Long Term Product Review
2009 Polaris Ranger HD
March 2, 2009:
We picked up our 2009 Polaris Ranger HD at Placerville
Polaris today and put it right to use during a serious downpour.
Several culverts were clogged in the neighborhood, so my son and I jumped in
the Ranger HD and used it to run around.
Right off, I noticed that the Ranger HD's power steering was
very smooth and made steering effortless.
March 4, 2009:
Took the dogs out for a ride today. Two large dog
crates fit nicely in the back. Dogs had a good time.
March 5, 2009:
I decided to give the self-leveling shocks a try today.
Loaded the Ranger HD up with some seasoned oak firewood that was pretty wet
from the recent rains.
Initial load before driving
After driving around a bit
You can clearly see that the shocks were sagging after I
loaded up the Ranger HD with firewood. As I drove around (about 2
miles total), and could feel the suspension stiffening up. I was pretty
surprised when I came to a stop and looked at the difference. Not only
did the shocks react to the ride height, but I could feel that they could
deal with the extra weight as well. Very impressive.
Power steering and unlocking rear differential made driving
in tight areas while loaded like this a pleasure.
March 6, 2009
Another tree fell and took out our dog kennel. Loaded
the Ranger HD up with lots of green oak (very heavy). The bed is a
real nice size for hauling lots of firewood.
I put the selector in 2WD with the rear differential in the
unlocked position. Drive across the lawn even loaded and making tight
turns, but the lawn did not get torn up. Very nice.
I have been impressed with the shocks so far, so I did a bit
of research. The shocks are Nivomat which is a semi-supporting system
working in combination with a mechanical spring.
Nivomat looks like a standard shock absorber with a piston rod with damping
valves at the end, an outer tube and a cylinder tube. Several components are
added to provide the leveling function. Two reservoirs are contained in the
outer tube, an oil reservoir (or low pressure reservoir) and a high pressure
chamber. Inside the piston rod is the pump chamber (with inlet and outlet
valve) and the pump rod, which serves as a height sensor or regulator and a
release bore which releases the pressure after the vehicle has reached
level.
A load initially causes static compression of the vehicle's suspension. Once
the vehicle begins to move, the pump is activated by the relative movement
of the body. Extension of the piston rod causes oil to be drawn through the
inlet valve into the pump. Compression then pushes the oil through the
outlet valve into the high pressure chamber. The pressure in the oil
reservoir decreases as the pressure in the high pressure chamber increases.
The increasing pressure acts on the piston rod and raises the vehicle at a
continuous rate.
Once the vehicle has reached optimum height, oil is no longer drawn in. The
height regulator opens a bypass between the high pressure chamber and the
pump chamber preventing oil from flowing out of the oil reservoir.
When the vehicle is unloaded the vehicle begins to rise. The height
regulator opens the release bore. Oil flows out of the high pressure chamber
into the oil reservoir, the pressure drops in the high pressure chamber and
the vehicle lowers to the initial height.
Since Nivomat is mechanical, the vehicle needs to be moving before the pump
starts to work and it takes about a mile to a mile-and-a-half of travel
before the vehicle reaches its optimal level point.
March 8, 2009
Went to our neighbors ranch to feed his horses. A few bales
of hay fit very nicely in the bed.
The unlocked rear differential was nice so we didn't tear up
his nice pasture, and the power steering made driving in the tight quarters
of the barn rear easy.
Power steering on the Ranger HD is a variable-assist setup.
What this means is steering is easy at slow speeds, but it adjusts as speed
increases for a more positive feel.
The horses are Overo Paints.
March 9, 2009
Checked out the bed for hauling compost. The dump
really extends up high to allow everything to empty out real easy.
March 29, 2009
Checking out the self-leveling shocks again while hauling
more oak firewood.
March 31, 2009
Over with the horses again today. Just cruising around
the ranch.
May 1 - 2, 2009
We took the Ranger HD over to Nevada for a few days of
exploring in the Pine Nut
Mountains. The Ranger HD did great. Nice smooth ride. Power
steering is awesome. No problems climbing some steep hills.
Memorial Day
A few of us headed up to Iron Mountain near Pollock Pine, CA
for a quick Memorial Day ride. I took our RANGER HD, and my friends
had their Polaris RZR S and Kawasaki Teryx.
Other Photos:
Links:
Manufacturer Info:
Website:
Polaris
Industries
Polaris Industries, Inc.
2100 Highway 55
Medina, MN 55340
(763) 417-8650
With annual 2007 sales of $1.8 billion, Polaris designs, engineers,
manufactures and markets all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), including the Polaris
RANGER™, snowmobiles and Victory motorcycles for recreational and utility
use.
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