Is Lift and Larger Tires Necessary for Overlanding

[BAT]

Is it necessary to lift the JT and put larger tires on it to do overlanding ? Being down in South Texas I don't think there is a ton of overlanding areas unless you go down too the big bend area, etc possibly. I haven't done any but once I get the truck it might be something I would like to try occasionally. Its primary goal will be a daily driver and hauling my kayaks and camping gear around to various locations (Mostly pavement driving other than some areas where its beach/sand and 4 wheel drive is required. But the overlanding thing looks interesting. Not really rock crawling more just some offroad trail, etc that might lead to some very nice camping areas. I suppose there are varying levels of roughness. I was just wondering if lifting, etc would be required. I do plan to run 33's on the truck to keep the gas mileage decent.

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[G8R]

In my opinion the vast majority of “overlanding” trips/trails can be done with a stock jeep.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Is it necessary to lift the JT and put larger tires on it to do overlanding ? Being down in South Texas I don't think there is a ton of overlanding areas unless you go down too the big bend area, etc possibly. I haven't done any but once I get the truck it might be something I would like to try occasionally. Its primary goal will be a daily driver and hauling my kayaks and camping gear around to various locations (Mostly pavement driving other than some areas where its beach/sand and 4 wheel drive is required. But the overlanding thing looks interesting. Not really rock crawling more just some offroad trail, etc that might lead to some very nice camping areas. I suppose there are varying levels of roughness. I was just wondering if lifting, etc would be required. I do plan to run 33's on the truck to keep the gas mileage decent.

IMO they built the thing with the stock angles and ground clearance for that purpose - buy it and use it.
Save the later lift and bigger tires for the toughest stuff if you need. Even stock these will do amazing things from what we can see even in this forum.

Check out what these CARS do then try to imagine that a JT can't do this? (I have one of these SX4s myself)

 

[WhatExit?]

Is it necessary to lift the JT and put larger tires on it to do overlanding ?

No! Absolutely not.

A stock Jeep can do way more Offroad than:
1. Any stock vehicle
2. Most drivers are willing to do

Best advice for all Jeep owners: drive your Jeep stock off road in 2WD to see what it can do and then put it in 4-Hi and finally 4-low.

Then you’ll be able to determine what, if anything you want to change or upgrade.

 

[Factoid]

^This is exactly right. If you find that aggressive rock crawling is your thing, then you would make different changes than say the aggressive mall crawler. Only experience and discovery of what you enjoy most will guide your upgrade decisions if any.

 

[ShadowsPapa]

Exactly right - these two guys said it very well.

 

[TheHops]

No! Absolutely not.

A stock Jeep can do way more Offroad than:
1. Any stock vehicle
2. Most drivers are willing to do

Best advice for all Jeep owners: drive your Jeep stock off road in 2WD to see what it can do and then put it in 4-Hi and finally 4-low.

Then you’ll be able to determine what, if anything you want to change or upgrade.

This is great advice, and is generally where I start any time I get a new 4wd vehicle.

^This is exactly right. If you find that aggressive rock crawling is your thing, then you would make different changes than say the aggressive mall crawler. Only experience and discovery of what you enjoy most will guide your upgrade decisions if any.

Agreed.

With overland/vehicle dependent exploration/whatever you want to call it, in my opinion, you should always strive to choose function over form. If a lift, and larger tires are more *functional* for how you use your vehicle, then they are probably a good decision. I think that "necessary" is a strong word though. With as capable as these things are, just about the only thing that is "necessary" for overland is the fuel to get there and back.

My first overland rig was a full size truck with a 6 inch lift and 35s. The tires were great, but the lift felt a bit like overkill. With loads on the roof, the center of gravity felt way too high. My second rig had just over 1 inch of lift and 32s, and though it did great on trails and fire roads, it struggled a bit over any serious terrain that came between me, and my destination. This time, I plan to settle somewhere in between. For my build this time around, I am leaning towards a moderate lift (1.5" - 3") with 35" ridge grapplers. Based off of my limited experience with the JT so far, it absolutely doesn't seem necessary, however it will allow me to traverse the terrain that I have planned in a safer, easier, more predictable way, all while maintaining on-road functionality.

