Like a lot of you guys, i've been around off roading my entire life growing up in South Carolina. Us more experienced fellas know that the largest variable of off roading is driver, regardless of the mods you have. There is no replacement for wheel time, as that is where the magic happens. I will say that in my mind there have always been a few typical mods that I felt were the baseline for getting a vehicle ready for certain conditions, and in doing so keeping the "driver" variable on even keel. (mild lift, better tires, gears and lockers)

With that said, Over the last few years, especially with the JK, i've seen stock vehicles or mildly modified vehicles do things I never would have believed had I not seen it. An example of that is this past weekend. We had 4 in our group, all but one locked out with mud tires. The 4th was on stock Dueler tires, no lift, bone stock except true tracs front and rear; that's it. It was slick red clay and steep rocks. We all made it up the ledges with out pulling line, but I was amazed what that little stock 2 door JK did with nothing more than truetracs. He walked that thing up the ledge like a boss, barely spun a tire. Even the Rubicon had issues getting up the ledge it was so slick.

The moral of the story is, the stock jeep in it's factory form is an amazing vehicle all in it's own right. I think people to are quick to pull the trigger on modifications, me included, before giving the vehicle a chance. I watched that jeep walk up a ledge with no issues, which had just took a rubicon attempt after attempt to get up.

I posted this on another forum, but this just re-enforces my feeling that the best bang for the buck is in the drivetrain, as the truetracs in that stock JK are what made the difference. (stock gearing too) It locked up and he walked up. He was also a good driver which was apparent. Point number two, there is no substitute for wheel time. A lot of guys mod up their jeep to compensate for their lack of experience, another large portion is of course just for looks. I'm guilty of this because i'm running 33's right now and have yet to have any issues what so ever on any ledge or rock. I pick my lines and drive my jeep. I want 35's, and have been trying to justify the expense and additional wear and tear of a taller/heavier tire, but the fact is my jeep is fine as is. I just like the looks of the bigger tire. It's hard not to drink the coolaid sometimes...

 

I agree ive seen it a ton also. Tires can be huge though also. Stickies and vehicle weight make a huge difference also, all different vehicles will handle different on different obstacles. Lots of the phenomenal wheelers i have seen have been running the same rig for 10 plus years. They seldom rolled wgile high dollar rigs with less experience built to the max would roll all the time.

 

That's a great post. Thank you!!!

 

"It's the poor craftsman that blames his tools."

I agree with the sentiment. Watching King of the Hammers you can see this philosophy in real time. I watched one team winch halfway up Chocolate Thunder, while another team shot right up it with a flat back tire.

BUT, if you're going to play on the rocks you probably don't want to hone your crawling skills in a bone stock JK. Large tires and sliders help with the learning curve while keeping the value of your jeep in blue book range. Something to keep in mind.

Good post though.

 

I think JKs should come stock with 40s.

 

In slick conditions on rock, an AT tire is going to outshine an MT all day. Having limited slip or lockers like you said is the big winner here. The stock JK has issues playing in heavy traffic trails due to lack of ground clearance and is a little low for some water crossings.

I am not an excellent wheeler either but it is pretty easy to outshine modified rigs with a 2 door JK and picking the right lines. The 2 door is easily the most capable stock vehicle on the market right now (for under $40k).

 

This is consistent with a theme I've been pushing lately: When you've got that extra couple thousand burning a hole in your pocket, instead of spending it on Jeep mods, spend it on Jeep experiences. A trip to Moab is something you'll remember fondly the rest of your life. No one, laying on their death bed, will say, "Damn. I wish I'd put 40s on my Jeep."

 

I totally agree.

 

On point!!! Thank you!

 

Great post tarpon4me!!! So much truth in it.