Elkman
Senior Member
Lifting your truck is not smart for going off the road or on bad trails as it screws up the suspension and raises the center of gravity. You truck should already have 8 inches of ground clearance and that is good enough for even the Rubicon Trail if you know what you are doing. Going to larger tires with 3" more height only provides an additional 1.5 inches of ground clearance and only at the differentials. For holes one cannot avoid what matters is the approach angle and this is where a bumper mounted winch can actually be a liability.
One should learn to put a wheel on a large rock or to skirt holes and pick ones way across the terrain. It is why I only buy trucks with true 4WD that have a 2-gear range transfer case. In 2nd gear I can move the truck at 3 mph with an automatic transmission and at 1-2 mph with a manual transmission. The lower the speed at which some part of the truck comes into contact with a rock the less likely or less severe the damage.
Adjustable shocks work for those racing along at 50 MPH or faster or when using a truck for both heavy hauling and for trail running. I use Ranch adjustable shocks so I can have them firm with I have 3000-4000 lbs in the bed and much softer settings when all I have in the truck are passengers and less than 500 lbs. of gear.
The lighter the wheels and tires the easier it is on the truck and on its passengers and the better your shocks will function to dampen spring movement. Going to heavier tires is sometimes needed for increasing payload capacity but it is not a fix for mediocre trail running skills. They do look bad and that is enough for most people.
There is an off road park about 40 miles from my house and the Hummer company has done customer training on its trails which have sections that are as bad as any one will encounter anywhere. I saw Hummers negotiate the course with their oversized tires and front and rear locking differentials all day long and the only differences were in the skill of the drivers or their willingness to listen to the instructors. At the end of the day after the Hummer owners were heading off I saw a tiny Suzuki Brat with factory tires and no lift, with mom and dad and two children negotiate even the toughest parts of the course with ease. It was instructive and provided a different perspective and I have driven my 7 4WD trucks and 3 4WD SUVs and 3 Willys jeeps on trails all over the western USA.
One should learn to put a wheel on a large rock or to skirt holes and pick ones way across the terrain. It is why I only buy trucks with true 4WD that have a 2-gear range transfer case. In 2nd gear I can move the truck at 3 mph with an automatic transmission and at 1-2 mph with a manual transmission. The lower the speed at which some part of the truck comes into contact with a rock the less likely or less severe the damage.
Adjustable shocks work for those racing along at 50 MPH or faster or when using a truck for both heavy hauling and for trail running. I use Ranch adjustable shocks so I can have them firm with I have 3000-4000 lbs in the bed and much softer settings when all I have in the truck are passengers and less than 500 lbs. of gear.
The lighter the wheels and tires the easier it is on the truck and on its passengers and the better your shocks will function to dampen spring movement. Going to heavier tires is sometimes needed for increasing payload capacity but it is not a fix for mediocre trail running skills. They do look bad and that is enough for most people.
There is an off road park about 40 miles from my house and the Hummer company has done customer training on its trails which have sections that are as bad as any one will encounter anywhere. I saw Hummers negotiate the course with their oversized tires and front and rear locking differentials all day long and the only differences were in the skill of the drivers or their willingness to listen to the instructors. At the end of the day after the Hummer owners were heading off I saw a tiny Suzuki Brat with factory tires and no lift, with mom and dad and two children negotiate even the toughest parts of the course with ease. It was instructive and provided a different perspective and I have driven my 7 4WD trucks and 3 4WD SUVs and 3 Willys jeeps on trails all over the western USA.
