I was on my mobile before, so I wanted to expand on my previous comment. Of course, what follows is only
my thoughts and should no more be taken as gospel than the original article.
1) Complexity is the enemy:
This is entirely correlation, not necessarily causation. Highly modified vehicles tend to get pushed father and harder than unmodified vehicles, it is expected that they will break more. If an aftermarket part or group of parts are done properly, they can be stronger than OEM. Any time something on my XTerra wears out or fails, I search for the strongest, longest lasting part - I will also prioritize parts that are serviceable. For example: zerk points. Almost no vehicle today comes with chassis zerk points, all my drive shaft u-joint were replaced with aftermarket parts with zerks, the UCAs and LCAs were replaced with stronger parts than the stamped steel OEM and have servicesable ball joints. The rear drive shaft was modified to remove the OEM sealed CV joint and was custom built to have all U-joints that are serviceable. Springs were upgraded to something stronger, as were shocks.
My dad had the same attitude towards OEMs, that there were a bunch of engineers making the best-built, best-engineered product they could and we were foolish to mess with it. But this just isn't the case, any of us can look at mainstream vehicles and see where the accountants forced corners to be cut. Something as simple as removing zerk fittings, or making sealed wheel bearings that can't be repacked and must be broken to get to a $0.10 axle seal.
2) Weight is the enemy of performance:
This is simply unreasonable for many. As I mentioned before, the weight of armor is often a necessity depending on how much you are using it. If you are traveling mostly fire-roads and are not in need of serious bash plates, then maybe you can get by with aluminum - if you are willing to accept that one good knock may crack the plate. Others, like myself, have armored the crap out of their rigs because we actually need that protection. Sure, I could get someone to make me some super-light armor out of aluminum and replace or re-weld the plates when they break, or even buy fancy titanium armor and cookware, but that is getting stuck on the gear and it will keep me home in the driveway. My rig isn't light, but it sees plenty of dirt and does what I need it to do. I am also able to take on challenging terrain that would turn back lighter-built vehicles.
3) Suspension Performance:
I agree with having a robust suspension that can carry load over rough terrain, but this just doesn't make any sense. The author makes it sound like he wants a rig that handles like a sedan or a sports car on the pavement but can also carry heavy loads off road and handle technical terrain. Everything is a tradeoff, a heavy suspension won't handle the same on the road as a light one with less unsprung rotating mass. Speaking of unsprung rotating mass, just fitting heavier off road tires will have a dramatic effect on acceleration, braking and handing - and that's before we even start talking about suspension. The fact is that trucks and SUVs are not good at this stuff to begin with; many of us modify our rigs based on our own priorities. I know my XTerra doesn't handle as well as a stock one, but I am aware of that an modify my driving. I don't travel as fast, I leave more room between vehicles, I corner slowly and carefully.
Here, the author states that there is "no excuse" for a vehicle that can't handle "like a car" on the road and still have the articulation needed for off road use. I call BS, but I would love to see a vehicle that is the rolling mechanical embodiment of "have my cake and eat it too."
4) Keep the Engine Stock:
If I did the work myself, then I probably know more about my vehicle than someone who only opens the hood to run an air compressor. Anyway, if you are in the middle of the Gobi Desert, I don't think there is a Napa near by with OEM parts any more than there is one with aftermarket parts. Besides, what happened to "all the parts of the vehicle need to work together"? Perhaps I have a great chassis and suspension, but it won't do me any good if the engine can't move all my food, fuel, water, gear, and passengers around. This also depends on environment, if my primary area of exploration starts at 5,000 ft, I'm way down on power compared to someone at sea level. Take an FJ80 that performs fine on the coast and can easily rotate those big 33" or 35" tires and try taking it over some of the high passes in Colorado. Sometimes these upgrades are necessary, especially in older rigs with lower-output engines. Things like snorkels (which are also cold air intakes) and exhaust systems are passive - they don't tax the engine and only allow it to breathe better. An ECU tune can literally be done with an OBDII computer in a matter of seconds, my brother keeps his tune computer in his Subaru and will put on a "Valet Tune" that limits the vehicle to 2,000 RPM if he ever has to let a valet drive it. This section sounds like someone who opens the hood and says, "yep, that's an engine" and closes it again.
That being said, my engine is bone stock ... ok, I put a "+5 HP" sticker on my intake as joke. I just have other mods that are higher priority right now than the engine, which is currently doing just fine for me.
