4 Wheeling Thread

[Dan]

Billy,

A roll cage is going in my rock crawler this week.

Here is a series of photos that shows what I do for fun off road. Click to the end of this group...
http://www.jonfund.com/gallery/album41

Click through 3 photos in this group...
http://www.jonfund.com/gallery/album04/12_G

I think it is ironic how I drive my Marauder 100 times faster than I drive my truck off road and yet both sports offer just as much excitement. Off road the speed on obstacle is below ONE mph.

I'll come back and post a couple more links if I can find them. For now, enjoy the photos. As you look at them notice some things...
1. Tires in the air - the suspension allows for 8" drop before lifting a tire and the rock is 45º. Imagine how that feels in the seat.
2. Spectators. Note their location in relation to the truck
3. Opposing suspension flex.
4. Tire wrinkle (think, slow moving dragsters and you get the idea of how much torue is going on.)
5. Location of tire in relation to tire well. Sometimes as much as 6" forward of stock location due to the dynamics of things.

Some specs on the truck...

37" tires, 5.13:1 gears, 85:1 crawl ratio, 17" clearance under the axles, 9500 lb pull winch, 14" vertical wheel travel in rear and 10" in front. :)

Best,

Dan

[Dan]

More action shots...

http://www.jonfund.com/gallery/album40

[BillyGman]

Dan, I imagine you guys all run locker type rear ends in your trucks for the added traction. Right? BTW, are any of those locations in CT? If so, what town?

[Dan]

Lockers, lower gears in axles, modified geating in t-case, additional t-cases for extra reduction, you name it.

I am locked in both axles. All four tires turn equally. Many aren't locked. The photos that I have shown are on obstacles that one would need to be locked to do.

None of the shots shown are in CT.

Dan

[FiveO]

Interesting hobby.

I bet its a blast!

Some serious torque there....thanks for posting the links to the pics.

[Patrick]

Hey Dan great Pics. Didnt I see this on TV? It was 4x4 show I am thinking about a month or two ago? It looks like fun!!!!!!

[Dan]

A blast doesn't begin to describe it. The first time you do it you get a real reality shift. Most roads are built on 5-7% grades with very few above that so, for most people, their time is a motorized vehicle is spent relatively level. When you are on one of these rocks and the climb is so steep that sky is all you see out the windshield or you are off camber so much that you can roll down the window and almost touch the ground you get a pretty high pucker factor that most people enjoy.

It is a rush! Come to New England some time and I'll show you.

Best,

Dan