Edmunds tests Honda Ridgeliner in DV

[Sparky of SoCal]

Didn't you just come out of the dark and into the brightside Candice and get a Forerunner. The right tires and the 110" wheel base that thing will right like a dream with a little speed on a straight washboard road.

[Panamint Charlie]

I was probably in front of or behind Bricker during much of his "Exhaustive Research" and I can vouch for his conclusions. Too many trips across West Side road and/or out passed Homestake dry camp to count. Bricker once rode shotgun with myself when we broke the land speed record from Ballarat to Chris Wicht camp and back to Ballarat. I'll have to let him chime in, but IIRC we made it round trip in under 15 minutes. In a 4 Cylinder 87 4Runner no less. I guess it's all the perspective of the driver and the equipment.

[Sparky of SoCal]

"I guess it's all the perspective of the driver and the equipment."
There it guys, the key to it all. Give that man a cigar!

[David_Bricker]

Wow, a quote from something I said 13 years ago! And I still stick to that adage. I wrote this mainly for the folks that try to go 30-40mph on the Racetrack Road in an ill equipped vehicle, like, well, the folks in the video. If you're blowing out shocks on the Racetrack Road, you are likely running stocks shocks at speeds and time far above what they should be expected to tolerate. Any shock will handle any road; it's just how much heat from repeated and constant cycling that particular shock can dissipate. Now, can I, in my Jeep, run Racetrack Road at 60 mph or more? Sure, but that's because there is $300 worth of shock next to each wheel. Will I run Racetrack Road at 60 mph in my Jeep? Nah, no need to. I don't need to get there that fast, and I want to see the countryside. I also am not interested in meeting someone coming the other way at that speed.

So, find a speed that is comfortable for you and your rig. It might be 10 mph; it might be 30 mph. Clearly, the Edmunds folks don't prescribe to this theory.

On the topic of the video. I watched both parts, painfully. It drives me nuts when someone talks about Death Valley, then shows a picture of Trona. Same with "camping at the Racetrack", with a picture of the Pinnacles. The amount of incorrect footage for the narrative was astounding. And Edmunds has lost whatever little confidence I had in their technical ability when they were concerned that a shock dust boot hadn't been replaced.

David Bricker / SYR

[David_Bricker]

I was probably in front of or behind Bricker during much of his "Exhaustive Research" and I can vouch for his conclusions. Too many trips across West Side road and/or out passed Homestake dry camp to count. Bricker once rode shotgun with myself when we broke the land speed record from Ballarat to Chris Wicht camp and back to Ballarat. I'll have to let him chime in, but IIRC we made it round trip in under 15 minutes. In a 4 Cylinder 87 4Runner no less. I guess it's all the perspective of the driver and the equipment.

Indeed you were part of engineering team validating the results.

Yes, the Ballarat run was "interesting". Didn't we leave something at camp in Ballarat prior to the death march to Panamint City, and had to get it? And 15 minutes sounds about right.

David Bricker / SYR

[David_Bricker]

Once, trying to keep up with a group of board members after dark in ‘08 heading to PSR after running Lippincott, I broke my practice and ran at a speed where the ride, racket and control were seriously compromised. I had changed into flip flops and more comfy clothes at the junction of Lippencott/Saline, plus putting away camera equipment; thus by the time I got underway I was about three miles behind. Somewhere before starting to climb South Pass, I felt two objects hit the top of my feet. To this day I haven’t a clue as to what under the dash those two bolts fell out of, but since I’ve had a persistant harmonic buzz/rattling just under the dash by the defroster vents whenever my Taco is running over courser pavement.

I remember this trip. You were tail gunner for the bulk of that loop. Not sure why we didn't wait for you - we had radios. I know we had radios, because I ordered dinner from South Pass, because I knew we'd get back after the kitchen closed.

David Bricker / SYR

[D.A. Wright]

That’s probably because you were trying to get that rental Hummer H3 off those roads before it self destructed ...

Yeah, we had radios. All of us had CBs but you, all of us including you had FRS, so that is what we used except for occasional talk on the CBs. I was having transmission problems with my CB. I could you guys clearly at great distance, you all were having problems hearing me at a half mile and more; and my radio seemed to transmitting slightly off frequency, so whenever I was in hearing range I was more or less garbled. I heard Jim try to get hold of Chris down at PSR, but I couldn’t hear Chris’ reply. And I think I recall the contact was lost after a brief time anyway because we were getting into the country between the Hunter Mountain road and the Boxcar Cabin.

[David_Bricker]

Ahh, yes, the times before Gomer, when I had to beg for something 1/4 capable offroad from the rental companies. I sure don't miss playing "rental SUV Roulette"

David Bricker / SYR