El Jeepe!

[SilicaRich]

Your grandfather's tires look like they stuck out about as far as mine did when I had my old 33"x10.5" KOs. If you really want skinny, typically going metric is your best bet but that means going to a 16" or 17" tire...meaning you would need to buy new tires after getting brand new KO2s so that's clearly not a realistic option unless you were willing to wait till they wore out. Otherwise you could also buy replacement flares, wouldn't be surprised if you could find a like new used set on Craigslist. That way you gain back the coverage you lost and have less tire beyond the flare. You have a lot of considering to do.

On the Toyota: That thing will probably run forever. Personally I love Toyotas, was looking at them when I was looking for my Jeep. We've got a 2004 Tundra 4WD Limited that we've had since new (140k miles with not a single problem), a 2015 Tundra TRD Pro, and my old ride a 1971 FJ40 (had a Chevy 350 so not technically a true Toyota), and I have to say that little truck looks awesome. Of coarse I would do a SFA swap and maybe drop in a newer Toyota motor for giggles. That all being said, I'll be the guy to say walk away. The truck looks in great shape for a great price but it'll end up being distraction from what you have already got going on with your other toys including your TJ. Once you drive the Toyota, you'll start wanting to modify it and that's money you could spend elsewhere on the Jeeps. Just my pitch on it, awesome truck though.

 

[AgentOrange76]

I think the truck has a ton of character as it sits and I would love to bomb around in it around as is, and I think that would be really cool for the guy who has it now to see. I'd also be lying if I said I hadn't thought about a small block swap or a 4x4 sas. Luckily I'm too poor to make either of those things happen haha. Thanks for being the voice of reason, the last thread on here ended up buying what he was supposed to get talked out of haha. I unfortunately have this paternal instinct to save all the things old and give them a good home, and this little truck is calling my name. I'm going home this weekend, probably the last till Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I might go check it out. It's definitely not a decision I can mull over for very long, but hey, the Ruger was an impulse buy and I dig it big time. Definitely hoping to get as much advise and opinions as I can, as with everything in life!

Yeah, definitely lovin my tires and definitely not looking to change wheel size. I've thought about craigslist flares but I really like mine cut, maybe if I can find some bigger ones. If I did it again I would make sure the rears came all the way to the bottom of the sliders instead of chopped where they are now, but otherwise I really like them. At this point it's really just deciding if I want to do the wheels I'm meh about with the backspacing I want (shiney bullet holes w/4.5) or the wheels I want in meh backspacing (5 matte black spokes w/3.75)

 

[SilicaRich]

I think the truck has a ton of character as it sits and I would love to bomb around in it around as is, and I think that would be really cool for the guy who has it now to see. I'd also be lying if I said I hadn't thought about a small block swap or a 4x4 sas. Luckily I'm too poor to make either of those things happen haha. Thanks for being the voice of reason, the last thread on here ended up buying what he was supposed to get talked out of haha. I unfortunately have this paternal instinct to save all the things old and give them a good home, and this little truck is calling my name. I'm going home this weekend, probably the last till Thanksgiving or Christmas, so I might go check it out. It's definitely not a decision I can mull over for very long, but hey, the Ruger was an impulse buy and I dig it big time. Definitely hoping to get as much advise and opinions as I can, as with everything in life!

I'm with you on that. Currently trying to buy my dad's first vehicle, '72 Honda CL350, since it's just sitting in our barn collecting dust and give it some love. Would be a good adventure bike and help save my bank account with mpgs.

They make a stock looking "Rubicon flare" that is 2" wider than stock and I believe is 1" wider than normal Rubicon flares. Of coarse if you want to retain the current trimmed look, you could trim those also. In the meantime while you decide on your rims, you could put some washers on your bumpsteer to help out with the rubbing. I assume you rub when at full lock.

 

[AgentOrange76]

Yes, I rub at full lock, but the big issue is rubbing everything when turning and articulating with the swaybar off. There's one notable trail in Tennessee with sharp switchbacks up the mountain that I can barely get the wheel around one rotation. Hoping 4.5" backspacing and maybe a washer in the steering stop will keep the tires out of the metal while keeping the classic unstable Jeep look haha. Will probably keep the stock fenders unless I come across a smoking deal, hard to justify that cost right now.

