Road car and making it equipt to handle off/rough road driving

[Hernandez]

Dv8, unfortunately there are no lift kits, locking differentials and other offroad options for Toyota Yaris. Old 2 door Chevrolet Tracker or Geo Tracker (rebadged Suzuki Sidekick) is the smallest and the most economical off-road SUV with the size similar to a compact car, but with real offroad capabilities and it can be tweaked if needed The only problem is to find one here in good condition. My wife had one here, but we sold it, too small for this country, not safe in case of accident.

 

[dv8]

i had my little car lifted a bit without compromising the performance - don't ask how, it was a gift. so it is possible to an extend.

but if i had to choose a small SUV i'd rather go for terrios. as tested by jeremy clarkson

 

[Hernandez]

i had my little car lifted a bit without compromising the performance - don't ask how

I don't need to ask how, because any lift made by Dominicans is a ghetto fix. I have seen some ..

 

[dv8]

ha ha, it was not made into a monster truck just lifted and fitted with bigger tires. taller by inches, i think. but i never had any problems with it so i guess this ghetto fix worked...

 

[Hernandez]

ha ha, it was not made into a monster truck just lifted and fitted with bigger tires. taller by inches, i think. but i never had any problems with it so i guess this ghetto fix worked...

Just for your information... Dominicans lift cars and trucks without proper lift kits, by using ghetto-made coil spacers or blocks and installing some ghetto-made extensions to shock absorbers, instead of installing longer ones, or they just leave old shock absorbers without changing them. In some driving conditions, like catching a pot hole or heavy braking or sharp turn, this may result in separating the coil from it's mounting point, losing control of a vehicle, rollover, etc. Wrong geometry of front suspension, especially on front wheel drive car, may result in damage of rack and pinion gear (power steering), just imagine this at high speed. Installing bigger tires without changing proper parts in the differential to restore a factory differential ratio usually result in higher load on transmission, sluggish transmission shifts from one gear to another, and this may result in complete transmission damage in compact cars where transmissions are weak. So, the ghetto fix works until somebody dies in an accident.

 

[dv8]

you lost all this explanation on me, i'm afraid. my car was fixed by my in laws, are you suggesting they are out to get me?

 

[Hernandez]

My advice is never drive a car or truck if its suspension was changed here in DR from its factory configuration in any way (lifting or lowering). The only exception is if some foreigners did the work the same way and with the same tools and parts as they do it in US.

 

[IslandDreaming]

The only exception is if some foreigners did the work the same way and with the same tools and parts as they do it in US.

So in other words, if it was done by a Dominican in the DR it can't be right??

 

[Hernandez]

So in other words, if it was done by a Dominican in the DR it can't be right??

Sure. Honestly, I have never seen any work done properly by a Dominican mechanic. Never. And if the ghetto-fixed radiator is f#cked up while you are driving, you just stop and call a towing truck. But if the coil spring is separated from it's bracket while you are turning, because of a ghetto-made lift kit, you may have a roll-over or any other fatal type of crash. I had a ball?joint separated from a control arm while I was driving, shortly after it was pressed in by official Chrysler service here (Reid and Co.); the front wheel changed it position on 45 degrees in a second. I was lucky that I was driving very slow at that moment. I learned the lesson and I work on my trucks myself now, I have more tools at home than an average mechanic has in his taller here in DR, including that ball joint press ) If I need some help in any work with heavy parts like suspension, I go to taller here, I tell them what to do, but I always stay with them under the truck and control the torque of every nut.

 

[B J]

Thank you all for your input, i guess the most affordable option for me will probably be the terios, its MPG is good and if i put LPG on it it will lessen my costs.. Or so i have heard

 

[cobraboy]

There is no such thing as a tough, but fuel efficient car.

They are ALL compromises, like airplanes, motorcycles or boats.

