Is off roading too easy nowadays?

[Supazuk]

I sort of understand what you’re getting at, but it’s not clicking. Can you at some point when you have time take some pictures of the setup?

I'll try to figure a way to post a DIY or maybe i can find the mag article its some where in a box

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[NC_Overland]

Yes and No. Never underestimate the capability of a stock light weight 4wd. Especially, a beater. Hell, 2wds if you really send it. My old 2wd S10 Blazer I had in high school and college was surprisingly capable. Even after 300k+ miles. It just never broke and always got me there. It was light and I was ignorantly fearless.

 

[Artsifrtsi]

I have toe bars. I rotate them up to touch the rear of the caliper on both sides, that way they’re in the same position on both rotors. What’s the significance of the tire diameter?

You really should be getting your bars to be parallel with your work surface, whether it is your driveway, shop floor, etc, and axles mimicking the same loads as they would be driving (vehicle on jackstands under axles...) This way you take into account the castor angles of your steering relative to the surface.

You take your measurements at the diameter of the tire. When you install larger tires, you need to reset your toe for the larger size. Going from a stock sized tire to a much larger tire, your toe can be off by 1/8 inch or more if you do not re-adjust for the new tire size. Think about it this way... take a string and secure 1 end to a nail. Make a mark 15 inches away, and pull the string tight between those marks. Now extend out and make another mar at 18 inches along the string, with the string aligned on the first 2 marks. Now measure 1/8 inch to the side of the mark at 15 inches, and pull the string tight to align that new mark, and measure how far away the string is from the mark at 18 inches...

 

[ourjeeps]

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.

Spot on.

We ended up self-building an '02 TJ Sahara (for the D44) as a "Rubicon" (mostly) before Jeep could belatedly get the Rubi's off the assembly line. We voided most of our factory warranty but Just Empty Every Pocket (JEEP) as the saying goes.

Drove it on the namesake trail (4 days to go ~32 miles) only to see two groups of Rubicon prototypes on the trail, as we did it.

 

[KevinC]

Yes, it's gotten easier. Technology, both mechanical and virtual. The product coming off the assembly line is better. But also the information that is easy to obtain is better.

I grew up running to the local Jiffy Store every month to buy the latest 4WD and Offroad magazine. That was how we got information. I drove for many years before I finally found out that lowering tire pressure off road (both sand and rocks) helps traction and reduces the risk of puncture. Now there is thousands of Youtube how-to videos showing you everything.

 

[WILDHOBO]

You really should be getting your bars to be parallel with your work surface, whether it is your driveway, shop floor, etc, and axles mimicking the same loads as they would be driving (vehicle on jackstands under axles...) This way you take into account the castor angles of your steering relative to the surface.

You take your measurements at the diameter of the tire. When you install larger tires, you need to reset your toe for the larger size. Going from a stock sized tire to a much larger tire, your toe can be off by 1/8 inch or more if you do not re-adjust for the new tire size. Think about it this way... take a string and secure 1 end to a nail. Make a mark 15 inches away, and pull the string tight between those marks. Now extend out and make another mar at 18 inches along the string, with the string aligned on the first 2 marks. Now measure 1/8 inch to the side of the mark at 15 inches, and pull the string tight to align that new mark, and measure how far away the string is from the mark at 18 inches...

Shit. So I may have set it way off the last time I did it. Maybe I’ll forget the brackets and just use 4’ levels on each wheel with tires installed on the ground at level ride height next time. Thanks very much. Learned something important today.

 

[ourjeeps]

I want to click all the emojis on this one


built, wheeled this in AK (you don't just buy parts up there)
94 sami on CJ 2" front yj 2 inch rears sprung over with high steer side kick 5.13's gears in the diffs, lock right rear on 33x12.5 swampers drove it clear across country to NH

and it went through lots of changes 36's some where in the middle till this: its on long filled 4.30 yotas, twin stick w/ doubler sway a ways and garage built not a kit links 120 DOM
(most linked rigs came from lots of math and beer)
my wreck (built in 2010) i bearly get out any more on 39.5 Iroks .... yes we build our own Bead locks from kits then

I think the thing most new wheelers don't understand was no one did it overnight until the Rubicon became a used car
and until the JKUR the aftermarket was cottage industry

Most of it was trial and error and research
And before the net you had to wait for the newest Petersons 4wheel or coming out Carcraft that might cross over
spending hours in the salvage yard comparing master cylinders and caliper openings ( 79 Trans AM 4wheel disk was my go to M/C and 79 Caddy had build in e brakes for rear calipers,
we build our own twin sticks , sliders belly skids
when the net came it was shared on pirate, Offroad, and others

Back then by opening a laptop going to a few sites and firing the bank account at it just was not possible so if time is money, it is so much cheaper now and that is what OP meant

Some folks unknowingly laughed at their diminutive size, but those Suzuki Samurais put many larger, heavier, more costly, 4x4's to shame on many tough trails.

They were so cheap especially immediately after the unfair flipping controversies (a coworker had one), and so much more desirable after fuel injection was added...

 

[Artsifrtsi]

Some folks unknowingly laughed at their diminutive size, but those Suzuki Samurais put many larger, heavier, more costly, 4x4's to shame on many tough trails.

They were so cheap especially immediately after the unfair flipping controversies (a coworker had one), and so much more desirable after fuel injection was added...

I had one with a Webber carb swapped on, that little rig, fairly stock, would go anywhere. Sold it to get my first Jeep, and have never looked back

 

[KevinC]

Shit. So I may have set it way off the last time I did it. Maybe I’ll forget the brackets and just use 4’ levels on each wheel with tires installed on the ground at level ride height next time. Thanks very much. Learned something important today.

I learned something today too. Setting proper toe on larger tires is not as simple as the Youtubers doing it in their driveway with a Lowe's tape measure make it out to be.

 

[WILDHOBO]

I learned something today too. Setting proper toe on larger tires is not as simple as the Youtubers doing it in their driveway with a Lowe's tape measure make it out to be.

Rethinking it half way though, if I use well made brackets to measure, and they’re shorter than the diameter of 37” tires, if I set it at like 1/32” toe in, by the time it extends out to the tire diameter, it should be fine. I love that I again learned something. It doesn’t make me want to not do it myself. It makes me want to more.

 

[dave33]

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?

As one that lives near several drive on beaches, trust me when I tell you there are no shortage of dumbass people no matter what you put them in.

 

[Okie Gladiator]

Whatever the vehicle - If it's too easy you're not trying hard enough.

 

[Blade1668]

It's funny... when I ordered the RockJock steering a few weeks ago, shop owner asked if I needed them to install it, I said that I had that under control. He insisted on reminding me that I'd need an alignment afterwards, I told him I could handle setting the toe and centering the steering wheel...

So when are you installing it? I've got a graduation to go to include few days. But an appointment next week in this area.

 

[Artsifrtsi]

So when are you installing it? I've got a graduation to go to include few days. But an appointment next week in this area.

I got it installed the day it came in. You should do a test drive, and feel the difference!

 

[AmishMike]

There’s a certain amount of society that we don‘t want doing any ‘wrench time’.

And then….you get older and can’t (or shouldn’t) do any wrench time.

Just like not everyone should be allowed into Home Depot.

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