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There's a guy selling a 1975 710M on eBay (U.S. site) and he makes several comments about how a Pinzgauer is NOT well suited to highway driving and that doing so will wear of the drivetain prematurely. He has several additional warnings about this throughout his auction page.

I thought the consensus was that driving all day or that regular highway driving was no big deal? Any opinions out there about how fast is too fast and if there really is a limit to how fast (or a regular basis) one should exercise their Pinzgauer?

Too fast?, While there are many opinions, the fact is 62-65mph is ok for extended driving. Higher speeds can accellerate wear, but it takes a long time. Switching to a lightened front driveline is the best bang for your buck to reduce driveline wear.

Jim LaGuardia wrote:Too fast?, While there are many opinions, the fact is 62-65mph is ok for extended driving. Higher speeds can accellerate wear, but it takes a long time. Switching to a lightened front driveline is the best bang for your buck to reduce driveline wear.

For a 712, 55MPH works pretty well.

Everyone is sharing the perspective that I expected. The guy selling his truck on eBay had practically disasterous predictions if we drive these things much over 50 mph.

Thanks for the confirmation...now I'm off to Bonneville!

texas pinzgauer wrote:Everyone is sharing the perspective that I expected. The guy selling his truck on eBay had practically disasterous predictions if we drive these things much over 50 mph.

Thanks for the confirmation...now I'm off to Bonneville!

If you get a time slip over 71 MPH, you'll have me beat. Did that in a 712 with a 710 xfer and a TD tranny.

FWIW, My 712M hit 83mph on U.S. Hwy 18-151 between Madison and Blue Mounds, Wis.

Then we unloaded it from the trailer...

I was clocked by a nice police officer following me in his squad car in a 55mph zone

you know ... one of those witht he magnificently calibrated speedometer ...

i say "nice police officer" because he didn't give me a ticket. heck, he didn't even give me a warning. I think he just wanted to look at the pinz.

I am VERY interested to know this also.
I have to make a decision tomorrow if I am buying a Pinzgauer 710M,
The highway travel is a big deal to me, I want to use it for alot of different things, but one of the main ones is camping, which requires highway travel.

What is the "safe" speed to hold these things at on the highway? As far as wear and tear, etc. go.
Max speeds dont really tell you much for real world usage.

~John

When I moved from TN to NC, I drove my 710M. It was a 10-11 hr trip all at 65 mph on I-40. Not something I'd do everyday, but easily done with a well maintained Pinz.

John,
In all seriousness, now. I own a 712, and it's real happy at 50 mph. I wouldn't hesitate to drive it at that speed all day.

The top speed topic has been argued extensively in the past.

Some argue that based on the materials, seals, etc. used on the Pinz it is capable of top interstate speeds.

I have argued from the margin of safety point of view. Of all the vehicles I have owned, if I had to go into a situation requiring either a panic stop or sudden evasive action, my 710 would be my last choice.

The closest I have come to an accident was a 90 degree turn in the road I did not see in time. I had to turn while braking hard. The tail of the 710 is so light that it started to skid and the truck was getting ready to spin. I was able to back off the brakes, get more control of the rear and salvage the situation. But if someone had been coming the other way I would probably have caused an accident.

Of course, every vehicle has its handling limits. I just find the 710 to be unusually bad in this particular scenario.

I have driven the 710 for many hours at 70+ MPH. I just feel that doing so is taking an unnecessary risk. Having the Rancho 9000 shock set to maximum stiffness helps a lot at reducing body roll during turns at high speed.

I have not had the 712 long enough to learn it's handling quirks. I drove it home from the LA Calif area to Utah at 60 MPH. No problem except the occasional fear of being rear-ended.

-Evan

jtice wrote:I am VERY interested to know this also.
I have to make a decision tomorrow if I am buying a Pinzgauer 710M,
The highway travel is a big deal to me, I want to use it for alot of different things, but one of the main ones is camping, which requires highway travel.

What is the "safe" speed to hold these things at on the highway? As far as wear and tear, etc. go.
Max speeds dont really tell you much for real world usage.

~John

Your Pinz may be different, but my 710 likes doing around 55 to 58 miles an hour. I've had no difficulty with it at those speeds and last year drove it from Colorado to Texas in pretty heavy rain storms and on wet roads.

My 712 likes to run from about 52 to 56 mph. It will do at least 62, but I don't like to run it that hard. I've not noticed any problems on the highway with it above 58 mph.

It will probably just boil down to your particular truck.

Andy

Im regularly driving my 712 at 65-70MPH that is based on a GPS. My max GPS speed was 74MPH. Definatly safe, definatly within the limits of the truck.

dokatd wrote:Im regularly driving my 712 at 65-70MPH that is based on a GPS. My max GPS speed was 74MPH. Definatly safe, definatly within the limits of the truck.

I disagree.. Number 1 what is the rpm at those speeds? Than think about the max rpm of the pinz. Number 2 at that speed slam on the brake like your life depended on it and report back.


My 712k Likes 3500 rpm and runs the best at that rpm all day long. A ten hour driving day.

I should mention that the 712 has the transfer case from a 710 (gear ratios that result in higher speed for a given RPM than a stock 712).

I drove 60 MPH on the highway because it felt about right, not because I was pushing redline or anything.

I think all would agree that certain wear modalities increase while driving at high speed on the highway.

For me, my most expensive repairs have been from under 30 MPH driving on forest service roads. I didn't see a washout in time, flew across it and landed hard on the other side. Tore up the limiting straps, axle boot mounting rings and other stuff. I broke a windshield from having it down and bouncing around. Ah, the war stories!

-Evan