How to define 'off-road capability'

[Mudduck]

I apologize, I guess I misinterpreted "For a off road vehicle, especially rock crawling, 2 boxes absolutely needed to be checked. !) body on frame. 2) Solid axles front and rear."

In my opinion neither of those boxes need to be checked for an off-road vehicle, regardless of budget.




LOL what was that about self-narration?

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[Dusty Dude]

Do the new CV joints on a Rubicon front axle make it more or less off road capable? Do the rubber boots make it more fragile to damage?

 

[ColoradoMike]

Do the new CV joints on a Rubicon front axle make it more or less off road capable? Do the rubber boots make it more fragile to damage?

Neither less nor more, in my experience. With the CV joints on my 22 Rubi XR, I have run Holy Cross, Spring Creek, Red Elephant Hill, Red Cone x3, Steel Bender, Metal Masher, Poison Spider x2, Flat Iron Mesa, Fins, Hells Revenge x4, Hell's Gate, (I could go on...) and have seen zero issues with those CV joints. Zero signs of weakness, nor any sign of advantage (off-road, anyway).

 

[wanderer]

I see a lot of bronco videos where they roll. I guess it’s capable until it’s not probably most things out there can do you know easy trails they’re off-road.
To me, it’s more of I see a road I wanna go on that road or trail I don’t wanna wonder if I’ll make it out or not that’s the benefit of true capability regardless of everything else in my view

 

[azjl#3]

I realized today, that in my 23 JLR, it has the solution to OP question. Only if the vehicle has an offroad+ button, is it offroad capable. Everything else is a poser.

I was 16, about 50 years ago, with future wife up a 4x4 trail in a GMC Jimmy, needed to use 4x4 to get up the rocks. Eating lunch under a tree, a 62 VW bug spray painted grey, bounced along the trail and passed us. Hmm, I thought, maybe I don't need a GMC...

 

[Old Jeeper]

For rock crawling, a common Bronco-ism I've heard is 'the bronco is just as capable as the jeep, it just does it on 3 tires instead of 4'. And I have seen a lot of videos of broncos lifting tires, but going the distance.

As a jeep owner that has put a lot of money into increasing my articulation, that's caused me to ponder what 'off-road capable' really means.

If you have two vehicles, what parameters go into ranking it's capability? My first thought would be the one that can keep the most rubber and the least metal on the rocks, while distributing the weight most evenly on the rubber would win. But would that vehicle really have the 'capability' to complete more trails than the other one?

I know this is diving into a weird realm of off-road philosophy, but here are some of my thoughts.

• Powertrain: Ability to break traction at the lowest rpm (independently with lockers)
• Suspension: Most linear bind-free articulation, most rubber on the ground and even distribution of weight to each patch (level body? Currie off-road swaybars?)
• Body: Best break over, departure, approach, clearance, (wheelbase/width debatable?)
• Weight: Lightest always better?
• Tires: Tread/sidewall/pressure? (lots of debate)
• Center of gravity: Lowest always best?
• Reliability: Most reliable wins (lots of debate)

I know this is a weird question, but I enjoy figuring out how to make my vehicle as capable as I reasonably can.
Is there a simple way to rank how capable something is? How do you define it?

Mechanically you address a lot of good stuff. In MY list Number 1 is Tires, 2 is Lift, 3 is Reliablity., 4 is CoG. Fill in those boxes and you will be hard to beat on a trail run in the rocks.

However that said, NUMBER 1 is the driver's ability and this is where most blame the Jeep rather than themselves for the failure of the attempt.

 

[2flyrodders]

An important aspect of "capability" is the vehicle being able, with YOU operating it, to get you where you want to go. An incredibly more important aspect is the ability to get you back.....

 

[cosmokenney]

How to define off-road capability: Jeep Wrangler. Period.

I've also seen a lot of videos with Broncos on 3 wheels. Problem is, it progressed from there. I.e. first three wheels, then two, then none. Then it is time to call Matt or Rory.

 

[AnnDee4444]

How to define off-road capability: Jeep Wrangler. Period.

https://www.autotrader.com/car-news...ive-wrangler-and-it-was-weird-281474979998290

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