In July, I posted a thread: Lockers, why you want them and how/when to use them:
Lockers - why you want them and how/when to use them
I installed ARB lockers in my 1995 80-series in 2010. Until I installed them in my rig I had never been in a vehicle off-road that had lockers. I obviously didn’t know how to make use of them. I had done considerable searching for videos on Mud and YouTube to learn about lockers and thought I would pass the information along to others who might have the same questions. Those videos are in the thread above.
Since I originally posted this thread it has become clear to me that what I really wanted to start was a thread on how to most effectively drive an 80-series off-road.
Every day I see posts where someone has posted up photos of challenging wheeling they have done but there is no explanation of how they picked their line and how they used their rig most effectively to successfully traverse the challenge.
In this thread I am looking for people to post thoughts and especially videos about how they attack the challenges of driving off-road in various conditions including sand, snow, mud, ice, steep inclines/declines, loose gravelly or caliche inclines/declines, large rock surfaces (like Moab) how to attack deep ruts and uneven terrain, short steep ditches and anything else you have done that can require experience to manage.
1. How do you avoid getting stuck in each of these situations and if you do, how do you get out?
2. What are the situations where you could roll your truck and how can you best avoid it?
3. How do you use a winch effectively and avoid injury.
4. How and when do you use your lockers in each of the conditions mentioned above.
5. How should you use a high lift jack and live to tell about it.
6. When do you air down and how do you decide how much is enough.
7. How do you decide when to call it a day and back off of any of the conditions mentioned above.
8. Anything else you have learned in your years of wheeling that could be helpful to someone who hasn't attacked that specific challenge.
Think of this thread as an ongoing primer for people who have never wheeled in the conditions you are describing. For example, I am 60 years old, been driving off-road since I was 14 and I have never wheeled in the snow in mountainous conditions. It would be extremely helpful for someone to post up a few videos on how to wheel in the snow, what to watch out for, when to use the lockers and when not to use them and how to decide when to go no further before it is too late.
Fairly short videos where you instruct and then demonstrate will be most helpful!
If taken seriously and done correctly this thread could help people avoid damage to their vehicle, avoide tearing up the trail, avoid spending time getting out of trouble and potentially save their lives.
I am sure we are going to get some rather humorous videos where someone instructs and then screws up which will make the thread both entertaining and educational especially if they also film the recovery.
In addition, it would be nice to see some of the people whose posts I have been reading for years in a video sharing their skills.
No matter what, some people are going to bash your ideas but there will be others who offer helpful tips that make you a better wheeler. There is no doubt that some of the best off-roaders in the world frequent this site. Mud could easily function as an educational forum for both how to build a capable rig as well as how to use it effectively.
Here is an example video (too long) about “How to drive off-road” that was made by a British guy who knows Land Rovers. He covers a lot of good information but there are many conditions he doesn’t touch on and he isn’t addressing how to effectively use an 80 series which is what people in this section are looking for:
Lockers - why you want them and how/when to use them
I installed ARB lockers in my 1995 80-series in 2010. Until I installed them in my rig I had never been in a vehicle off-road that had lockers. I obviously didn’t know how to make use of them. I had done considerable searching for videos on Mud and YouTube to learn about lockers and thought I would pass the information along to others who might have the same questions. Those videos are in the thread above.
Since I originally posted this thread it has become clear to me that what I really wanted to start was a thread on how to most effectively drive an 80-series off-road.
Every day I see posts where someone has posted up photos of challenging wheeling they have done but there is no explanation of how they picked their line and how they used their rig most effectively to successfully traverse the challenge.
In this thread I am looking for people to post thoughts and especially videos about how they attack the challenges of driving off-road in various conditions including sand, snow, mud, ice, steep inclines/declines, loose gravelly or caliche inclines/declines, large rock surfaces (like Moab) how to attack deep ruts and uneven terrain, short steep ditches and anything else you have done that can require experience to manage.
1. How do you avoid getting stuck in each of these situations and if you do, how do you get out?
2. What are the situations where you could roll your truck and how can you best avoid it?
3. How do you use a winch effectively and avoid injury.
4. How and when do you use your lockers in each of the conditions mentioned above.
5. How should you use a high lift jack and live to tell about it.
6. When do you air down and how do you decide how much is enough.
7. How do you decide when to call it a day and back off of any of the conditions mentioned above.
8. Anything else you have learned in your years of wheeling that could be helpful to someone who hasn't attacked that specific challenge.
Think of this thread as an ongoing primer for people who have never wheeled in the conditions you are describing. For example, I am 60 years old, been driving off-road since I was 14 and I have never wheeled in the snow in mountainous conditions. It would be extremely helpful for someone to post up a few videos on how to wheel in the snow, what to watch out for, when to use the lockers and when not to use them and how to decide when to go no further before it is too late.
Fairly short videos where you instruct and then demonstrate will be most helpful!
If taken seriously and done correctly this thread could help people avoid damage to their vehicle, avoide tearing up the trail, avoid spending time getting out of trouble and potentially save their lives.
I am sure we are going to get some rather humorous videos where someone instructs and then screws up which will make the thread both entertaining and educational especially if they also film the recovery.
In addition, it would be nice to see some of the people whose posts I have been reading for years in a video sharing their skills.
No matter what, some people are going to bash your ideas but there will be others who offer helpful tips that make you a better wheeler. There is no doubt that some of the best off-roaders in the world frequent this site. Mud could easily function as an educational forum for both how to build a capable rig as well as how to use it effectively.
Here is an example video (too long) about “How to drive off-road” that was made by a British guy who knows Land Rovers. He covers a lot of good information but there are many conditions he doesn’t touch on and he isn’t addressing how to effectively use an 80 series which is what people in this section are looking for:
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