How to drive an 80-series off-road

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I agree experience is what makes the difference. I've driven a technically difficult line in the past, then tried to guide a less experienced driver through the same line in a similarly capable vehicle. With the less experienced driver having less of an intuitive feel, timing of critical wheel placement and turns, throttle etc was different enough that we could not get him through without winching.

you can learn a lot form videos for sure, but you can't learn "feel" from a video. Having someone guide you through a trail can help introduce you to that "feel".
Part of that feel is having an innate sense of where your wheels are on each corner of the rig you are driving (that sentence sounds weird in my head ), an example of what I mean is having enough awareness of your rig to be able to park your rig with any given wheel on a dime, and knowing you will have nailed it.
 
@KWalkerM has nailed exactly what I was thinking re wheel placement.


one difference, I'll always air down ass soon as i into dirt. airing down to 25psi makes a huge difference to shock absorption, tire footprint and traction. Its softer on your butt, softer on your rig, and softer on the trails (less erosion).
If your on and off dirt, 25psi is still ok at highway speeds for short trips
 
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Marine7 said:
Originally from Michigan, I learned to air "way down" out in Silver Lake Stare Park. I went to 12lbs and still struggled climbing the bigger dunes. I met an older Cruiser owner out there that could idle up everything out there while everyone else had to hit these hills "wide open". After getting sick of beating on my cruiser I asked him what his truck was......5lbs in each tire! My bro and I thought he was f'ing with us, but tried it. (No beadlocks on any of the 3) and Holy Sh**! What a difference! Night and day!
Now I live on the coast of NC, and whenever on the beach I go to 5lbs. and go! Been doing it like that for close to 30 years, and have never ran a tire off the rim! (33/12.50/15 on STOCK rims) And I drive however I feel like! Sorry, no pics...too busy driving to be taking "poser" shots!
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having a gutless 2.8tonne diesel cruiser on sand, I found exactly the same thing. at 5psi, you have to plan your turns about 5 minutes ahead of time. turning on tires at 5psi makes a cruiser steer like a boat! :rofl: turn the wheel and wait for it, . . . . . wait for it to turn :hillbilly:

tires get damn hot at 5psi too!
 
Don't just worry about trail time in general, but spend some time getting the "right" trail time. A full day of intentionally pushing your vehicle into difficult spots knowing that you will likely get stuck and recovering is more useful than just lazily sight seeing down a fire road. Then, when you are on a sight seeing day, you have the knowledge of what you are capable of so you don't waste travel days getting stuck unnecessarily.

Think of it like winter diving: spending a few hours in a snowy empty parking lot purposely losing and gaining control will give you more 'feel' for it than weeks just getting from A to B.
 
OP, Look through our Clubhouse post on training when you get a chance Let's Get Trained , we have accumulated videos from many sources and other information. This is another good source of reputable and well trained people: I4WDTA®

I am a believer of formal training, as it has worked for me all my 35+ years of professional life. Motorsports (and I consider wheeling one) is great when you go to different schools and learn multiple points of views from experts who do this for a living, in different vehicles and terrains. I like to learn and practice a lot in school settings, then go into the unknown and apply. But that works for me, may not work for everyone.
 
Marine7 said:
Originally from Michigan, I learned to air "way down" out in Silver Lake Stare Park. I went to 12lbs and still struggled climbing the bigger dunes. I met an older Cruiser owner out there that could idle up everything out there while everyone else had to hit these hills "wide open". After getting sick of beating on my cruiser I asked him what his truck was......5lbs in each tire! My bro and I thought he was f'ing with us, but tried it. (No beadlocks on any of the 3) and Holy Sh**! What a difference! Night and day!
Now I live on the coast of NC, and whenever on the beach I go to 5lbs. and go! Been doing it like that for close to 30 years, and have never ran a tire off the rim! (33/12.50/15 on STOCK rims) And I drive however I feel like! Sorry, no pics...too busy driving to be taking "poser" shots!
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are you running the 15x7 stock rims?
 
