Is off roading too easy nowadays?

[ScottBeach]

I spent a week at jeep beach helping people on obstacle courses
The older stuff had to work fairly hard to run the same course as a newer rig.

But is it just too easy today?

We don't need to manage a clutch
We don't need to manage wheel spin (throttle control really isn't what it had to be 30 years ago)
We complain about power but we have soo much tq on tap now

All our new trucks do it so much easier. But is that better?

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[AmosMoses]

The downside to newer jeeps is the complexity of everything and the bigger size and weight. Makes for a much nicer on road experience though.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

I spent a week at jeep beach helping people on obstacle courses
The older stuff had to work fairly hard to run the same course as a newer rig.

But is it just too easy today?

We don't need to manage a clutch
We don't need to manage wheel spin (throttle control really isn't what it had to be 30 years ago)
We complain about power but we have soo much tq on tap now

All our new trucks do it so much easier. But is that better?

The new 4x4s do it easier because the masses aren't experience off-roaders.

Picking the 'right line' and such that we old schoolers lived by, are being replaced with brake actuated traction control and factory lockers.

Sadly, if something breaks, these new generations of people can't fix it. They can't even change a tire. The days of me or someone like me, being under a Jeep at 2AM swapping out a broken outer u-joint on the trail are almost over.

It is a good time to be old. I hate ignorance.

 

[Zachanadandy]

I'd hardly call Jeep beach the proving ground of hard wheeling. Obviously the amazing crawl ratio of the 8 speed auto paired with the rubicon tcase is unprecedented from the factory, as are lockers and sway bar disconnects. But us hard core wheelers Obviously ran lockers and even doublers back in the day to get those same advantages. If you're comparing box stock the JLUR with the xr/35" tire package and it's ridiculous 86-1 crawl ratio destroys all the old rigs so bad it's almost comical. Even the OG Rubicon with the auto only had a 47-1 crawl ratio and 31s. Even the manual with the AX5 only had a 64-1 crawl ratio. Our rigs stock are as good off road as very built ones from 20 years ago and light years ahead of those built ones on road. Instead of some newbie/man made obstacles at jeep beach, take a JT or JL through the Rubicon and let us know if you think it's too easy. Yes it's much more comfortable and enjoyable than taking my old XJ through, but I wouldn't call it easy.

 

[Janster]

Back in my younger years …. We had a built YJ on 35’s.

33’s were standard…..35’s were considered BIG ….and 37’s were HUGE (and rare).

But holy crap?? Nowadays……ya’ll are putting 37’s, 40’s, and 42’s…..

Back when the Rubicon first came out….. a friend of ours bought one… He kept it completely stock (car-like tires). He‘d climbed over everything making it look effortless. I remember the one day he had the jeep crawling on the trail while he was walking beside it.

 

[ScottBeach]

The jeep beach isn't hard. But we had a lot of older tj get stuck in the mud. Traction control helps so much in the mud.

 

[CyberShanks]

I still like my old TJ, 117:1 crawl ratio, three pedals, Dana60/70 front, Dana60 rear, 40" Iroks and 14" travel coilovers. I've still done trails that give it a challenge.
I've also put my wife's JKUR on 35"s places it probably shouldn't have been. It's all what you're comfortable with and going out and enjoying some quality time with some good friends IMO.
Jim

 

[Wheelin98TJ]

The jeep beach isn't hard. But we had a lot of older tj get stuck in the mud. Traction control helps so much in the mud.

Those TJs must not have had lockers or good tires. Lockers are much better than any traction control in mud.

 

[AKDrifter]

People don't want to have to do the wrench time to be able to get outdoors anymore. The only place I see people welding their rigs together anymore is lower enlisted housing on base. These newer rigs are pretty capable. People don't have to shorten Chevy 14 bolts and figure axle geometry and spring perch placement to fit on a Bronco 2 anymore to get out and have a ball. Part of it is sad. But I think it's phenomenal really. My wife was crazy sad when we finally sold what became a trailered only K5. Lots of fun memories and whatnot but I just started to prefer the more modern Wranglers after I drove my first TJ. The poor K5 sat for nearly a decade before I sold it. The technology sucks when it breaks for sure. I'm highly skeptical I'll see people pulling broken axle shafts out on a trail and sliding in new ones on anything newer than a TJ. That's probably the thing I dislike the most, seeing the know how and innovation die as younger people tend to just pay someone for services instead of learning how to do it. But I'm not young anymore and I've not been that into it for a while. The more people get interested and can go out and have a fun day in the woods the better though. I dont disparage a kid in a brand new 392 Wrangler on 37s out in the woods, at least he's out there.

 

[OldButStillJeeping]

Edits are mine: Back in my younger years …. We had a built CJs on 33’s.

29’s were standard…..31’s were considered BIG ….and 35’s were HUGE (and rare).

But holy crap?? Nowadays……ya’ll are putting 37’s, 40’s, and 42’s…..

