80 without lockers. How offroad can I get?

[locruiser]

Hey'all. A as a newbie, I get to ask really stupid questions. But you know what they say there are know stupid questions...

Anyways, My FJ 80 does not have lockers - on a dry surface - rocky, rutted, steep (AKA havin fun in the Summer with wife and Kid on board while we get to that remote capmsite) How gnarly can I get with stock lift, wheels, and such?

Be gentle.

LOCRUISER
Lake Oswego, OR
96 FJ-80 97K all options accept lockers

 

[Kazmanff]

This thread ought to answer your question.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=80434&highlight=moab

 

[NorCalSam]

Yes that is a good thread. Look its a land cruiser. However the ground clearance on a stock rig is not good to say the least. And you have no protection. Just a small lift and little bit bigger tire will vastly improve the off road ability of the rig. Sart saving for a lift protection and some ARB air lockers. You don't have to have lockers but they really help with a truck that weights about 6,500 lbs

Welcome

 

[e9999]

the short answer is that you'll be pleasantly surprised and there are very few stock vehicles that will do as well. Enjoy!

 

[Kalawang]

Even a 2WD gets to more places than it's credited for.

It's all dependent on the driver skill and the terrain that needs to be crossed. Your chances are vastly improved if you take getting there as a priority over trying things out.


Kalawang

 

[Mickldo]

My 80 doesn't have lockers and it regularly goes places that my mates in lesser 4bys with twin difflocks and huge lifts can't go. Mine is modified but is not over the top. I'd like to think it's driver skill but in reality I think it's 99% the off road ability of the 80. Sure there are times when I wish it had lockers but time and time again I've proven to my wheeling buddies that lockers can get you into uglier situations than without, eg tight uphill off camber low traction turns, locked will keep pushing you straight ahead but unlocked will let you turn. I know what I just said is doable with selectable lockers but most drivers see a tricky obstacle and automaticly engage the lockers then get unstuck. I guess if you want lockers you need to learn how to 4x4 without first then learn when to use the lockers safely. If you don't play really hardcore then I say you don't really need lockers. Keep that money for PM.

 

[DTAYLOR]

no lockers no biggie (most of the time)

I have an 80 with no lockers and have done ok. I don't do any hardcore climbing and such, but I have been door handle deep in a river a time or two. My 80 is more of an urban assault vehicle than a rock climber, so the lockers really don't play a big part for me. The all around toughness, reliability, and occasional swim is what my 80 is good for.

 

[MoJ]

You can get very offroad. Try everything and don't worry about addiing lockers until you find something you can't do. It will be awhile.

 

[locruiser]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I'll experiment with the 80's capability and have fun while doing it!

 

[NorCalDoug]

You can get whereever you want as long as you don't need traction from both sides of the axle at the same time.

Example...an uphill climb with soft dirt or a hole that the DS front tire falls into and a similar hole or soft dirt patch that the PS rear tire hits at the same time could cause problems.

We had an open diff 80 on our trip to Death Valley a couple weeks ago and we got to see some real world limitations that a person could run into without lockers in a non-rock-crawling situation.

 

[Bearcat80]

Here's what you need to wheel with the best, in my humble opinion, in order of importance:
1 - A brain, to help you pick the smart line or to go around. Also to learn from yer screwups. Also the humility to ask others opinions.
2 - A well maintained 80. Breaking because you didn't service or PM is inexcusable.
3 - Good tires with the appropriate amount of air. This is the best traction investment.
4 - A winch. As you get better, you get more confident, so you get "temporarily immobile" deeper, further up the trail.
5 - Lockers. All of the above neeed to be in place first, and you need to wheel with equally capable people/rigs, because with a locked 80 you can obtain locations and levels of "temporarily immobile" that few other rigs can reach to resolve .

To sum it up, add lockers last after lots of experience and confidence in your wheeling pals and your own abilities.

 

[4WD Toyota Owner Magazine]

Get a winch first

More important than lockers IMHO is a winch. It's probably the most vital thing to have with you. I flat out will NOT go wheeling without a winch on the rig. (Nor even without a winch on my big 4x4 quad). They, like anything else, are not guaranteed to save you but they massively improve your chances. Plus, anyone who has spent hours digging out a rig (assuming someone remembered to bring a shovel or entrenching tool) will get a winch pronto. I think it's nuts to go wheeling without one--but it's not nuts to go wheeling without lockers.