In other news, the Toyota sold, unfortunately before I could scoop it up, for better or worse. That thing would have been a riot but I guess I've got that money to put in the tank of the Jeep and take off. I also got back home last weekend and got up to Tennessee to shoot the Ruger, definitely really happy with it.

Also cruised some gravel, found what appears to be a test shaft prospecting for something, my geology twin on here should like this. There has been gold found in the streams around the mountains of WNC, perhaps that's what someone was looking for. Wish I could figure out how to rotate the pictures.




Next week is fall break and we are hoping to get out and do some camping. We probably won't make it back home because we have a game Saturday, so we were thinking about camping either at Uwharrie or trekking out to the Outer Banks. Any information or trip ideas for these areas as well as free primitive camping locations would be greatly appreciated. I might also throw up a tread on the Southeast section.

 

[SilicaRich]

Also cruised some gravel, found what appears to be a test shaft prospecting for something, my geology twin on here should like this. There has been gold found in the streams around the mountains of WNC, perhaps that's what someone was looking for. Wish I could figure out how to rotate the pictures.

View attachment 368716 View attachment 368717
View attachment 368718 View attachment 368719

Next week is fall break and we are hoping to get out and do some camping. We probably won't make it back home because we have a game Saturday, so we were thinking about camping either at Uwharrie or trekking out to the Outer Banks. Any information or trip ideas for these areas as well as free primitive camping locations would be greatly appreciated. I might also throw up a tread on the Southeast section.

Nice! I never get to see gold for two reasons. Not much of it up here in NW Arkansas and also our labs don't put it out, something about broke college students eager to steal it. What we do make up for our lack of gold is the amount of fossils we have. Someone a few years back found a 3 foot nautilus or primitive crustacean of somesort along some train tracks less than a mile from campus. They are planning to display it in our Geoscience building. For the pics, resizing them normally solves the sideways issue.

I would say check out Big Bend but it's quite the drive for you and doesn't have free camping. Google K-Trail and take a look at that.

 

[AgentOrange76]

Nice! I never get to see gold for two reasons. Not much of it up here in NW Arkansas and also our labs don't put it out, something about broke college students eager to steal it. What we do make up for our lack of gold is the amount of fossils we have. Someone a few years back found a 3 foot nautilus or primitive crustacean of somesort along some train tracks less than a mile from campus. They are planning to display it in our Geoscience building. For the pics, resizing them normally solves the sideways issue.

I would say check out Big Bend but it's quite the drive for you and doesn't have free camping. Google K-Trail and take a look at that.

Broke college kids can be jerks sometimes....most of us are too broke to afford that though!

Wow! That's super awesome, fossils are legit. I found an imprint of a seashell in a rock along the shore of lake Erie once, was pretty proud of that haha. We've got a couple samples of gold in our department, nothing big of course but cool nonetheless. I've always thought panning for gold would be fun, might have to try it one of these days. Also talked to a few guys in my class that go prospecting for a bunch of different minerals, corundum and stuff like that. Might see about doing something like that too. Certainly wouldn't be as cool as a 3 ft nautilus though! Very cool!

I've always wanted to make it out west, one of these summers I will!

 

[unkamonkey]

Fossil jockeys? About everything I learned about closeup photo shots was from taking pictures of fossils for reports. I seemed to have spent many years dealing with the Niobrara formation.

 

[SilicaRich]

Broke college kids can be jerks sometimes....most of us are too broke to afford that though!

Wow! That's super awesome, fossils are legit. I found an imprint of a seashell in a rock along the shore of lake Erie once, was pretty proud of that haha. We've got a couple samples of gold in our department, nothing big of course but cool nonetheless. I've always thought panning for gold would be fun, might have to try it one of these days. Also talked to a few guys in my class that go prospecting for a bunch of different minerals, corundum and stuff like that. Might see about doing something like that too. Certainly wouldn't be as cool as a 3 ft nautilus though! Very cool!

I've always wanted to make it out west, one of these summers I will!

Well if you are prospecting corundum, be on the look out for sapphires and rubies. Maybe if you find a few too many of those you can afford to finish your Jeep build. In all honesty, based on your location you could just work your way north up the Appalachians and sleep in the Jeep. Just another idea. Or hit Overland Expo East, it's in NC from October 7th-9th

Fossil jockeys? About everything I learned about closeup photo shots was from taking pictures of fossils for reports. I seemed to have spent many years dealing with the Niobrara formation.

