that's good advice tried. I saw a bunch of people doing this at Rausch Creek on our trip there a few weeks ago. They were only using 2WD most of the time.

 

An FJ in the hands of someone experienced is an awesome 4x4 though. I know what you mean about novices relying on all those traction aids, but if you know how to use them, FJs are amazing!

 

ya from another guy relatively newish to wheeling in most peoples standards(im 18 so been wheeling on my own since i got my truck at 15 and been around for a long time) and a complete newb compared to many here my advise is go slow, learn how to use momentum which does not mean go as fast as possible. learn your trucks limits and yours and develop a feel for when your truck is about to spin or about to lift a tire etc. you dont wand to drive your truck you want it to become an extension of your body, when you master that its time to upgrade to a locker or similar upgrade and start again. progress with your rig and by the time its a built unit youll be capable of using it to its full potential and will have very little competition. and generally if you start spinning stop. jump out and look at the situation while your just hung up and decide on the next move. often times when guys with me get stuck or i go to pull a buddy put its clear the situation was not that bad but made extremely worse but someone gasing it and just sitting there spinning. it only gets you more stuck. and again low range is your friend. when my truck had 31's and 4.10's second low was my golden gear. low enough to creep on most trails but when i needed power i could punch it and get some wheel spin without having to shift. but your truck or wheeling area could vary greatly from mine. just get out there and experiment. if yo get talked down to by the guys your with or feel you need to wreck your truck to try and keep up or gain respect get new friends cause ive wheeled with guys with heavily modded rigs and generally they are great people and know their status. the people that try and talk generally arent any better then you they just try and intimidate. learn how to rock your truck back and forth smoothly and have fun. you cant learn everything in one trip and youll never master it cause there is always room for improvement. and most importantly have a good time bring food drinks all that good stuff and make a day of it. and of course take some pics.

 

I think all your advice is great, but a novice (or anyone for that matter) trying to rock their truck back and forth when they're stuck is usually a bad idea. If you don't wait until the rpms and the momentum settle between going from "D" (or 1st) and reverse, you can easily grenade the transfer case - especially in 4LO. I can't tell you how many people I've seen do this when they're stuck in the snow like high-centered on a snow burm (my Dad owned a toying company for a long time) and we used to pull them out all the time only to find out they blew up their t-case trying to get unstuck for a 1/2 hour before we got to them.

If you get stuck in the mud or snow, don't rock the truck back and forth. Instead, get pulled out by another vehicle or build up your traction by stacking rocks, wedging wood blocks under the tires, etc.. It can save you thousands $$ by playing it cool and taking your time accessing the situation.

 

Yes, you're right... A little D'oh! on my part. Not to single FJC drivers out, H2 guys are right there with them!

And any other 4WD marketed to the yuppie novice so they think they're cross country expedition level ready, off the lot...


At least Range Rover organizes off road trail rides for its clientele...

 

lol yur right about the hummers. How can anything that comes factory with 35's be so horrible offroad and have no ground clearance.

 

also good advise, i meant smoothly as in being able to smoothly start to climb out of your hole then clutch and roll back till youve reached your highest point going back and the wheels have stopped for that brief second then try and climb out again, if that makes sense? thats what i meant by smoothly i should have made that more clear. and i second the wood or rocks under tires for traction, if you cant afford a hi lift start saving and in the mean time pick up a cheapo bottle jack and a good block and bust up some fire wood or carry something to create traction surfaces like an axe or chainsaw. being prepared is another big part. and take peoples word on it instead of learning the hard way if i had known that back when i was starting i wouldnt have been stuck all night and been late to my first day of school. sometimes a tow strap and two vehicles are not enough my friends jeep had no tow hooks on front and was stuck behind me on a tight trail, with a jack it would hve been a ten minute process but it turned into hours of hand digging which brings me to my next point A SHOVEL. and thank you brian for correcting me

 

yes, the hi lift... If you can afford it, get a Hi Lift brand farm jack, OP... Those things are like a swiss army knife, and should be the FIRST thing an off roader gets...

No lockers, no winch... A HIGH LIFT JACK...

And if you can't afford the Hilift brand... http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=6530

A HiLift, a 20 or 30 foot SNATCH strap with loops at the end, NEVER use a strap with hooks at the end, NEVER...***not a chain***...a strap, and a few Clevis shackles...


Those things should be the bare minimum to go off road with.

 

Ahh, sorry if it came off like I was correcting you. What you said just sparked a thought, but thanks.

 

no need to be sorry. cant have bad info getting out.

 

I finally got to test her out. This trucks capabilities astounded me. The trails we took were mostly loose sand and some gravel with a little mud thrown in here and there. I went with a Jeep Cherokee and a Ford Ranger, both of which have 4 liter inline 6's. Needless to say I fell a little behind since I am lacking the same power. I didn't really mind once the Ranger asked me to pull him out. The 22re's 4low is mind blowing. I appreciate all the advice that has been posted here and I learned a lot.

 

glad ur getting out there and enjoying it. experience is the best tool.
The only thing i can really think of adding is don't lose your cool, I've seen things get destroyed by angry drivers that dont want to assess the situation properly. Common sense is key.

 

I feel like when you are out among friends losing your cool would be difficult. But I'll keep it in mind. I can't wait to get out again.

 

trust me, you will get angry wheeling. the time will come, and when it does, try to remain calm. don't get upset because you "didn't make it". take your anger out on your friends beer supply back at camp at the end of the day!