Does anyone else feel that they just don't fit into Land Rover convoys because of engine and gear ratio changes?
I'm running a T-18 with granny first, Ashcroft high ratio kit, 4.7 R&P and 33.3" dia tyres. My engine gets best fuel economy in the low & mid 2000 RPM range.
On the tarmac this means best highway fuel economy around 60 MPH. Coilers with the fifth gear & 3.54 R&P like to convoy around 70-75 MPH, which I can do (Around 3000-3300 RPM) but prefer not to because fuel mileage goes down.
Stock engine Series rigs like to convoy around 55 MPH, which is fine by me, except that if the vehicles see a mountain on the horizon they start to slow down. Same with a head wind. I just have a difficult time doing 45 on the freeway when my rig isn't bothered by the mountain or the headwind.
It seems like one group is just a tad too fast and the other slows down too much for headwinds or hills. Convoying is just not as fun as it used to be.
On the trail, except for one gear, it seems like everyone is just a little too fast or a little too slow for my engine's sweet spot and my gearing. The exception is my high range first gear is very close to stock Series low range second gear. On trails that stock Series rigs take in low range Second I can happily convoy. I haven't trailed with coilers enough to know their natural off road speeds. I know they tend to take trails a little faster than I tend to.
Does anyone else feel that their gearing is taking some of the fun out of convoying with other Land Rovers?:(
Am I just being too picky?