A little bit, have a bad habit of picking them out while hiking and such.

While in Big Bend State Park last winter I happened to get several photos like this. I guess that makes me a semi amateur close up fossil photographer. The mountain I took this photo on was literally made entirely of marine fossils like this. I need to get back out there, 5 days in Big Bend is not near enough time. Just looked up the Niobrara formation and now I want to check it out!

 

[AgentOrange76]

Fossil jockeys? About everything I learned about closeup photo shots was from taking pictures of fossils for reports. I seemed to have spent many years dealing with the Niobrara formation.

I took historical geology last semester and it was pretty cool! Paleoclimates and such, and of course all the corresponding fossils. Enjoyed it a lot. Used to love dinosaur movies as a kid too :sombrero: Looked up the Niobrara formation, sounds really cool!

Well if you are prospecting corundum, be on the look out for sapphires and rubies. Maybe if you find a few too many of those you can afford to finish your Jeep build. In all honesty, based on your location you could just work your way north up the Appalachians and sleep in the Jeep. Just another idea. Or hit Overland Expo East, it's in NC from October 7th-9th

A little bit, have a bad habit of picking them out while hiking and such.
View attachment 369092
While in Big Bend State Park last winter I happened to get several photos like this. I guess that makes me a semi amateur close up fossil photographer. The mountain I took this photo on was literally made entirely of marine fossils like this. I need to get back out there, 5 days in Big Bend is not near enough time. Just looked up the Niobrara formation and now I want to check it out!

That's pretty cool! There's not much in the way of depositional environments back home in the mountains haha. Otherwise I too would have a bad habit of picking them up :ylsmoke:

I checked out the K trail, the first thing that popped up was the off road trail through OK, looked awesome! If I ever get out that way I might have to make a detour!

Rubies and sapphires, that's it! Couldn't think of the name of the stuff associated with corundum, thanks! I'm taking mineralogy this semester so I'm just now learning about all this stuff.

In terms of Overland Expo East, I would absolutely love to go. Wanted to go as soon as I heard about it. Then I saw how much they wanted to get in there :Wow1: That is not broke college kid affordable haha. My grandparents have an annual pass to the grounds though, since they live 10 minutes away, so that would have cut down on the cost and I could have camped out in Pisgah for free (or just stayed at home, its even closer) and then I probably would have ridden a couple trails Sunday, and I expect I'd see quite a few of those guys out there. Alas, I have a football game that Saturday, and being in marching band I have a slight obligation to go:ylsmoke:

In terms of bombing up and down the Appalachians and camping out of the Jeep, that's exactly what I want to do, and to a smaller extent already do. We had started making a habit of camping whenever we went wheeling, and always had an absolute blast and never kept a timetable and stayed longer and longer out in the woods exploring. A few of my buddies did a big backpacking trip once a year (the last was the Art Loeb) but I didn't have gear to do that. What I did have was a truck and a tent, so I figgered I'd make the best of it. Last year I discovered Expedition Overland on youtube and got hooked. They crank out super legit videos and even more legit life advice and I was like, dude, this could totally be me. Not multi-continent-multi-month trips, but certainly multi-day multi-state backroad trips looked like just my style. Our family used to travel all over the area before we got to be in high school, and now I have the opportunity to do it all over again but go more primitive and see the stuff not very many other people get to see. I've got a few trip ideas in my head and a ton more places I want to check out. I want to drive the whole length of the Blue Ridge Parkway. I've got mostly dirt trips mapped from my house to lake Jocasse and also from Great Smokey Mountains to Erwin Tennessee, and there's a TON of stuff out that way I want to check out, everything from abandoned railroad tunnels to waterfalls and fire towers. My buddy with the red Toyota is moving back to NC, so thinking about driving up to St. Louis over the winter and helping him move back and we might turn that into a multi trail trip and maybe run part of the Kentucky Adventure Trail or see the Natural Bridge or Red River Gorge.

Definitely super stoked to be a part of this forum and learning about, well, everything. And if any of y'all are in the mountains around Asheville let me know, or in Raleigh during school for that matter. I didn't even know overlanding was a thing until last year but I think stuff like this is what I love most and want to do.

