James May ROASTS 2D Stropp Bronco

[mdainsd]

Dont know about others, but mine gets lots of off-road use. The age cracks come from people who just don't know or just dont get it. You enjoy yours, and I'll enjoy mine.

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[bassist]

In regards to your comments about driving a Bronco on a public road 100 mph as being moronic and dangerous, I definitely have to disagree. Last time I was driving through Nevada where the legal speed on the highway was 80 mph. I cruised very safely and comfortably at 100 mph for over an hour plus. The Bronco was very stable and safe. I would happily do it again, with no fear.
Perhaps you should experience it yourself before making unsubstantiated statements.

No thanks.

I’ve driven legally at 150mph plus in a vehicle that was well suited for it, and have plenty of seat time driving vehicles at top speed over extended differences.

The Bronco is a turd when it comes to handling and braking at high speeds. Just because it’s better than a Bronco II or a 90s Ford Explorer doesn’t mean it is intended for driving at triple digit speeds.

If you want to drive that speed on the road, at least get a car that has decent handling - but since you can’t tell how bad the handling is, perhaps you should simply drive the speed limit.

 

[not on the rug]

Another thread that brings out the "iT dRivEz LiKe uh SpORtzCaR" crowd. Gotta love it.

 

[the poacher]

No thanks.

I’ve driven legally at 150mph plus in a vehicle that was well suited for it, and have plenty of seat time driving vehicles at top speed over extended differences.

The Bronco is a turd when it comes to handling and braking at high speeds. Just because it’s better than a Bronco II or a 90s Ford Explorer doesn’t mean it is intended for driving at triple digit speeds.

If you want to drive that speed on the road, at least get a car that has decent handling - but since you can’t tell how bad the handling is, perhaps you should simply drive the speed limit.

Ha, it is always nice to get a laugh during the day, thank you for that. You make some interesting assumptions, and I am sure you know what assumptions make you. Your largest assumption being that I have no idea as to what a good handling vehicle should drive like.
Just so you know, I have driven Ferrari's, Lambo's, heavily modified Vette's and numerous race bikes, both on track and off. I am very familiar with speed and am able to easily ascertain as to what is dangerous and what is not.
The Bronco is not dangerous to drive at 100 mph. It is stable and steady and on a open road like the one I was on it was perfectly capable.
Perhaps you should try it before making any more assumptions.

 

[Felix808]

When they are NOT in the shop for repairs...... I can agree!

Hey, 9 out of 10 Land Rovers are still on the road......
The other one made it home

My wife loved hers, I hated it & wanted to push it off a cliff. Buggy as can be. Thank goodness for cash for clunkers at the time. Had a buddy that was a BMW mech that called them Sunday cars back when they owned them. Drive them on Sunday because they were in the shop the rest of the week.

 

[bassist]

Ha, it is always nice to get a laugh during the day, thank you for that. You make some interesting assumptions, and I am sure you know what assumptions make you. Your largest assumption being that I have no idea as to what a good handling vehicle should drive like.
Just so you know, I have driven Ferrari's, Lambo's, heavily modified Vette's and numerous race bikes, both on track and off. I am very familiar with speed and am able to easily ascertain as to what is dangerous and what is not.
The Bronco is not dangerous to drive at 100 mph. It is stable and steady and on a open road like the one I was on it was perfectly capable.
Perhaps you should try it before making any more assumptions.

LOL - the data proves you wrong.

Bronco Raptor 100-0 braking is 469 feet. 70-0 braking is 221 feet.

Regular Bronco braking is a bit shorter for 70-0 with 196 feet. That gives us an estimated 416 feet to go from 100-0.

Put another way, in the Braptor, it takes you 248 feet to go from 100mph to 70mph.

Estimated 100mph to 70mph in the Bronco then would be 220 or so.

In other words, at 100mph it takes you more distance to get down to 70mph than from 70mph to a dead stop.

Meanwhile, the Mustang GT or BMW 3-series stops from 100mph in around 310 feet.

That means depending on the Bronco type, you are looking at 100-150 more feet to stop from 100mph

This means that Mustang or 3-series can drive for as much as a full second longer at 100mph and still stop earlier.

Shall we discuss skidpad numbers as a proxy for the ability to handle lateral Gs?

 

[23OBX2.7]

LOL - the data proves you wrong.

Bronco Raptor 100-0 braking is 469 feet. 70-0 braking is 221 feet.

Regular Bronco braking is a bit shorter for 70-0 with 196 feet. That gives us an estimated 416 feet to go from 100-0.

Put another way, in the Braptor, it takes you 248 feet to go from 100mph to 70mph.

Estimated 100mph to 70mph in the Bronco then would be 220 or so.

In other words, at 100mph it takes you more distance to get down to 70mph than from 70mph to a dead stop.

Meanwhile, the Mustang GT or BMW 3-series stops from 100mph in around 310 feet.

That means depending on the Bronco type, you are looking at 100-150 more feet to stop from 100mph

This means that Mustang or 3-series can drive for as much as a full second longer at 100mph and still stop earlier.

Shall we discuss skidpad numbers as a proxy for the ability to handle lateral Gs?

