I am getting on my soap box here. Sometimes I think things are all about “more extreme”. It used to be 33’s were big and a limited slip was true off-road. Now unless you have at least 37’s, custom suspension, locked Dana 60’s, and no regard for carnage it seems that you are inadequate. I look at my CJ at recent trail runs and I am the little guy. Now I am all for new and cool stuff, also, I am not “stuck-in-my-ways” or necessarily “old-school”.
To me Jeeping is about the challenge of getting your Jeep to go over or through obstacles on the trail. If you have a Jeep with 33’s and a limited slip you are obviously not going to be able to do what those moon buggy looking rigs can do. Here’s the question, who cares? I believe that pushing the limits with any vehicle regardless of it’s equipment is what makes Jeeping fun.
Taking a relatively stock Jeep, putting a mild lift, bigger tires (33-35), and and maybe a rear locker makes a well equipped Jeep for weekend Jeeping and can still be a daily driver without spending a fortune. If you get stuck on the trail with this kind of Jeep it doesn’t mean it’s under done, it means you are having fun. (I didn’t mean to rhyme there) Getting stuck either means you pushed your Jeep’s limits or you need more trail technique practice. I have watched guys with Jeeps with 32’s (left-hey Chris-maybe you remember what happened next?) do things that others with bigger and more can’t because of style and finesse. It’s a fine line and some of us just get it.
It’s an interesting evolution this need for extreme. You start out with a stock Jeep and wheel it. You decide on some upgrades and you wheel it. You realize old stuff is now easy and you try harder stuff but soon learn your Jeep’s limits so you upgrade again. Now the new old stuff is easy and you try even harder and you soon learn your Jeep’s new limits not to mention a probable experience with the Just Empty Ever Pocket (J.E.E.P) syndrome. So the cycle continues.
It seems that like everything else in this country, unless it’s extreme it’s boring. Get a Jeep do something to it and use it. There’s lots of stuff out there for the weekend warriors.