 

[unkamonkey]

Keep on with your adventures.
I ended up with a fair amount of camera gear and all is pretty much out dated in this digital age but most shots I took back then are better than anything I have taken with my digital stuff.
A totally manual camera and that funny stuff called film in it?
Let me know if you are heading this direction and I can make up a list of geologic interest places you should visit.
This area is know for some notable geology.

 

[AgentOrange76]

Keep on with your adventures.
I ended up with a fair amount of camera gear and all is pretty much out dated in this digital age but most shots I took back then are better than anything I have taken with my digital stuff.
A totally manual camera and that funny stuff called film in it?
Let me know if you are heading this direction and I can make up a list of geologic interest places you should visit.
This area is know for some notable geology.

Film? Blasphemy!
You mean old fashioned simple stuff works better? You're on thin ice!

I see you're in Colorado, can't imagine there's too much that's not interesting out there. I'll definitely let ya know, thanks!

 

[unkamonkey]

I have a friend that still has an old Crown Graphic like you would see in old movies that the press photogs were using, expensive to have anything develloped, large format film or plates. Hard to find the film anymore as well. I did all of my old shots in black and white as the resolution was much better than color.
There is a reason why many come here to study geology. A lot of great things are around here.
I'm still working on a list of places you should visit if you get out this way.

 

[AgentOrange76]

This past weekend was fall break so me and my buddy decided to pack up the trucks and go see what Uwharrie had to offer. Seemed like a good idea to catch a break from school and go camp. By the time we got our homework done and got food the ranger station was closed (but there was an info sign out front with free maps), so we stopped at the outpost and confirmed that there was in fact free dispersed camping along the gravel and you didn't need a trail pass to stay there. Thanks Foy for the advanced information! We followed his advice and took the gravel past the shooting range and towards the lake. There were tons of big camp sites along the road but only a couple were secluded and none were really pretty. We're both spoiled from how gorgeous everything back home is I guess. The road eventually came to what looked like bluffs off to the right side, indicating a river. We decided to look for sites along there to camp eventually found a little spur marked "unmaintained" that dropped down to a lake and a "boat ramp" with some more secluded campsites with VERY pretty views. Rolled in at dusk and couldn't have dreamed we'd have ever found a spot that nice there. Made camp for a night: we decided to leave before the hurricane hit. We'll definitely be going back; it was a great little trip. The weather was gorgeous, the bugs were nonexistent, the fish were biting and we had the place to ourselves.





Breakfast of champions right there



Caught a bunch of bluegill, I'm no fisherman but my friend loves too and he helped me snag a few. We saw a monster bass too, and he actually snagged him but it broke off his line.


I'm not sure if its because of the weight of the winch up front or what, but I rub fenders like nobody's business when articulating now. The back still has a couple inches to go but look at the front!



Gave Daniel a run since the park was empty but with 35 lbs in the tires and a bad driver I wasn't expecting anything. Looking back I should have broken out the winch and gotten some more practice with it.

 

[AgentOrange76]

Okay, so the trip down to Uwharrie got me thinking how nice it would be to have a kayak here. It would have been so cool to slide the boat in right there and paddle around and check out the lake. Plus there's a lake here on campus and another 5 minutes away and many more very close. They're so close it would be very doable to go kayaking after classes, let alone weekends. Which brings me to how to go about carrying one. I've always been VERY against roof racks. It's not that I don't like how they look, I don't mind that. I like them on other people's Jeeps, I think they look sweet actually, just not mine haha. It's mostly because I really want to keep the Jeep pure and enjoy it as a Jeep. Not just a capable vehicle or one that looks cool. I could drive a bunch of vehicles tht would do the same sort of wheeling I do and carry way more stuff and be more comfortable and lock but there's only one Jeep. I want to pull the doors off, the top down and the windshield down. Guess that makes me a traditionalist. When I get the Morryde tailgate hinges, yes its to replace my saggy broken hinges so the tailgate actually closes, but its also to move the jack so there's one less thing in the way of the windshield. And one of the best things about driving with no windshield (and topless to a lesser extent) is that its so open air. No windshield frame, no roll bar, no door surrounds, nothing. It's great, you can see so many more trees and stars and everything else. A roof rack would spoil that. Normally to carry a boat I've just folded the top and strapped it to the cage, but I'm pretty sure I don't want to drive 4 hours at interstate speed out here with the top down, and then what would I do with it?