 

[Mark Doiron]

... I do plan to run 33's on the truck to keep the gas mileage decent.

You'll be fine. As others have suggested, the best way to decide on mods is to get out there and learn what you need. A bit tougher in Texas, but you do have Big Bend and I know some folks who have done some shorter trips to South Padre Island (Or was it Padre Island? The less busy one of the two!). Nothing in either of them would be difficult for your Gladiator with 33s. Some other places you may find you drag your tail a little bit. And you may want to be prepared to be pulled over if you high-center. But that's always a risk no matter how you build your rig because there's always tougher routes that are temptations.

"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go." --T. S. Eliot

 

[BAT]

Thanks for the info. I really not interested in a lift but I do like the tires that are on the Rubicon and I think those are 33's. Not interested in rock crawling for the most part but I do like to go camping out of the way areas and after looking at some of the videos posted on here and you tube. Looks like a good way to get to some out of the way camping locations. Around here its mostly just simple offroads and beach. There are a couple of beach launch locations and camping locations we go to that cannot be accessed without 4 wheel drive so it will come in handy for that. I saw that the Sam Houston Forest had an overlanding/offroad trail and that is only little over an hour run from me. We are talking about moving after my daughter gets out of High School (3 more years). Wife wants to go somewhere a bit cooler as the brutal heat during the summer months has been kicking her ass and giving her some problems over the past few years. But the rest of the year is great weather. We been talking about maybe Colorado or North Carolina, etc. Also around that time I will be ready to step away from full time employment assuming all goes as planned. Now I just have to settle on the model in the coming months. I had pretty much settled on the Sport S Max Tow but dang when I put in the things I want I see some folks are able to get a Rubicon and while I don't need a Rubicon if I were to pay that much money perhaps its just best to buy more in case I use it later or just go with a less loaded Sport S Max Tow.

 

[Klutch]

The way most people modify their vehicles is paradoxical. That is, the mods tend to be based more on trends than necessity. What people see on TV shows is a primary factor. This isn't a good idea because what is portrayed on car and truck TV shows is all about what the sponsors want to show and not what makes sense. I don't have a lot of off road experience, but I do have some.

A few years ago I accompanied my dad with his off-roading club on a trip over the mountains near Pahrump, Nevada. These mountains are surprisingly high and rugged; not what most people would expect in Nevada. My dad and I were in an older, Arctic Cat 4-wheeler which was designed mostly as a ranch vehicle. Along with us was a couple visiting from out of state driving a mostly stock Toyota Forerunner.

I was surprised how well the Forerunner did. We were traversing what were just barely roads. Many were washed out with large rocks protruding everywhere. My dad's little 4-wheeler and the the Forerunner rolled along without issue. At one point, we encountered a guy in a bone stock, 2WD Chevrolet pickup. He had traversed every trail we had and was simply pulled over and taking in the view.

I grew up mostly in Southern California and my dad had a friend who owned an early 1970s Jeep. He put a Chevrolet 350 with open headers under the hood and a roll bar over the top. It was lifted just a little. Yeah, we could take that Jeep anywhere off the street and have a blast. He would mount paddle tires on all four corners and tear around Pismo Beach. I rode with him at Pismo and man, was that fun! And in a V8 Jeep, we were also the fastest thing on the dunes.

I lived in Arizona for a few years back in the late 70s. This was the home of the Bigfoot monster truck and was a time where off-roading and modifying 4X4s was becoming huge. The common joke was that you could take the biggest, baddest 4X4 as far into the wilderness as possible and, eventually, some hippies in a VW Microbus would come rattling up and ask you how to get back to the highway. Funny, yes, but also surprisingly true.

