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fourfa
Well-Known Member
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- #32
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rJc3SajFYPWkGjbB6
Been a while since I posted anything here. I ran the Rubicon Trail this weekend. Success! Far too many photos in that album above (my buddy and I are both shutterbugs). That buddy I brought to ride shotgun, it was his first off-roading trip which everyone we met found hilarious. I had to teach him some spotting skills but by day 2 it went pretty well. I bypassed Little Sluice (everyone did that I saw while spectating there - seems to be dug out quite badly between the biggest boulders at the moment, would take a truly monster rig to get through right now), bypassed Old Sluice (buggy-only AFAIK, though I didn’t walk over to see it), did not try Soup Bowl. Gatekeeper, Big Sluice, Cadillac Hill, V-Notch, Buck Island Dam, and all the other named obstacles went fine though with lots of contact
In recent months, I did some prep work for the Rubicon. Stock ball joints were getting loose after a couple years on 37s - replaced with MC Baller Joints. Added MC frame-side track bar reinforcement, and MC sector shaft brace. RCV front axles while I was in there.
This truck is heavy and relatively low compared to most of the vehicles I saw out there. I found new scrapes and scratches and dents on: front bumper and bumper wings (should have removed the wings - driver error - but they held up), front under-bumper skid plate, tie rod, passenger axle C, front axle lower control arm mounts (NVM weld-on skids with UHMW), front diff cage and front diff, front driveshaft flange and driveshaft, front frame-side control arm drop brackets, all up and down my NVM full belly skid (with UHMW - definitely reduces the traction needed to pull out of getting stuck high centered), all over the stock side rock sliders, all four lower control arms, lots on the rear frame-side lower control arm mounts, rear lower shock mount skids, rear driveshaft, rear NVM diff skid, hitch insert skid, and most especially lots of heavy bonks on the stock Rubicon rear corner skids. One of the corner skids is bent a bit upward now (but not yet into the sheet metal)
I moved the spare tire into the back seat for this run - not sure what would have happened to it under the bed (nothing good). As far as ground contact goes, the stock rear bumper setup is where the biggest improvement can be found. Departure angle just isn’t good. I will probably put some kind of high & tight bumper on the wishlist, and look at removing the stock receiver as I do not tow and don’t plan to.
The most serious problem was power steering. It’s all stock, doesn’t have enough power to move aired-down 37s around on grippy rocks, and overheats when you do . And obviously when the front is locked, it’s just not possible. I was pretty sore over the back of the shoulders from muscling the wheel around. I have the Apex boost + cooler kit in a box at home, and really regret that I didn’t get it installed in time. I really don’t know if that’s enough or if this needs some kind of ram kit. I’ll start with the Apex kit and see how it goes.
Alu-Cab Canopy Camper was not an issue, other than the weight. This isn’t a tight trail with lots of overhanging trees. Had to maneuver carefully in a couple spots, and gently nudge one slender tree out of the way with the upper driver corner of the pop-up. Overall, not a problem. I was by far the heaviest and most luxe vehicle I saw over the weekend. There was a group of old, war-weary full size Rams on really big axles and wheels, so I might not have been the biggest - but they were pretty stripped and well-driven and did great
Overall one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, by far the hardest and most sustained off-roading I’ve ever done. I’m still kind of reeling and recovering and can’t wait to go back
Been a while since I posted anything here. I ran the Rubicon Trail this weekend. Success! Far too many photos in that album above (my buddy and I are both shutterbugs). That buddy I brought to ride shotgun, it was his first off-roading trip which everyone we met found hilarious. I had to teach him some spotting skills but by day 2 it went pretty well. I bypassed Little Sluice (everyone did that I saw while spectating there - seems to be dug out quite badly between the biggest boulders at the moment, would take a truly monster rig to get through right now), bypassed Old Sluice (buggy-only AFAIK, though I didn’t walk over to see it), did not try Soup Bowl. Gatekeeper, Big Sluice, Cadillac Hill, V-Notch, Buck Island Dam, and all the other named obstacles went fine though with lots of contact
In recent months, I did some prep work for the Rubicon. Stock ball joints were getting loose after a couple years on 37s - replaced with MC Baller Joints. Added MC frame-side track bar reinforcement, and MC sector shaft brace. RCV front axles while I was in there.
This truck is heavy and relatively low compared to most of the vehicles I saw out there. I found new scrapes and scratches and dents on: front bumper and bumper wings (should have removed the wings - driver error - but they held up), front under-bumper skid plate, tie rod, passenger axle C, front axle lower control arm mounts (NVM weld-on skids with UHMW), front diff cage and front diff, front driveshaft flange and driveshaft, front frame-side control arm drop brackets, all up and down my NVM full belly skid (with UHMW - definitely reduces the traction needed to pull out of getting stuck high centered), all over the stock side rock sliders, all four lower control arms, lots on the rear frame-side lower control arm mounts, rear lower shock mount skids, rear driveshaft, rear NVM diff skid, hitch insert skid, and most especially lots of heavy bonks on the stock Rubicon rear corner skids. One of the corner skids is bent a bit upward now (but not yet into the sheet metal)
I moved the spare tire into the back seat for this run - not sure what would have happened to it under the bed (nothing good). As far as ground contact goes, the stock rear bumper setup is where the biggest improvement can be found. Departure angle just isn’t good. I will probably put some kind of high & tight bumper on the wishlist, and look at removing the stock receiver as I do not tow and don’t plan to.
The most serious problem was power steering. It’s all stock, doesn’t have enough power to move aired-down 37s around on grippy rocks, and overheats when you do . And obviously when the front is locked, it’s just not possible. I was pretty sore over the back of the shoulders from muscling the wheel around. I have the Apex boost + cooler kit in a box at home, and really regret that I didn’t get it installed in time. I really don’t know if that’s enough or if this needs some kind of ram kit. I’ll start with the Apex kit and see how it goes.
Alu-Cab Canopy Camper was not an issue, other than the weight. This isn’t a tight trail with lots of overhanging trees. Had to maneuver carefully in a couple spots, and gently nudge one slender tree out of the way with the upper driver corner of the pop-up. Overall, not a problem. I was by far the heaviest and most luxe vehicle I saw over the weekend. There was a group of old, war-weary full size Rams on really big axles and wheels, so I might not have been the biggest - but they were pretty stripped and well-driven and did great
Overall one of the most fun things I’ve ever done, by far the hardest and most sustained off-roading I’ve ever done. I’m still kind of reeling and recovering and can’t wait to go back
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fourfa
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #33
Just for fun I made up a photo album of all the new underbody scrapes from The Rubicon: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6ctb3rFTbkzYNgJ6
Plenty of hits but no body or door damage, nothing broken, still steers well and tracks straight. TBH I'm pretty happy with myself for over-prepping, and this machine for putting up with my still-improving driving skill
One more random detail I want to remember from the Rubicon: filled up diesel at Fresh Pond (last fuel before the Ice House Road turnoff), got to the highway at Lake Tahoe 3/8 of a tank down. Did not need to bring a 5-gal jerry at all, could have saved 41 lbs of dead weight.
Plenty of hits but no body or door damage, nothing broken, still steers well and tracks straight. TBH I'm pretty happy with myself for over-prepping, and this machine for putting up with my still-improving driving skill
One more random detail I want to remember from the Rubicon: filled up diesel at Fresh Pond (last fuel before the Ice House Road turnoff), got to the highway at Lake Tahoe 3/8 of a tank down. Did not need to bring a 5-gal jerry at all, could have saved 41 lbs of dead weight.
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