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Rover800.Info • Another car on the drive - Page 2
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Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 8:44 pm
by CHR15E
Interesting, I may take another look at a front one then.

Aside fuel consumption, the ride is the one thing that really let's it down day to day.

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Sat Aug 17, 2019 9:02 pm
by scoobyh123
CHR15E wrote:
Sat Aug 17, 2019 8:44 pm
Interesting, I may take another look at a front one then.

Aside fuel consumption, the ride is the one thing that really let's it down day to day.
I know when i had mine, the rear leaf springs were a weak point and the "desirable" fix was to use the HD versions from the TD Cherokee. Can't remember if the Grand Cherokee uses leaf springs or coils though.

If you can sort the ride then perhaps consider an LPG conversion it might solve your problem. :wink: :D

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 9:52 pm
by CHR15E
It's too jiggly, not sure springs can help that?

It's coils all round, it's just old school tech and will never be like anything modern.

I think driving our Astra has distorted my view of it as well. Spoilt by having a new car makes a 17 year old car feel very old. Even worse with the Jeep being old in its design even when new.

LPG isn't worth the outlay unless I knew I was definitely keeping it and our circumstances won't change again.

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:23 pm
by scoobyh123
Better anti roll bars should help and better shocks too.

As for the LPG, you could fit a secondhand system yourself for a fraction of the cost of having anew system fitted.

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:58 pm
by CHR15E
The rear ARB I've fitted has definitely helped but not enough. I've been told the front ARB is hollow so that can't be helping?

I don't have the inclination to do it myself.

I'd want an underslung tank ideally, assuming that's doable on a WJ. My mate had an XJ like that with a smaller petrol tank.

We're considering another Astra, so if that happens it won't be an issue again. I'd rather the Jeep go back to be being a toy. I find it's faults easier to live with then.

Plus tbh, I quite like the look on people's faces when they realise just how bad it is on fuel. Maybe it's the child in me?

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:11 am
by scoobyh123
Strangely hollow tubes are often more resistant to twisting than solid rods Chris, most propshafts are hollow for that reason. Not seen him on here for a long time but i think Tim (WhiteLion) would be able to explain the whys and wherefores of it.
I think it's something to do with the surface area and making the inside hollow gives the inside a surface area so in effect nearly doubles the effective size by making it hollow. Obviously there will be a trade-off point where making it hollow is no better or worse than a solid one because if you take too much out, the overall thickness is reduced.

I believe you can have an underslung tank in place of the OE petrol tank and a smaller "starter/emergency" petrol tank for starting and emergency use if you run out of gas. They usually sit side-by-side in place of the original petrol tank.

https://tinleytech.co.uk/shop/petrol-ta ... jzg-c3444/

Can't remember which GC yours is Chris, ZJ/ZG or what but that is the idea.

I know what you mean about shocking people with fuel economy, think yours is somewhere around 14mpg if memory serves? I get similar reactions when i tell people i've managed 38mpg out of my Volvo but for different reasons of course! :P :lol: :wink: :D

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:09 am
by CHR15E
I've just been in contact with the dealer in the US that I had the rear ARB from. He's suggesting I upgrade the shocks before the ARB.

I'm with you, there's published figures that say there's not much in it for the standard front bars. One hollow, one solid. The uprated one does make a difference but very few people have them it seems.

Mine's a WJ (99-04), ZJ is the previous shape.

It's doing 13 average, it doesn't seem to improve much/if any on a run either.

I can live with the economy as it's not doing big mileage. Sorting the ride is the big issue for me unless another car is bought.

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:29 am
by scoobyh123
scoobyh123 wrote:
Sun Aug 18, 2019 10:23 pm
Better anti roll bars should help and better shocks too.
CHR15E wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:09 am
I've just been in contact with the dealer in the US that I had the rear ARB from. He's suggesting I upgrade the shocks before the ARB.
Pretty much exactly what i suggested then. I know on my Volvo the new springs and shocks transformed the ride and handling, adding the rear ARB (it didn't have one to start with) not only reduced body-roll and improved handling, it improved the ride quality, defeating the last bit of twitchiness which was a very nice side effect.

Your Jeep is about half the age of my Volvo so the springs/shocks will only (in theory) be half as tired but a tired shock makes a hell of a difference to the ride and handling, even only half tired and not as bad as what was on my Volvo.

Thinking back to when i had mine (which was a lot earlier than yours and just a Cherokee) i remember reading on the Jeep forum that tired bushes in the front suspension would also cause twitchiness. For the most part, they had recently (before my ownership) been replaced, the twitchiness on mine came from the dead rear springs that i never got round to changing, despite having a pair from a TD version. Might be worth checking to see if later TD versions had coil springs and if so, if they were uprated?

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:19 pm
by Richard Moss
CHR15E wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:09 am

It's doing 13 average, it doesn't seem to improve much/if any on a run either.
My 6.2L V8 Ford F150 Raptor (400+bhp) does at least that much :)

I'll get round to a thread on it some time.....

Image

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 8:58 pm
by scoobyh123
Richard Moss wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:19 pm
CHR15E wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:09 am

It's doing 13 average, it doesn't seem to improve much/if any on a run either.
My 6.2L V8 Ford F150 Raptor (400+bhp) does at least that much :)

I'll get round to a thread on it some time.....

Image
No wonder the exhaust fumes smell like an oil refinery then! :P

Got a few of them floating round here plus of course the usual Dodge RAMs, Challengers, Chargers, 'stangs, Durangos, Corvettes, Luminas and so on.

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:36 am
by CHR15E
Richard Moss wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 7:19 pm
CHR15E wrote:
Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:09 am

It's doing 13 average, it doesn't seem to improve much/if any on a run either.
My 6.2L V8 Ford F150 Raptor (400+bhp) does at least that much :)

I'll get round to a thread on it some time.....

Image
Seems I need to move?

How is it the yanks and whoever else want to can sell a car like that, and the UK is trying to make us move to electric or ever smaller engines?

What has it replaced Rich? Not sure what you have these days?

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Thu Aug 22, 2019 6:21 pm
by Richard Moss
it hasn't replaced anything yet - but my 4L Jeep and the Saab are scheduled to depart, if I find buyers

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Fri Aug 23, 2019 1:46 am
by CHR15E
Fair enough.

I'm still looking at convertibles, going to look at an old Astra on Saturday all being well.

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 3:02 pm
by Richard Moss
CHR15E wrote:
Fri Aug 23, 2019 1:46 am
I'm still looking at convertibles, going to look at an old Astra on Saturday all being well.
Probably a safer bet than the Saab, although probably fewer specialists to help with parts and used spares.

Anything involving the aircon and turbo on the 9-3 is a bastard to work on

Re: Another car on the drive

Posted: Sat Aug 24, 2019 7:37 pm
by scoobyh123
I can see the attraction of a convertible Chris especially in this weather but not so much in the winter.

Richard raises a good point too, what about spares back-up?

Something like an MX-5 has seriously good spares back-up and several good forums/owners clubs, go well, handle well, plenty of tuning options (including a bolt-on turbo kit and a 2.5 V6 conversion) and plenty of other options to make it "yours".
I know your OH has the Astra and to a point, an Astra convertible would make sense from the point of view of only one lot of spares to find but sometimes it's better to have a different car with different spares.

Later Astra Covertibles were called Cascada, a friend of mine has a 17 plate one i think it is. Why they changed the name i'll never know but might help you in your search! :wink: :D