madweazl
Active member
- Feb 7, 2024
- 207
- 210
We purchased a '24 Pro R a few months back and got it out to Glamis for the first time last week. I still think of SXSs as Rhinos because that is primarily what was around in that regard the last time I spent any significant time in the dunes (roughly 2008 with a couple trips up to 2012). All I can say is, wow! They sure have come a long way.
First off, the configuration (anything not listed is cosmetic or OEM):
'24 Pro R Ultimate
Keller front lower ball joints
MTS shock forks
MTS springs
MTS high volume res caps
MTS limit straps f/r
MetalFX Delta R wheels 15x7f 15x10r
SS360 paddles 33x12r 33x10f (10psi rear and 12psi front)
4wd open front diff
Throttle in Sport (I preferred the linear feel)
Suspension in Baja and Comfort
Overall, the car is excellent. I find the seats to be very comfortable and the tilt/telescoping steering wheel is great. At 5' 11" tall, the adjustable seat slider all the way back is perfect for my height (this could be an issues for taller drivers). The seating position is good; you're upright and the cage allows for excellent upward visibility for the dunes. I love the "Click 6" retractable seat belts (can't say if that will remain true after a crash). Ergonomically, things are where I'd want them.
The suspension is just outstanding, I don't know what else to say. I upgraded to the MTS springs prior to the stock units giving me any trouble; I never duned the car with the stock springs so I can't comment on any ride differences between the two. The remainder of the MTS goodies were done as preventive measures (the nitrogen caps are an ease of use upgrade since the stock units require a special tool from Fox).
Comfort mode works exceptionally well transitioning from your camp to the dunes. It soaks up the small bumps/chop pretty well and works in the dunes but your thumb will be sore in short order from constant Dynamix ("oh shit") button use for the transitions. Baja mode really excels in the dunes though! The suspension is significantly more taut and handles the transitions exponentially better. Use of the Dynamix button is reduced to high speed G outs or unexpected terrain (quite of bit of it this past week with the wind shifting directions). Body roll is almost unnoticeable in the high speed turns in Baja as well.
After seeing so many videos of SXSs on their lid, I just thought that was going to be an issue I'd have to deal with. Well, I'm not sure what the hell they're doing but these things are incredibly stable. I was very tentative in the turns the first few days while I got a feel for the car but around day five I was really getting after it in the higher speed and awkward turns. I'm still a little gun shy in the off camber stuff at speed but it has never given any inclination of being tippy or bicycling. I have had it hook hard two or three times but a quick counter steer and more cowbell (err, throttle) kept it planted.
Videos of nose diving jumps was another concern I had but much like the roll over considerations, it was a non-issue. Just like a quad, throttle input at the time of launch made it easy to manipulate the attitude of the car. The only time this was disappointing was jumping down into dunes (something I loved doing on the quad); I wasn't able to keep the nose up while doing this which was a bit of a bummer. All jumps made during the week were small as I was attempting to learn the car and had broken a vertebrae (T8) six weeks prior (unrelated to the car).
I really can't stress how amazing the suspension of this thing is. Truly unbelievable how well it works in such a short wheelbase vehicle. Dynamix/Live Valve is well worth the price of admission. I'm not sure why BRP omitted the "oh shit" button but that was a huge mistake in my opinion.
The engine compliments the chassis and suspension perfectly. Acceleration and throttle response is instant! The engine pulls hard to redline and generates plenty of power to have an absolute blast in. We hit China Wall the first day and it motored up the hill accelerating the entire way. Most of the rides were fairly conservative but I did a pretty good one in Friday morning with @MWB and some of the crew from 13.5. The ride out was great but they started to gap me on the way back to camp; I just didn't have enough seat time or confidence in my back to maintain that pace. Blaine was nice and checked up a bit to keep me in touch with the group. Sunday I got another ride in with some long travel buggies that were moving at a moderate pace and they were easy to hang with (I was much more confident by now as well). I rarely needed WOT to hang with these guys through the big bowls and had throttle on tap 95% of the time. I do wish the engine had a little more RPM to play with given you're turning 5000rpm at pretty much any cruising speed.
