Quote:
Originally posted by gekko
Problem is when you give the Jeep 16" on ground clearance, it becomes too top heavy and tips easily. Sorry, but if I'm rock climbing, I wouldn't want my car to tip. Also, the driveline is still low, and will easily hit. Unless you found some way to move it up, but the one you pictured doesn't. Sure you can raise up the car 8", but really, your clearance is only to a little less than the center of the wheels. Let's not forget the body of the Hummer can take much more abuse than the body of a Jeep.
Heritage may be the same, but things have changed. The Hummer remains a vehicle meant for off-road driving, and taking a lot of abuse. The Jeep is a vehicle for the road, and it's meant to be lightweight, not durable. Hell, watch the 5mph crash tests some times, the Jeep hits a pole at 5mph and you got hundreds worth of damage, the Hummer gets hit full speed by an oncoming sports car, and it's license plate gets bent. Sure it may cost more, but your Jeep isn't going to be more capable than the Hummer, ever.
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Hate to tell you this, but a Hummer has 11 inches of ground clearance, not 16. And you can't lift it. A Jeep Wrangler is 8 inches, stock. You can lift that, swap axles, shave things for more clearence, make the wheelwells bigger to clear bigger tires, swap drivetrain components, whatever you need. There is no place a Hummer can go that a Jeep is some form can't also go for a lot less.
Sure it is more durable in a crash test. It's a military vehicle. A freaking tank on wheels for goodness sake. That doesn't mean that it can go everywhere a Jeep can. All that durability adds up to weight. In the world of rock crawling, weight and size matter. The Hummer is too heavy and too big. And that 6.5L diesel leaves the Hummer pitifully underpowered. The suspension is designed for a 3,750 pound payload. That means it doesn't flex well at all unless loaded. It's cramped inside, nothing is in good reach of any passenger, and the fit and finish is decent. Fairly worth my 100 grand.
Believe my gekko, I used to think the same thing about the Hummer. And I still believe it is an amazing vehicle and can do some cool stuff. It's great for what the Army uses it for, but in civilian form, it's just a status symbol.