Long weekend on the Magruder
- Thread starter Metcalf
- Start date
Jacket
2008 Expedition Trophy Champion
Looks like a lot of fun. Sharing a camp site with mounds of snow is always a fun experience. Lucky for you all the gates were open so that you had an opportunity to make a run at it. That snow is going to be tough this year; I suspect some of the high mtn passes here in Colorado won't open this year at all.
jl8088
Adventurer
correct me if i am wrong, as i currently do not have a locker, but do you think it would have helped you guys to have low gearing and open diffs, rather than being locked.
The only downsides to lockers (offroad) that i have read about are side hills in the snow or mud. Downsides (onroad) would just be driveability and tight turns.
What's your opinion?
The only downsides to lockers (offroad) that i have read about are side hills in the snow or mud. Downsides (onroad) would just be driveability and tight turns.
What's your opinion?
Metcalf
Expedition Leader
correct me if i am wrong, as i currently do not have a locker, but do you think it would have helped you guys to have low gearing and open diffs, rather than being locked.
The only downsides to lockers (offroad) that i have read about are side hills in the snow or mud. Downsides (onroad) would just be driveability and tight turns.
What's your opinion?
Tough questions. I think in deep snow ( and generally for that matter ) that I would have low gearing first, then lockers. You also have to remember that both vehicles on this trip where set up with very flexible suspensions This also helps keep tires on the ground with open diffs. Low gearing lets you go slower and pick a more technical line. Another point is that I am talking about LOW gearing here. Dougs jeep is set up with 116:1 gearing in low-low with a 35" tire. In all reality it could still be a little lower for really technical sections. Marc has a slightly different problem. His jeep is running a strong v-8 with a 4:1 transfer case and an automatic ( and 5.13 diffs ) with his 35s. His jeep is almost too low geared. It gets pushed by the automatic and you have to ride the brake to try and crawl slow enough. It works well 90% of the time...but sometimes when the brakes get wet you really have to stand on the brake to get it to stop.
Lockers. Both these jeeps have selectable lockers. So for all intents and purposes they can have an open diff when they want or a full spool. Marc's jeep had broken an air line ( factory Jeep Rubicon locker ) in the rear and did not have a rear locker for the trip. The factory rear diff is also a limited. This helped out on some sections and hurt on others. I never really saw anytime that he absolutely needed a rear locker or else. Both jeeps have winches and there is no shame in using it to make a section of road go by quicker and cleaner. Some of our previous vehicles had full time lockers ( detroit or lock-rite ). They do take a slightly different driving style, but they are much cheaper, and provide true 4wd. Turning ability on hard pack surfaces with full time lockers is the biggest drawback. You will constantly find yourself going to 2wd to make turns ( or front wheel drive if your front end is strong enough and your transfer case can be modified to provide that function ). My next personal jeep will have selectable lockers front and rear. I have been very intrigued by the new Eaton e-lockers. They seem to be holding up ok and there is no air supply to worry about. I am pretty sure I will be installing them in my next project. ARB lockers are a proven design but require a steady air supply and a super meticulous install to prevent air supply problems.
If I had to build in stages I would do the winch first, then the low gearing, then the front locker, then the rear locker.
I had an old time 'wheeler tell me once " All that fancy stuff ( big tires, lockers, double transfer cases, etc ) just gets you stuck farther from home, a winch always brings you back".
The only downsides to lockers (offroad) that i have read about are side hills in the snow or mud. Downsides (onroad) would just be driveability and tight turns.
What's your opinion?
Tough questions. I think in deep snow ( and generally for that matter ) that I would have low gearing first, then lockers. You also have to remember that both vehicles on this trip where set up with very flexible suspensions This also helps keep tires on the ground with open diffs. Low gearing lets you go slower and pick a more technical line. Another point is that I am talking about LOW gearing here. Dougs jeep is set up with 116:1 gearing in low-low with a 35" tire. In all reality it could still be a little lower for really technical sections. Marc has a slightly different problem. His jeep is running a strong v-8 with a 4:1 transfer case and an automatic ( and 5.13 diffs ) with his 35s. His jeep is almost too low geared. It gets pushed by the automatic and you have to ride the brake to try and crawl slow enough. It works well 90% of the time...but sometimes when the brakes get wet you really have to stand on the brake to get it to stop.
Lockers. Both these jeeps have selectable lockers. So for all intents and purposes they can have an open diff when they want or a full spool. Marc's jeep had broken an air line ( factory Jeep Rubicon locker ) in the rear and did not have a rear locker for the trip. The factory rear diff is also a limited. This helped out on some sections and hurt on others. I never really saw anytime that he absolutely needed a rear locker or else. Both jeeps have winches and there is no shame in using it to make a section of road go by quicker and cleaner. Some of our previous vehicles had full time lockers ( detroit or lock-rite ). They do take a slightly different driving style, but they are much cheaper, and provide true 4wd. Turning ability on hard pack surfaces with full time lockers is the biggest drawback. You will constantly find yourself going to 2wd to make turns ( or front wheel drive if your front end is strong enough and your transfer case can be modified to provide that function ). My next personal jeep will have selectable lockers front and rear. I have been very intrigued by the new Eaton e-lockers. They seem to be holding up ok and there is no air supply to worry about. I am pretty sure I will be installing them in my next project. ARB lockers are a proven design but require a steady air supply and a super meticulous install to prevent air supply problems.
If I had to build in stages I would do the winch first, then the low gearing, then the front locker, then the rear locker.
I had an old time 'wheeler tell me once " All that fancy stuff ( big tires, lockers, double transfer cases, etc ) just gets you stuck farther from home, a winch always brings you back".
Jerry
Adventurer
Nice write up! Very descriptive and a fun read.
We drove the Magruder Road with two F150 4x4's and a Grand Cherokee in September, 2006. The sun was shining when we reached Elk City the day before the run, but it rained like heck all night and it was snowing huge big flakes the morning of the trip. We didn't think we stood a chance of making it all the way to Darby, but we headed off anyway. Surprise, we hit all of 6" of snow at 8,000 feet. We were expecting two feet! Unfortunately snow clouds blocked an otherwise fantastic view so with few stops we made record time crossing the mountains. We drove the Lolo Road the next day, also in the snow.
We drove the Magruder Road with two F150 4x4's and a Grand Cherokee in September, 2006. The sun was shining when we reached Elk City the day before the run, but it rained like heck all night and it was snowing huge big flakes the morning of the trip. We didn't think we stood a chance of making it all the way to Darby, but we headed off anyway. Surprise, we hit all of 6" of snow at 8,000 feet. We were expecting two feet! Unfortunately snow clouds blocked an otherwise fantastic view so with few stops we made record time crossing the mountains. We drove the Lolo Road the next day, also in the snow.