The tires worked exceptionally well with the stock clutching and power of the engine. It launched hard (ask @ChEFF) at the hill and duned awesome. They weren't twitchy or unpredictable anywhere and just worked. The sand was extremely soft the first few days but dropping air pressure got them hooking up just about perfectly. I'll play around with some lower pressures next trip to see how it feels but it's pretty close to just right for me. I may grab a set of 32" Blackbirds to test out back but I have zero complaints for the SS360s. The MetalFX/SS360 combo was significantly lighter weight than I thought it was going to be. Removing the stock tire/wheel combo and replacing them with these was kind of mind boggling actually.
The brakes are outstanding; linear and great feel with just the right amount of pedal pressure. Nothing else needs to be said here.
What could be better:
1) It seems like there may be some driveline angle issue. At slow speeds - on asphalt - it almost feels like the tires are out of round. It isn't noticeable in the dirt but it's there.
2) I'm not positive what it is but it seems like the rear CVs are clicking under extremely hard braking. I'm not positive they're running out of angle but that is my suspicion (could be something else making the noise). I do have rear limit straps so I may play around with that next trip to see if it makes a difference.
3) The suspension could use some anti squat/anti dive as both are pretty dramatic. Baja mode seems to help a fair bit but it's still quite pronounced.
4) Shifts into Park and High can be a little tough sometimes. These can be mitigated by shifting to neutral for a bit before going into Park or by moving a small amount in Low prior to shifting into High. It comes out of Park and High with ease though.
5) The stereo system of the "Ultimate" is trash. I don't listen to it regardless (nor can you hear it over the stock exhaust anyways) but it sounds like shit and is a waste of money, weight, and space. I'd rather have pre-wiring for something like a Rugged/PCI radio instead. If you're going to call something an "Ultimate" edition, it should at least come with the rear speakers and subwoofer.
What I'm doing different going forward:
1) While I love duning without a helmet, I'm tired of the sand in my hair, ears, and eyes so we're going with a Rugged MAC air system and some helmets.
2) I'll be making some lighting changes; I should have gone with Baja Design up front but I cheaped out. I'll likely do the S1 stock location swap but haven't decided on the rest (e.g. roof, A pillar, bumper, or combination of).
First off, the configuration (anything not listed is cosmetic or OEM):
'24 Pro R Ultimate
Keller front lower ball joints
MTS shock forks
MTS springs
MTS high volume res caps
MTS limit straps f/r
MetalFX Delta R wheels 15x7f 15x10r
SS360 paddles 33x12r 33x10f (10psi rear and 12psi front)
4wd open front diff
Throttle in Sport (I preferred the linear feel)
Suspension in Baja and Comfort
Overall, the car is excellent. I find the seats to be very comfortable and the tilt/telescoping steering wheel is great. At 5' 11" tall, the adjustable seat slider all the way back is perfect for my height (this could be an issues for taller drivers). The seating position is good; you're upright and the cage allows for excellent upward visibility for the dunes. I love the "Click 6" retractable seat belts (can't say if that will remain true after a crash). Ergonomically, things are where I'd want them.
The suspension is just outstanding, I don't know what else to say. I upgraded to the MTS springs prior to the stock units giving me any trouble; I never duned the car with the stock springs so I can't comment on any ride differences between the two. The remainder of the MTS goodies were done as preventive measures (the nitrogen caps are an ease of use upgrade since the stock units require a special tool from Fox).
Comfort mode works exceptionally well transitioning from your camp to the dunes. It soaks up the small bumps/chop pretty well and works in the dunes but your thumb will be sore in short order from constant Dynamix ("oh shit") button use for the transitions. Baja mode really excels in the dunes though! The suspension is significantly more taut and handles the transitions exponentially better. Use of the Dynamix button is reduced to high speed G outs or unexpected terrain (quite of bit of it this past week with the wind shifting directions). Body roll is almost unnoticeable in the high speed turns in Baja as well.