I started out without lockers and believe it is not wise to do terrain that requires lockers until u have enough driver experience. 4wheeling can be extremely dangerous if ignorance is high. Watch a person's hand get caught in a winch or a vehicle roll and the persons arm get crushed because they stuck it out the window and it reinforces that that this can be fun, but u gotta be very careful. Slowly challenge yourself, and do lots of research. Research how people get into a near rollover situation yet save it. Research the weak points of the vehicle your driving and the strong points. Research how open diffs and locked diffs work. Research all the mechanical and electrical systems of your vehicle and he they work. The Internet has videos on all of this stuff. Also, drive your vehicle as often as possible on the street, it will give familiarity with the vehicle, and if u break on the freeway, certainly u just avoided breaking in the middle of nowhere and learned of a issue that needs attention.
 
1973Guppie said:
I consider myself an experienced off road driver. I learned to drive many years ago in an unlocked 40 series landcruiser. The best advice I have ever been given is to "pick your line, and walk it". Even to this day I like to stop at the beggining of an obstacle and walk it with my hands out like a crazy person. I have been laughed at by people in other trucks doing this and then proceeded to help them get up the obstacle in their new $$$ rubicon. Once I pick that line that I feel will work that is what i stick with. I always try to climb an obstacle (or go down an obstacle) with the least amount of slipping. Knowing when and where you need more throttle is important and only comes with experience. I know alot of people don't turn on their lockers until they need them. I do the opposite. I feel if I have the tools I will use them on any obstacle that is reasonably hard. I think the slickest thing is when you can tackle a hard obstacle by picking the perfect line, with little to no wheel spin and make it look easy.
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I agree with mostly everything here but disagree re the wheelspin. Sometimes a little throttle and some friction allow for an overall better line
 
KWalkerM said:
Time on the trail trumps all. Know where your tires are and the balance points of your truck. to get a feel for wheel positions, mess around and try to run over pinecones in the road with one tire or 2 at speed. Industrial areas of cities are great to mess around with make-shift RTI ramps on loading docks. Be careful not to trespass though. weekends they are usually empty. all that comes with experience. I couldn't tell you how to pick a line very well over the internet but I do think the mark of a good offroad driver is being able to spot a good line without exiting the vehicle . if you know your truck and can estimate distances precisely picking lines is easy.

I almost never air down. I wheel pretty well aired up for most trips (40PSI). Yes It is rougher to wheel. however for most obstacles There isn't a need to air down in my opinion. I also don't like carting my 20lb CO2 Tank around or finding air at a gas station. It is a hassle to air down with how much I drive on plain dirt roads and mild offroad trails. I do air down for bigger trails and the beach. when I do air down its usually 15-20PSI, I have never lost a bead at any PSI from 5-40PSI and I drove my vehicles hard.

Offroad your long wheel base truck (80) is far more stable to tipping compared to a 40 series. you can get away with a lot of air time on your wheels without flopping (see attached photo). With that being said, the break over point constantly changes depending on terrain in rocks. What didn't tip you on one obstacle can topple you on another with what feel like more stable situations. There is a very distinct feeling in the suspension when it loads up and starts hitting the danger zone of toppling. In my opinion the only way to know that feeling is to get to that danger zone.

Winches are dangerous, mostly from other people using them. My advice on those is lots of research online or a class. I do have a few rules on winches and attaching anything to my vehicle that will be load bearing (straps, shackles, winch lines etc)
1. ALWAYS inspect rigging the you didn't attach before pulling. If it doesn't look safe, it probably isn't. The only time I do not do this is with certain people I know who are professional riggers and very good friends that I completely trust with my truck and life.
2. ONE person is in charge of the entire scene and all pulls. Usually that is the person pulling or the most experienced spotter.
3. Never attach anything to a hitchball. only use secure load points.
4. Throw away steel line and just buy synthetic, its safer for everyone in winch situations. I don't want to get sued over injury or death on my vacation, synthetic line is my insurance to reduce hazards.

Hi-lifts are the best tool for those that know how to use them. I have used a hi-lift more than any other rescue tool I own. The key is to throw them in other peoples rigs when they are muddy though. Know exactly how to use them and the risks before you hit the trail. I think Hi-lifts are far more dangerous than winches.

