LLAMS, Odessey battery, Michelin Green X and MPG

[jwest]

Recently my fuel economy has risen dramatically due to 54 psi in my new Michelin LTX M/S2 in size 275/65x18 E range: http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?tireMake=Michelin&tireModel=LTX+M/S2

They are really sweet and they remind me of the very nice all-around Michelin XPC that used to come on the Discovery 1 and 2 for many years.

Today I installed a new AGM Odessey 1350 which has CCA 770 and 95Ah as compared to the factory lead acid battery CCA 700 and 70 Ah. It was still fine and never gave me trouble but at 7 years old and some camping this summer with Canada boondocking next winter, it seemed like a good time to change it out. The 1350 is slightly longer but fit just fine, easy really.

Today also brought installation of the LLAMS height control unit which is an interesting combination with the Britpart IIDtool.

Lastly I got some Staun Tire/air deflators which are pretty sweet for quick and methodical preset psi.

Last week I removed the 3rd row seats which weigh 92 LBS. It's a welcomed reduction above and behind the rear axle.

The new powdercoating for the wheels will be much easier to keep clean and won't look too bad fully dirty either.

 

[jwest]

Wheels in satin with 32" Michelin LTX M/S 2

 

[Houm_WA]

Looks pretty sweet; you'll be happy with the Michelins. What can you tell us about the LLAMS height control unit? Sounds interesting....

 

[jwest]

I've been quite happy with these tires over the recent months.

The LLAMS unit is pretty cool really. On the fly adjustments in 3 positions plus no-adjustment. low is -20 or -35 depending on build date of a 2007. Later 2007 can apparently choose either to be the "low" for highway handling or better clearance in parking garages. lift "medium" is +30mm and "high" is +50mm.

Combined with my IIDTool, I can preset in several ways. I have one of the 3 in the IIDTool as -15 to give me the later 2007+ option of an effective -35mm on the highway or parking garages, I am trying a global +15 for general off road use where I think +30 may be too much but also makes the +50 into +65. I am going to experiment with how much more there is before topping out.

The LLAMS +30 is a bit much in my opinion for continuous highway driving but +15mm via IIDTool would possibly make the difference for allowing a 33" tire up from the 32". The combination would yield an overall vehicle lift of 1" (~1/2" for the tire radius increase and 1/2" from the IIDTool).

Actually, that's rough math. The 275/70-18 is actually right at 15mm larger radius so adding just +10mm in suspension height should do the trick for general driving (only on vehicles with the various clearances issues already resolved). This +10 would only apply to lower speed city driving. There is plenty of clearance for highway driving. In fact, a global +10 would allow the LLAMS tool "low" setting of -20 to net out at -10 from stock highway height. Seems just right for a 33" tire on the highway and low center of gravity is retained for safety. Come off the highway to forest roads, turn LLAMS to "medium" which is +30, now netting out at +40 or leave it at zero for net +10 just from the IIDTool.

If you're parking the in the city, or on some undulating forest road, just set LLAMS to medium for plenty of front tire turning clearance.

 

[Houm_WA]

You lost me a long time ago....somewhere between +10 and +30. What I know is that with my IIDTool I can find the sweet spot where I rarely and barely rub with the 32" MT/Rs...AND, I can go into Extended Height without invoking OUT OF RANGE faults. Seems to me that any higher (trying to fit a 33" w/o rubbing) and that wouldn't be the case. I'd get suspension faults right 'n left and that would be no beuno on the trail when you're in the middle of trying to clear an obstacle.

...not worth it for 1 more inch. (yeah yeah..."that's what she said.")

 

[jwest]

So I now have 14.25" under my front engine plate bottom, 13" at the rear differential and 12" under the low hanging exhaust that runs beside the rear differential.

 

[jwest]

You lost me a long time ago....somewhere between +10 and +30. What I know is that with my IIDTool I can find the sweet spot where I rarely and barely rub with the 32" MT/Rs...

To be clear, the "+30" was referring to the +/- in millimeters controlled on the fly via the LLAMS rotary switch. It has 4 positions that are simply applied to whatever height the vehicle is currently running.

The 4 positions on mine are set to:
#1 is -20mm
#2 is just ZERO/no change
#3 is +30mm
#4 is +50mm

Then, for most of the time driving on the highway using the IIDTool I preset the whole system to -10mm. Meaning, rolling along in "normal" highway ride height it's actually at -10mm. By turning the LLAMS dial to -20, it's actually -30mm from factory height for smooth highway interstate cruising. This provides a noticeable increase in fuel economy but the main reason was to see how much it helped curvy mountain road handling, which it does.

Gravel forest roads are much nicer at the #3 +30 setting (actual just +20mm if running -10mm overall via IIDTool)

Still with me?

For height adjustments I really, really dig the LLAMS for it's on the fly single click ability. The IIDTool is great for clearing the code tossed by the 2nd fuel tank though

 

[Houm_WA]

Yeah I think I'm with ya. Sounds like the biggest advantage of the LLAMS is:

1. One click height changes on the fly.
2. More adjustability.

I am still a bit unsure how you can use it to fit a 33" tire. The max height is set by the EAS in asmuch as you will get Suspension Faults beyond a certain setting regardless of what electronic interface you use.

The only person to ever fit 33s did some (fender/wheel well) cutting and used hardware such as spacers. Neither of which I would be into for one tire size up.

We should meet up for a beer though and check out that set-up!

 

[jwest]

I have pretty much decided that the ability to drop all the way to the very bottom and still roll through a parking garage, or if air suspension fails, is important enough to stick with the 32" max tire size.

I am fully aware of the possible faults by pushing the limits of the suspension +/- however, it is at the lowest levels that trigger the system to lift up or fault. The highest limit simply doesn't go any further. My tests have allowed driving around at the very maximums without any faults occurring.

The only real limitation for the 33" tire is clearance at the tight points at 3 and 9 o'clock on the rear and turning at the front.

For example, a narrower tire would not require spacers which is the only way to do it successfully as this would allow the tire to retain as much turning clearance as possible.

BFG has announced their new AT KO "2" and in what could be the ultimate large tire for the lr3/4. 265/70x18 which is slightly narrower than 275/65 which does fit but another .6" taller. Where 33" is just past what can fit without truly major mods, the 32.6" would just barely work. Of course the 32" version is even less of a worry.

This new tire is designed to be even more durable.

 

[Houm_WA]

That tire, being narrower than a 275 and a mere 0.5" taller than the 32.1" Goodyear MT/R could be an interesting fitment; agreed. Also concur that one of the issues has been width as much as height.

There is a "rub spot" in the rear though, on the front part of the wheel well, and that has mostly to do with tire diameter and not so much width. One caveat for all this: when you're off-road and articulating, you discover all kinds of new places where clearance is limited.

Not true on the suspension highest limit fault. It will cause an "out of range" fault; and I'm pretty sure it will kick you down into Normal height.