Tow mileage

[Rob LaMoy]

I was surprised by my new (new to me) Bravada. I am averaging 15 mpg towing and in the city. I guestimate that I should get close to 20 mpg on the highway. This is a pretty significant increase over my Dakota. I only got 12 in the city with that and 16 on the highway. Plus now, I have a more comfortable ride, and mower POWER, UHHHHH! Very impressed. Mac, the dealership said the Smartrac actually is always in 2 WD and when the front starts to slip, it kicks into 4 WD. I tried it on some sand at the beach the other day. If it kicked in, I can't tell. All I know is that it goes through soft, deep sand real well, so snow should be no problem!

 

[Staci Matheis]

Rob -



There is likely a viscous coupling in the transfer case. The more slippage, the more the coupling tightens and the more power that is transferred to the front wheels until you eventually have a 50/50 split. Because of the gradual change, you would never feel a "shift" into 4-wheel drive.



Also, I seem to have it in my head that most systems like this actually run at a minimum 10/90 split.



me!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Cool! Anyway, a like it! The muffler bearing option is nice too! I think I'll add carburaetor lifters next week also. They come with a free set of jack nuts! LOL See, the fever gets worse once you KNOW you could be fishing but CAN'T cause the stinkin boat is broke! Quick Pierre, get down here! Actually Scott, thanks for info. The guy at the olds dealer didn't REALLY seem to know how the worked. But he did tell me NOT to unhook my ABS that keep giving me problems. So they know at least that much!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Also towed my buddies 19' cuddy Glastron last night for him. You could tell it was there, but the truck pulled it no problem.

 

[Gene McCarthy]

You deserve some good news for a change. Congrats on your pleasant "surprise". Now if you can use that good mileage towing your boat fishing instead of to the repair shop, I'll bet you will really be smilin' and profilin'! Hang in there.

Gene

 

[Greg Meyer]

Rob,



Why not use some jack nuts to keep the aluminum foil inside your hat!!!

 

[Rich Stern]

The jack nuts are steel. They will cause galvanic corrision if used with the aluminum foil inside Rob's hat. Aluminum jack nuts are hard to find.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

I am currently using our engineering dept to develop a new jack nut made from a new space age titanium coated elasto-nitride material. They are guarateed not to rust, corrode, oxidize, break, or wear! We actually have the mfg cost down to only $56,000.00 each. A bargain I say! So how many should I put you guys down for. Oh, and the lead time is 46 weeks.

 

[Mark Hofman]

And never, Never, EVER use ArmorAll to clean or protect your j*** n***. The stuff breaks down UV inhibitors and accelerates the galvanic corrosion.



*** HACK, HACK, COUGH ****

 

[Greg Meyer]

Does anybody ever wonder what we look like to the outside world...Maybe it's not good...Tracker Marine might start having psyche profiles done on potential purchasers...Might cut a few of us out of the herd.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

THAT'S why they haven't responded after I sent them my resume! LOL I think we all need a place to "let our hair down" if you will. This can be that spot for some folks! You can't be politically correct and publically conscious all the time! I think we have good fun, and take care of business to. But remember, this is not a Tracker site. It's a gathering of individual owners thanks to Rich. But as someone mentioned earlier, coincidentally, it happens to be a potentially awsome tool for Tracker should they decided to use it. And frankly, I think they are. We occasionally see folks at corporate respond to posts. I think more than anything, they sit back and just laugh and enjoy the site, and thank God that in America, it's legal for anyone to own a boat! LOL It's rowdies like us that keep the economy going! Thus ends my attempt at looking intelligent in hopes to alter anyone's (at Tracker Sales) pre-existing opinion of me, that may be watching! SIMCLMTEJNO

 

[Greg Meyer]

Hey Rob,



I just happened to re-read your original post; the part where you said;



"Plus now, I have a more comfortable ride, and mower POWER, UHHHHH! Very impressed"



Is that Bravada a rear bagger or a mulcher....LOL...LMMFJNO

 

[Adam Murray]

Rob...I hate to be the one to tell you brother, but those Bravada's are nuthin' but trouble. Last technical bulletin I saw on that vehicle said "constant maintenance must be provided to make up for loss of turn-signal fluid." This should be checked regularly.

 

[Marke Cicero]

Adam,



Correct me if I'm wrong but I think that was only if you used standard fluid. If you use the halogen fluid it's a little thicker and doesn't leak out of the sheer pin seal.



