Legend of Difficulty for Off-Road Driving

[OlyWaFJ]

You can download a pdf version of this here.

Please use this rating scale when posting trail runs.

Legend of Difficulty for Off-Road Driving

2WD:
1.0 All-weather high speed paved or graded dirt or gravel road, regularly maintained, with excellent drainage. 4WD not needed, even in wet weather. Speeds of over 40 mph can be achieved. Toyota Highlanders/Rav4 type vehicles acceptable.

1.5Maintained graded dirt road. 4WD not needed except in wet weather. May have potholes, dips, and sharp curves. May drain poorly in wet weather. Speeds of over 10 mph possible. Highlanders/Rav4 type vehicles can do, but will have to slow down considerably on washouts, etc., due to lack of ground clearance. No grades over 10 degrees.

EASY 4WD:
2.0Unimproved or rarely graded dirt road; 4WD and/or extra clearance occasionally needed at times, with no special driving skills required. Highlanders/Rav4 type vehicles NOT acceptable, due to insufficient ground clearance. 2WD & 4WD trucks with stock clearance are acceptable. Street tires are acceptable. Day runs are typically 20 miles in length.

2.5Dirt road graded rarely, if ever. 4WD low range and good clearance often needed, with some extra care and a bit of driving experience useful. Suitable for novice drivers. Speeds often under 10 mph. Street tires are acceptable. 2WD trucks NOT acceptable, due to lack of low range gears. No grades over 20 degrees.

MODERATE 4WD:
3.0 Ungraded road in difficult terrain, rarely maintained. 4WD low range and clearance required, with some driving skill and daring useful. Challenges for novice driver. Suitable for stock 4WD vehicles. Street tires are not recommended. No 2WD vehicles due to lack of traction. Speeds often under 5 MPH.

3.5Road or trail in difficult terrain, probably maintained only by occasional users. Considerable driving skill and daring needed. Not recommended for the novice driver. Surface may include wash beds, sand, cinders, lava rock, snow, mud, water, etc. Vehicles with long front or rear overhang (beyond the axles) may scrape front or rear bumpers on wash crossings, etc. Street tires not acceptable. Approaching the limit of what a capable stock 4WD vehicle (with capable driver) can do. Stock 4WD vehicles usually not recommended. Upgrade to 31" tires, mild lift (1" or 2"), and rear locker or limited slip is highly desirable. Equipment failure is usually limited to flat tires. Grades may exceed 20 degrees. Occasional off camber situation may exceed 20 degrees. Water crossings should be 2 feet or less in depth. Spotting may be required on the more difficult sections, especially for long, wide vehicles. Average speed is 3 mph. A day run is typically around 10 miles in length. This is the most common numerical rating given to 4WD trails. Suitable for mildly modified 4WD vehicles & moderately experienced drivers.

Difficult 4WD:
4.0Trail badly eroded. Off camber situations likely and may exceed 25 degrees. Grades may exceed 25 degrees. Water crossings can exceed 2 feet in depth. Stock vehicles NOT recommended. 31" tires minimum, (33" preferred), mild lift & hard locker, (not limited slip), in the rear probably required. Front locker or limited slip recommended. Speeds often under 3 mph. Spotting probably required on the more difficult obstacles to avoid body damage. Recommended for experienced 4WD drivers only. Body damage possible, but unlikely. More likely on long, and/or wide vehicles. Equipment failure possible, but unlikely.

4.5 Trail is TOUGH. Big rocks, grades exceeding 30 degrees. Off camber situations exceeding 30 degrees. Sometimes, but not always, best suited for short wheel base vehicles. (under 105" wheelbase) 33" tires minimum, (35" or larger preferred). 2" to 4" of lift and gearing of 40 to 1 (20 to 1 for automatics) or lower in first gear, low range probably required. Hard locker in the rear and limited slip or hard locker in the front probably required. Speeds often under 1 mph. A day run will usually be 1-3 miles in length. Body damage likely, but usually can be avoided by very careful driving and good spotting. Typically 10% of the vehicles on these runs will experience major mechanical failure, i.e., drive line or steering failure. (u-joints, axles, pitman arm, drag link, tie rods, etc.) Usually, but not always, these failures are due to improper and insufficiently tested vehicle modifications or poor (sloppy) driving technique. (Too much gas or steering pressure) An experienced driver with a properly setup vehicle can usually avoid most breakage.

Extreme 4WD:
5.0 Trail CANNOT be driven the whole way. Winching is required in at least one point on the trail. Water crossings may exceed 2-½ feet in depth. Grades exceeding 40 degrees. The biggest rocks with off camber situations exceeding 35 degrees. Rollovers possible. Usually only suitable for short wheel base vehicles (under 105" wheelbase), winch, 33" minimum tires, (35" or larger preferred), 3" to 5" of lift, gearing of 60 to 1 (30 to 1 for automatics) or lower in first gear, low range, and hard locker in both front and rear axles probably required. Axle upgrades highly recommended. Speed continuously under one mph. A day run is typically one mile in length. These trails are typically very hard on tires. One spare probably required, two spares recommended. Plug kit and/or tubes recommended. Tires with sufficient sidewall protection (Boggers, Swampers, etc.) recommended. 50% or greater chance of body damage. 50% or greater chance of major mechanical failure. Breakage is usually due to excessive torque or torque spikes on axles or steering components. Only experienced (5 years +) drivers with extra money, parts & energy to repair broken vehicles need apply.

[tmbrtmr]

All trails are easy , you dont need a system for grading them a trail that is tough today , might be easy tommrow , and vice a versa , ive been wheeeling most of my life, Started in high school we used to carry kegs with us then , its about 50 % the rig,, its about common sence ,its about going with people that know how to and learning from them and your own expericence , you dont need to pay people to teach you to wheel , you go out and learn from trial and error but most of all you have fun if you dont think you can make it try a diffrent line watch the guy in front of you and watch the guy behind you , i think you guys over think this stuff a little to much just enjoy dont stress and have fun , i still have a empty seat for my Rubicon run in august

[OlyWaFJ]

Lead the way o master of the mud & trail... ...I for one will follow!

I posted this legend of difficulty so if someone wants to go out to Elbe, with a stock FJ Cruiser they will know before hand the potential carnage they are getting themselves into. And for those who want more of a challenge than Tahuya or Straddleline they can save their fuel for an Elbe, Lake Isabella run... I feel it sets a simple standard of communication for everyone regarding trail run postings.

I agree, as an engineer I do over think/analyze everything, continue calling me out when I do so.

[tmbrtmr]

Originally Posted by OlyWaFJ

Lead the way o master of the mud & trail... ...I for one will follow!

I posted this legend of difficulty so if someone wants to go out to Elbe, with a stock FJ Cruiser they will know before hand the potential carnage they are getting themselves into. And for those who want more of a challenge than Tahuya or Straddleline they can save their fuel for an Elbe, Lake Isabella run... I feel it sets a simple standard of communication for everyone regarding trail run postings.

I agree, as an engineer I do over think/analyze everything, continue calling me out when I do so.

Brian sorry i wasnt trying to slam you or any body else for that matter , i aggree that people that dont no should be informed , my Dad always used to say experience is what you get when you dont get what you want ,