Sure, serious rock-crawling requires some serious lift. But as for most four-wheeling, it's rarely necessary from what I've seen. I would eventually like to install some wider tires on my Sport S, but not taller tires. I don't want to kill the gearing or bother with clearance issues.

 

[hjdca]

There are two philosophies in building your 4 wheeler -- "Add" and "Replace". My philosophy is to always do the "Add" first. This makes the truck fully 4 wheeling capable for adventures. You can do the "Replace" later... -- (ie. tires, Springs, shocks, etc... when your original tires wear out).

 

[ShadowsPapa]

The way most people modify their vehicles is paradoxical. That is, the mods tend to be based more on trends than necessity. What people see on TV shows is a primary factor. This isn't a good idea because what is portrayed on car and truck TV shows is all about what the sponsors want to show and not what makes sense. I don't have a lot of off road experience, but I do have some.

A few years ago I accompanied my dad with his off-roading club on a trip over the mountains near Pahrump, Nevada. These mountains are surprisingly high and rugged; not what most people would expect in Nevada. My dad and I were in an older, Arctic Cat 4-wheeler which was designed mostly as a ranch vehicle. Along with us was a couple visiting from out of state driving a mostly stock Toyota Forerunner.

I was surprised how well the Forerunner did. We were traversing what were just barely roads. Many were washed out with large rocks protruding everywhere. My dad's little 4-wheeler and the the Forerunner rolled along without issue. At one point, we encountered a guy in a bone stock, 2WD Chevrolet pickup. He had traversed every trail we had and was simply pulled over and taking in the view.

I grew up mostly in Southern California and my dad had a friend who owned an early 1970s Jeep. He put a Chevrolet 350 with open headers under the hood and a roll bar over the top. It was lifted just a little. Yeah, we could take that Jeep anywhere off the street and have a blast. He would mount paddle tires on all four corners and tear around Pismo Beach. I rode with him at Pismo and man, was that fun! And in a V8 Jeep, we were also the fastest thing on the dunes.

I lived in Arizona for a few years back in the late 70s. This was the home of the Bigfoot monster truck and was a time where off-roading and modifying 4X4s was becoming huge. The common joke was that you could take the biggest, baddest 4X4 as far into the wilderness as possible and, eventually, some hippies in a VW Microbus would come rattling up and ask you how to get back to the highway. Funny, yes, but also surprisingly true.

Sure, serious rock-crawling requires some serious lift. But as for most four-wheeling, it's rarely necessary from what I've seen. I would eventually like to install some wider tires on my Sport S, but not taller tires. I don't want to kill the gearing or bother with clearance issues.

Maybe you've seen the videos I've posted of the challenges guys took their Eagles and Jeep Cherokees and Grand Cherokees through - often keeping up with the big boys, sometimes doing better. No lifts, no big tires, but doing MOAB, and some serious rock climbing and crawling - in one video, in the rain, and making it.............
A lot of the modding is for fun and show. and for a few, bigger tires = ........................

 

[bgenlvtex]

Are a lift and larger tires required? Absolutely not.

A Rubicon is incredibly capable right off of the showroom floor.

That said, my personal opinion is that a Rubicon should come with the 2" lift installed already and they should just add it to the base price.

 

[PyrPatriot]

Overlanding often means bringing stuff with you. Lifting will affect payload capacity. Larger tires will affect towing capacity. I would leave stock except some better tires (not bigger)

 

[BAT]

Well I would certainly like to add a winch eventually cause I have seen those come in handy on some of the beach portings when I have ridden with others and someone gets stuck pretty good.

My brother used to be into the Monster Truck stuff and the amount of money he blew on that I never understood. He had a truck you needed a step ladder to get into and the thing got like 4 mpg. He would take it to these mudding things and blow an engine and who knows what else then have to fix or replace it and I lost count how many times he did that. Outside of that he just used it to cruise around in. The girls used to like to ride in it. Hell I couldn't even afford the gas to run that thing back then.

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