L300 or L400 for hard offroad

[kamil]

Hi all,

as you know we are traveling with our L400 around the world. We spent quiet few pounds to modify it. We have 2'' lift, 30x9.50x15 tyres and car is very good for bad roads and light offroad.
We are planning to do some trips where are no roads at all/remote parts of Russia, Central Asia,../ and we need proper offroader. It has to be Delica of course.
My question is, if we should build this car and use L400/short base/ or L300? Which one will cope better with long term abuse? Which one is more suitable for bigger lift? We need at least 33'' tyres.
Would you list pros and cons of each and help us to decide? Some people say, that L400 has more power, but opponents argue, that big advantage of L300 is frame and is moro suitable for lift.

Another option is to do some other mods to our L400.
What would you do?

Thank you very much for your opinion.

Kamil+Helena

[Mr. Flibble]

It seems like a tradeoff. The L300 is easier to modify for offroad from what I understand, but the L400 has a much more powerful engine.

The Russians seem to do well with the L300:



Having said that, I am modifying my LWB L400 to be an offroad traveller for North America. My project will take a few years but I want to be able to tour the back roads of Canada and the US.

So, in short, you can modify both, and the Russians get by with both the L300 and the L400 just fine, and use both in the wilds of their country.

[Feds]

Regardless of which is ultimately better, you're way ahead to start with the one you already have, especially if it's already kitted out to your taste.

With the same level of parts, and L300 might get into some tighter spaces, but it will also be less stable in doing it. An l400 will be better everywhere else.

If I were building a do-it-all L400, I'd lift it enough to clear the 33's, find a pajero with the taller gears and air locker, and put an ARB locker in the front. Add a winch, and call it good.

[yojimbo]

Landy, or Pajero

[kamil]

It seems like a tradeoff. The L300 is easier to modify for offroad from what I understand, but the L400 has a much more powerful engine.

The Russians seem to do well with the L300:



Having said that, I am modifying my LWB L400 to be an offroad traveller for North America. My project will take a few years but I want to be able to tour the back roads of Canada and the US.

So, in short, you can modify both, and the Russians get by with both the L300 and the L400 just fine, and use both in the wilds of their country.

We will take our L400 when we do Alaska to Patagonia trip as well. I hope we can do back road in Canada without problems with it.
Next car should be for no road areas in Russia and Central Asia.

[mararmeisto]

Should have got yourself a Pajero: more capable than either the Star Wagon or the Space Gear.

The long wheelbase of the L400 is it's greatest detractor. Of the two Delica's, an L300 is much more capable IMHO.

[Mr. Flibble]

A true 4X4 like the Pajero is a better offroad vehicle hands down. The reason I got my LWB specifically is that I can modify it for being a very good - but not excellent - 4X4. As a very good 4X4 though, the LWB L400 makes an excellent camper van which is very important for my needs.

So it comes down to what you want to use it for. My wife's Jeep Sahara is a much better platform for building a capable 4X4 on, but she won't even think of letting it get dirty. Since the L400 is mine, I can mod it up in to a 4X4 Vanwagon.

In the end, it comes down to what priorities you have, and whether you want to go offroad just for the sake of it, or go offroad occasionally on long road trips to get somewhere and have somewhere to sleep.

[bionic]

L300 as its manueverability is better than an L400. The L300/L400 are both equally laterally unstable IMO in stock form. Stockwise, the L300 does have weaker axles/ worse approach which has caused me problems in the past, however its wheelbase allowed me to turn around on a single access log road to get back out. The stock "auto-loc" hubs on both suck...brakes are better on the L400. That auto-select trans on the L400 sure sounds good though... Visability out front with the L300 is superior (especially without a spotter)

[FalcoColumbarius]

Looks pretty stable to me.



I've had the MLB at 40 lateral degrees on a Whipsaw side track and I've got an inch and an half lift.
One good thing about the Starwagon is that she has a mid engine configuration, which places the engine, tranny & transfer case between the axles. The propeller shaft is like 14" long. I think the Starwagon is better balanced for off-road and as Bionic has pointed out, with an 88" wheel base ~ real manoeuvrability.

Falco.

[atarijedi]

With a set of portal axles for lift, as well as a wider wheelbase/stance, the L300 could become even more of a monster.

[bionic]

With a set of portal axles for lift, as well as a wider wheelbase/stance, the L300 could become even more of a monster.

..add that to most anything and it would be a monster. Shouldn't the thread be, which model is better stock..