I think this may the one of the best if not THE BEST beginners four wheeling rule.


build it up right from the start and you wont have to replace stupid things 50 times. I would probably have gone a different route in my buildup if i could have started over, but its all a great pleasure...

 

Im with ya on that, I haven't gotten to play in a while but am aching to, take it easy and go at your own pace is how I've always done things, from racing cars to riding motorcycles to OFFROADING!

 

Yeah, dont go through that big pond that you attempted in a 2wd, if my trucks not there to pull you out, lmao, im glad you didnt try that, because they i would have had to get my truck dirty...it was a blast though, yea ill probably be down for tuesday, just call the cell, if we could do it before noon that would be fine, because i didnt get to bed until late that day and was tired as hell at work.....but taking the 4 wheeler over there i would take my camera but i dont want to loose it in the mud....but we'll see...


Rocky

 

oh yea, and i dont know about lifting the 01 i would just sell the 99 and get something 4 wheel drive, i know you dont want to , but it would be alot better in the long run....

Rocky

 

Do it right the first time, don't buy IFS!

 

once again, i said i had to get rid of a vechicle, i dont have the money to spend to get another one, i have a son on the way

 

Like I said man, if you have the means.

Personally, I've got plenty of (expensive) hobbies, so I too can't afford a second 'beater' for 'trail' use, as much as I'd like to.
This is a tuff one. How is one supposed to build the 'driving' skills w/o actually putting the truck at risk. The same goes for the judgement issues.

And having the right equipment from day one is asking a lot, especially for someone in the market for a Ranger. Let's face it, these aren't exactly the most robust vehicles on the road. In many respects they are built to be affordable.

Lastly, there's the **** happens factor. I know very few people who've broken drive-axle joints, suspension parts, or drivetrain components on purpose.

This is definitely a 'you have to pay to play' activity. The catch is you never really know precisely when or how much you'll have to pay!

 

Did you misinterpret what I said? I didn't say you had to have everything from day one and in fact my posts around this in this topic talk about building things over time.

You do have to put things at "risk" -- but don't you think how MUCH risk is a judgement issue?

The POINT that you may have missed is: by having a plan, being sensible, and building your experience GENTLY, you WILL minimize breakage. Heck, people have broken things in potholes on the street so there are no guarantees.

But what you DO is dependent on what you have. For instance, if you don't have a skid plate, tearing up power steering, tranny cooler, or the radiator suggests something doesn't it? Either you have a JUDGEMENT problem taking on inappropriate obstacles (doing things you shouldn't without a skidplate) -- or you were in general putting yourself in terrain where a skid plate COULD be necessary and your problem is an equipment issue. Having the right protection minimizes the "oh ****" factor.

So I stand on the advice I gave -- although you seem to be saying it doesn't matter.

I don't understand your post at all, Colin, since you seem to be taking what I said as some kind of absolute?

 

wise up - back burner the trucks and concentrate on building your family

 

I say keep your truck low. The first time you scratch the crap out of your truck, you are gonna be pissed. Offroading is fun, but when you start breaking stuff and spending more money than you did before, you will regret lifting it.

 

Well, YOU did anyway, Ryan, lol!

 

some of the best advice i have seen to this date.

 

Uh, I don't think I did! It's possible though..

Didn't mean to **** yah off or anything. I just think that 'off-roading', at least in the abstract, is an expensive undertaking, especially if you rely on the vehicle for things other than off-roading, like for example, getting to work on Monday morning.
Absolutely. But w/o experience, w/o having broken an axle, w/o having seen a front diff eat itself, how is one supposed to make a judgement call about what will cause such a thing to happen.

Mechanical things are funny things. Maybe I'm just innept, but I have a helluva time knowing ahead of time when mechanical devices are going to fail.. or more to the point: how far I can push them before they will.

Quite frankly, I think you've been lucky. Based on the recouts I hear and the things I've seen you do in your truck first hand, I'm surprised you haven't broken more. Folks we know sure have. Carl's little sitation in Centralia a few years back comes to mind. Everyone I've talked to that was there said they were a little shocked he did that much damage that easily. And except for the generous help of others, he'd have been stranded and out some serious cashola to repair and hobble home. From my vantage, he strikes me as one helluva resourceful person. And I'm willing to suggest that that resourcefulness is what got him out of that situation w/ as little impact as he did.