So now I'm thinking about a rack. Here's a list of pros/cons/requirements in my mind:
Pros:
I can carry a boat to school. Amazing.
It would look super cool.
I have a set of KC long range daylighters I picked up for $10 that would like a home. Outboard of the boat up there would be bada**.

Cons:
Violates traditional Jeep look.
Could interfere with roof/windshield.
Have a bunch of junk overhead.
The Jeep is already loud. It would probably Just get louder.
Not sure how a kayak would do on the 4 hour commute home.
Costs money.

Requirements:
MUST be able to fold top. That's a deal breaker if I can't. Would prefer it not further complicate windshield operation. I already need tools to do it so it's not the end of the world but it would be nice if it was as quick and easy as possible. MUST be able to fit in a parking deck. I park in a low clearance deck at 6'9" min clearance. Granted that's way off in the corner and you'd have to try real hard to get that low but it's gotta go in there. I'll go do some measurements, but my CB antenna just taps the 6'9" min clearance bumper as I go in but I clear the rest of the deck by a lot. Not sure how a boat on top would clear. Again, I have to measure. Would prefer not to drill holes in my Jeep. I'm not paying big money for a Gobi or Wilderness rack or something like that. At that price I can buy a hardtop off craigslist and strap the boat straight to that. That is an option, I could potentially lock the Jeep then.

Thoughts, opinions, suggestions, experiences? What do y'all think? I'm open to anything.

I have a friend that still has an old Crown Graphic like you would see in old movies that the press photogs were using, expensive to have anything develloped, large format film or plates. Hard to find the film anymore as well. I did all of my old shots in black and white as the resolution was much better than color.
There is a reason why many come here to study geology. A lot of great things are around here.
I'm still working on a list of places you should visit if you get out this way.

Thanks, and that's awesome! I know we've got a few old cameras lying around the bookcases at home, I can't remember off the top of my head what they are but I'll try and remember to check again when I get back and let ya know.

 

[SilicaRich]

I think for all you are looking for, your rack selection is very limited. Smittybilt has a very affordable rack but I won't touch their products with a 10ft pole, the rack also is not the most functional. Please bear with me. I have to recommend Gobi if you are looking at a rack that is foldable even though it's something you would rather not spend that kind of money on. I personally love mine and Gobi's build quality is comparable to ARB's IMO. As far as increased wind noise from adding my rack, I found minimal if not zero added noise. Gobi's design is meant to compliment what little aerodynamics our TJs have. That being said, Gobi's design hinders your windshield operation. Yes, you could buy a hardtop for that kind of price and strap a kayak up there but bear warning of how flimsy hardtops really are. I wouldn't dare strap my nearly 13' 98lb fishing kayak on top of my hardtop without fear of cracking the fiberglass. I honestly believe that Gobi by far offers the best rack for TJs and is really going to have the most operations you are looking for, the price is expensive but definitely worth justifying. Because you plan to run the KC's, the Ranger design would be your only option, although the Stealth design is better clearance wise. Aaaand Gobi is a 100% drill free, besides my special case. This is just me giving you my input on a product I've been running for nearly 2 years. A good cheaper option might be Kargomaster but I'm very unfamiliar with their product's functionality. I'm honestly not sure there is a rack available that meets everything you want.

I've done 10 hour commutes multiple times to and from school with my kayak mounted on my roof rack and had minimal increase in noise, normally the noisiest thing is the straps catching the wind at a funny angle. Surprisingly, I've cruised 85 mph easy with the kayak up there (And before anyone tries pulling crap about no business driving that fast in a Jeep, hop on a Texas Interstate and find out for yourself) and never have issues with crosswinds and such. As far as visibility goes, you get used to it. I don't have a photo of what it looks like from the driver's seat, but I'll snap one this Saturday for you.

On a different not regarding the rubbing, it might be time to consider a small lift. Not sure how old your springs are, but regardless they are likely sagging some from the winch weight. Stock springs are not entirely designed for heavier weight. That all being said, you could also spend $50-$80 and slip in a .5"-1" body lift and call it good or do a small budget boost.