Do you want the back or front? I'll take anything I can get.

 

Phoenix it california is a lot more than 2hrs drive...

Plus this time a year it would be likely. It is thanksgiving weekend, one of the biggest weekends for people to go to the desert. When i was driving home across the 8 on wensday im sure i saw over 100 trucks towing on my 5 hour drive. There is expected to be over 500,000 people at the imperial sand dunes this weekend (Glamis, gordons wells, buttercup)

 

a unibody is by far less rigid then a full frame rail. unibody is what mustangs have and u need to add frame conectors to them to make it rigid enough to handle any sort of horsepower. a unibody is garbage for a truck.

 

As I said before, a unibody is not as strong as a latter frame but it is definately more ridgid. The reason being is that load forces from the suspension, body, etc. have more area to dissipate. In a unibody vehicle these forces are transferrred through the floorpan into the pillars and into the roof. Making all of these components strong is what makes a very ridgid platform. A Mustang is not the best example because it is not the most ridgid vehicle. By contrast, in a ladder frame vehicle all the load forces are supported by the two frame rails. This is most evident when you watch your rear view mirror while driving and can see the bed moving seperatly from the cab. Granted some of this motion is the rubber cab mounts, but some is also frame flex. In a very sturdy unibody car, (the new 3 series BMW being the benchmark IMHO) you do not get these kinds of motions in the vehicle and it is a much more solid ride especially in demanding situations such as hard cornering or rough roads. You are definately correct, not all unibody cars are created equal the same way not all truck frames are created equal. So in a vehicle such as the Mustang where the unibody is not a strong as it should be frame connectors are necessary. Others they would not be. Just remember strength and ridgity are not the same. A ladder frame definately provides more strength and a greater ability to haul and tow. This is why trucks use this system. It only compromises body ridgity. I only think it was clever of Honda to marry the two systems into one. Using a light ladder frame and suplementing it with a strong unibody. This would never work on a three quarter ton or larger vehicle but for a midsize truck it makes excellent sense.

 

Sounds good when you type it out, doesn't it?

I think you should visit 'their' forums. Does anyone remember the guy who bent his uni-body trying to forge some baby ditch. .

 

This is where the flex of a ladder frame comes into play. This is why I have been saying the ladder frame setup is definately stronger. A ridgid unibody under extreme torsional twist will bend. A ladder frame under the same torsional twist will flex and return to it's shape. I am sure it was more than a baby ditch. My whole point to all this is that a Ridgeline will statisfy most people that don't do extreme hauling or off roading. It will easily and reliably pull a 5000 pound trailer. It also provides a far better driving expierience than any truck I have driven. It is a great idea that needs better styling. For me, I needed a more heavy duty truck so I bought the F150. It was definately a ride and handling tradeoff coming from the cars I have owned before but it fullfills my needs perfectly. The fact that it looks stunning is just icing on the cake.

 

Also a slightly modified Ridgeline completed the BAJA 1000. Definately worth noting.

the official Baja results:

STOCK MINI (Stock, mini trucks)—1. Dan Fresh, San Juan Capistrano, Calif./Sean Douglass/Dale Godges, Irvine, Calif., Mitsubishi Raider, 34:36:44 (30.27mph); 2. Rod Millen (New Zealand)/Ryan Millen, Newport Beach, Calif., Toyota FJ Cruiser, 34:37:18; 3. Rod Hall, Reno, Nev./Emily Miller, Crested Butte, Colo./Mike Winkel, Reno, Nev., Hummer H3, 36:37:17; 4. Gavin Skilton, Orange, Calif./Kevin Jensen, Apple Valley, Calif./Clive Skilton, Orange, Calif., Honda Ridgeline, 42:51:25. (6 Starters, 4 Finishers)

 

You know us So-Cal people. Holiday weekend = tow all the toys to the desert and spend the weekend. Did some off road stuff myself.

 

Hell, I have cleaned up before. Just anywhere I can get in. What was we talking about again?

 

I forgot!

 

Something is fishy here, you must be a salesmen for Honda? But you bought a ford? 2nd, knowone originally argued how good or bad the ridgeline was? Just the fact that none were seen towing a load during his drive. Sounds like your either a salesmen or someone who just wants to start an argument Your kind belongs in the Honda forums. It would be different if you were called out specifically but that's not what took place, so take your sales pitch elsewhere.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

Wait, does anyone know when the Rize kit is coming out for the Ridgeline?

 

Let me clear the travel time up. Yes Phnx to Cali is a 4 and a half to 5 hour drive. I did a 1.5 hour sample.

 

I'm sure captain salesmen will clue us in on why the stock uni-body is better than rize for offroading...I'm so excited I've got my and ready...

 

I've had both all day, I knew something like this was going to happen!