Off road Trail ratings/Legend of Difficulty

[timmer]

A few folks myself included have been refering to trails as a 3 , 2 1&1/2, 4 ect and I personally have always figured people know exactly what I was talking about. It has been brought to my attention that quite a few people have no idea except that a 4 is rougher than a 3 and so on.

to solve this problem I have included the following guidelines.

these are not everybodys guidelines but these are the ones adopted by a major 4 wheel society here in So Nevada.



Road/Trail Rating:

0. Graded Dirt Road. Dry, or less than 3" water crossing depth. Gentle grades, 2WD under all conditions except snow with no problems, Two vehicles wide.

1. Dirt Road. Dry Or less than 3" water crossing depth. Some ruts. Slight grades, up to 10 degrees, 2WD Under most conditions. Rain or snow may make 4WD necessary. Usually 1 1/2 to 2 vehicles wide

1.5. Dirt Road. Rutted, washes or gulches. Water crossing up to 6" depth. Passable mud. Grades up to 10 degrees, small rocks or holes. 4WD recommend but 2WD possIble under good conditions and with adequate ground clearance and skill. No with problems for any normal vehicle. Vehicle passing spots :frequently available if less than two vehicles wide.

2. Rutted and/or rocky road. No shelves but rocks up to 9". Water crossing usually less than hub deep. Passable mud. Grades moderate, up to 15 degrees. Side hill moderate up to 15 degrees. 4WD required under good conditions. No width problems, vehicle passing spots :frequently if less than two vehicles wide.

2.5 Rutted and/or rocky road. No shelves but rocks up to l2" and water crossing up to 12" with passable currents. Passable mud, moderate grades up to 15 degrees, 6" holes, side hill up to 20 degrees. 4WD required with no problems.

3. Quite rocky or deep ruts. Rocks up to 12" and :frequent. Water crossing may exceed hub depth with strong currents shelves to 6", Mud may require checking before proceeding. Moderate grades up to 29 degrees, side hill may approach 30 degrees. 4WD necessary and second attempts may or required with stock vehicles. Caution may be required with wider vehicles.

3.5 Rocks frequent and large (12") and may exceed hub height, holes frequent or deep (12"). Shelves to 9". Mud 8" deep and may be present on uphill sections. Grades to 29 degrees and side hill to 30 degrees. Water crossing to 18" and may have strong currents. 1 -1 1/2 vehicles wide. 4WD required. Driver experience helpful.

4. Heavy rock and/or sever ruts. Rocks exceeding hub height frequent. Shelves to 12". Deep mud or uphill mud sections. Steep grades to 29 degrees and can be loose or rocky. Water crossings may exceed 30: in depth. Side hill to 30 degrees. One vehicle wide. Body damage possible. Experience needed. Vehicle Modifications helpful.

4.5 Sever rock over 15". Frequent deep holes over 15", Shelves over 15". Mud bog conditions (long, deep, no form bottom). Over 30" water crossings with strong currents. Steep grades over 30 degrees. May not be passable with stock 4x4 vehicles. Experience essential. Body damage, mechanical breakdown, rollover probable. Extreme caution required.

5. Sever Conditions. Extreme caution recommend. Impassable by stock 4x4 vehicles. Winching required. Trail building necessary. May be impassable. Impassable under anything but ideal conditions. Vehicle damage probable. Personal injury possible. Extreme caution necessaty.

REMEMBER
If you are testing yourself and your equipment to learn your ability or to improve your ability, be prepared to admit defeat Destroying your equipment and the route in the process to say you have driven a road or trail helps defeat those who are trying to keep these routes open for continued use. You can always return to an un-abused trail or road to try again.


so there you go

hopefully this will become a sticky providing for ratings continuity

timmer

[05TacoTRD]

Great Post. Definitely needs to be a sticky.

[Kilted Chiken]

This is what we have for WATTORA. Oh and stickied.

2WD:
1.0 All-weather high speed paved or graded dirt or gravel road, regularly maintained, with excellent drainage. 4WD not needed, even in wet weather. Speeds of over 40 mph can be achieved. Passenger cars/Rav4 type vehicles acceptable.

