c/4x4-builds

Just ran my Jeep on 37s for 6 months then swapped back to 35s for a trail ride last weekend

Those extra 2 inches of clearance on 37s made me a lazy driver and I nearly high-centered my buddy's FJ on a rock garden that I used to glide over, has anyone else felt like bigger tires just cover up bad line picking?

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wade_perez•2d ago

Used to run 33s on my Tacoma now I'm wishing I went 35s from the start

I swapped from 33 inch KO2s to 35 inch KO3s last weekend on my 2016 Tacoma. Had the 33s for about 2 years and they were fine on forest roads but I kept getting stuck in deeper mud out near Tillamook. The 35s needed a cab mount chop and some CMC work which I did in my driveway with a grinder and a welder. Took me 3 tries to get the steering stop adjusted right so the tires don't rub at full lock. Anyone else make the jump to 35s and regret not doing it sooner?

2 comments

the_elizabeth•5d ago

Spent $500 on a cheap winch and it actually pulled my buddy's rig out of a ditch

I was super skeptical about those budget winches from Harbor Freight, figured they'd just snap or burn out on the first real pull. But last month near Moab, my friend's Jeep was stuck up to the frame in mud and that $500 Badland winch dragged him out like it was nothing. We even had to do a double-line pull and it didn't even groan. Has anyone else had surprisingly good luck with cheap gear that everyone says to avoid?

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oliver719•5d ago

Heard a guy at the trailhead say 'lockers are for quitters' and it got me thinking

We were airing down near Moab last Saturday and this dude in a beat-up XJ just rolled past a nasty rock garden open-diff like it was nothing. Makes me wonder if I'm leaning too hard on my front locker instead of actually learning to pick better lines. Anyone else ever ditch the tech and go back to basics?

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mason_foster68•5d ago

Pro tip: That $120 set of recovery boards I got for my old Bronco actually got me out of a mud hole in Oregon last month.

I was pretty sure they'd just be extra weight, but they saved me from a $500 tow bill... what other cheap gear has pulled through for you guys?

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nancy_butler•8d ago

Warning: a guy at a gas station in Moab saved my weekend trip with a zip tie

I was about 20 miles out of town last fall when my Tacoma's front skid plate started dragging. I pulled over at a dusty station and this older guy in a beat-up Land Cruiser walked over. He didn't say a word, just handed me a big 11-inch zip tie from his pocket and pointed at the mounting hole. I cinched it tight and it held for the whole three-day trip. He just said, 'Always keep a handful of the big ones.' Now I've got a bag of them in every door pocket. What's the weirdest trailside fix you've ever seen someone pull off?

2 comments

nelson.cameron•10d ago

Just realized I've been overbuilding my suspension for years after a simple trail in Sedona.

I was crawling up Broken Arrow with a buddy in a stock Gladiator and he kept up with my fully linked rig, no sweat. Are we all just adding weight and cost for bragging rights instead of real capability?

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mason847•10d ago

Finally got my winch unstuck after it froze solid last winter with a trick from an old timer at the gas station.

My Warn M8000 was totally seized after a nasty ice storm in February. I was about to start taking it apart, but this guy filling up his Power Wagon saw me looking at it and said 'kid, just hook it to your battery and give it a few short bursts in free spool, the motor heat will thaw the solenoid.' Sounded dumb but I was desperate. Did exactly that for about 30 seconds on, 30 seconds off, three times. It started groaning and then just... worked. Saved me a huge headache. Anyone have other weird field fixes for frozen or balky gear?

2 comments

angela_allen53•11d ago

Tried a 3 inch lift on my old Bronco and it shook like crazy over 50 mph

I finally saved up for a full 3 inch suspension lift kit for my '89 Bronco last fall, thinking it would be perfect for some light trails. Got it all installed in my buddy's garage over a weekend. The first time I took it on the highway, the front end started vibrating so bad the steering wheel was blurry past 50 mph. I learned you can't just throw on taller springs without checking your caster angle and maybe needing new drop brackets. Has anyone else fixed a death wobble on an older Ford truck after a lift? What did you end up doing?

2 comments

wesleyc75•11d ago

Finally figured out the trick to getting a 2-inch body lift on my '98 Cherokee to sit perfectly level after three attempts.

I realized the front mounts needed a 1/4-inch spacer cut from an old hockey puck to compensate for the engine weight sag, which my buddy in Denver swore was a hack but it actually worked.

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claire_butler1•11d ago

My buddy's 'simple' axle swap in his garage turned into a 3-day nightmare

We planned a weekend to swap his Dana 44, but a seized pinion nut and stripped bolt heads (from a previous owner, of course) blew that timeline apart. Anyone ever have a 'quick' project go completely sideways like that?

2 comments

riley_price•11d ago

Spotted a clever winch line anchor setup at a trailhead near Moab

A guy had welded a simple D-ring tab onto the front of his frame, just behind the bumper. It let him run a direct, straight pull from his winch without the line rubbing on anything. Anyone else run a setup like that instead of using the factory tow points?

3 comments

umaanderson•15d ago

Found a cheap way to fix my sagging rear springs on the trail

Out near Moab last month, my old Land Cruiser's rear end was dragging after loading too much gear, so I cut some sections of thick PVC pipe to use as temporary spring spacers. It got me home without a tow and cost maybe five bucks total. Has anyone else done something similar or know a better trail fix for spring sag?