There's a post over on TRS from one of the kids I went out w/ a couple months ago here locally. He's got a ~'99 Ranger 4x4. Everytime he goes out he seems to break something new. First it was the t-case, then hubs, and when I was w/ him it was the front diff. He completely munched it on the first big mud hole.. maybe 30 min into the day. He'd been through that same hole a couple of times before w/o problem.. in his judgement, it was doable, and he was equipped for it. In the end he had to get winched out and parked the truck, his day was done. He posted complaining that he never gets to off-road the truck, everytime he gets out there something fails within the first few minutes. I feel for the kid too. He spent the bucks making the truck 'trail worthy', learned from watching others, and even used his head to keep things in check. He still had what I imagine was one helluva repair bill at the end of the day. Fortunately his truck was still drivable.

5 min later another guy popped a u-joint just turning around in the woods. Everyone's judgement said that shouldn't have happened. He too was pretty much done for the day.

Like I said, **** happens.

That was my entire point: that things happen and it can get expensive quick, no matter how prepared, equipped, careful, or experienced you are. Not trying to rock the boat, honest.

 

i agree with you on that


but the truck has a lowering kit on it already, and i have a lift kit that will be sitting in the garage, im not spending money to lift it, i have the rims and tires


and you guys think i plan to go all out and hardcore, I mean, the 99 is lifted and a daily driver, i just plan to swap that lift onto my 01. Its still 95% street and 5%offroad, so i still dont see a problem with it all, people have lifted dailys all the time, its just how and when i choose to offroad that makes problems

 

well to learn what your abilities are you can easily watch experienced guys wheel. A few little key points you have to learn such as dont spin your wheels TOO fast, dont do the spinning hop, cause thats how you break axles. sometimes people are just unlucky, but Ide be willing to go as far as saying a good driver can avoid stuff like that. If you surround yourself with the stuff you will be more inept to figure out whats good and bad before you have to go find out yourself. some stuff you just have to learn along the way. and parts breaking is a part of becoming a more experianced wheeler. but keep a good group with you at all times, dont gets stupid and dont always just lay on the pedal and you will get far.

 

Yes, Colin, that's what I'm saying -- you learn from others.

I in fact posted about wheeling with guys you can trust and use THEIR judgement until yours comes "up to speed".

I don't think you have to have a lot of breakage to get experience! I've had very little overall and most of the money was spent buying things I wanted for upgrades (and really very little of that as I shopped well, lol) and the like.

But besides the luck or grace-of-God factor, the reason I've had little breakage is from listening to those more experienced than I -- both in terms of what to build up, and how to drive.

Edit: In fact, there was a pretty good editorian on this subject that I am basically parroting to some extent. It was in Petersen's 4 Wheel Offroad magazine but I don't remember what month. They talked about the idea that if you are breaking things alot, somethings WRONG with how you're wheeling or what you're wheeling.

 

As I said, I think you've been lucky. Maybe I'm just a wuss, but this is one of those areas I'd rather not play w/o a net. My point was to share experience I've seen and heard of where things haven't worked out just fine in the end and warn that this too can happen to you!
I dunno man. I'm a firm believer in luck. Somedays you have it, somedays you don't.. If I could afford it, I'd want a backup plan for those days I don't.

 

One should never depend on luck.

I don't know, Colin, you don't seem to accept the idea that preparation and training can minimize problems. Maybe because I work in industry I fully appreciate what that means, and I think most military guys would get it also. It really DOES make a difference.

What I've seen more than anything else, is people "pushing the envelope" without common sense and breaking things, more than just "luck". I can think of two instances where "bad luck" figured in some peoples breakage I know -- but for most of us it is a matter of not doing what we should have.

Knowing better how to proceed, and preparing, DOES keep the problems down.

 

Wow! You really can be one abrasive sunnava gun!
I fully accept that such things can minimize problems, but I know from first hand experience that such activities cannot eliminate problems.

And I don't think it has anything to do w/ the industry we work in or military experience. But then maybe I just don't get it..

 

You just bring out the sandpaper in me, what can I say?

 

It's moments like this where I sympathize w/ the problems Dave has w/ you.

 

Don't forget the problems he has IN GENERAL, lol...

 

I agree with this 100%. You need a reliable daily driver... something you can haul parts around in, go to work/school in, etc etc. My Toyota is about to be too dangerous to drive on the street, however "legal" it might be. A welded rear-end can get kind of sketchy, especially when shifting or coming to a stop.

If you like off-roading and want to do more than go mudding on the weekends.... get a serious beater. I'd go with an early 80's Toyota (I'm Biased) or an XJ Jeep.

 

I just want an early Toyota AXLE for my SAS, lol.

 

I have yet to wheel with Carl, but I didn't call Tom the "Trail Angel" for nothing last fall.. hes the ultimate offroading buddy, always looking out for the other guy.