1.5 Maintained graded dirt road. 4WD not needed except in wet weather. May have potholes, dips, and sharp curves. May drain poorly in wet weather. Speeds of over 10 mph possible. Passenger cars/Rav4 type vehicles can do, but will have to slow down considerably on washouts, etc., due to lack of ground clearance. No grades over 10 degrees.

EASY 4WD:
2.0 Unimproved or rarely graded dirt road; 4WD and/or extra clearance occasionally needed at times, with no special driving skills required. Passenger cars NOT acceptable, due to insufficient ground clearance. 2WD & 4WD trucks with stock clearance are acceptable. Street tires are acceptable. Day runs are typically 20 miles in length.

2.5 Dirt road graded rarely, if ever. 4WD low range and good clearance often needed, with some extra care and a bit of driving experience useful. Suitable for novice drivers. Speeds often under 10 mph. Street tires are acceptable. 2WD trucks NOT acceptable, due to lack of low range gears. No grades over 20 degrees.

MODERATE 4WD:
3.0 Ungraded road in difficult terrain, rarely maintained. 4WD low range and clearance required, with some driving skill and daring useful. Challenges for novice driver. Suitable for stock 4WD vehicles. Street tires are not recommended. No 2WD vehicles due to lack of traction. Speeds often under 5 MPH.

3.5 Road or trail in difficult terrain, probably maintained only by occasional users. Considerable driving skill and daring needed. Not recommended for the novice driver. Surface may include wash beds, sand, cinders, lava rock, snow, mud, water, etc. Vehicles with long front or rear overhang (beyond the axles) may scrape front or rear bumpers on wash crossings, etc. Street tires not acceptable. Approaching the limit of what a capable stock 4WD vehicle (with capable driver) can do. Stock 4WD vehicles usually not recommended. Upgrade to 31" tires, mild lift (1" or 2"), and rear locker or limited slip is highly desirable. Equipment failure is usually limited to flat tires. Grades may exceed 20 degrees. Occasional off camber situation may exceed 20 degrees. Water crossings should be 2 feet or less in depth. Spotting may be required on the more difficult sections, especially for long, wide vehicles. Average speed is 3 mph. A day run is typically around 10 miles in length. This is the most common numerical rating given to 4WD trails. Suitable for mildly modified 4WD vehicles & moderately experienced drivers.

Difficult 4WD:
4.0 Trail badly eroded. Off camber situations likely and may exceed 25 degrees. Grades may exceed 25 degrees. Water crossings can exceed 2 feet in depth. Stock vehicles NOT recommended. 31" tires minimum, (33" preferred), mild lift & hard locker, (not limited slip), in the rear probably required. Front locker or limited slip recommended. Speeds often under 3 mph. Spotting probably required on the more difficult obstacles to avoid body damage. Recommended for experienced 4WD drivers only. Body damage possible, but unlikely. More likely on long, and/or wide vehicles. Equipment failure possible, but unlikely.

4.5 Trail is TOUGH. Big rocks, grades exceeding 30 degrees. Off camber situations exceeding 30 degrees. Sometimes, but not always, best suited for short wheel base vehicles. (under 105" wheelbase) 33" tires minimum, (35" or larger preferred). 2" to 4" of lift and gearing of 40 to 1 (20 to 1 for automatics) or lower in first gear, low range probably required. Hard locker in the rear and limited slip or hard locker in the front probably required. Speeds often under 1 mph. A day run will usually be 1-3 miles in length. Body damage likely, but usually can be avoided by very careful driving and good spotting. Typically 10% of the vehicles on these runs will experience major mechanical failure, i.e., drive line or steering failure. (u-joints, axles, pitman arm, drag link, tie rods, etc.) Usually, but not always, these failures are due to improper and insufficiently tested vehicle modifications or poor (sloppy) driving technique. (Too much gas or steering pressure) An experienced driver with a properly setup vehicle can usually avoid most breakage.

