With the current discussions about the off road prowess of the h1 and h2, particularly in comparison with the SWB Jeep, I decided to perform a scientific test that would cover all aspects of rock crawling in an honest attempt at finding the limitations of each. I've done just that.

A little research was all it took to find a few test mules. From left to right we have an original ww2 Willys MB, a 2003 H2, a standard military issue hmmwv, and of course a 2002 TJ Wrangler Sport. All the vehicles used in this test were on loan from my son Joe. Since none are insured special care was in order, but I didn't let that stop me from putting them through their paces. After all, we want real world results here, not just more marketing fluff that is crammed down our throats daily by commercials and other ads.


 

As we were driving the vehicles off the pad, the H2 quickly got hung up in the parking area as shown above. The rear tire was stuffed into the wheel well with such force that the test was almost over at that point. Thanks to some quick thinking on the part of my son Joe, we were able to pry the rear tire from the well and finally got the H2 turned around to head to the test area. Worth mentioning again is that the H2 got hung up before the test even started!

 

The biggest disappointment with the H2 was the break over angle (or should I say, a lack thereof). This was the first obstacle on the test and the H2 was hanging on like a Pit Bull in heat. Because the H2 weighs about 42,000 pounds, it was impossible to get underneath it to see exactly where it was hanging up. After busting a genuine hi-lift jack, we ended up hooking the HMMWV to it and forcefully winching it over. When it finally released, parts were strewn everywhere (half of them were unrecognizable) but to the H2's credit it was still able to move on its own power.....

 

Right up until it ran over a basketball sized rock (at speed, it couldn't climb it at a crawl) forcing the 42,000 pound monster over on its roof. The test was effectively over for the H2, and Joe was not happy about the damage. I promised him some ice cream if he would allow the test to continue, which he did begrudgingly.
 

While certainly more capable than the H2, the HMMWV had similar problems due to its massive earth mover size. Thanks to the winch it was able to pull itself off of the break over angle test, and there were no parts left strewn underneath when it did. At this point there was hope for the HMMWV.....
 

The HMMWV proceeded along pretty well considering its massive size. The IFS/IRS soaked up the bumps pretty well, but we hadn't really tried to tackle anything that a typical Jeeper would consider "aggressive". As we approached our first hard pull, the HMMWV came to an abrupt and unexpected stop. Even though all 4 wheels were pulling, they just weren't enough to push the battleship through the ravine and up the climb. Notice the lack of articulation in the front passenger side tire. In all fairness, this is due to the necessary addition of limiting straps that limit articulation on purpose to prevent the wheels from folding up underneath the vehicle while traversing steep terrain. While we wanted to get pictures of the HMMWV traversing, to much time had passed while trying to get it unwedged from the ravine and we had to move along.
 

The Willys MB was a real pleasure. Power from the lil' go-devil was disappointing on the highway but when locked in 4 low it seemed to have amazing capability and agility. I had to actually look under it however, just to make sure that there were actual springs because it rode as if the axles were just welded directly to the frame. There was no articulation to speak of, a shortage of power, absolutely no creature comforts that we have become accustomed to, yet the charm of the lil' Willys was a big hit with everyone on the scene. It's no surprise that these jeeps won the hearts of so many G.I.'s.

 

In order to prove a point, we removed the tires off the lil MB and drove it over the break over angle test on its rotors (4 wheel disk conversion). As expected, the lil MB passed the break over angle test on its rotors, having done far better than either Hummer with tires installed. :-)

 

The capability of the TJ came as a surprise to none on the scene. The Quadra-coil suspension soaked up the bumps as if we were riding on feathers. The 4.0 provided more than enough power for any challenge that we encountered. Clearance was adequate, creature comforts were great, and overall it did an excellent job. Since it handled the break over angle test as well as the hard pulls with such ease, we decided to really put it to the test.....


 

That's right, its Pucker Hill! We locked the TJ in low range, buckled up, and proceeded slowly using the hand-throttle and a whole lot of hope. We first overfilled the automatic tranny with 1 pint of fluid to prevent getting half way up and loosing power. Normally this isn't a great concern, but since Pucker Hill is truly vertical we felt it was necessary. The lil TJ pulled like a tractor. Somehow it seems I could hear "I think I can.....I think I can" coming from the exhaust pipe. All was well until the very end, a 4 inch vertical climb.....

 

That sent us rolling all the way to the bottom of Pucker Hill. Luckily the custom Collier Welding Safety Cage maintained the integrity of the passenger compartment and as a result, no one was hurt (even though pucker hill is at least 14" straight down!). I contribute the rollover due to the speed that was required for me to go vertical. I think that with an Atlas 2 I would have been able to crawl up the wall face without having to hit it with so much speed that caused the rollover.


I hope this test is adequate to settle any future discussions on this topic as it came at great personal expense.