After seeing so many videos of SXSs on their lid, I just thought that was going to be an issue I'd have to deal with. Well, I'm not sure what the hell they're doing but these things are incredibly stable. I was very tentative in the turns the first few days while I got a feel for the car but around day five I was really getting after it in the higher speed and awkward turns. I'm still a little gun shy in the off camber stuff at speed but it has never given any inclination of being tippy or bicycling. I have had it hook hard two or three times but a quick counter steer and more cowbell (err, throttle) kept it planted.
Videos of nose diving jumps was another concern I had but much like the roll over considerations, it was a non-issue. Just like a quad, throttle input at the time of launch made it easy to manipulate the attitude of the car. The only time this was disappointing was jumping down into dunes (something I loved doing on the quad); I wasn't able to keep the nose up while doing this which was a bit of a bummer. All jumps made during the week were small as I was attempting to learn the car and had broken a vertebrae (T8) six weeks prior (unrelated to the car).
I really can't stress how amazing the suspension of this thing is. Truly unbelievable how well it works in such a short wheelbase vehicle. Dynamix/Live Valve is well worth the price of admission. I'm not sure why BRP omitted the "oh shit" button but that was a huge mistake in my opinion.
The engine compliments the chassis and suspension perfectly. Acceleration and throttle response is instant! The engine pulls hard to redline and generates plenty of power to have an absolute blast in. We hit China Wall the first day and it motored up the hill accelerating the entire way. Most of the rides were fairly conservative but I did a pretty good one in Friday morning with @MWB and some of the crew from 13.5. The ride out was great but they started to gap me on the way back to camp; I just didn't have enough seat time or confidence in my back to maintain that pace. Blaine was nice and checked up a bit to keep me in touch with the group. Sunday I got another ride in with some long travel buggies that were moving at a moderate pace and they were easy to hang with (I was much more confident by now as well). I rarely needed WOT to hang with these guys through the big bowls and had throttle on tap 95% of the time. I do wish the engine had a little more RPM to play with given you're turning 5000rpm at pretty much any cruising speed.
The tires worked exceptionally well with the stock clutching and power of the engine. It launched hard (ask @ChEFF) at the hill and duned awesome. They weren't twitchy or unpredictable anywhere and just worked. The sand was extremely soft the first few days but dropping air pressure got them hooking up just about perfectly. I'll play around with some lower pressures next trip to see how it feels but it's pretty close to just right for me. I may grab a set of 32" Blackbirds to test out back but I have zero complaints for the SS360s. The MetalFX/SS360 combo was significantly lighter weight than I thought it was going to be. Removing the stock tire/wheel combo and replacing them with these was kind of mind boggling actually.
The brakes are outstanding; linear and great feel with just the right amount of pedal pressure. Nothing else needs to be said here.
What could be better:
1) It seems like there may be some driveline angle issue. At slow speeds - on asphalt - it almost feels like the tires are out of round. It isn't noticeable in the dirt but it's there.
2) I'm not positive what it is but it seems like the rear CVs are clicking under extremely hard braking. I'm not positive they're running out of angle but that is my suspicion (could be something else making the noise). I do have rear limit straps so I may play around with that next trip to see if it makes a difference.
3) The suspension could use some anti squat/anti dive as both are pretty dramatic. Baja mode seems to help a fair bit but it's still quite pronounced.
4) Shifts into Park and High can be a little tough sometimes. These can be mitigated by shifting to neutral for a bit before going into Park or by moving a small amount in Low prior to shifting into High. It comes out of Park and High with ease though.
5) The stereo system of the "Ultimate" is trash. I don't listen to it regardless (nor can you hear it over the stock exhaust anyways) but it sounds like shit and is a waste of money, weight, and space. I'd rather have pre-wiring for something like a Rugged/PCI radio instead. If you're going to call something an "Ultimate" edition, it should at least come with the rear speakers and subwoofer.
What I'm doing different going forward:
1) While I love duning without a helmet, I'm tired of the sand in my hair, ears, and eyes so we're going with a Rugged MAC air system and some helmets.
2) I'll be making some lighting changes; I should have gone with Baja Design up front but I cheaped out. I'll likely do the S1 stock location swap but haven't decided on the rest (e.g. roof, A pillar, bumper, or combination of).
