I've been running open diffs on my JK for 5 years and it's gotten me through Vermont mud season and the Sandisfield ORV trails without a winch, so am I missing something or are air lockers just a flex for people who never learned to pick a line?
I always thought airing down tires was just for sand or deep mud. Took my Tacoma up to the White Mountain National Forest last month on those washboard gravel roads and bounced around like crazy. Finally dropped to 20 psi and the ride was smooth as pavement, plus I barely slid on loose corners. Anybody else stubbornly refuse to air down on gravel before trying it?
I was bombing down Schnebly Hill Road last spring and nearly slid off the edge because my tires were at street pressure. Dropped them to 18 psi and the traction was night and day. Anyone else find that lower psi makes a bigger difference than their tire tread ever did?
Last month I was out on Poison Spider Mesa near Moab and took a line that looked easy. My buddy's Jeep got high centered on a rock ledge and we realized my tow strap was still sitting in my garage. Had to call a guy with a winch who was passing by and he charged me 40 bucks just to pull us off. Now I double check my recovery gear before I even leave the driveway. Anyone else forget something basic and pay the price on the trail?
I blew out the rear differential on my '94 Cherokee last October after a muddy run up near Hood River. Figured I could save some cash and rebuild it myself over a Saturday. Two months later I was still chasing down the right shims for the carrier bearing preload, plus I stripped a bolt head on the ring gear. Finally buttoned it up in January after three different parts orders and a lot of cussing. Has anyone else had a 'quick' axle job turn into a winter-long project?
I was pulling a buddy's Jeep out of a ditch last weekend near Ft Collins and my 3 year old tow strap snapped clean in half. Lucky nobody got hurt but it scared the crap out of me. How often do you guys replace your recovery gear?
He laughed and yanked me out, but now I'm wondering if super low PSI is worth the bead risk or if I just need better tires, what do you guys run in deep slop?
Been driving a 1998 Ford F150 for about 5 years now. Always thought I was doing okay on gas, maybe 150 miles per tank if I was lucky. Then last month I decided to try keeping my speed under 65 on the highway and aired up my tires to the max psi listed on the sidewall. Ended up hitting 204 miles before the light came on. That extra 50 miles saved me about $12 per fill up, which adds up fast when you drive to job sites every day. Has anyone else found that just slowing down a little makes that big of a difference in their offroad rig?
For like 3 years I'd just pull the valve stem and guess when it looked flat enough for the rocks. Worked fine on easy stuff but then I got stuck twice in Moab last fall because my front tires had way different pressure than the rears. Buddy handed me a $15 digital gauge and now I just set 15 PSI all around before hitting the trail. Makes a huge difference in traction. Anyone else just wing it with tire pressure before or am I the only lazy one?
I finally hit up the Poison Spider Mesa trail in Moab for the first time last weekend. It was a solid 8 hour run with my buddy in his lifted Jeep. What really caught my attention was how many people were driving without any recovery gear at all. I saw a guy in a stock Tacoma try to climb a ledge and he nearly flopped over, no straps or winch in sight. We helped him out with my come-along, but it took us 30 minutes to get him unstuck. Has anyone else seen this trend where folks go out with just a dream and no prep? I'm wondering if it's just newer folks thinking any 4x4 can handle Moab easily.
I was at Moab last month and kept getting stuck on a sandy climb with my Jeep on 33s. Everyone says air down to 12 psi for sand, but I tried 18 psi on a hunch from an old BLM ranger I met at a gas station. The rig actually hooked up better and didn't bog down in the soft spots. Has anyone else found that super low pressure kills momentum on loose terrain?
He drove a JKU through Moab for two seasons on factory D44s with zero issues while I spent $2,800 upfront on RCVs and 5.13s and still broke a u-joint last fall, so is it really worth the extra cash or just luck of the draw?
I used to just pick a random line through rock gardens and hope for the best, usually ending up on my diffs or sliding off a ledge. Last month I started getting out and walking the trail first with a buddy who races, and now I actually see the left-side tire placement before I even start. Anyone else find that scouting on foot saves you from expensive repairs out there?
I'm trying to get my hands on a new KTM, but the dealership's in-house financing rates are absolutely ridiculous. Can anyone recommend a good company that specifically handles powersports financing? I'm located in Ontario if that matters, but I assume most places operate nationally.