chiplee Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) Took a little ride with some friends from work this weekend. Nothing too gnarly but a little more than I expected at one point. Thought I'd ask and see if we have any pros on here who could tell me what I should do next to get a little better performance than I got. At one point I nearly rolled my truck. I'm pretty new to the whole wheeling scene. For starters I figure I should have aired down the tires and probably shouldn't have tried going up the hill I was on without lockers. This was pretty much my first major trail though and I was told there was nothing to worry about. I have no sliders or armor and just barely made it out unscathed for the day. Some of the rock trails on down into last chance canyon are too rough for comfort with no armor. This first video is just to give you an idea of the grade. It only gets steeper toward the bottom and the videos of my truck look deceptively mild from the top down perspective. http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc82/chipleeiii/th_heapdown.jpg This is headed down. Gravity rocks. http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc82/chipleeiii/th_4Runnerdown.jpg And this is failing to make it back up and getting pretty out of shape. Remember when my front left goes in the air that I'm already on about a 40 degree incline. http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc82/chipleeiii/th_Runnerup.jpg I'll see what pics I have from the day too but this was the area I wanted you fellas' advice on. I was thinking a front or rear diff locker would be a good start. If you're going to have only one then which one should it be? That, skid plates and rock sliders would have made me much more comfortable to beat on it. With none of that I was pretty nervous all day. I'm sure there'll be comments about the commentary. The guy with no accent is a navy commander, Hornet pilot and flight surgeon. The brit is a British Sea Harrier pilot here on a Hornet exchange to test Joint strike fighter stuff as it comes down the pike. Edited December 9, 2008 by chiplee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack_Morris Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 from the 4runner guys i've talked to in the past, they preferred a front locker if you were only going to have one. of course, they DID prefer both, at the very least LSDs in both. airing down your tires would have been a good start, but with that rain (i'm assuming it was raining cuz the wipers) dirty rock get slick fast. rock sliders and maybe a brush guard for protection are good ideas to have if you plan on playing in some rough country. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiplee Posted December 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 from the 4runner guys i've talked to in the past, they preferred a front locker if you were only going to have one. of course, they DID prefer both, at the very least LSDs in both. airing down your tires would have been a good start, but with that rain (i'm assuming it was raining cuz the wipers) dirty rock get slick fast. rock sliders and maybe a brush guard for protection are good ideas to have if you plan on playing in some rough country. Yeah I was going to skip the brush guard and go for a full up winch bumper but I can't decide whether to build it or buy it. The only decent one available for 4th gen 4runners is $1200 to start, without accessories, which would probably be another $1000 easy. Looks like this http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/aa228/crozhawk/Mojave%20Road%20Expedition/DSC00286.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 start with an older beat up truck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiplee Posted December 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 start with an older beat up truck lol, yeah that would probably help, shelby. I basically got showed up by a guy in a suzuki sidekick with no lift and stock sized tires. He has a rear locker and doesn't care if he destroys it so he just slings the thing at terrain and hopes for the best. I was pretty tentative in my truck all day. That's what makes me think front and rear lockers would make my "wheeling experience" more enjoyable. I won't have to rely on momentum to get over stuff. Relying on momentum feels dangerous, like rocks crushing doors and quarter panels dangerous, or punching holes in differentials dangerous. This is my daily transportation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 i got a neighbor that plays in the mud with them,, they almost walk on water lol he's got one on 38"'s and a 302 ford v8 in it , on a hill if you gas it, it'l just flip over back wards , heck it'l do the same thing on flat road only one out come will ever come out of you useing you new truck and you already know what that will be , no one has to tell you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dcrasta Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Relying on momentum feels dangerous, like rocks crushing doors and quarter panels dangerous, or punching holes in differentials dangerous. This is my daily transportation. Umm.. U make good money You can find a beater Jeep for under 1000 . Put in a Rubicon express lift kit and throw it at the mountain... Otherwise make sure when you destroy your truck to get it on video! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BOHO Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Lockers would help you out a lot chip...I'll have to find some pics of my Toyota.....It had the same stanse you've got on the 4runner....If you don't go all out...your not going to be able to "idle" up rocks like that ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natedog_37 Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) I use to offroad all the time Had a 87 Ramcharger with a 72 Frame dana 60 front and rear full lock. 33" Groundhog tires. 