'm getting at is my bed was 8 ft wide and 10 feet long, that's 80 sq/ft of cargo area or in other words like 5 dirtbikes and all our gear. You'd be lucky to get one dirtbike and your gear in the dodge and at that would you even be able to shut the tailgate with the bike in there? I know I have to pitch my rear tire of my bike to the rear to close mine. Basically the bed capacity of that truck is useless other than to get groceries.

Second, this is in the full size truck class.

As for this truck not being for those who go off road, are you serious? To be clear, the Power Wagon option is a 6 thousand dollar upgrade specifically made for those that go off road, with a full skid plate set, a 12,000 pound Warne winch, reciprocating ball steering vs. the standard rack and pinion, larger tires and wheels for clearance and dual selectable lockers. It's a specialty truck built specifically for that. Dodge has 5 other models for the rest of the population that don't go off road, and not many of them will spend 6 thousand dollars extra just to get a badge that says "Power Wagon." They'll get all the pretty chrome, leather seats, and oh yeah, electronic t-case shifter instead of the manual one this has, specifically for off-roading.

This is exactly what I'm getting at it's a high dollar version with a bunch of bells an whistles. Basically marketed towards a select group of 4x4's, but for the average guy looking for a truck this will not be the practical truck to buy. And what you'll get is guys that want this truck so they buy it for their wives and off road it on the weekends, while the rest of the week the wife puts around town doing her errands with it.

And on the comment, "...everyone knows you get more travel with independent suspension..." - I'm not sure if you are being sarcastic or serious, but I hope not serious. Go to any, and I mean any serious 4x4 shop or 4x4 online forum and ask that question. Honest challenge here. No one, and I mean no one, outside of the go-fast desert racer prefers independent suspension, both because it's more prone to breakage and because it's truly impossible to get serious travel out of them. The last hard core wheeler we built had 42" of rear wheel travel and 28" in the front. Not possible with IFS or IRS. The plain and simple fact is that your point of rotation axis is simply too far out - all the way at the frame - vs. essentially at the center of the truck. That means your angular offset to get that type of travel is well, well beyond the potential limits of even the desert racing, custom built CV axles (and those are changed after 1-2 races.) Would anyone use a solid axle for desert racing? No, but that isn't because of the wheel travel, it's for a variety of other reasons.

Think Trophy Trucks and Rock Buggies. ;)

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

Rock crawlers using independent suspension are about 1% of the population.

[TC]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

Rock crawlers using independent suspension are about 1% of the population.

Yes I know, but some of the guys do use them. Problem with independent is the center section stays pretty much at the same height and doesn't lift with the wheel like a straight axle does.

[streetracer]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

Who the hell thinks for one second anyone who would buy a truck like this is going to buy it to haul plywood and rocks...stupid.

this truck is for attention and 4 wheeling...nothing more. maybe a bike or motorcycle and some gear...

Thats like saying gosh..the new mustang and camaro sure are not great family cars.. :

this will never see production... too much of a liability.

A truck is for hauling stuff, what's the use if all it is for is looks. I regret getting rid of my flatbed for the soul reason that my full size Chevy bed isn't big enough. Now they want to produce trucks that you can't even transport the simplest of building materials in. It just seems like a bad idea to even produce this truck. I mean why not just buy a full sized 4x4 and get the added room. And on top of it straight axles??, everyone knows you get more travel with independent suspension. Basically this truck is for a small market of people that are into 4x4's and that is it.

Basically it is a wannabee truck for a wannabee 4x4er as most of these trucks will have women driving them to get the groceries and the trucks will never see an unpaved road.

This is the same logic as all the 4x4 SUVs on the roads that never see snow, mud, dirt. People buy trucks for image, and to sit up high. There's great profits on trucks, I hope more people buy them. A small bed? make two trips, or rent a truck from Home Depot for the job.

Simple enough.

[BBR]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

Hell if it was parked in my driveway, I'd drive the crap out of it every dang day.

Besides it has a bigger bed than my '98 Durango does...

[SpiderGearsMan]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

is a rock crawler very fast ?

[Brian Lohnes]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

Several feet per minute! :D

[JOES66FURY]

Re: Spy photos ------ > 2011 Dodge Power Wagon

is a rock crawler very fast ?

hell of a lot faster than something like your old nova...on its own turf lol