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An Open Letter to "Extreme" Mechanics


Darren's Letter
 
Replies to Darren:
  • Jon Bruce
  • Gord Pritchard
  • Greg Wcislo
  • Dave Warner
  • Dean Stuart
  • Ron Low
  • Editor's Note

Darren's Letter

I'd like to start something here, if I may.

Why are you guys so hung up on modifying your rigs to ridiculous states of change?

I have been driving off road for a relatively short period of time (approx. 7 years). I read ALL the magazines and feel that I'm quite "informed" as to what works and doesn't. I have driven with people that travel the back country quite a bit.  In all this driving, reading and talking with people I have come to the following conclusions.

  1. Jeeps and their ilk require no more than 31" tires (good quality and pattern), a 3" to 4" lift and some sort of traction aiding device in the rear.
  2. Full size trucks (Broncos, etc) require no more than 33" tires, and some sort of traction aiding device in the rear, and maybe a minor lift (a couple of inches would be adequate).

With these modifications the vehicles can travel 99% of the back country that we have access to.  I have yet to see a vehicle that has needed more than this to get anywhere. Case in point.  My brother's YJ with 2" lift and 31" tires has been to Starvation Lake, Hut Lake (haven't tried Upper Hut yet, but Phil G. said his old Jeep with 31's and a minor lift made it), Placer Lake, etc.

My full-size Bronco just came back from Placer Lake this past weekend (and it's stock with 31's). Talking with some others up there, we plan to do the Whipsaw in September (weather permitting) and I'm told by this person that my Bronco will make it no problem (this from a person that does this trail several times per year).

"So what?" you ask.  Well, not one of these guys has much more than the above mods.  Only a couple people I have met have swapped the rear end (more because they had problems from day one and I don't think Jeep ever satisfactorily fixed the problem). The others run stock axles and slightly larger tires.  One person who's been driving off road for 18 years (Jeep CJ5) has spun his rear axle 4 times over that entire period (and it's a stock AMC 20, known for many weaknesses). So is it worth the time and money to swap out axles?

Sure doesn't seem like it to me (seeing that it only takes a few hours to repair). For those of you who say that if he had a stronger axle, he wouldn't have to, well, maybe. But then if you read the mags, they say you should have spares anyway - and they seem to break D44's and such!      The Camel Trophy goes through more than most of us do (and they run nearly stock Land Rovers).

The reason I bring this up is that I have not gone on many outings because I was told that "you won't make it",  "your truck is too big", "you need a locker to get up".  To this I say "Bull!"  I might need a tug over a few areas, but with some skill and luck, most likely I'll make it, to the surprise of many, including myself.  Yes, I most likely will drag something in stock form, but I haven't done any damage yet.

Breaking parts seems to be a matter of how smooth and skillful one's driving is.  Heavy foot = Broken parts.  I've seen many rigs with stock axles running 33" and 35" tires survive for quite some time.  I don't think it's wise or necessary to run such tires, but some do with adequate success. A drive train is a system.  How many of you go and stick a tire on that is 3 to 5 sizes larger but don't do anything to the brakes or diff. gearing?! Gee, ever wonder why things break? Oversize tires, too tall gearing...they all create more stress than the other components were designed to take!

It also seems to me that most (not all) people that run these large tires are purely posers.

One last thing I would like to annoy you all with:

Isn't half the fun of off-road driving the challenge of getting over/around/through an obstacle - based on YOUR ability, not your rig's? Granted, your rigs ability is part of it, but it doesn't have to be the biggest part.

How many of you heavily modified rig owners now find most trails too easy?

If you find them too easy, where do you go next?  Does your trail boredom force you to travel in areas where you shouldn't go?

What is it? Do you want to drive into the backcountry to explore and see the scenery? Or is our goal to build machines that can conquer any given obstacle? Or is there a happy medium?

Wrenching is part of the game (we all enjoy it for the most part), but what is enough?

I remember various members on the BC4x4 list talking about quarter-elliptical and buggy suspensions.  Ever notice that the machines that don't have these suspension systems still go where they want.   Are we talking about change for change's sake?

So what do you guys think?  I am off base and should be making changes to my truck?  Or should I just get out and have fun?

Darren "Big Unit" Widas
1986 Ford Bronco, 31's - still stock.

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