6 " Life 3" body lift 440 BB in it. It was a tank and got 5 MPG hence why I sold it. As people said get a beater don't use your nice truck.. You are just going to get it dented up. Edited December 9, 2008 by natedog_37 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turborusty Posted December 9, 2008 Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 Chip, are you near Ridgecrest? That China Lake? Turborusty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiplee Posted December 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) Chip, are you near Ridgecrest? That China Lake? Turborusty Yeah that's right. As for the other questions and input. I think I can manage to keep it shiny if I outfit it properly. I know several guys that wheel newer 4Runners than mine. I just won't screw around in stuff that rough (most of the roughest rocks and stuff are not on these videos) again until it's fully built. I actually know a guy that climbed that hill in a bone stock 4Runner with running boards and stock tires, just relying on the ATRAC to apply power to the wheels that needed it. It was also dry that day but whatever. I had it in 4LO with the center diff locked but did not pick 1st gear. As you can see the ATRAC apparently gets behind if you gas it too much. Newer 4Runners do ok with rock sliders and skids http://www.ezdries.net/Vidpics/Jawbone07/Jawbone07.mov Edited December 9, 2008 by chiplee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 with off roaders and muders the end result is always the same Chip,,the truck gets trash'd sooner or later Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey_L Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 ROCK SLIDERS then LOCKERS And my poser jeep flex shot so show that I am "hardcore" http://lh6.ggpht.com/_VUaI7bsfmok/SL4Oh3hIk6I/AAAAAAAAAmY/a2EZMCFtoQY/s640/riohva%2007%20015.JPG Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zack_Morris Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 ^^^ Moar info on ZJ. NAOW!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GAflatty Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 (edited) Casey, what wheels are those on your jeep? i am trying to find something for my ranger and those look real good :thumbsup: Edited December 10, 2008 by GAflatty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minagera Posted December 10, 2008 Report Share Posted December 10, 2008 Start with something simple like a locker in the rear. If you are going to spend the money on a locker do it right the first time and get a Detroit locker. You are going to have to spend on the money to get the rearend shimmed right wanywya, just a few more hundred. If you don't want to fork out the dough for the full blown locker you can do a "lunchbox" locker. You don't have to remove the carrier, just slip in the two halves in there and go. They work fairly well. I would agree with a few opinions of getting a POS jeep for 1000 bucks or something and roll some axels under it. You cannot really destroy one, and you just break the body panels. Then you aren't out any $$$. The 4Runner is too nice to bang up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turborusty Posted December 11, 2008 Report Share Posted December 11, 2008 Chip, the reason I asked if that's where it is is because I grew up not far from there............ Dammit, I feel for ya man. There's not much of anything out there besides desert and oil rigs. I suppose it's a good place to fly jets. I was born and raised in Corcoran, which is just about 60 miles north of Bakersfield. Turborusty Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edde Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Now that everyone's finished... buy a dirtbike :biggrinumbrella1: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jisleyjr Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Did the camera guy say "unlimited slip"? haha Dump the IFS for a solid axle. Ya, lockers for the front. And get a better spotter, someone that tells you the line to take, you could have easily rolled down the hill there. My brothers are big into crawling. They drive to Moab about every year. This is my brother's jeep. My other brother's wife made him sell his yota. http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p299/jisleyjr/DSCN1828.jpg http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p299/jisleyjr/DSCN1832.jpg http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p299/jisleyjr/Moab08114.jpg A 92 with a lift, 38's or 36" tires, Klun, transfer case out of a ford, dana 44's front and rear, 5.11 or 4.88 gears (i forget), lockers of course. This darn thing takes up the entire garage almost year round. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostStar Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 lockers make it easy. im locked front and rear. tires are a big plus too. here is my poser pic. We also have a 76 scout that has open difs and my wife wont even ride with me offroadin it because it slides everywhere. In my jeep with the lockers she hardly gets scared. lockers ftw 95 cherokee 4L 4.10s detroit lockers tera 2 way transfer case 3.5 pro comp lift super swampers magna flow exhaust http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v50/roxycutie182/halloween015.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiplee Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 lockers make you any more prone to breaking drive line parts like u-joints and such? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GhostStar Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 lockers make you any more prone to breaking drive line parts like u-joints and such? oh yeah you have to know when to use your locker and when not too. if your going to be doing sharp turns always unlock. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minagera Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 lockers make you any more prone to breaking drive line parts like u-joints and such? U-joints is a negative. The axles shafts you might break, but only if you are juicing it hard on the dry pavement. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiplee Posted December 12, 2008 Author Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 oh yeah you have to know when to use your locker and when not too. if your going to be doing sharp turns always unlock. Guess that would make air lockers pretty convenient Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minagera Posted December 12, 2008 Report Share Posted December 12, 2008 Guess that would make air lockers pretty convenient Or Electric Lockers. Just get a good Detroit lockers and be done with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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