Extreme 4WD:
5.0 Trail CANNOT be driven the whole way. Winching is required in at least one point on the trail. Water crossings may exceed 2-½ feet in depth. Grades exceeding 40 degrees. The biggest rocks with off camber situations exceeding 35 degrees. Rollovers possible. Usually only suitable for short wheel base vehicles (under 105" wheelbase), winch, 33" minimum tires, (35" or larger preferred), 3" to 5" of lift, gearing of 60 to 1 (30 to 1 for automatics) or lower in first gear, low range, and hard locker in both front and rear axles probably required. Axle upgrades highly recommended. Speed continuously under one mph. A day run is typically one mile in length. These trails are typically very hard on tires. One spare probably required, two spares recommended. Plug kit and/or tubes recommended. Tires with sufficient sidewall protection (Boggers, Swampers, etc.) recommended. 50% or greater chance of body damage. 50% or greater chance of major mechanical failure. Breakage is usually due to excessive torque or torque spikes on axles or steering components. Only experienced (5 years +) drivers with extra money, parts & energy to repair broken vehicles need apply.

[Janster]

In the Eastern side of the world - atleast at Rausch Creek Offroad Park - the trails are color coded.

Green - Easy
Blue - Intermediate
Black - Hard
Red - Extreme

And any combination of them - like Blue-black, Black-Red, Green-blue, etc.

http://www.rauschcreekoffroadpark.or...%20listing.pdf

[socalman22]

Thank you very much for posting this, that way when i hold another trail meet i can post this for them thanks guys sticky worthy.

[bambooshoots]

Will a PreRunner TRD Off Road with a rear locker be able to navigate Class II trails with all terrain tires?

[timmer]

with a somewhat experianced driver and a good spotter , Yes

You main problem is going to be lack of traction at the front end.

so bring a strap and some 4 3/4 ton shackles .

Oh yeah and a friend with a 4x4.

timmer

[luk8272]

Great post. Deeply appreciated. I had the general Idea but now I am informed.

[timmer]

IN an effort to be better informed as a group I am including the follwing links from the expeditions West handbook it includes their trail rating guide

http://www.expeditionswest.com/resou...ail_rating.htm

and vehicle selection guide

http://www.expeditionswest.com/resou...cle_rating.htm

on a lark or for a assignment see if you can find where the stock Toyota TRD 4x4 figures into the mix.

you might be pleased and suprized

enjoy

timmer

[Agent475]

Awesome post! Now I can say that I learned something today.

[nd]

i wonder what the trail we rode at uhwarrie is rated? you know hodge?

[jhodge83]

Originally Posted by nd

i wonder what the trail we rode at uhwarrie is rated? you know hodge?

the long falls dam trail was prolly a 3 by the listing that banshee posted

[nd]

Originally Posted by jhodge83

the long falls dam trail was prolly a 3 by the listing that banshee posted

thats what i was thinking but it says 4wd is necessary and you didnt seem to struggle much

[jhodge83]

Originally Posted by nd

thats what i was thinking but it says 4wd is necessary and you didnt seem to struggle much

never underestimate a taco....even a lifted prerunner w/ MT's...but from the description of the trail type, thats what closely fits

[chris4x4]

Originally Posted by bambooshoots

Will a PreRunner TRD Off Road with a rear locker be able to navigate Class II trails with all terrain tires?

I have done 2.5's with no problem in my PreRunner.

[timmer]

Originally Posted by chris4x4

I have done 2.5's with no problem in my PreRunner.

Yeah, But your special !!

[nd]

Originally Posted by jhodge83

never underestimate a taco....even a lifted prerunner w/ MT's...but from the description of the trail type, thats what closely fits

yeah i'm pretty sure our trail was a 3. you're taco handled it really well but 4wd was a little easier. either way i'll never look down on a pre runner again

[RelentlessTaco]

nice thread, great info. now i have a better knowledge of what my truck should be able to handle for trails with a rating.

[chris4x4]

Keep in mind that the guide info is just a "guide". If you dont mind some body damage, your truck my be able to go further. Same applies on your off road driveing skill.

[seancanterbury]

ive taken atleast a 3.5 in my 2wd with lockers.