Best year 100 for hunting.

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futurelcowner

10 Year
Joined
Jul 6, 2013
Threads
2
Messages
6
Hello,

I am a newbie here. I just have a question. I am looking at a LC 100 for my next vehicle and I am an avid hunter. Where I hunt, it is the Ohio River bottoms, so there is no hills but there is really sticky mud. I found a 99 really cheap, but the two-pinion diff worries me if i get into some ruts. I want to know in a disced soybean field that is about 2 miles long and wet, will a new LC with A-Trac get bogged down. I have a Z71 with factory rear locker in back now and it seems to get the job done. The speedo needs to read 25-30 mph but you are only doing about 10 mph.

Long story short. 99 or newer for pure river mud?

Thank you,
 
How 'bout a John Deere?

ARB the front regardless of model year 100. Stock up on t-case and rear pinion seals. Ditto for alternators if you're really running deep mud per your post.

An IFS/100 wouldn't be my first choice for a mud bogger.
 
Thanks for your help. The mud doesn't get axle deep. It's just like peanut butter sticky. I thought the a trac might not work good. Plus I've always wanted a 100.
 
i haven't driven an A-TRAC rig in the mud. From what I hear, and others surely will chime in, the one place A-TRAC doesn't shine is in the mud due to throttle/rpm control.
 
^ yes...but without lockers + mud = winch time IMO
 
In a perfect world I agree on the locker imperative, however there may be some marginal performance increase for a minimal cost if the switch worked. At least the vehicle wouldn't be fighting you. IIRC there was a hill climb video of an unlocked 100 in mud with ATRAC off posted here somewhere.
 
I have been hunting Ohio with my 100 since new, mud has never been a problem. But if it ever was, just get out and walk a bit - we all can use the exercise.
 
I agree. The one I was looking at was a 99 with rear locker. 133,000 miles for about $10,950. The other one was an 02 with 105,000 miles for $17,998. I'm up in the air. I wont be able to get the ARB for about a year if I go with the 99. I just dont want to be sitting in the middle of a field where a-trac will keep me from cleaning my tires out. Again thank you everyone for your advice.
 
The mileage differential between those two rigs is negligible. Especially for the cost differential. While I think the '01-'02 100's are my favorites, that price on the '99 is really good for the miles. With that kind of difference in cost, you can easily put in an ARB front locker and a front bumper with a winch and still be several grand below the cost of the '02. That couple extra grand will be useful for buying ammo!
 
revoked said:
ATRAC shuts off after a short time, not sure if that makes your decision any easier
Click to expand...

I believe I read on here that it is about 8 secs, but don't quote me on that!
 
Price differential on a 99 vs 03 and up gets you ARB's front and rear in the 99. Then you say what mud? For your use this sounds like a good match.
 
futurelcowner said:
I agree. The one I was looking at was a 99 with rear locker. 133,000 miles for about $10,950. The other one was an 02 with 105,000 miles for $17,998. I'm up in the air. I wont be able to get the ARB for about a year if I go with the 99. I just dont want to be sitting in the middle of a field where a-trac will keep me from cleaning my tires out. Again thank you everyone for your advice.
Click to expand...

If there is one thing I know its mud. My recommendation for a hunting rig would be to buy the 99 with the locker, leave the front diff alone unless it breaks, and fit some BFG Mud Terrains. My 98 has seen plenty of mud in Alaska, Minnesota, and here in NE Ohio - including this rainy weekend camping, fishing, and shooting sporting clays. Take it easy and you can get most anywhere.

My observation is that the front diff in a 98/99 is plenty strong for mud. What it can't take is a long, careless series of bouncing and wheel hopping from ledge climbing out west. We don't have that here in Ohio.
 
I just drove a several-inch deep dry-mud lake bed in Mexico in my '99 and had an interesting take-away -
it drove and handled better @ 50-60mph unlocked than it did with the center diff locked. It bogged and felt less powerful with center locked. I was surprised, esp. after driving my 80 locked and it was a tank in all conditions. Figured maybe it was the speed, 50-60mph too high for center diff locked? I kept it unlocked and it was a champ... she beat the other 4x4s by 15 minutes to our destination :)

I know this is an old thread, but what did you end up buying, futurelcowner?

I'm considering upping to a 2002 or 2007 but not sure I want to get involved in the ATRAC... sometimes simple is good!?
 
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