And the Moral of the Story is...

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 4:19 pm

There's another on-line forum called "Rocky Mountain Extreme" that I hang out on which most members are from UT. Like many other forums, there's a section where people post up upcoming trips in different regions of the state in effort of getting groups together; good times.

I saw a post for my neck of the woods inviting all for a night ride in American Fork Canyon. The poster said that vehicles should have a minimum 33" tires and at least on locker. I posted that I would be there despite having 32" tires and declared that lockers are for gym class (I'm pretty darn funny). The thread grew to 5 pages with people inquiring as to my position on the subject among other issues. My position was/is that 9x out of 10 if I am stuck it's because I am hi-centered which a locker won't change. A strap and a friend is a lot cheaper investment than a locker that will only get me out of trouble 10% of the time. Although I am not opposed to lockers, the money could be spent on other things that have a higher-percentage impact. Getting hi-centered is the bane of the wheeling KJ owner's existence.

I showed up at Tibble Fork Reservoir at 7PM to find a group of not less than 20 rigs ready to go up. The group was a 70/30 split Toyotas to Jeep many of which were well-built. I heard some expressions of concern that I would slow the group down. I once again declared lockers are for gym class with a smirk and we hit the trail by 7:45.

I was rig #3 as we hit the infamous rock garden which had some big-ass boulders which I had to carefully navigate though. When I reached the edge of the garden, I put my DS front tire on a rock which rolled and threw my rig to the right on top of a big boulder... I was hi-centered at the goal line. Of course I got the hail of "lockers are for gym class" over the CB and with a strap and a tug I was off the rock. I once again stated that in the same circumstances with a locker I'd still need a strap since none of my tires were making contact with terra firma but I digress..

At around 11PM we reached another significant obstacle which took a while to get everyone over. At one point a Tacoma with 35's and a locker got hi-centered and had to be winched off. As he was sitting there I said "you know... if you had big tires and a locker... you wouldn't be here". The guy didn't seem to appreciate my brand of humor and went home as soon as he was off. After that was over an TJ went up the angle and popped a bead on the PS tire. He had a hi-lift... but it would not go up... he asked of anyone had a hi-lift.... no one else did..... cept me. I offered my Power Tank but he said "no I got a compressor and a tank on-board". Problem was... the compressor broke during the attempt to fill the tank and the air in the tank couldn't flow enough to re-seat the bead. I once again I offered my tank (after about an hour of watching the scene) and it was finally accepted. I quick shot of some WD 40 and and the tank turned up to 200 PSI the Jeep was rolling in 5 mins. Still feeling good about myself I said "I spent my locker money on a working hi-Lift and a CO2 tank".

So whats the point of this? This was a group that invested a lot of $ in their rigs. There were big lifts, SAS, lockers, custom bobbed flatbeds... you name it. Out of this whole group no one had a strap, a working jack, most had no CB and no way to address a flat tire (some did have on-board air). WTF? If you're wheeling your rig, you should be able to self rescue or at least facilitate someone else helping you. If you have a lift, you know that the stock scissor jack is even more useless right? If you don't own a strap get one. If you need a strap, you need tow points front and rear. If you're going out with groups, get a CB... don't be that guy. I don't see the point of lifting, adding extra pieces to get it higher, spending more for new a arms so it can be aligned and you get out on the trail and can't fix a flat.

Be safe out there and go prepared.

Coliniksi · **Joined:** Thu Feb 25, 2010 11:49 am **Posts:** 242

JL Rockies wrote:

Tacoma with 35's and a locker got hi-centered and had to be winched off. As he was sitting there I said "you know... if you had big tires and a locker... you wouldn't be here". The guy didn't seem to appreciate my brand of humor and went home as soon as he was off.

what a poor sport

Budke · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 4:39 pm

Tool bags.

STINGN · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 4:43 pm

some people get bent out of shape real easily.

