I found this to be true the hard way. I rubbed my bone stock plastic fender on a rock and it wrinkled the quarter panel.

Hit anything hard enough as you'll bend it.

 

I agree totally with what your saying if your rock crawling, however, here in michigan and much of the east side of the country we do alot more mud and snow. Im gonna have to argue that in snow and mud lifting your rig to be get the body/frame out of the snow is essential. Otherwise you end up riding your body/frame on top of the snow/mud Then your stuck. Your can push some shit with your axles but once your framed out, forget it. Its a jeep not a plow haha. Just hope you have enough momentum. -MY thoughts in lifts haha

 

Thanks for the lesson on wheeling in the midwest. I just moved here in August from Champaign, IL and spent most of my wheeling time at Badlands park in Attica, Indiana. You might want to give it a try, they have some nasty mud there as well as sand dunes, wooded trails, and some pretty good rock crawling.

Personally I think mudding sucks and if that is your wheeling of choice a $500 pickup lifted to the sky with 39" mud boggers is the way to go. I don't understand tearing up a perfectly good jeep by trashing it in mud holes.

 

well if we are playing that game i dont get why you would build a jeep to go 1mph over rocks. Just preference. I figure you will tear a jeep up in rocks at least as much as rocks. An i might try crawling if there was a rock in 500 miles from my house haha

 

At least as much in rocks asud***

 

Tear up a jeep in rocks at least as much as in mud

 

Mud is different, the grit gets in every nook and cranny and destroys bearings, seals, etc. Been there, done that. Mud holes look appealing but after I remember how much work there is to cleaning it up- I pass.

I'm of the thought process of a higher lift for playing in the mud to keep the body out of the mud and keep the bumpers from catching on everything but I also agree that the tires will do a lot for you. I pull my experience from having lifted trucks, jeeps, and from rodding on my ATV's in mud deeper than you stand.

All that being said- zero mud for my jeep. Zip, zilch, nada. Atv's are for that nonsense and mine have lift/ tires for that purpose.



Now back to your regularly scheduled programming.

 

Rocks and Valleys Harrison, MI Rocks and Valleys - About Us
Twisted Trails Copemesh, MI Manistee Off Road Park, Off Road Trails, Rock Crawling, Camping, 4 Wheeling, Dog Party, Copemish, Benzie, Beulah, Honor, Traverse City, Northern Michigan
Bundy off road park Jerome, MI Michigan Off Roading at Bundy Hill Off Road Park - Jerome, MI (4x4, OHV, ORV, ATV, Quad, Motorcycle, Jeep)
List of trails in MI Michigan ATV Trails
Silver Lake sand dunes on the shores of lake michigan

small rock garden at badlands.


Don't tell me there is nothing but mud and snow in MI.

 

What Karl said. Mud plugs radiators, eats ujoints, causes overheating, hydrolocks motors, and you can never tell what is under that mud that is going to bend a rim or cut a tire. It takes almost no driving skills to hit a mud hole and step on the gas. Rock crawling is slow and that is a good thing, you need to learn to drive in control, keep the wheels up high, and pay attention to your spotter. You will learn the balance and feel of your rig and it will help you in other off camber situations while running trails. Rock crawling is a challange and forces you to learn new techniques to over come the challenges.

 

Do you realize there is an edit feature on this forum? You should have spell check available to you as well.