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Re: Whats the diff Horse power and torque?
I have to disagree with Brads take on HP and its use on a well rounded 4x4.
With the low gears available ofr the T cases theese days, it just isnt neccesarry to have monsterously torquey engines.
The other main contributing factor is the advancement of the FI engines. Thinking that an inline 6 can make more torque than similar sized V8 is about 15 years behind the current technology and abilities of modern FI V* and inline 6 engines. Both inlines and V's can be made to deliver well rounded power curves, with lower peak power bands that were ever posssible without compromise in the past.
If your rig is only gonna be used for crawling trails, or rocks, then high torque is gonna be fine,(provided it can run steep angles, with steady power), but the 1st time you watch your freinds with more HP, spin their tires and point their rigs towards the top of a sand dune, youll be left saddly behind chugging along at the bottom of the hill.
I agree with Brad that Im am not very happy with point the rig uphill and mash the pedal, type of driving that has become competition rock crawling, but its a plain fact that HP overcomes many diffencies, through wheel spin. But since this post is not about the direction of Competition rock crawling, and since any individual ire for such direction has no impact on the fact that higher HP in a rig, does give it more versatility, I too will digress.
I watched Jaffer climb Bump Dump, with his built inline 6 in his CJ. Ill tell you what. all the torque in the world was not gonna allow him up that obstacle, but when he went to the peddal, he was able to do a wheel spin launch, up and successfully over the top,...of course he snapped a U joint doing it, but as Brad said, HP will break parts, (but so will torque, ask anyone who has snapped an axle slowly pulling a heavier rig out of a tight spot).
In short there is nothing that gearing and HP cant do that torque can do,...but all the torque in the world can not overcome the inabilities of an underpowered rig, in many conditions.
There is a reason for the Sam Patton type build ups,...they are well rounded capable set ups, with few limitations.
Jeff
89 YJ
(sensibly altered for occasional off road use)
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