Topic: mcr

[Mudder]

Not sure if this is the right place to post this, as its my first time on this board. But do you guys think I could make it through one of the two ways to the campsite for MCR with 31's and open diff's? I'll have km2's and a 2.5 OME lift along with a winch or two

[OCD]

I might be mistaken but I think WERMZ84 has been doing just that from either end of the trail for years!

[Mudder [OP]]

I am debating on throwing a spartan in the rear from marlin just for the extra help. Just need to figure out as I'd be driving my truck 11 hours from where I live to MCR

[Wermz84]

Welcome to the forum. 

It is doable, but with a lot of work and some other things to consider.

My first time through was on 31's with stock suspension. A rear locker, and a single T-case with Marlin 4.70:1 gears and rock sliders.

My personal minimum recommendations are:
Rock sliders.  Even with a two inch lift the chances of damaging your rocker panels is high.    Unless you don't care about body damage, or possibly not closing doors in the future.
Rear Locker of your choice. 

Optional recommendations:
Either a dual case set up, or a single case with lower gears.  Again, doable without but can be pretty bouncy, and pay attention to your clutch and make sure you don't over heat it.
Built rig in front, and behind you just in case.

Just my  have fun.

[Mudder [OP]]

Thank you guys. Rock sliders aren't an issue as my 84 has a custom flatbed I built my self. Were you by chance running stock steering? If so was anything broke?

[blackdiamond]

I've only done the trail for MCR7 once in my built SAS 4Runner, but we did have a fairly stock Toyota in the group.

I think if you want to leave with an undamaged rig body protection is the key.  Even with your custom flatbed, the cab will need protection.  I think you could run the entire trail with minimal assistance, but BUT the traffic that is associated with the event puts a lot of pressure on people to push harder than they otherwise might.  It's one thing to push in a built rig and quite another to push in a more stock rig.  The fairly stock Toyota (I think 31s, open diffs, stock gearing, and no body protection) in our group did well but had some significant damage between the tires on one side.  One of the built 4Runners ended up breaking a rear driveshaft because of the rush to the springs, it was simply unnecessary but the way things can go when everyone is trying to rush into camp and the sun is going down.

I drove from WA to the event in my rig and had a great time, but in general the trail wasn't a real challenge where I was at significant risk for damage or broken parts.  I wouldn't recommend the same trip in a rig where the trail was going to be challenging, it's simply the wrong environment.  Coming in from the Tahoe side is much shorter with must less risk, but for me the event wouldn't be worth the long drive and not do the full trails.

I would suggest at least a single 4.70 t-case (or duals), one locker, body protection, skid plates, and 32 inch tires (31 would be ok).  The gears would allow you to crawl slowly enough to minimize the risk of broken parts.

 

[Mudder [OP]]

What I meant by that is I can world up some sliders pretty easily. And I'll see about a case with 4.7's but theyay be a little bit out of my price range. And the longer trail is harder? I don't want to much damage but am there to have fun since I'll be driving from Washington as well. So I think as of right now all I need is another 4.56 dof a spartan locker from Marlin, sliders, and possibly 4.7's from Marlin as well

[Mudder [OP]]

After doing some thinking I'll be Sig ing up for MCR soon. I'll just running home made sliders out of 2" x2" square tubing 1/4 thick, 4.56 gears with a spartan in the back 31" KM2's and an OME HD lift and I'll have my second winch with me. I'd get the 4.7's if I had the money to but I will be spending a lot to get there and back already so I have to cut costs somewhere. Thank you all for the advice and I can't wait to go this year

[Rockcrawlintoy]

You will be fine. Just pull off to the side if you are having traffic build up behind you. if yo can work some overtime or whatever to get 4.7s i would. your clutch will thank you

[Snowtoy]

Your skill level and trail experience will have more to do with your success/fun than how well your rig is set-up.  If you aren't currently successfully running trails where 35's are the norm, and doing it with little drama, i.e. no issue figuring out how to get your rig through a tough situation, or quickly figuring out how to get your stuck rig unstuck, the Round-up may not be the best time to try and run the Rubicon.  With your rigs current set-up it is going to be a lot of work for you to get from Loon to the Springs, and out to Tahoe, enough work that you wont have anytime to enjoy the surroundings, you might not even make the Springs in time for the BBQ. 

If you don't have the trail experience, I would recommend trying to find someone with an empty seat and run the trail as a passenger, preferably in a rig running 35's/37's, it would give you an idea of the difficulty of the trail w/o trying to run it with all the rigs in the MCR, as well as the normal amount of traffic the Rubicon has on the weekend.

