2013 T.A.Co. Gathering - Official Thread

I suggest sandblasting and paint btw

 

ehh thats all cake, you got the hard part done already

 

yaaaaa, i don't think it's going to get that for a while.

 

Haha, I'll make it through. Even if Mark needs to give me a little tug but I try everything on my own first.

 

For everyone attending please make sure you have reviewed the links that Bob put up and have started your trail research. We will help "guide" some of you who are new to this on your trail decisions but ultimately it will be your decision on what trail you want to run. So please spend some time researching here.

Time is running out and I personally am looking forward to meeting quite a few of you and see some bad ass rigs!

 

Dammit Eric, I have to study?! Usually I tell people to study, not the other way around!
JK

 

i already have a good idea of my first two days, but its the saturday im uncertain on

 

I feel like I have to really choose carefully because ill only be there for a few days. Since I am getting there late and I want to go with others I feel like I will be at the mercy of where groups are going so I guess I will come up with a wish list and just hope people are going in the trails I want to see.
I want to see a good sampling of different types of obstacles so that I can learn how to approach them safely bit still push my limits and have fun. I want to be scared, excited, surprised, and I want to get better at wheeling.

 

I have been doing that quite a bit, but I am having a really hard time telling the actual difficulty of each trail. I know that all have the trail damage links, but it is still kind of tough figuring out what that really means. I don't want to damage my truck, but I don't want to just drive down a dirt road either.

I have a decent amount of armor, but I am on baby tires with my 265/70/16 BFG all-terrains.

 

This ^^ I cant really grasp the rating system without seeing the trails first hand... East Coast rating system is in colors and its not easy to compare

 

If you want to be scared, excited, surprised, and I want to get better at wheeling and be safe right off the bat, hells revenge or 7 mile rim is a great intro trail. Hells revenge I did a lot of "oh fuck thats crazy!" bit slick rock is a tricky thing and you will walk right up it.

 

Ill say generally, everyone with some armor (sliders for sure front and rears for those difficult 8s) 33s and a locker can do really any trail up to an 8. The level of difficulty come from your own ability level, but your truck can handle it. Then from 8 up it just gets crazy. Thats where 35s + more armor and more locker start to be needed. The cool thing is a lot of trails have bypasses for the gnarly obstacles, so you can some times take an 8 trail and not hit the 8-9 rated stuff. But sometimes there are 8 rated obstacles you cant avoid, so you have to read on the trail or ask someone about it if there are bypasses for everything.

 

From Traildamage.com's website regarding trail ratings...

Rating Numbers

It's difficult to rate trails because it's subjective -- what you might think is a good trail for a stock Jeep Wrangler might not be what your neighbor thinks is acceptable. Still, ratings help you sort out what is a good trail for your vehicle and driving skill. They also help you know which trails to try when you're ready to step it up a notch or when you've bitten off more than you can chew.


With all that in mind, use the ratings as a guide and not as a true definition of the trail. Trail conditions can change many times over the years, and sometimes a rating is no longer accurate.
Rating of 1: almost any passenger car can complete this trail. However, we'd suggest cars with a bit more clearance than a sport coupe, and possibly one with All-Wheel Drive or 4-Wheel Drive. These trails are often easy dirt roads with little or no rocks in them. Passing is usually easy.

Rating of 2: almost any SUV can complete this trail. A passenger car might not do as well because of clearance issues or lack of All-Wheel Drive or 4-Wheel Drive. 2-Wheel Drive is usually fine for the entire trail, but mud or snow could make things more difficult. These trails are often dirt roads that may have rocks buried in them in places or cracks where the trail has eroded. Passing may be difficult and you may need to back up to a wide spot.

Rating of 3: almost any SUV with higher ground clearance can complete this trail. You probably won't need 4-Wheel Drive, but it would be good to have just in case. Because of rocks in the trail or whoopdeedoos in places, an SUV with lower clearance might have issues and might hit something on the undercarriage.

Rating of 4: a good challenge for a stock Jeep Wrangler. There will be smaller rocks and whoopdeedoos that might make 4-Wheel Drive necessary, so be sure you have it. There may be mud, hills or water that could pose additional challenges. These trails are probably the top end for standard SUVs.

Rating of 5: the highest challenge for a stock Jeep Wrangler without body damage, winching, or possible breakage. You may have to work on some of the bigger rocks and challenges, but you should make it through everything without too much trouble. You will need 4-Wheel Drive and you should not go alone.

Rating of 6: probably too much for a stock Jeep Wrangler, but perfect for one on 33" tires. These trails will provide challenges and fun for mildly modified vehicles as well as the bigger rigs, so they are perfect for mixed groups. There may be obstacles with many lines from easy to difficult.

Rating of 7: driver experience might make a big difference. Drivers new to wheeling a modified vehicle may want to learn on easier trails before moving up to ones with this rating. The obstacles may not be tougher if the right line is found, but a wrong line could be extremely difficult or dangerous. The possibility of rollovers and body damage is present, though almost all experienced drivers with modified vehicles should get through these trails without any issues.

Rating of 8: you may experience some body damage, and there is a high possibility of breakage. You may need to use a bit of momentum in an obstacle, and that often means a broken axle shaft or drive shaft. Experience will be helpful.

Rating of 9: you will probably get some body damage or breakage. At least one of the obstacles will push you against a rock or test your vehicle and your driving skills to the point that something will most likely give. Only the luckiest and most skilled drivers will make it through these trails in the same condition in which they started.

Rating of 10: an extreme trail for rock buggies only. Only the most modified vehicles will be able to complete these trails. Most vehicles will end up with some damage, and many will be too damaged to finish.

 

Although it is referencing jeeps, a stock taco should be able to do 1-4, after that it will depend on your lift, armor, tires, and willingness to take a risk. 4 will be tough with a stock setup but is doable. 6 is probably the hardest that should be done without a locker (in general). The LSD can help, but it will be a challenge.

 

Thank god, it seems I am not the only rookie! Thanks for the tip. Looks like I will be doing those two for sure.

I am not sure if I am completely crazy, but I think I want to try this. Can Stock tacos do this?

Edit: I am pretty sure that is a no! I just watched a couple videos of it.

 

Gotcha that helps... Im trying to compare two completely different things and its not working

This makes sense now
Looking at this a 7 and maybe an 8 is tops for me since I'll be 2000 miles from home, if I was half hour from home I would probably dip into high 8's very low 9's

 

No. I mean they "can". There is a video of a stock fj doing it very well. But i think once you see it you will quickly change your mind. A locker is required on that for sure, and more than anything its driver skill and a gawd dam good spotter.

Ya, your truck can for sure handle the 8s. But as with many others, its all about self preservation. Only a couple wil have a trailer to bring their rigs back in, there are auto parts stores in moab so you can fix stuff, but at the end of the week you still have to make it home.

 

Never mind I saw some good pictures that really show the perspective. eff that noise! I will stick to the easier (4 or lower) ones on this trip. If there are by passes then I will do some of the harder ones.

 

you will get bored of anything lower than 4 or 5 haha. You'll be fine. You have enough armor to handle a lot out there. That obstacle is totally optional also.