Haha useful compare with Gwagon, Defender etc....I personally don't even a radar detector anymore after Mustang where I regularly and afforelesslyn hit 140+/-....Bronco sucks gas at over 55 haha.

 

[userdude]

He seems to compare it to a soft riding luxury car, like the old Lincoln Town Car? It's basically a truck and drives like one. Sometimes people don't like that kind've ride, he seems to be one. For the people who don't mind or like that, who cares??

And he does quickly reference being at an off road park earlier, towards the end (Hidden Falls it would have to be). Maybe that's where he picked it up? Another show?

Meh. The dudes in a Bronco with his daughters filming the "show", they go to a Buc-ee's for the car wash, yada yada. They eat (British?) candy for a non-negligible part of the runtime. Snore.

 

[bassist]

Haha useful compare with Gwagon, Defender etc....I personally don't even a radar detector anymore after Mustang where I regularly and afforelesslyn hit 140+/-....Bronco sucks gas at over 55 haha.

Out of the SUVs I’ve owned, the Bronco’s handling is better than my mid 70s CJ, but materially worse than Acura, Volvo, Alfa Romeo, and 4Runner.

Is it better than the XJ was? Well, it doesn’t have axle hop under moderate acceleration because it doesn’t have leaf springs in the rear like the XJ did, but the steering feel isn’t as good.

With colder temps, my tire pressure has dipped to 37, and it feels like someone replaced my tires with squishmallows shaped like tires.

 

[EvilJim1971]

With colder temps, my tire pressure has dipped to 37, and it feels like someone replaced my tires with squishmallows shaped like tires.

I run mine around 35 , per the sidewall, and have no issues.
Down to around 15 at times off road.
For being released in the mid 80s, the XJ still doesn't hold up bad at all for a capable off-road SUV.
2 inches of lift, 31s, and lockers and they are an amazing all around vehicle.
Down on power and lacking modern amenities, but still just great.

 

[heavyD]

I’m a guy that’s driven sports cars all my life. Never owned a pickup truck and my only SUV prior to the Bronco was a BMW X3M Competition. Maybe people that have driven these types of vehicles all their life are more comfortable with the handling characteristics. I feel comfortable driving the Bronco at high speeds in a straight line but not if the road is overly curvy as there’s just way too much body roll for quick transitions and the massive brake dive is not confidence inspiring in the event you have to scrub speed at an instant. It’s why I feel that the 2.3L is all the Bronco really needs.

 

[the poacher]

LOL - the data proves you wrong.

Bronco Raptor 100-0 braking is 469 feet. 70-0 braking is 221 feet.

Regular Bronco braking is a bit shorter for 70-0 with 196 feet. That gives us an estimated 416 feet to go from 100-0.

Put another way, in the Braptor, it takes you 248 feet to go from 100mph to 70mph.

Estimated 100mph to 70mph in the Bronco then would be 220 or so.

In other words, at 100mph it takes you more distance to get down to 70mph than from 70mph to a dead stop.

Meanwhile, the Mustang GT or BMW 3-series stops from 100mph in around 310 feet.

That means depending on the Bronco type, you are looking at 100-150 more feet to stop from 100mph

This means that Mustang or 3-series can drive for as much as a full second longer at 100mph and still stop earlier.

Shall we discuss skidpad numbers as a proxy for the ability to handle lateral Gs?

Talk to me when you have cruised in your Bronco at 100 mph, until then, you have no personal insight into how it does.

 

[bassist]

I run mine around 35 , per the sidewall, and have no issues.
Down to around 15 at times off road.
For being released in the mid 80s, the XJ still doesn't hold up bad at all for a capable off-road SUV.
2 inches of lift, 31s, and lockers and they are an amazing all around vehicle.
Down on power and lacking modern amenities, but still just great.

I can’t even imagine how numb the front end would feel on the roads around me at 35psi.

I saw a video once that argued that the XJ is a hot hatch…with the 4.0L high output version, they weren’t wrong.

I had a mild lift on mine and 30.5” super swampers. It performed very well off-road.

 

[bassist]

Talk to me when you have cruised in your Bronco at 100 mph, until then, you have no personal insight into how it does.

Because I want to do something idiotic to prove myself to a moron?

No thanks.

By your logic, you don’t know if you’re going to enjoy being the little spoon when you get arrested for reckless driving until it happens.

You hit that speed in my state, and the DA will be seeking 6 months in the slammer for you.

 

[EvilJim1971]

I can’t even imagine how numb the front end would feel on the roads around me at 35psi.

I saw a video once that argued that the XJ is a hot hatch…with the 4.0L high output version, they weren’t wrong.

I had a mild lift on mine and 30.5” super swampers. It performed very well off-road.

I have driven trucks and old cars off and on most of my life, also grew up driving fast on dirt roads.
I'm very used to driving sub optional vehicles aggressively.
I have also driven quite a few very good handling cars, and actually liked them less due to their higher limitations.
For a track vehicle, sure... Give me the scalpel.
For daily driving, give me a vehicle with lower limits.
If you really learn it, you can make good haste on challenging and twisty roads even at 35 psi.

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