If you do decide to run the trail with your rig, rocker protection is a must, and I would have to agree with the recommendations for dual cases or lower geared single case.  IMO, being able to creep up onto/off of ledges and rocks is far more useful than a locker, you can always stack rocks to gain traction, on the other hand you can't do much to slow your approach/departure, and in my experience speed is what usually leads to broken parts.  I would also give yourself more time to get home, i.e. maybe plan on leaving for WA on Monday/Tuesday instead of Sunday, nothing worse than being under time pressure to get home as well as just trying to get back to pavement.  One time it took us over 8 hours to get to Tahoe from the Springs, we left at noon and caught up to those who left 3-4 hours earlier just a little ways down the trail.

If you don't already have the 1/4" material lying around/getting it for free, 1/4" tube is overkill for sliders, pretty much anything in the wheeling hobby, too much extra weight, save your money and go with .120(1/8"), it is plenty strong enough with a proper design.

[Rockcrawlintoy]

where u coming from. Going in from tahoe would the be way i would be thinking with your rig. it is much easier

[Mudder [OP]]

I'll be coming down from Washington. And I will try to get some 4.7's but I won't know until mid August if I can afford them. As for sliders I do have some 1.75x.120 HREW tubing lying around that I haven't done anything with.

[Rockcrawlintoy]

Where is WA are you from? Lots of guys from there on here

[blackdiamond]

I did the round trip in four days. Kitsap peninsula to Sacramento in a day, wheeled to the BBQ on day 2, headed out the Tahoe side and drove as far as possible on day 3, and then home on day 4.

In a more stock rig I would suggest finding a rig or two to travel with on the trail and leave super early in the morning or even a day before and get to camp a day early. The day of was a traffic jam. Then plan to roll out super early the day after or wait until most people have headed out.

I could work a fairly stock rig through the trail, but it would take time an effort. With my rig we left Loon mid morning and arrived after dark and I could pretty much just drive in.

[Mudder [OP]]

Up where I live (trip cities area in Washington) most of what I wheel in is mud. But I've never had an issue keeping up with the guys running 35's. I've even out wheeled some. And u was planning on taking the shorter of the two trails (Loon I believe?). I'm fine with driving down Wednesday to go in Thursday. This will pretty much be my first time on rocks though.

[Snowtoy]

As for sliders I do have some 1.75x.120 HREW tubing lying around that I haven't done anything with.

This will be fine for sliders, just add some more rungs(ladder design), and maybe three frame mounts than the usual two.

Up where I live (trip cities area in Washington) most of what I wheel in is mud. But I've never had an issue keeping up with the guys running 35's. I've even out wheeled some. And u was planning on taking the shorter of the two trails (Loon I believe?). I'm fine with driving down Wednesday to go in Thursday. This will pretty much be my first time on rocks though.

First time on the rocks and running the Rubicon on a weekend would be a very bad idea, it takes a completely different set of skills to wheel rocks than mud.  Knowing where your vehicles corners are, where the tires are in relation to the ground, etc., is vital in keeping track of rocks once you loose sight of them.  Rocks, especially with a rig set-up like yours requires you to trust a spotter without question, a trust you usually develop with guys you wheel with, not ones you just met.  I would find a buddy who can make the run with you, and work together having him spot you w/hand signals, you can do it in a parking lot with soda cans, i.e. set up cans have hims spot you through without crushing them, then crushing certain ones, etc., maybe plan a run where you can wheel rocks to get some rock wheeling experience under your belt. 

I am not saying you can't do it, my first time wheeling rocks was the Fordyce creek trail in my new '90 with open diffs and 31's, so I know what it is like to be in way over my head.  Looking back on it I can say it was fun, but at the time it wasn't, it was a lot of hard work, and it took 8 hours to go about two miles from Meadow to Committee crossing.  I will say it is nice seeing someone ask can I do it on 31's, instead of asking what tire size I need to run it.  If you do decide to run it, I would find some of the old school wheelers who are going, i.e. guys who know what it takes to wheel rigs beyond their capability, and who are going in on Wednesday.  Sure you wont be wheeling with the large group, but you will get to wheel at a much slower pace, without the pressure of 100 rigs behind you.

[Mudder [OP]]

I'd like to thank you all for the advice. I think I'm going to go. Even with 31's I think I can make it. I've always enjoyed a challenge. I wish o had the option of a spotter but most people can't go (for reference I'm an 18 year old haha). I'll try my hardest to get 4.7's or duals. Probably 4.7's though, make some rock sliders get a rear locker and so have fun.