Nobody I knew had lockers. It was open diffs everywhere. rear traction control was called your parking brake.

Back when the Rubicon first came out….. a friend of ours bought one… He kept it completely stock (car-like tires). He‘d climbed over everything making it look effortless. I remember the one day he had the jeep crawling on the trail while he was walking beside it. We did that a lot after a few beers. LOL

 

[Sweetums]

I spent a week at jeep beach helping people on obstacle courses
The older stuff had to work fairly hard to run the same course as a newer rig.

But is it just too easy today?

We don't need to manage a clutch
We don't need to manage wheel spin (throttle control really isn't what it had to be 30 years ago)
We complain about power but we have soo much tq on tap now

All our new trucks do it so much easier. But is that better?

No.
Drive harder trails.

Once upon a time you were Mr. Big Stuff if you had 33" tires. These days 37" tires are dailies and 39"+ is almost necessary to do the hard trails.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I'd hardly call Jeep beach the proving ground of hard wheeling. Obviously the amazing crawl ratio of the 8 speed auto paired with the rubicon tcase is unprecedented from the factory, as are lockers and sway bar disconnects. But us hard core wheelers Obviously ran lockers and even doublers back in the day to get those same advantages. If you're comparing box stock the JLUR with the xr/35" tire package and it's ridiculous 86-1 crawl ratio destroys all the old rigs so bad it's almost comical. Even the OG Rubicon with the auto only had a 47-1 crawl ratio and 31s. Even the manual with the AX5 only had a 64-1 crawl ratio. Our rigs stock are as good off road as very built ones from 20 years ago and light years ahead of those built ones on road. Instead of some newbie/man made obstacles at jeep beach, take a JT or JL through the Rubicon and let us know if you think it's too easy. Yes it's much more comfortable and enjoyable than taking my old XJ through, but I wouldn't call it easy.

Agreed. Everything evolves. Better equipment. Bigger obstacles. I take lines that look fun to try to figure out. Sometimes it absolutely does not work. Sometimes it does, but there is plenty of challenge left. Plenty.

 

[professorkx]

Short answer…Yes, the new rigs cover a lot of inexperienced drivers mistakes. I think My new Gladiator is the first automatic 4x4 I’ve owned in over 4 decades of wheeling, and the automatic makes wheeling sooo much easier. I think the problem is that with a new rig, an inexperienced driver can get themselves into trouble without knowing they are heading down a dark path until its too late.

With that said, I still love taking my 47 cj2a truck conversion to places like Moab. Open diffs, manual trans, 33 inch tires and a lot of the old school charm that brings back memories of wheeling days gone by…best of all, I built the 47 truck conversion myself…

 

[WILDHOBO]

People don't want to have to do the wrench time to be able to get outdoors anymore. The only place I see people welding their rigs together anymore is lower enlisted housing on base. These newer rigs are pretty capable. People don't have to shorten Chevy 14 bolts and figure axle geometry and spring perch placement to fit on a Bronco 2 anymore to get out and have a ball. Part of it is sad. But I think it's phenomenal really. My wife was crazy sad when we finally sold what became a trailered only K5. Lots of fun memories and whatnot but I just started to prefer the more modern Wranglers after I drove my first TJ. The poor K5 sat for nearly a decade before I sold it. The technology sucks when it breaks for sure. I'm highly skeptical I'll see people pulling broken axle shafts out on a trail and sliding in new ones on anything newer than a TJ. That's probably the thing I dislike the most, seeing the know how and innovation die as younger people tend to just pay someone for services instead of learning how to do it. But I'm not young anymore and I've not been that into it for a while. The more people get interested and can go out and have a fun day in the woods the better though. I dont disparage a kid in a brand new 392 Wrangler on 37s out in the woods, at least he's out there.

I disagree. I’m constantly wrenching on mine to make it more capable, and to fix what I’ve broken. It’s 70 percent of the hobby for me. This is just the last two days.

 

[AKDrifter]

I disagree. I’m constantly wrenching on mine to make it more capable, and to fix what I’ve broken. It’s 70 percent of the hobby for me. This is just the last two days.

Looks phenomenal! I just don't see young people outside the motorpool or people born into the fabrication world doing it because it's fun for them. Part of that is great, it means the stuff available today isn't breaking as much as the old stuff. But they'd rather pay for the work they do need than actually get under something. A lot of it is because their parents just didn't expose them to it. I'm guilty of that to an extent. Pulling an engine because its the only way to replace a blown steering box in the middle of nowhere is just how I was raised. Not everyone was, my kids weren't to the same extent I was. I get it. I doubt I'll see a spare hub, drive or axle shaft, hell a U Joint or a basic tool kit in half of the rigs i see out there today. 30 years ago that wasn't the case. You had to be much more self reliant. I do still play around with stuff, but it really is a young man's game. That's not to say that us older guys can't get it done, I can still do the impropmtu bench press of a C6 because the damn kid screwed something up suddenly. I'm just going to pay for it the next day.

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