Gear comparison video (Wheeling!)

[Toasty]

Here's another crawler gear video, same obstacle from two angles, both trucks have front and rear lockers, 35's and about the same amount of lift. Obviously my truck (the blue one) has crawler gears. It really shows how much control you gain with gears and that you break traction less which translates to less broken parts (from shock loads) and lower operating temps (not working as hard). I know this is a rock crawling video but it applies to overlanding as well, on overland trips we carry a lot of gear and even on my trucks with small tires the T-case gears really earn their keep. For those of you who camped with me in the mountains north of LA last summer you experienced it first hand.
What I'm talking about is heat and power, the guys without gears experienced repeated overheating all the way up the mountain while us geared down dudes casually drove up the steep forest road with A/C on in the 105 degree heat. The overheating trucks were largely stock too, you can still create a serious load on your drivetrain with just your camping gear and a long grade. If you plan on 4 wheeling you should really consider regearing your transfer case especially if you have 33-35" tires or heavy things like drawer systems or pulling trailers offroad. These trucks were built to go fast offroad so they're not geared so great for low speed offroad drives. Gear upgrades come from Marks4wd in Australia, and can be purchased from Adventuredrivendesign.com or special ordered from Advancedadapters.com or sometimes directly from Marks4wd.com depending on how they're feeling that day. For the Gen 2 i recommend 2.72 gears for 33's or less and 3.15's for larger than 33's, carrying a lot of gear, towing offroad or if you plan on going bigger in the future.

**Also I no longer have any affiliation to any of those companies so no need to PM me a warning Exportal staff.**

 

[Toasty]

Here's when i did this climb the first time a few months ago, you can see it's easy to get on the wrong line. Even when i slid down into the rut i was able to easily adjust mid climb and make it over the top where stock gears would experience TC stall. I run a 4:1 T-case from a Rubicon, It's pretty OK but a lot more clunky than the stock case and probably a bit weaker but should still be adequate.



I'm planning on doing a Nostalgic Mitsu 4x4 wheeling event in August or September, we all have 30-33" tires on our Gen 1's and the three of us with crawler gears (Mark's 2.85:1) are on 30-31's. I should be able to get some cool videos of small tires and deep gears vs big tires and stock gears offroad. Good times

 

[SONICMASD]

#1. - Great vids.

#2. - Damn, your son is growing like a weed!

 

[Toasty]

My videos are meh, but thanks. Trying to learn, hopefully I'll get better. Yeah that guy's getting huge! Happened seemingly overnight.

 

[nwoods]

Lets not discount the effects and benefits of taking off your swaybars in those kind of scenarios. You have WAY more articulation in the rear end than my rig ever had. Kinda not impressed with the spotting in the second video, but I am impressed with your power steering. Is it boosted over stock?

 

[Toasty]

My power steering is stock, my suspension definitely is not. Suspension travel helps for sure, it would have been a three wheel motion otherwise.

 

[Superduty]

Here's another crawler gear video, same obstacle from two angles, both trucks have front and rear lockers, 35's and about the same amount of lift. Obviously my truck (the blue one) has crawler gears. It really shows how much control you gain with gears and that you break traction less which translates to less broken parts (from shock loads) and lower operating temps (not working as hard). I know this is a rock crawling video but it applies to overlanding as well, on overland trips we carry a lot of gear and even on my trucks with small tires the T-case gears really earn their keep. For those of you who camped with me in the mountains north of LA last summer you experienced it first hand.
What I'm talking about is heat and power, the guys without gears experienced repeated overheating all the way up the mountain while us geared down dudes casually drove up the steep forest road with A/C on in the 105 degree heat. The overheating trucks were largely stock too, you can still create a serious load on your drivetrain with just your camping gear and a long grade. If you plan on 4 wheeling you should really consider regearing your transfer case especially if you have 33-35" tires or heavy things like drawer systems or pulling trailers offroad. These trucks were built to go fast offroad so they're not geared so great for low speed offroad drives. Gear upgrades come from Marks4wd in Australia, and can be purchased from Adventuredrivendesign.com or special ordered from Advancedadapters.com or sometimes directly from Marks4wd.com depending on how they're feeling that day. For the Gen 2 i recommend 2.72 gears for 33's or less and 3.15's for larger than 33's, carrying a lot of gear, towing offroad or if you plan on going bigger in the future.