You'll need some kind of winch-capable bumper to support it. ARB is very common and well regarded.

Quick note--I don't THINK an 80 is 6500 pounds. The other day I took our 80 (ARB bumper, 12000lb winch, T-case skid plate, 35" tires plus full size spare, 60" Hi-Lift, two boxes of tools, etc) and weighed it at a highway weigh station. It came up 5650 lbs.

Dave

 

[Jason Andrews]

Hey'all. A as a newbie, I get to ask really stupid questions. But you know what they say there are know stupid questions...

Anyways, My FJ 80 does not have lockers - on a dry surface - rocky, rutted, steep (AKA havin fun in the Summer with wife and Kid on board while we get to that remote capmsite) How gnarly can I get with stock lift, wheels, and such?

Be gentle.

LOCRUISER
Lake Oswego, OR
96 FJ-80 97K all options accept lockers

IMHO mud is the place where I find I really need the front and rear lockers becuase otherwise I hafta lower the tire pressure down to get the traction I need. 4L and CDL helps and with some good driving you can keep the traction for some pretty steep hill climbs etc without even lifting a tire off the ground. The more passengers and other weight you have the more you'll need the ft/rr locks.

 

[Silverscout]

Just to reiterate what every one else said. A locker isn’t necessary, but they make things a bit easier. Instead of having to throttle up you get to crawl up. My locked 450 went places at Hollister that my buddies 470 had a bit of trouble with. The 470 still did every thing the 450 did, it just took more wheel spin. Since I have lockers, I wouldn’t buy another truck with out them.

 

[Nay]

More important than lockers IMHO is a winch. It's probably the most vital thing to have with you. I flat out will NOT go wheeling without a winch on the rig. (Nor even without a winch on my big 4x4 quad). They, like anything else, are not guaranteed to save you but they massively improve your chances. Plus, anyone who has spent hours digging out a rig (assuming someone remembered to bring a shovel or entrenching tool) will get a winch pronto. I think it's nuts to go wheeling without one--but it's not nuts to go wheeling without lockers.

Wheeling without a winch is nuts? That's an extreme view. Tell me why you need a winch in the dry Southwest when running a trail with a group? Here if you can't get up an obstacle without a winch, you are probably in over your head and are likely to severely damage a rig as big as an 80.

Now for all of you poor folks who might get stuck in the mud? Get a winch.

I'm not saying winches are bad, but they do cost a lot of money, they take a lot of clearance so you'll need more lift for rock crawling, and they are very rarely used on moderate/difficult trails in the southwest. We must all be nuts

Nay

 

[NorCalDoug]

wheeling in difficult terrain without a winch AND without another vehicle to give you a tug if you need one might be nuts, but...wheeling without a winch is not neccessarily nuts.

just my opinion...

 

[fuelgeddes]

just check this out.

Here is another post. I had to watch it twice.

https://forum.ih8mud.com/showthread.php?t=83523

Dont let your head get filled with the idea that you cant go out and have a good time with out lockers. I think if you read here long enough you will see that whats great about a LC is that you can add what you need, when you need it. It is all in what you want to do with the truck. The most important thing is that your in a LC and now you can dream about all the other things you can do with it.

good luck and

 

[Mike S]

If I had known that I needed a winch all these years, I would have been sure to buy one. Guess I'll move it to the top of the list...

M

 

[MH_Stevens]

A new Lowe's just opened up down my road and they were selling the small warn winch for $130. Maybe it wont pull a Cruiser out of the mud. They had a big one for $339 I think.

 

[Curran]

That little switch is often a crutch.
Last month I went wheeling with Riad at Rausch Creek. I was pretty stunned to watch how well his unlocked 80 moved around even it wet and muddy rocks. Granted much of it was due to good driving, but he made it everywhere the other locked vehicles made it and even a few places many of the locked vehicles wouldn't go. Sometimes there was a little extra drama due to spinning wheels or the extra momentum needed to get over an obstacle, but he made it. Driving skills will get you far.
Hook up with some other cruiser heads in your area and get some trail time. You'll be surprised to see how far you can get (and still get back)