IRS(not I.R.S.) in VX

[VX1032]

Sounds like your issue with the VX ride can partailly be attributed to the short wheelbase of the vehicle, not the suspension. Remember, this thing is really short and you are hitting bumps very close together. A different shock package could help with that. How many miles were on the VX you test drove and were they still the original shocks?

[TheGanzman]

Sounds like your issue with the VX ride can partailly be attributed to the short wheelbase of the vehicle, not the suspension. Remember, this thing is really short and you are hitting bumps very close together. A different shock package could help with that. How many miles were on the VX you test drove and were they still the original shocks?

I drove a 16,500 mile pampered '99. Stock shocks and highway (non-aggressive tread pattern) tires. And yes, much of the "issue" with the ride on these IS the short wheelbase. It's also "oversprung/overshocked" for a (primarily freeway-driven) SUV. Ya' can't fix the wheelbase - ya' CAN set up the suspension to be more compliant for highway driving, which I would/will do. I've had really good luck w/variable rate springs on previous vehicles that I've owned; those, combined with some high-end "P" road tires and some good quality shocks will go a long way, IMHO. We're talking well under $2K total for virtually "the best of the best" of those three items...

[Scott Harness]

I'll take your stock shocks,when you throw them away.

[nfpgasmask]

It's also "oversprung/overshocked" for a (primarily freeway-driven) SUV.

I think the above statement clearly points out the "friction" here in this thread. There are a group of people on here who have street VXes, and then there are the offroad VXes.

You all know what category I fall into, and I agree with The Paint Ball Kid. You want a street machine, drive a Subi or a Porsche, you want a compact, short wheel based, 4x4 that loves to be off the pavement but does just fine on the highway, drive a VX.

Again, just my 2 cents worth of opinion.

Bart

[kodiak]

I think the above statement clearly points out the "friction" here in this thread. There are a group of people on here who have street VXes, and then there are the offroad VXes.

There’s a 3rd category that likes it just the way it is like me. But I do like to mess with the visuals and I do lean torrid the off road side a little.

[nfpgasmask]

There’s a 3rd category that likes it just the way it is like me. But I do like to mess with the visuals and I do lean torrid the off road side a little.

First off, there absolutely nothing wrong with a stock VX. But for me, I think from day one, I never saw the VehiCROSS as a "street machine". It's just like a Xterra or a 4Runner, I just don't understand these kind of vehicles as grocery getters....I mean, it's not a station wagon or minivan.

Again, not trying to argue or start anything, just discussing.

Bart

[4X4 UFO]

I owned a Jeep CJ-5 for a long time. I used it to haul firewood, and it was fun as a daily driver. I've always liked two seaters, and I owned a highly modified Fiero for a long time also. Obviously, I like the feel of a stiffly sprung, short wheelbase ride. The problem with any "sports car" is that I always want to drive it "enthusiastically". In order to enjoy the Fiero, I was collecting speeding tickets. Even at my advanced age, that eventually costs too much in insurance payments. However, I still want a vehicle that handles well at a pretty good clip on the road. I'm not off road a lot, but we get some snow and ice here. The VX is great because it will go anywhere, and it is an absolute blast to drive, even at speeds below 80 or 90. I would never soften up the suspension, because one thing I dislike most in a vehicle is the feeling that you're sitting on someone's couch while you're driving it! I like the VX because it does a lot of things very well. Just my two cents!

Randy

[Bieredalsace]

I owned a Jeep CJ-5 for a long time. I used it to haul firewood, and it was fun as a daily driver. I've always liked two seaters, and I owned a highly modified Fiero for a long time also. Obviously, I like the feel of a stiffly sprung, short wheelbase ride. The problem with any "sports car" is that I always want to drive it "enthusiastically". In order to enjoy the Fiero, I was collecting speeding tickets. Even at my advanced age, that eventually costs too much in insurance payments. However, I still want a vehicle that handles well at a pretty good clip on the road. I'm not off road a lot, but we get some snow and ice here. The VX is great because it will go anywhere, and it is an absolute blast to drive, even at speeds below 80 or 90. I would never soften up the suspension, because one thing I dislike most in a vehicle is the feeling that you're sitting on someone's couch while you're driving it! I like the VX because it does a lot of things very well. Just my two cents!

Randy

You got speeding tickets in a Fiero? What? Were you going through a school zone or Hospital zone? Hahaha JK JK JK

[kodiak]

And there’s the jeep intimidator category that ldub’s in all by him self.

[Ldub]

And there’s the jeep intimidator category that ldub’s in all by him self.

Where do you guys come up with this stuff?...

I have no control over what Suzy goes out & does on her own when the moon is full...

Sheesh...I haven't even got my locker in yet...

[Bieredalsace]

First off, there absolutely nothing wrong with a stock VX. But for me, I think from day one, I never saw the VehiCROSS as a "street machine". It's just like a Xterra or a 4Runner, I just don't understand these kind of vehicles as grocery getters....I mean, it's not a station wagon or minivan.

Again, not trying to argue or start anything, just discussing.

Bart

From day one look at how the VX was advertised by Isuzu.
Racing on Bonnevile Salt Flats Obviously a spoof but a reference to th VXs ability at speed and all the other ads showed it as a normal car type vehicle for everyday highway drivng. I did't see one commercial by Isuzu using the VX for rock crawling or hard off roading.
So from day one your opinion of what the VX was for was in contradiction to what Isuzu thought the VX was for.
You and others just found an extra novel use for the vehicle.
I'm on the side of those who feel the VX is a unique everyday highway driver, grocery getter and attention grabber! IMHO

[nfpgasmask]

From day one look at how the VX was advertised by Isuzu.
Racing on Bonnevile Salt Flats Obviously a spoof but a reference to th VXs ability at speed and all the other ads showed it as a normal car type vehicle for everyday highway drivng. I did't see one commercial by Isuzu using the VX for rock crawling or hard off roading.
So from day one your opinion of what the VX was for was in contradiction to what Isuzu thought the VX was for.
You and others just found an extra novel use for the vehicle.
I'm on the side of those who feel the VX is a unique everyday highway driver, grocery getter and attention grabber! IMHO

Fair enough, and that is a good point indeed. However, I think we are both right and wrong; as stated in the Wikipedia article on the VX:

"The VehiCROSS was highly regarded for its cross-terrain performance. It combines a computer-controlled all-wheel-drive system for on-road driving and a locked-differential low gear four-wheel-drive system for off-road driving. Its computer controlled "Torque on Demand" system, with 12 independent sensors detecting wheel spin and redirecting power to the wheels with the most traction, gives the VehiCROSS a high level of traction on wet and icy roads. It also has a high level of performance for its height. While possessing on-road nimbleness, its body-on-frame truck construction, suspension and 4WD gearing made it very capable off-road."

I don't know the ACTUAL Isuzu thought process behind the VX, but I do believe initially it was designed to be a rally vehicle, at least structurally, while it was a HALO vehicle commercially. By the inherent nature of rally-cross, the VX needed to be good for both speed and hard off-roading. As I said before, I agree completely that the VX was never meant to be a hard-core rock crawler, but personally I cannot deny the VX's birthright to be off the pavement. IMO, It's hardly a "novelty".

Bart