I want to uh... offroad? Stock? (1 Viewer)

[usedname]

Searched out a few threads.

Seems like general beginner recommendations are:
-take off those running boards
-add sliders
-big tires
-recovery points
-shackles and straps


Right now I want to do none of the above. Not even take the running boards off. Looking to go to some easy trails in Joshua Tree. Something like this. I think the worst I'll be dealing with is sand washes, and I'll avoid any crawling scenarios. I suspect that for those purposes the truck will be 'point and shoot'.


But I probably need a few things to be on the safe side, and I'm wondering what those are.
-air compressor/jump starter combo
-traction boards
-extra gas
-extra food/water
-recovery strap (do I need anything to go along with the strap?)

Q1: What else do I need?
Q2: What tools besides what's in the leather roll?
Q3: how do I carry gas? I was going to get a 5 gallon Armadillo bag. Everyone says it's the end of the world to carry it in the cabin but fumes can be dissuaded with open windows and I'll only have it full when I'm on trails. Plus I could use it partially filled on my motorcycle. But I don't have any external points to attach anything, would it make sense to strap it on the roof?
Q4: For sand, on 18" rims and stock size Michelin Defenders, how low can/should I air them?

 

[saucebox]

Group travel, or driving solo?

The usual advice is to just go, and find out what you need, where you'd like to improve, etc. I haven't been on that specific trail/track, but usually things marked 'easy' are nothing to sweat at all for your 100. Have a good spare tire, make sure it's aired up, and just...go.

If you're solo, at least have the basics to self-recover. Even if someone comes along, there's almost no guarantee that they'll be the ones packing jumper cables, or a tow rope, etc. Those are relatively inexpensive things to just carry for yourself. Carry those things for the same reason you carry extra water. There are plenty of threads on "what gear should I carry"—look at those and decide what works for you.

If you're in a group—just ask around. It's likely someone will have that gear for your first couple of runs, so you can decide later if it's something you want to buy and carry yourself.

Extra gas is completely dependent on the trail. If your 25mi trail is 5 minutes from a fuel station, it doesn't seem necessary to have extra fuel on board. I prefer hard cans strapped outside the truck somewhere.

18-20psi to be on the safe side? P tires won't have the same amount of sidewall durability, so going lower isn't something I would personally do if I needed to traverse rockier terrain. But it's another of those things where you'll just have to drive it and see where you like it best.

And don't let some a****** use a tow ball to recover you, should it come to that. Be safe.

 

[usedname]

Ok cool that's what I thought, I may not have the chops but the truck should be fine on these trails.

I'll have someone with me but single vehicle - and you know what you're right, I don't think I need extra gas.. nowhere in JT is that far from a fillup.



What happens if someone tries pulling with a tow ball?

 

[suprarx7nut]

Searched out a few threads.

Seems like general beginner recommendations are:
-take off those running boards
-add sliders
-big tires
-recovery points
-shackles and straps


Right now I want to do none of the above. Not even take the running boards off. Looking to go to some easy trails in Joshua Tree. Something like this. I think the worst I'll be dealing with is sand washes, and I'll avoid any crawling scenarios. I suspect that for those purposes the truck will be 'point and shoot'.


But I probably need a few things to be on the safe side, and I'm wondering what those are.
-air compressor/jump starter combo
-traction boards
-extra gas
-extra food/water
-recovery strap (do I need anything to go along with the strap?)

Q1: What else do I need?
Q2: What tools besides what's in the leather roll?
Q3: how do I carry gas? I was going to get a 5 gallon Armadillo bag. Everyone says it's the end of the world to carry it in the cabin but fumes can be dissuaded with open windows and I'll only have it full when I'm on trails. Plus I could use it partially filled on my motorcycle. But I don't have any external points to attach anything, would it make sense to strap it on the roof?
Q4: For sand, on 18" rims and stock size Michelin Defenders, how low can/should I air them?

Good AT Tires are probably something you should have. Not a need for easy stuff, but lots of AT tires have road performance very close to highway tires now with a LOT more durability off road.

Factory tires are 31". 33" tires fit with zero modification and have a relatively low effect on driving dynamics.

Highway tires, I'd only air down to 25. With brand name ATs I'd do 20psi. With particularly robust AT or hybrids on a 16/17 wheel you can do 15 no problem.


Tow strap, AT Tires and a second vehicle in your group are enough to have a ton of fun. From there up it's just a matter of how much you want to take on (trial-wise) and how much you want to mitigate the risk of something going sideways. People do difficult trails in factory Porsche Cayenne's, VW Touregs and Subarus. If you're ok with body damage and needing a tow, you don't need much prep, haha.