I have no idea how to call it a day and quit early. I just push through which would be why I went on the Rubicon last night in the snow and ice at 2am... We did bail a couple miles in and turn around because we got jobs and stuff.

Other pointers, carry multiple good flashlights they are super useful and 2 is one and one is none.
clean all straps after use by rinsing with water than run a rag down them like a squeegee, it takes the dirt out and extends the life of the strap.
Always carry snacks, I work in the woods and I cant tell you how many times I got stuck in the field longer than I wanted.
Know what is exposed where on our truck underneath and know what can be damaged in the field that is not mission critical and what must be repaired.
For large groups: I get annoyed when people have to constantly get out of their vehicle in groups when there is a spotter. stay in the dang truck and trust the spotter. it holds up the line when everyone gets out to look at the trail every 100 feet. TRUST YOUR SPOTTER

I like this thread. Ill add in more as I go. I just snagged a dashcam and I have a go-pro deal so Ill have more videos soon.View attachment 1374941

View attachment 1374942

I was on 2 wheels here. I accidentally picked that rock up with a slider.
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Wtf horrible advice to run street pressure
 
mudgudgeon said:
@KWalkerM has nailed exactly what I was thinking re wheel placement.


one difference, I'll always air down ass soon as i into dirt. airing down to 25psi makes a huge difference to shock absorption, tire footprint and traction. Its softer on your butt, softer on your rig, and softer on the trails (less erosion).
If your on and off dirt, 25psi is still ok at highway speeds for short trips
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nukegoat said:
Wtf horrible advice to run street pressure
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I think i need to clarify what I mean by trips. I live in an area that is surrounded by over 1 million acres of National Forest in a town thats main income is logging. There are about 20k residents in the whole county and the closest "city" is over an hour and a half away in either direction. I can honestly say I probably put more miles down on dirt/gravel roads than 95% of the forum members here. If i aired down anytime i hit a fire road or jumped into the woods to fish on my lunch break I would be spending half my time airing up and down when it is unneccesary.

I do air down on "group events" becaue I am usually carting a lot more gear around and its a softer ride. I also occadionally air down on certain trails in my "backyard" but even on the more rocky trails its hardly neccessary. Knowing how to place your tires when aired up and how they react takes time between the seat and wheel too.

Do i reccomend staying aired up? No, not for a large amajority of people. I however do not have a need for aired down tires in a majority of how I live my life.
It all comes down to lifestyles and how you use your gear as an individual.

As an example, for my job I put 800 mixed road/dirt miles on my work j**p in 4 days over 4th of july this year. If i aired up and down every time I swapped terrain I wouldnt be able to do my job effectively.
 
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KWalkerM said:
I think i need to clarify what I mean by trips. I live in an area that is surrounded by over 1 million acres of National Forest in a town thats main income is logging. There are about 20k residents in the whole county and the closest "city" is over an hour and a half away in either direction. I can honestly say I probably put more miles down on dirt/gravel roads than 95% of the forum members here. If i aired down anytime i hit a fire road or jumped into the woods to fish on my lunch break I would be spending half my time airing up and down when it is unneccesary.

I do air down on "group events" becaue I am usually carting a lot more gear around and its a softer ride. I also occadionally air down on certain trails in my "backyard" but even on the more rocky trails its hardly neccessary. Knowing how to place your tires when aired up and how they react takes time between the seat and wheel too.

Do i reccomend staying aired up? No, not for a large amajority of people. I however do not have a need for aired down tires in a majority of how I live my life.
It all comes down to lifestyles and how you use your gear as an individual.

As an example, for my job I put 800 mixed road/dirt miles on my work j**p in 4 days over 4th of july this year. If i aired up and down every time I swapped terrain I wouldnt be able to do my job effectively.
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Even still id probably just run 20psi everywhere. On radials youre not going to overheat on the road
 
nukegoat said:
Even still id probably just run 20psi everywhere. On radials youre not going to overheat on the road
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Wears tires too fast on road and less fuel efficiency. Its just a pain in the butt since my cruiser is my daily
 
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