LPG will reduce the power of a gasoline engine by a good 25-30+%. It may not cost as much to run, but the performance on a car that had crappy performance to begin with...like a Terios...will get even crappier.

If you're going on dirt or off road, get a vehicle with an actual frame, not unibody construction. Eventually, the unibody will distort and become very weak from the constant torque strain.

 

[cobraboy]

You could also put some of those "twist in" spring spacers that would probably give you another inch of height.

The problem with the twist-in spacers is they completely change the suspension geometry.

That creates the possibility of loss of control when you need it the most.

 

[Omar_NYC]

The closest you will probably get to a compromise between increased ground clearance and better fuel economy would be a Subaru Forrester. I don't know if those are sold in DR. The only other car I could tell you might help is the Nissan Almera.

When I drove the Nissan Almera in DR, it would bottom out while pulling in and out of places due to the way most streets are paved to allow channeling torrential rain throughout the streets but only if I pulled out too fast. Only way to avoid bottoming out is to drive slow when pulling in and out of places.

The Almera has a 1.8L gas engine I believe. I took it to Boca Chica and back to Distrito Nacional with 500 pesos worth of gas, with some left to spare.

With gas averaging US$6 there, I would suck it up with the potholes. Or like mentioned, drive a tank locally and take a bus for long distance trips.

 

[Castle]

Guys, don't base a purchase or at least never do your math based on the MPG reported by cars in the US or Europe. Gas quality here is much, much worse and your MPG will be cut in half at least. My car is supposed to give me 28 MPG, it only gives me between 12 and 13. The car is in top shape and I only use premium gas. My truck is supposed to give me 21 MPG and only gives 10, also in top shape and also only premium gas. No matter what brand of gas, they all give me the same MPG in both cars.
Of course, I asumme the consumption ratio between two cars stays the same as in the US or Europe.

 

[Omar_NYC]

The US EPA estimates gas mileage based on lab tests, not real world driving.

People with a heavy foot and lacking the habits of checking air pressure in the tires, changing oil at regular intervals, etc etc will fare worse.

Sea altitude affects gas mileage too. I don't know where DR stands on this front, but the higher altitude, the lousier your mileage will be.

I drive a Honda Civic that's supposed to get me 28 MPG city but I usually average 22. Stop and go traffic here can suck.

 

[cobraboy]

Guys, don't base a purchase or at least never do your math based on the MPG reported by cars in the US or Europe. Gas quality here is much, much worse and your MPG will be cut in half at least. My car is supposed to give me 28 MPG, it only gives me between 12 and 13. The car is in top shape and I only use premium gas. My truck is supposed to give me 21 MPG and only gives 10, also in top shape and also only premium gas. No matter what brand of gas, they all give me the same MPG in both cars.
Of course, I asumme the consumption ratio between two cars stays the same as in the US or Europe.

It's not the gas.

It's the real-life road conditions vs. some theoretical laboratory condition.

 

[IslandDreaming]

The Almera has a 1.8L gas engine I believe. I took it to Boca Chica and back to Distrito Nacional with 500 pesos worth of gas, with some left to spare.

With gas averaging US$6 there, I would suck it up with the potholes. Or like mentioned, drive a tank locally and take a bus for long distance trips.

It cost you $15USD to drive 20 miles and back?

 

[Omar_NYC]

$12USD... but yes

I had four passengers... and I was driving a little over the limit

 

[jabejuventus]

Great thread.

 

[CARIBETORNO]

Mileage tests are done on a high tech high dollar dyno not really a laboratory but it is clean.. they do vary the tests for stop and go traffic and highway driving. It is just a baseline to start from. You should get pretty close to those figures if everything is ok. There are all kinds of reasons why you may not. Gas quality is a factor. Of course how you drive is to but If you are getting 1/2 of what the car is rated for something is wrong. most people i know get pretty close or even a little over the Hwy mileage. city is the one that variies more.

Actually most of the cars are tested by the MFG. not the EPA . They just makes the rules