2 comments

lee_gibson•16d ago

My 3 year old winch finally gave out pulling a guy from a ditch near Flagstaff

Last week, I was on a trail run near Flagstaff when we came across a guy buried to his axles in a mud hole. I hooked up my trusty winch, the same one that pulled my own rig out of trouble a dozen times. Three years ago, I bought it new for $600 and it never let me down. This time, the motor just smoked and died halfway through the pull. We got him out with a second strap, but it left me stranded until a buddy could winch me. Has anyone else had a winch fail right when you needed it most, and what did you replace it with?

2 comments

hall.nora•16d ago

Appreciation post: That $1200 set of rock sliders saved my truck last weekend

I was crawling up a washed-out trail near Moab and slid sideways into a big rock. Heard that awful crunch sound and thought my door was toast. Got out and the slider took the whole hit, just some scratched powder coat. I almost skipped buying them to save cash for other parts. Anyone have a good trick for touching up the paint on these things?

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cameron416•16d ago

Spent a weekend in the San Juans and saw a lot of rigs that looked overbuilt for the trails

I was out near Engineer Pass and noticed a bunch of trucks with huge lifts and 40 inch tires, but they were all sticking to the main, easy routes. It felt like a lot of people are building for a look instead of actual use. In my experience, a more modest build on 33s can handle 90 percent of the trails out there with less breakage and cost. Has anyone else found that simpler setups get you further than the show rigs?

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anna983•16d ago

Had to choose between a full lift kit or just new tires for my old Bronco

My 1996 Bronco was fine for light trails, but I wanted to try the tougher stuff near Flagstaff. The choice was a $1200 full 4-inch suspension lift or just putting on a set of 33-inch mud terrains for about half that. I went with just the tires, thinking it was the smarter first step. After a season, I'm hitting the skid plates way too often on rocky climbs. Has anyone else started with bigger tires and then regretted not doing the lift first?

3 comments

casey393•16d ago

Hot take: I thought a cheap winch was fine until I needed it in a real spot

Spent about $350 on a no-name 10,000lb winch to save cash. It burned out halfway through pulling my truck out of a muddy wash near Sedona, leaving me stuck for hours. Anyone have a reliable brand they swear by for under a grand?

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nina147•19d ago

Spent 3 hours trying to get a seized brake caliper bolt out of my '98 Land Cruiser before realizing the bracket was cracked.

What's the best way to source a replacement bracket for an 80 series without paying dealership prices?

3 comments

the_oscar•19d ago

I thought those cheap Chinese winches were junk, but mine pulled my rig out of a mud hole in Moab.

Bought a $250 winch off a sketchy website last year as a backup. It's been through three hard pulls now and hasn't quit once. What's the most surprising piece of gear that's held up for you?

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evan_jenkins•22d ago

A friend in Flagstaff said my winch setup was a 'trip hazard' waiting to happen, so I moved the control box inside the cab.

Has anyone else found a better spot for a Warn VR EVO 10-S's solenoid pack on a 3rd gen Tacoma without drilling new holes?

2 comments

victor_ward•22d ago

Got stuck in a dry creek bed near Moab and learned the hard way about approach angles

I was out near Moab last fall, just messing around on some easy trails in my mostly stock 4Runner. I came up to a dry creek crossing that looked flat and simple, so I just rolled right into it. Big mistake. The entry was way steeper than it looked from the driver's seat. I heard that awful scraping sound as my front bumper and skid plate dug right into the dirt on the way down. I was high-centered, all four tires off the ground. It took my buddy winching me out from his rig, and I spent the next hour checking for damage. That one dumb move made me realize I had no real clue what my truck's limits were. I got home and the first thing I did was measure my actual approach angle, which was a sad 24 degrees. Has anyone else had a moment that made them actually measure their rig's geometry instead of just guessing?

3 comments

christopher_roberts29•23d ago

I finally gave in and got a proper winch mount for my old Land Cruiser

For the longest time I thought I could just weld some plate to the front bumper and call it good. That was until I got stuck in some deep mud near the river crossing last fall and the whole thing started to bend. I spent about $450 on a specific bolt-on mount from a company called Trail Gear. It felt like a lot for some metal, but the difference is night and day. The pull is straight and the frame doesn't groan at all. Has anyone else put off buying a real mount and regretted it? What did you end up going with?

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joseph_roberts•25d ago

Why does nobody talk about the real cost of a 4 inch lift kit?

Last week I finally finished installing a 4 inch Rough Country lift on my 2005 Tacoma. I bought the kit for $1200, but that was just the start. I needed new UCAs, a longer brake line, and a front driveshaft spacer, which added another $900. Three years ago I would have just slapped the springs on and called it good. Now I know you have to budget for all the little things that keep the geometry right. Has anyone else been surprised by the hidden parts list on a 'complete' lift?

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joseph932•25d ago

Pro tip: a buddy told me my winch line was spooled wrong after a tough pull in Moab.

He said the loose wraps would cause a core shot. I re-spooled it under load with a snatch block, like he showed me. Anyone else have a small tip that saved you from a big problem later?

3 comments