**Also I no longer have any affiliation to any of those companies so no need to PM me a warning Exportal staff.**

Are both vehicles automatic or manual transmission?

 

[Toasty]

Both are auto.

 

[Superduty]

i don't know the spots you are video'ing at, but it doesn't look like the type of spot that would give a locked front and rear rig any trouble whatsoever. My Jeep isn't geared very low (stock non rubicon transfer case) and I think I'd walk right up that spot and make it look easy.

Was it the same driver in the vehicles? Different drivers = different experience = different styles.

 

[Toasty]

It's the waterfall in the rock garden on Log Corral Az, it's not a bad climb but it is slick so needing to throttle makes you slide. The incline is enough to make the truck have to work, driver experience definitely could make a difference but wouldn't make it look easy still.
It is a really fun short trail and can be done in a stockish Montero bypasing the above spot. If you're in Az you should come along with us some time we've got a couple other Jeep friends in our group (they also own Monteros ?)
As far as Jeeps go, they have 2.72:1 low range and we have 1.92:1. A locked Wrangler would have an advantage with lower crawl ratio and actual suspension travel. Both times I've been there though the Jeeps didn't attempt it (one stock JK and one stock JK on 35's), but here's a really nice video of the trail featuring some Rubicons making short work of the climb or at least edited to look that way.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

i don't know the spots you are video'ing at, but it doesn't look like the type of spot that would give a locked front and rear rig any trouble whatsoever. My Jeep isn't geared very low (stock non rubicon transfer case) and I think I'd walk right up that spot and make it look easy.

Was it the same driver in the vehicles? Different drivers = different experience = different styles.

I always find these types of responses interesting/entertaining. So you know next to nothing about the obstacle or the vehicles on the obstacle, but claim "I think I'd walk right up that spot and make it look easy"? Do you realize how dumb that sounds? Some of us have built rigs that would make your little TJ look like a Civic in comparison, but we still are intelligent enough to not make such claims unless we have actually been there, even then trail conditions change yearly and as a result change the difficulty of a trail or specific obstacle. So please do take your little Jeep down there and show us how easy it is!

 

[Superduty]

I always find these types of responses interesting/entertaining. So you know next to nothing about the obstacle or the vehicles on the obstacle, but claim "I think I'd walk right up that spot and make it look easy"? Do you realize how dumb that sounds? Some of us have built rigs that would make your little TJ look like a Civic in comparison, but we still are intelligent enough to not make such claims unless we have actually been there, even then trail conditions change yearly and as a result change the difficulty of a trail or specific obstacle. So please do take your little Jeep down there and show us how easy it is!

I can with 100% confidence say that my Jeep would drive that obstacle and would make it look it easy. I am able to say that based on what I observed in the video and the vehicle in the video. The video provides the viewer with an accurate representation of the trail. I am not sure why that is a dumb statement:

1. I can see the obstacle.
2. I can see the vehicle going over the obstacle.
3. I am familiar with the abilities of my Jeep.
4. I am familiar with my abilities as a driver.



When you say some of us have built rigs that would make my little TJ look like a civic in comparison, please tell me about the built rigs you are referring to. Do you have such a vehicle?

 

[Toasty]

Really getting off track here, this discussion is about vehicle gearing and how it greatly improves capability and control offroad. Vehicle doesn't matter, T-case gears are the best upgrade you can do to a 4x4 (they just don't look cool). I'm trying to explain to the Overland crowd how gearing applies to all things 4WD not just those of us who drive over rocks.
I'm going to do some videos with stock Monteros next with and without crawler gears. Gear upgrades with small tires! Simply AWESOME!

 

[Superduty]

Really getting off track here, this discussion is about vehicle gearing and how it greatly improves capability and control offroad. Vehicle doesn't matter, T-case gears are the best upgrade you can do to a 4x4 (they just don't look cool). I'm trying to explain to the Overland crowd how gearing applies to all things 4WD not just those of us who drive over rocks.
I'm going to do some videos with stock Monteros next with and without crawler gears. Gear upgrades with small tires! Simply AWESOME!

If you go with larger tires, then axle gearing becomes important.

If your axle gearing is correct for tire size, then a transfer case swap, if possible, is a great option.

You are fortunate that you are able to use the Rubicon transfer case. Not many transfer cases have such low gearing.



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