October 13, 2004

sorry can't relate to rocks cause they are all in the quarry and they won't let me try them...must make a road trip some day just so i can contribute!

October 31, 2004

rocks are definitly the most driver challenging, but as far as mechanical, its definitly mud, mud is so hard on the components of your rig that breakage is gonna happen sometime, usually at the most inoportune time, in the bush with one buddy whos winch gave up the ghost and his 4 wheel drive has broke down to 2 wheel and you dont have cell phone service. Now thats tough stuff

October 31, 2004

I'm from Utah, so we have rocks galore, (Moab) snow up the butt, (greatest snow on earth) which in turn leads to mud (not the kind you might find back east, but pretty soupy just the same) and I think it depends on your rig!!! Most jeepers love the rocks round here. Most trucks love the mud. It's difficult for the trucks to get the articulation to compensate for body length,etc.etc.etc, as it is for the jeep to plow through the deepest mud holes and ruts without tearing them to pieces.
However, Muddin' is by far the funnest, and chicks dig mud!!!

November 1, 2004

I'd say rock is the hardest on the driver, and not all vehicles can do big rocks. Mud is hard on the truck cause your always in the redline and is hard on the tranny and the rest of the truck.

November 1, 2004

I would say rocks,

November 1, 2004

Rocks, followed by SNOW.

November 8, 2004

I think some of you are talking about driver skill and some are reffering to being hard on the actual truck.

IMO, rockcrawling probably takes more driver skill, finessing the clutch on steep inclines and knowing the best routes to take, which comes only from experience.

Bogging is definately harder on the actual truck itself. Twisting a motor up for sometimes minutes at a time is rough as hell on an engine, not to mention the incredible stress on the drivetrain/running gear. Driveshafts, u-giants, and rears are all common carnage around here.

Don't get me wrong, 'crawling is tough on parts too, but IMO bogging is much harder on parts and has a much high "breakage rate" than 'crawling. I'd be more concerned about body damage than anything when 'crawling.


As for which is more fun, or a rush, IMO definately bogging. You go somewhere you've never been before and you have absolutely no idea of what you're getting into until you're in it. 'Crawling you can at least see what's in front of you and have an idea of what's to come. With bogging the only to find out is to go through it...




Jon

December 30, 2004

Rock on the other hand takes alot more driving skill. Finess is the name of the game, not bruit strength. Forces us to drive using 3 legs (manual transmition). And rocks don't just bog you down to the point of being stuck. There can be alot more to getting unstuck on rock than a simple tug from another vehicle, and damage is very likely.

In reply to this, I would have posted this up in the rock crawling forum, but it doesn't seem that there's too many people in there,
For rock crawling in a manual, or any wheeling for that matter, where you're trying to keep a constant rpm, while operating the clutch and the brake, one of the best solutions I've used is to go to sears, buy a replacement lawnmower throttle cable and handle, and attach it to your throttle linkage under the hood, run the cable to the dash, and set the handle up. This will give you a constant rpm and free up both of your legs to operate the clutch and the brake. Granted, you can just get good at running all three pedals, but I'm kinda lazy, and after a few years of that, I was looking for an easier solution.

December 30, 2004

I always just used the instep of my right foot on the corner of hte brake and my toes on the right foot on the gas peddle. buddy of mine prefers to use his right foot heal on the brake and toes on the gas. Either way worked pretty well. Now I have autos and don't worry about it. Never thought of the lawmower cable idea. Kind of like a tractor trottle. Good idea.

December 30, 2004

i think a muddy trail is harder because just a few days ago i took one with my friends and ended up side ways around a turn and stuck this happened because you can't see the rock that is about to turn your tire the wrong way

December 31, 2004

I think mud and snow are very similar you can be hard on the vehicle and it can be hard on the driver due to not knowing what is under the top layer of the snow or mud...snow can become rock crawling depending on where you are located and it may also turn into a mud pit depending on what is underneath....the hard on vehicle stand I dont know what could be harder on a vehicle than climbing a rock wall and knowing if you let off the traction could break and then you could get broken....at least in the mud and the snow you have the option of redlining it or tearing it up... a lot of the time in the rocks redlining is a matter of saving you and your rig or buying a new rig when you get out of the hospital and as for the vehicle rocks don't give like mud snow and sand do... in the rocks if you have traction and your foot is on the gas you are going to move or something is going to break in the mud and snow and sand when your stuck it is usually because you lost momentum not breakage.....I give it to rocks for driver and vehicle...

January 7, 2005

I think that mud as long as your not taking on water is not that bad. Yes you can get stuck yes you can wear down parts but most of the time you are spinning.

Rocks on the hand if you spin you might drop down and get full traction and bam parts snap. I have seen more Carnage in a just a few trips to Hollister then I have ever seen in the mude.

Snow is actually pretty easy unless it's deep or frozen.

Sand is the scariest for me. Pismo beach is very difficult if you don't know what your doing.