Pajero Owners Club of South Africa

I attended a local 4x4 day on Tuesday with about 7 other vehicles including a 3.0D Fortuner, 3.0D Hi-Lux, 2.5TD Ranger, 2.4D & 2.8TD Toyota, Mahindra, 1 x 2.8TD Pajero.

The ease with which my 3.2DiD Gen 3 went up the hills and obstacles compared to the other 4x4's, as remarked by the other drivers, were noticable. I used lot less momentum and speed to climb up steep hills with less wheel spin. I do not consider myself an experienced 4x4 driver, less than those who arranged the day in any case. The Toyotas also had aftermarket suspensions and mine is standard.

I know the Fortuner is a permanent 4x4, the Gen 3 has Super Select and the Hi-Lux is also a non-permanent. The okes tried to figure out how I could climb up the hills with so little effort and started talking about limited slip diffs etc. AFAIK the Gen 3 has a locker, not a limited slip diff - or am I confused, or just plain deurmekaar? What could/did give me the advanatage over the others, if there is any to be had?

I run on BFG AT, as did the Hi-Lux and Fortuner.

If you have the difflock button you have a LSD and diff lock at the rear (did you engage diff lock?)

Otherwise you will just have traction control (I think you may have a button to turn it off) which is rather good off road on the pajero.

4ePikanini wrote:If you have the difflock button you have a LSD and diff lock at the rear (did you engage diff lock?)

Otherwise you will just have traction control (I think you may have a button to turn it off) which is rather good off road on the pajero.

I have the button for the rear difflock - I dont have traction control as it is a GLX. Yes, I did engage the difflock when going over the obstacles.

Is it an auto?

The auto in low range with diff lock and BFG A/T is pretty good. I think it's the IRS in certain situations that give greater traction.

Yes, it's an auto. Come to think of it - I might have been the only auto there that day.

macjohnw wrote:I attended a local 4x4 day on Tuesday with about 7 other vehicles including a 3.0D Fortuner, 3.0D Hi-Lux, 2.5TD Ranger, 2.4D & 2.8TD Toyota, Mahindra, 1 x 2.8TD Pajero.

The Paj would possibly have a little better traction on loose terrain than the unladen bakkies (due to better mass distribution), but I can't really see why it would have an advantage over the Fortuner or older Pajero.

macjohnw wrote:The ease with which my 3.2DiD Gen 3 went up the hills and obstacles compared to the other 4x4's, as remarked by the other drivers, were noticable. I used lot less momentum and speed to climb up steep hills with less wheel spin. I do not consider myself an experienced 4x4 driver, less than those who arranged the day in any case.

You might just be selling your skill and savvy short. After all, you had the sense to buy a Paj and a Gen 3 at that. . Seriously, though, the skill differences between drivers tend to be much greater than the mobility differences between vehicles IMHO.

macjohnw wrote:The Toyotas also had aftermarket suspensions and mine is standard.

Aftermarket suspension does not always enhance the vehicle's ability to conform to undulating terrain, in fact it might actually reduce flex.

macjohnw wrote:AFAIK the Gen 3 has a locker, not a limited slip diff - or am I confused, or just plain deurmekaar?

Your Gen 3 GLX has the following:
* Super Select 2, so that you can run in 4H on tar if you wish.
* Lockable planetary viscous limited slip center diff (when center diff is not locked) that distributes torque in the ratio of 67% to the rear axle and 33% to the front axle if both axles have equal grip.
* Lockable Torsen limited slip rear diff

macjohnw wrote:I run on BFG AT, as did the Hi-Lux and Fortuner.

What about tyre pressures? That is another possible key ingredient.

• Pajero
• Auto
• Traction Control
• Locked / LS rear diff
• BFG A/Ts

No surprise it was the pick of the bunch!

4ePikanini wrote:I think it's the IRS in certain situations that give greater traction.

Please ellaborate, Marius.

4ePajero wrote:

• Pajero
• Auto
• Traction Control
• Locked rear diff
• BFG A/Ts

No traction control on SA spec Gen 3 GLX, though, Gerhard. It is mechanically identical to the older (pre 2004) GLS like Marius' and mine.

Gerrit Loubser wrote:

4ePajero wrote:

• Pajero
• Auto
• Traction Control
• Locked rear diff
• BFG A/Ts

No traction control on SA spec Gen 3 GLX, though, Gerhard. It is mechanically identical to the older (pre 2004) GLS like Marius' and mine.

OK, just shows how much I know!


It makes it even more impressive, though!

I have though seen on numerous occasions that the Pajeros (all generations) seems to have an unexplained, hidden edge due to a combination of small things.
My Gen1 runs straight on wet Transkei turf, where others 'slip-n-slide' all over the place.
At the Mitsu training weekend, I went where all the (locked / TC) vehicles went, except for a serious axle twister, which brought me back to earth!