I fully get that rock crawling is harder then mud and honestly I hate mud (that's why I'm on the forum as well) and I'll probably be in over my head but I'll have fun either way even if I end up with huge dents in my rig. Which trail would you guys suggest? The shorter 2 hour one verses the longer one or are they about the same? And winch wise I have am 8374 on the front

[blackdiamond]

Is there a reason you are pushing so hard for this year rather than planning for next year?

Have you run Nanches Pass?  If so, how would you rate it?

[Mudder [OP]]

Next year I'll be working and won't be able to get the time off. And I haven't. But I'll look into it as it's near the area I live in

[blackdiamond]

Next year I'll be working and won't be able to get the time off. And I haven't. But I'll look into it as it's near the area I live in

Understand the work and getting time off thing for sure.  With that in mind you need to find a group to travel with that can help make your trip a success.

If you have body protection then I'd really work towards a 4.70 t-case ahead of even lockers.  The control you get is fantastic.  The most likely thing to break on the rocks is your front axles and that results from impact loading from bouncing and hopping.  I did several weeks in Moab on the difficult trails with stock front axles but I very intentionally never went past a Detroit TrueTrac limited slip in the front until I got upgraded front axles.  As long as you have some support and are willing to use it, you can make the trip work.

As far as Nanches Pass, I was just trying to find something in common that we have both wheeled to get an idea of how difficult you thought it was in your setup.

[Mudder [OP]]

So for body protection I'm assuming sliders and possibly dif guards? And for those wondering I am pretty mechanically inclined. My truck is an 84 22re that I've done my self and I've redone the front axle. So if I do break down I have an idea on what happened. And I can get 4.7's first if that's what you think is best. Any advice is good advice and I'll try my hardest to make it happen. And part of the reason I haven't done much wheeling is I've been working on getting this truck up to par after wrecking my old one and with the custom flatbed I have about 2 inches of clearance before my tires hit the bed right now. Ome lift is top on my list of things to get though

[SqWADoosh]

I think you should go to Reiter in Gold Bar, WA and attempt to run the trails there. If you can't make it through them then you very likely aren't going to make it through the con. I've run it with guys who have been to the con and they all agree that it is very similar to the difficult parts of the Rubicon. I would work some OT and try and get at least some 33s. They can be had for a good price on your local Craigslist or Facebook B/S/T groups. I think you may be getting in over your head with this. Just being real...

[Mudder [OP]]

You do have a fair point there. I think for now I'll keep it in my mind and figure out if I can get 33' or 35's with 4.7's before September. I wish I could work overtime but I work on a farm. No such thing.

[Snowtoy]

You do have a fair point there. I think for now I'll keep it in my mind and figure out if I can get 33' or 35's with 4.7's before September. I wish I could work overtime but I work on a farm. No such thing.

It isn't that a rig with 31's can't make it through, it just takes a lot of skill to do so, skills that you do not currently have, and wont be able to get by finding 33's or 35's.

If the trails out at Gold Bar are rocky and similar to the Rubicon, you should be running them every day you have off between now and September, learning how to pick the right line, how to stack rocks to get through the line you pick, how to get back on the line once you get off of it, learning how to follow a spotter, throttle control, keeping track of rocks as you lose sight of them, getting used to being in an off camber situations, etc.

Dual cases/lower single case is still your best bet with you determined to run the trail this Sept.  I know you are on a budget, and overtime isn't possible with your current job, you might consider a part time job at a fast food restaurant to fund the cases, where there is the will, there is usually a way.

[Mudder [OP]]

I think I'm just going to hold off for a while. Time off isn't something I'll have. I farm so 16 hour days easily 7 days a week. Also makes it so I can't get a second job. I think for now I'll get this truck somewhat decent and work on building my other one to take down there in a few years after I do go do some more wheeling. Hopefully this thread will be useful to more people as well.

[blackdiamond]

I think I'm just going to hold off for a while. Time off isn't something I'll have. I farm so 16 hour days easily 7 days a week. Also makes it so I can't get a second job. I think for now I'll get this truck somewhat decent and work on building my other one to take down there in a few years after I do go do some more wheeling. Hopefully this thread will be useful to more people as well.

You should consider going to something like the Jeep Safari or Cruise Moab where there are a lot of trails for every skill level.  Also, so much of the fun is angles where ground clearance isn't necessarily a requirement.

[nvtoyin21]

Naaaa you'd be fine! Seen it done a lot!