gonna break my truck?

[PhoenixZorn]

so... my Dad said that I shouldn't ever go muddin, cuz I'll invariably break my truck... is it really that bad? I do plan to have a few extra "commonly broken" parts along with me, but should I really expect to do $1000.00 worth of damage to my truck whenever I drop it in a pit?

 

[sweetk30]

well what do you have? if your profile was filled out in full we can help you. and it all is dependent on how much pressure is put on the right side pedel.

 

[flatline]

Always and I mean ALWAYS expect the unexpected!

if you go into the woods and aren't skilled enough not only could you damage your truck, You could end up killing yourself in the process.

I recommend going with someone with experience for a while before you attempt offroading.

NEVER go fourwheeling by yourself and I mean only one vehicle! Take necessary tools and some replacement items you may need, carry a fire extinguisher, first aid kit and a flashlight.

There is more to fourwheeling than hitting low lock and dunking your truck in the deepest mud hole in the woods.

 

[AkMudr]

Ive been wheelin for a while now and I still break ****, its expected. Doesnt make me a bad wheeler, just means Ive got some upgrading to do. If you dont wanna break nothin spend the $$ or stay on the street. Aside from breakin things, expect to replace normal parts at a faster rate i.i. tie rod ends, ball joints, bearings, ujoints. It comes with the hobby. Its just that simple.
Ujoints too I break those more than anythin else. Oh, and extra axle shafts.

 

[big jimmy 91]

One thing I have noticed with my truck and mud running is that the mud can and will get into everything

This means in the long term you will be replacing things with seals , bearings etc.

Mostly annoying things like tensioner , idler pullys , starters , alternators and such

So you allways have to be ready to fix it when the failure occurs ,usually at the worst times

 

[clarkjw24]

Parts will need to be replaced eventually but if your just hitting the local mudholes for an afternoon. I wouldn't worry too much, just don't ride around for weeks with that smelling crap all over your truck. Wash it ALL off as soon as you can. That means the underside too (ujoints, shocks, framerails, innerfenders, radiator, paint, brakes, tierods, etc). Its always good to do a fluid change after submerging in the mud also. Check and clean the air filter also. One more thing know whats in the mud hole before you run through it.

 

[PhoenixZorn]

Yeah, good point on knowing what's in the hole... when I lived in North Carolina, there was a clay pit behind our house that just happened to have a 1970s era pickup truck in it... and I mean you couldn't see this thing. The only reason we knew it was there is because, well... we put it there. I'll get my sig done when the truck gets out of the shop

 

[jekbrown]

IMO, one should assume that they will cause major damage to their rig when they take it wheeling. If you can live with that, then go... if its your DD, you have no money, and you can't live without a running rig... stay at home. My K5 isn't my DD... if the engine, tranny, tcase and axles all blew up at once in one spectacular breakage... I could still live and go to work etc. It would suck, but I could do it.

j

 

[big jimmy 91]

I agree , any time I lock it up I'm aware that destruction is possible The only reason I posted about mud is there has been a lot of nuisance minor break downs that I am quite sure were caused by grit getting into places it should'nt
I have run a lot of vehicles over the years and never had these issues

 

[PhoenixZorn]

Thanks guys for all your input... I don't ever plan to go alone, and I don't plan on hitting the big pits until I can put in a few thousand dollars into a better suspension and "hard-to-break" parts... as it is, I'll probably just go run trails that I couldn't do in my little Nissan, which could go pretty much anywhere I wanted it to as a rally car. Then again, I learned quickly how to keep my tires spinning and stay out of the ruts that the guys in the big trucks feel the need to make in Black River State Forest...

Speaking of which, ever get stuck behind a 4x4 in a family sedan in the middle of the woods at 5mph because the guy wants to make bigger ruts?? Talk about a good way to piss a guy off who likes to run the trails as fast as his car will safely allow...

 

[flatline]

Speaking of which, ever get stuck behind a 4x4 in a family sedan in the middle of the woods at 5mph because the guy wants to make bigger ruts?? Talk about a good way to piss a guy off who likes to run the trails as fast as his car will safely allow...

I have never been in a regular car while offroad, but I have been in an Eagle with 38's with no lift! that thing would go anywhere my friends jeep would go with a lift on 38's. All of my friends grew up with big rigs and they showed me the offroad, it became a drug to me and I can't wait to get back into it. Once I feel my truck is reliable enough I will take it out and see what it has.

 

[PhoenixZorn]

If the engine I'm pulling out of my truck is actually a 327 and not in too bad of shape, I may very well build an Eagle... I always wanted one. That, or I'll rip the body off my stanza and build a tube chassis and frame for it and drop it in there. Wouldn't that be a sight... a 91 nissan stanza with 4 inch lift and 35inch tires...

 

[josh86k10]

LOL!, so I'm not the only one who has done some offroading in a Nissan Stanza. Impressive little cars, with that completely flat underside it seemed to just stay on top of the mud if you had enough speed. Mine was an '88 model, metallic baby blue . At the time I was in high school and parked next to a 3/4 ton 4x4 1978 Ford on 35's. It was always funny when I'd show up with mud caked all over my little car and parked next to his squeaky clean truck .

 

[PhoenixZorn]

The funny thing Josh, is my truck is also an 86, but I think it's a K5... dunno if Jimmy's had the same designation, I know it's a K1500 Sierra. Did you know they use Stanzas for Rally training? I've abused the thing so much, I'm just waiting for the day when my CV joints lock up solid... it's got no suspension left, but it does have a 2 year old engine and tranny. Quick little sucker, and if you can get the tires spinning, it's near impossible to get it stuck. Just like you said, it kinda floats on mud because of the wonderfully integrated skid plates that Nissan put on them.