Off Road Questions

pkupman06 · October 12, 2006

my buddies have fords and my cousin has a jeep and they all asked me to go off roadin now i have a stock 4x4 is there anyting i should watch out for and like how fast and other basic details and for those who say theres a million posts like that i couldnt find a specific one

GMSea97 · October 12, 2006

It depends on what kind of "off-roading" your going to do. On say loose sand let your tires out abit and avoid large ruts. In water and mud beware of deep holes you cant see. All in all a good steady throttle with pull you through most situations. You want your tires spinning fast enough to clean themselves out but not so fast you bury the truck. I used to run my truck in the mud all the time and you learn it is not very smart if it is your only vehicle...things tend to break. Only off-road my GMC sees is when I take the camper to the beach. I broke enough stuff I decided to get an old bronco to play in the mud with. Bring lots of chain, a few boards, and a shovel.

asilverblazer · October 12, 2006

If you are inexperienced I would suggest the slower the better. Nothing deeper than the bottom of the lower airdam.

...AND DON'T GO FIRST, OR BE EGGED INTO DOING SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT.

mattro · October 12, 2006

dont straight gun it if your sitting in something wet lol. I was sitting in some kinda clay by some fig trees when i got out and my buddy got in. Walking on the ground the top was hard but below was soft. So my buddy gets in and i had it in 4wd when he guns in i have a 5spd. It burried the truck the front airdam was in the mud and the body was cloe to the ground. i was like wtf were u thinking man so i didnt try it at the time the 4lo but i guess thats what u use to get out off a mess like that. But luckily some guys came along to help and they got stuck lol so they called there buddys and pulled both of us out from a safe spot on a small cement path. In the end i say just dont do it alone and always bring ropes or chains because ive alread had to pull one person out

kssooner · October 12, 2006

If you are inexperienced I would suggest the slower the better. Nothing deeper than the bottom of the lower airdam.

...AND DON'T GO FIRST, OR BE EGGED INTO DOING SOMETHING YOU DON'T WANT.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I second that. Its your truck your $$$$ so if something breaks its you that will have to fix it or pay to fix it not your buddies. If there is someone else willing to go first let them, it doesn't make you less of a man, it makes you a smarter man. Have plenty of tow straps, i take a shovel (sometimes have to dig out to find a good place to hook on to). Is this your daily driver? If so just remember you will have to find another way to work/ school/ whatever if something happens. But have fun.

pkupman06 · October 12, 2006

thanks guys

yukon4wd · October 22, 2006

I have done a lot of off roading, but nearly all of it was work related, not fun stuff. Of course themain advantage was that I didn't have to pay for the dents but of course I always had to get where I was going. Worst thing is that most of the time I was on my own, and when somethign broke, I could easily be 100 miles from the nearest anything. So even the slightest problem meant setting up camp and waiting till you were missed.

Definitely from those experiences, I would say, ...

Never go alone. (I don't mean a passenger, I mean at least something that can pull you out of what ever, and get you home).

Prepare to get a lot of body damage, and not to be too concerned about it.

Don't take risks just for fun, its just not worth it. Serious off roaders are going to respect the fact that you are learning, and are not taking risks. At least they know that next time you are going to be ther to help them out. Don't think you need to be a hero. That's just not what its all about. Its all about geting there, and more importantly getting back.

But really if its your only ride, then think again. Cause its gonna get broke some time.

By the way, as for carrying spares, well in the old days, I used to carry enough to basically rebulild the whole truck. These days, if something breaks, you have little chance of on the spot repairs, so just be prepared to be able to be towed back home.

TA462 · November 3, 2006

When I was first starting out I always had a friend of mine who is very experienced in off roading coach me in the tougher spots until I got used to what the truck and I could do. I think this helped me a great deal into becoming a good, not great off roader.

jackster06Z71 · November 7, 2006

Have the powerwasher ready for when you get home. lol I just keep a good pace and see what happens. you can break stuff if you not careful but it ususally takes a bit to break something, my buddy has a 98 z71 6in suspension and 3 in body and 38 boggers and he will get stuck some times and gun it and spin them big ol tires , and hes never broke a half shaft or diff or any thing , just try to look for rocks and thinks that can rip a hole in something underneath. Me and my buddy are currently looking for and old jeep , k5 or bronco to do this in , it some times worrys me to take a expensive truck through a hole that i dont know whats in ,and i always seem to go at night , which is worse. you will be amazed at what you can do with a stock rig. Have fun and God bless

clm7214 · November 7, 2006

Theres only one way to learn DO IT. If your in a stocker all you gotta worry about is gettin high centered or diggin in too deep in the mud. Theres nothing like pulling into town at the stoplight as basketball sized hunks of mud fall out from under your truck. Get out and enjoy your 4wd thats what its for. See how close you can get you truck to that point of no return. The best times ive had off-road are when I saw my life flash before my eyes. Good luck and come back alive.

ihaveatahoe · November 9, 2006

two words, wheel speed

bfrd22 · November 13, 2006

Drive it like you own it, pay day is 7 days away, and your wifes car is in the shop.

learn to finess the truck, don't drive it like you see in the commericals or TV. Slow and steady.

My 1st 4x4 I drove like a nut. $7000 in parts and repairs and I finally learned that I didn't have a sponsor. (that and my wife banned me from any thing that wasn't pavement or concrete). slow and steady and always look for the easy way around.

ihaveatahoe · November 15, 2006

slow and steady and always look for the easy way around.

Where is the fun in that?

In mud you have to find a happy medium, hit the hole too fast you break stuff, too slow you are just going to get stuck. You have to have your tires spinning fast enough to clean the mud out of the lugs of your tires, otherwise its like mud riding with drag slicks.