I too just got a crew cab (4 door) truck. It is a 1981 GMC 1 ton 4x4 crew
cab with a 6" lift. It has 35" BFG tires and 16.5" wheels. The truck has
25.5" of clearance from below the rocker panel to the ground (below the door
to the ground basically). As you mentioned Apryl, they are big trucks! I
find the turning radius to be a bit questionable and I would have some
concerns about that for off roading. Otherwise, I think this truck will go
almost anywhere. The two biggest fears are.... clearance: it does have
really good clearance, although it is a very long truck. If I go over a tall
hump of dirt, I could scrape bottom if the rear tires arent yet coming up
and over. Also, although I have 25.5" of clearance, I loose a tad bit
because I have small aluminum steps below the doors for my passengers to get
in and out. So I loose a few more inches there (unless I want to rip the
steps off- which I already banged one of them up the other day!). The long
wheelbase is a definite dissadvantage! The other problem is.... turning
radius: it has a very wide turning radius. I am not sure how I can improve
on this yet. I know some shelf roads with 180 degree switchbacks that I have
been on in my 74' longbed 1/2 ton truck that I would not be able to make
with this truck without having to do a 2 or 3 point turn type thing.
I have not done any hardcore off roading in it yet and I dont plan to do
anything too aggressive as the truck is primarily for business and I need to
keep it looking and running good. However, it is a 4x4 truck and I WILL use
it from time to time! I'm not one of those Scottsdale freaks that drive
around in their pristine Hummers that you can tell have never left a paved
road and never will! It is a TRUCK and it is a BEEFY truck... so I will
abuse it a litte bit! ;).
I did take it on some hills and humps and stuff near Kanab, Utah a few weeks
ago and also near Apache Junction the other day to test it's clearance. It
does do very well for a big truck. I am excited about taking it on some off
road runs to see what it can and can't do.
How many 'big truck' owners do we have on this listserv (I am referin' to
big 4 door lifted trucks). Perhaps we can all get together for a big truck
off road run sometime? :)
Scott
"Chris Ledoux...Rest in peace cowboy. You will be missed."
Sadly I too was pulled out by a Jeep. Sigh...my big 'ole 4x4 Dodge Quad Cab was a bit too long for one of the trails out near Table Mesa. Got my tail pipe and rear bumper dumped into a hole. According to hubby "If I'd've gunned it I would've made it" Mind you he's spotting me with a flashlight....sigh...but yup hooked up that little 'ole Jeep bro gave it some gas and with me gunning it it was enuf to pull me up the extra 3 inches I needed.
It was a sad sad day in the Dodge world that day.
Although I did 1-up the Jeep...going through the Gila River out N of the Powerline trail we crossed across the river bottom (which has water in it now!!!) and he got the inside of his truck splashed through the door panels. The Dodge on the other hand..still had 4-6 inches of clearance. VROOM VROOM....
>From: "Roping The Wind" <
arizcowboy@hotmail.com>
>Reply-To:
listserv@azgeocaching.com
>To:
listserv@azgeocaching.com
>Subject: RE: [Az-Geocaching] Do you know him?
>Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 15:03:49 -0800
>
>
>
>>From: "Brian Casteel" <
bcasteel@uccinc.net>
>>Reply-To:
listserv@azgeocaching.com
>>To: <
listserv@azgeocaching.com>,"'ShadowAce'"
>><
shadowace.az@gmail.com>
>>Subject: RE: [Az-Geocaching] Do you know him?
>>Date: Thu, 17 Mar 2005 15:36:04 -0700
>>
>>Yep. I was riding on what were technically donuts...aka street
>>radial tires
>>on a Jeep (you also had tires with just a bit more meat on them at
>>the
>>time). You were gutsy on that hill, I'll give you that, but
>>pansied out in
>>the PTD. :)
>>
>>Need I remind you that you were PULLED out of the PTD, having
>>become stuck
>>on two wheels, while the limited slip differentials failed you
>>miserably,
>>spinning freely in the air without a worry in the world.
>>
>>I'll also remind you that the t-case skid plate of mine was grading
>>that
>>hillcrest, as identified by the 20lbs or so of dirt I washed out,
>>in
>>addition to the piles that fell off while I was driving. :)
>>
>>I was also able to tow out RTW in the now infamous Mission:RRTW
>>using that
>>same Jeep, so don't you tell me about stuck you round headlight,
>>Jeep
>>driving freak!
>>
>>Brian
>>Team A.I.
>
>
>HAHAHA!!! Yep, Brian's Jeep pulled out a full size 1/2 ton GMC
>truck! For those that didnt hear about Mission:RRTW.... I busted a
>lower control arm U-bolt. It twisted and eventually snapped. I was
>stuck on an upslope and rocky road. I couldnt get a jack under it
>where I felt the truck was stable to work under and not worry about
>it sliding backwards or to the side any while I was under there
>working on it. So, I let the truck roll back (it didnt roll very
>well with the front left tire cocked a bit plus all the rocks) a bit
>until the back tires were in a small sandy wash at the bottom of the
>hill. Anyways, after fixing it... I was ready to roll again, except
>my 2wd truck was not going anywhere since it was stuck in the wash.
>I have a posi- traction rear in there too! So, we hooked a tow rope
>up to Brians Jeep and we were able to tow it back a bit so I could
>turn it around and drive it out! :) Other than that little mishap,
>it was a fun night as we did some late night wilderness caching in
>the dark of night around the area (near Black Canyon City).
>
>Scott
>Team Ropingthewind
>
>
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