 

[saucebox]

What happens if someone tries pulling with a tow ball?

They're just not designed to take the kind of dynamic loads that recoveries often present, so they have on occasion broken off and seriously hurt or killed people.

 

[suprarx7nut]

They're just not designed to take the kind of dynamic loads that recoveries often present, so they have on occasion broken off and seriously hurt or killed people.

Yup. Just recently there was that nasty one in AZ. Absolutely awful.

Recoveries are no joke. Never use a tow ball.

Father Killed In Off-Road Recovery Accident When Drop Hitch Snaps

Ryan Woods was only 43 years old when he was killed instantly by a tow hitch snapping back into his truck.

www.roadandtrack.com

 

[usedname]

Good AT Tires are probably something you should have. Not a need for easy stuff, but lots of AT tires have road performance very close to highway tires now with a LOT more durability off road.

Factory tires are 31". 33" tires fit with zero modification and have a relatively low effect on driving dynamics.

Highway tires, I'd only air down to 25. With brand name ATs I'd do 20psi. With particularly robust AT or hybrids on a 16/17 wheel you can do 15 no problem.

33" means 1" increase in clearance yeah? Won't the extra rolling make the accel/braking/mpg take big hits? Q is academic right now, my Defenders are pretty new and I'm planning to keep em til they wear out. I don't think I'll be doing anything other than easy roads.. but we'll see how much fun JT is. PSI rec noted.

That picture! That poor family.

 

[suprarx7nut]

33" means 1" increase in clearance yeah? Won't the extra rolling make the accel/braking/mpg take big hits? Q is academic right now, my Defenders are pretty new and I'm planning to keep em til they wear out. I don't think I'll be doing anything other than easy roads.. but we'll see how much fun JT is. PSI rec noted.

That picture! That poor family.

Yes, 1" additional clearance and 1" additional sidewall to absorb uneven road. The acceleration/braking/mpg hit is something to consider, but it's all relative. A 100 is slow no matter what, lol. The difference between 34's and 31's on a 100 is minimal compared to the difference between a 100 and even an old sports car.

Drive the 100 nice and easy and you'd never know the difference.

 

[usedname]

Yes, 1" additional clearance and 1" additional sidewall to absorb uneven road. The acceleration/braking/mpg hit is something to consider, but it's all relative. A 100 is slow no matter what, lol. The difference between 34's and 31's on a 100 is minimal compared to the difference between a 100 and even an old sports car.

Drive the 100 nice and easy and you'd never know the difference.

But I want to go fast! What's the point if the VSC's not flashing?!

Far as I'm concerned, my LS is an old sports car.

Okay I asked this in the other thread but no one has responded so far: what specific wear and tear comes just from cornering hard all the time? (Besides eventually reaching the limit and bashing in your roof?)

 

[CruiserBerg]

But I want to go fast! What's the point if the VSC's not flashing?!

Far as I'm concerned, my LS is an old sports car.

Okay I asked this in the other thread but no one has responded so far: what specific wear and tear comes just from cornering hard all the time? (Besides eventually reaching the limit and bashing in your roof?)

You're going to see more wearing on suspension parts, stuff like your swaybar bushings and links, control arm bushings, and shocks. 100s are heavy beasts, I'd be more worried about control and safety than wear on parts with cornering hard in these things.

 

[suprarx7nut]

But I want to go fast! What's the point if the VSC's not flashing?!

Far as I'm concerned, my LS is an old sports car.

Okay I asked this in the other thread but no one has responded so far: what specific wear and tear comes just from cornering hard all the time? (Besides eventually reaching the limit and bashing in your roof?)

If you meant LX and the 100 feels like a sports car, let me introduce you to some actually fun road cars, lol. I think the 100 literally tips over before reaching 75% of the skidpad you can get out of a low-end sports car.

Wear items concerns for me would be the steering rack, tires and then general suspension/brake wear. The rack is a huge job. Pre-covid you could by yourself a couple old miatas for the price of a shop-done steering rack.

 

[usedname]

Haha I mean that my old man tan LS with a fat sway bar is about all I need if I want to go zoom zoom. I don't really go FAST in the LX cause I'm too aware of the braking distance, but I like not slowing down so much on turns. I dunno. I get my kicks. The rack was done on mine I think in 2017? Hoping to do F/R sway bar/end link bushings soon.

I do kinda dream about something small and fast with zero body roll...