SurfGuitar141 · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 5:33 pm

Coliniksi wrote:

JL Rockies wrote:

Tacoma with 35's and a locker got hi-centered and had to be winched off. As he was sitting there I said "you know... if you had big tires and a locker... you wouldn't be here". The guy didn't seem to appreciate my brand of humor and went home as soon as he was off.

what a poor sport

That wuss wouldn't last 5 minutes in my fire station with thin skin like that...... :roll:

tommudd · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 6:59 pm

But you know JL you are "kind of a big deal"
and they, I am sure, have never wheeled with anyone like you before :ROTFL:

2006 KJ · **Posted:** Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:39 pm

i completely agree... go prepared.. however i disagree big time with 'lockers are for gym class'. just adding a rear locker to my jeep made it 10 times better offroad. it's more control-able and you need the 'skinny peddle' a lot less... since you never lose traction and can just crawl through tough spots. perhaps with a locker (or two) you wouldnt have ended up on the large rock high centered. still.. a high lift / flat tire repair tools / strap (even better a winch).. are a necessity for offroading.. lockers aren't.. but sure do help!

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 12:03 am

I idle over most things off road, I rarely use the skinny pedal crawling over rocks, diesel brings teh sexay. As I said, I am not opposed to lockers but I rarely get stuck in a situation that a locker would've made any better. When I got hi-centered a locker would've made no difference.... my kick-ass audio system and expedition trailer; absolutely. :SOMBRERO:

2006 KJ · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 12:10 am

JL Rockies wrote:

diesel brings teh sexay

Touché

but my 6 speed has a lower crawl ratio :wink:

now only if they gave up the diesel with a 6 speed...

tjkj2002 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 9:59 am

2006 KJ wrote:

but my 6 speed has a lower crawl ratio :wink:

Actually not correct,you got to figure in the 2.5:1 torque converter reduction we have in the 45REF/545RFE trans.

His 33.3:1 crawl ratio is more like 83:1.

67Customs · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:22 am

Knowledge is definitely more useful that simple brute force. Getting a good mix of both is even better.

linewarbr · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 2:49 pm

No one? No one? OK, I'll do it. . . .

JL Rockies wrote:

Why is this here?

bugnout · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 4:53 pm

Good trip report. 9 times out of 10 its the driver not the vehicle. Add to that, the Liberty is a sleeper, If you asked most of those guys which is more capable, Liberty, H3 or FJ, most would put the liberty last.

Let em think that, We know better.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:03 pm

linewarbr wrote:

No one? No one? OK, I'll do it. . . .

JL Rockies wrote:

Why is this here?

ah haha

We love ya in some weird way JL but...

What linewarbr said.. x2

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 7:58 pm

tjkj2002 wrote:

2006 KJ wrote:

but my 6 speed has a lower crawl ratio :wink:

Actually not correct,you got to figure in the 2.5:1 torque converter reduction we have in the 45REF/545RFE trans.

His 33.3:1 crawl ratio is more like 83:1.

Pwned...

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:00 pm

It's a general wheeling discussion therefore in the proper place.

Cobalt-60 · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 8:40 pm

JL Rockies wrote:

It's a general wheeling discussion therefore in the proper place.

Gotta give him that one.... :wink:

And a good trip report with useful suggestions for all.

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Tue Jul 13, 2010 11:44 pm

Cobolt-60 wrote:

JL Rockies wrote:

It's a general wheeling discussion therefore in the proper place.

Gotta give him that one.... :wink:

And a good trip report with useful suggestions for all.

Werd.

JeepinJarhead03 · **Posted:** Wed Jul 14, 2010 6:31 pm

Sounds like a story to me

Don't have to give him ****

JL Rockies · **Posted:** Wed Jul 14, 2010 7:05 pm

JeepinJarhead03 wrote:

Sounds like a story to me

Don't have to give him ****

No.... it's written therefore must be true.

And the Moral of the Story is...

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