Marke

 

[Adam Murray]

Someone on BFHP told me that AmSoil or Rocket Fuel would also work...

 

[Rich Stern]

In this case, you can't use Amsoil, Rocket Fuel, or Halogen fluid. It isn't well known, but the turn signal reservoir on that model is shared with the front transfer case. The turn signal fluid is actually 90w gear oil. That's why the all wheel drive doesn't feel like it works as well when the turn signal is set on maximum brightness. It's due to lack of fluid in the transfer case.

 

[Adam Murray]

See, Rob, there's another problem!! That high falutin' AWD vehicle of yours can't even power its own turn signals!

 

[Bill McElroy]

"Turn Signal Fluid??"......Man I'm glad I work on interior trim parts,.........only fluids i deal with are coffee, blood, sweat and tears,.........and the ocassional C&L!!....LOL...

 

[Staci Matheis]

You guys are too much! Can't read the monitor any longer - the tears in my eyes are makin' it look all fuzzy and distorted. Will oil dry help clear my vision?



:^)

me!

 

[Ken Neeley]

Geez, I missed all this yesterday while I was out FISHING!!!!!!!!

By the way, call Craig @ 248-333-0997...he may have some aluminum jacknuts in stock.

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Actaully, one scary thing on it, (for real) is that I can't just work on the front brakes, or replace a $15 bearing. It's all one sealed unit with ABS sensor and hub.......$440 each! So I need to sell some of my new patent pending jacknuts. I'll even put them on the group buy. If 150 of you buy them, I'll drop the price to only $54,500.00 each. No you can't beat that. But wait....there's more. Be one of the first 50 callers and receive a free, that's right FREE turn signal fluid indicator gauge, that monitors the amount of turn signal fluid and shocks you in the jack nuts if the level drops to dangerous levels thus reminding you to invest in my new turn signal fluid resevoir! This has no end in sight for those at home! LOL

 

[Greg Meyer]

Hey Mac is that OJ's blood...in Rob's Bravada...gives new life to conspiracy theorists on this board!!!! Judge Ito might let you testify!!!! OJ always said it was "somebody (anybody) else"...Now, you can put that to rest!!!!



And, Rob, anything that shocks my jacknuts is going to make me pretty angry...So, beware, I sit pretty high on the food chain...LOL

 

[Rob LaMoy]

The Bravada IS white too! Never been down the LA freeway though!

 

[Greg Meyer]

Sure, sure...and the glove doesn't fit!!!!

 

[Bill McElroy]

I don't think it's OJ's blood,.........besides,..he's out looking for the "real killers"...LOL.....or his local crack dealer,......who ever he can find first!..LOL

 

[Ken Neeley]

Maybe it was Robert Blake warming up for his own wife!!!

 

[Bill McElroy]

What an idiot,........these hollywood celebrities are soooo unbelievably stupid MOST of the time!!

How can they be that out of touch with reality to think that "Murder" is easier to get away with than "Divorce"...HELLLO!!!!!!!!!!!!.....Now he has just proven that his cockateal on Baretta was the SMARTER one of the two,......and it had a REAL bird brain!!!

 

[Rob LaMoy]

But Mac, you just don't understand the stress. The hardships of living in the spot light. To pay taxes on all those millions, getting your Benz and Jag serviced all the time. Keeping the grounds on your 10 million dollar estate, all the exhausting travel to exotic destinations, only to come home EXPECTING to find the cabanna boy cleaning your in-gound heated pool, but instead finding him in the sheets with your super model wife! It's enough to drive a man to drink or something.....come to think of it, I don't really need a reason, oh look it's sunny, beer anyone?

 

[Ken Neeley]

mmmmmmmm....beer

 

[TrepMan]

OK Homer, just follow the Duff!

 

[Mark Hofman]

Speaking of turn signal fluid and sheer pin seals, does anyone have any advice about another problem I'm having ...



My boat seems to be displacing a lot of water.

 

[TrepMan]

Yea Mark - give it to ME! At 132lbs (i'm gaining on you!) it will ride much higher in the water and displace a lot less water!

 

[Mark Hofman]

Trep, it ain't my weight that't the problem (well, it is A problem), its the displacement I'm worried about. Do all boats displace water?

 

[Ken Neeley]

where is dis place dat yer talking about???

 

[Mark Hofman]

dis place is dis turbed