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Wanted to write an update on Old House Gap Road.

Bottom line, it's definitely a good option if you are in the area, especially for stock vehicles. My friend has a stock Tacoma with street tires, so I needed something that didn't have any clearance obstacles but felt like a real trail in the Blowing Rock/Linville/Grandfather area. This trail was perfect for that.

While it was easy on clearance it had a lot of rutted areas that made it a little more interesting. Sort of like Peters Mill Run with ruts instead of mud holes.

It was a pretty trail Part of the trail runs along a ridge that looks over a creek with a small waterfall at one point. There are not open views of the mountains like on Bald Mountain.

It was also short. I think it took us a little over an hour but anyone with experience could run it in about 45 minutes. There are winding dirt roads to get to and from the trail which makes the whole trip 2-3 hours.

Overall, I would put it below Hurricane Creek in pretty much every way. Pretty similar to Peters Mill Run and Bald Mountain in terms of difficulty but more interesting because of the ruts. and shorter.

We got there by going south from Linville on Roseboro Road. The good thing is there is a parking lot at the trailhead of the Gragg Prong Falls. It is directly across from the entrance to the trail. So you can air down there and then head up the trail. At the top of the trail there are gravel roads that take you right to 221 and the Blue Ridge Parkway. Super convenient.
Thanks for the breakdown of Old House Gap Road. I think it will be a good place for me to take the family while camping in the area. Short enough that the kids won’t get bored and some ruts to make it a little entertaining for me.

Are there places to pull off along the creek? I think my kids would rather play in a creek than anywhere else.
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mgroeger

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Almost forgot to post this shot my friend took of my Jeep at Uwharrie on Saturday. Simple but I love it.

zS0w1IZ.jpg
Ughhh... we were there from 1:30PM to around 7PM. You?
 

eck

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Ughhh... we were there from 1:30PM to around 7PM. You?
I got to the outpost just after 2:00, probably left around 5:30 or so. Short trip, I arrived late and one of the other guys had to be back in the triangle by 7:30. Still had a good time!
 

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Thanks for the breakdown of Old House Gap Road. I think it will be a good place for me to take the family while camping in the area. Short enough that the kids won’t get bored and some ruts to make it a little entertaining for me.

Are there places to pull off along the creek? I think my kids would rather play in a creek than anywhere else.
Bret i don’t remember seeing a good place to pull off near the creek. But i wasn’t really looking for that.
 

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ChattVol

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IMO... 5.13 pinions are too small for the 44 housing, but too tall for the auto... no. It's pushing the limit of a practical interstate machine with 35's, but with 37's, it would do alright. Some people swear by them, but I don't agree. The acceleration down low is addicting and seems nice, but again, the pinion is pretty small for those that wheel hard.
Is the pinion smaller on 4.88 gearing vs. 5.13? I've read on some other sites that 4.56 offered more strength vs 4.88/5.13 and deeper gearing, but that doesn't seem like a meaningful enough jump from 4.10 to properly run 37s.
 
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chevymitchell

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Is the pinion smaller on 4.88 gearing vs. 5.13? I've read on some other sites that 4.56 offered more strength vs 4.88/5.13 and deeper gearing, but that doesn't seem like a meaningful enough jump from 4.10 to properly run 37s.
The deeper you gear, the ring gets thicker and the pinion cross section gets smaller.

General rule of thumb is:

4.56 = 35"
4.88 = 37"
5.13 = 39+

People move the math around to accommodate crawl ratio or interstate driving from this.

4.56 with a 37" tire may not be a big enough jump to justify the cost unless you're looking to just keep your RPM lower for daily driving on the interstate. I wouldn't personally spend the energy and resources to go 4.10 to 4.56 for a 37" tire.

I'm a math based person and the math tells me the 37" tire gear ratio equivalent of 33" tires and 4.10's is a 4.66 gear. Always round up to the next gear size available and you get 4.88.

Like I mentioned, the acceleration from a 5.13 gear is what people fall in love with. People that wheel hard will want the thicker pinion unless they have a bigger or thicker housing installed. (ProRock 44 or bigger housings). You always got to keep in mind that the cast material the housings are made from flex a lot under load. In fact, some diff housings require a differential spreader to remove the carrier assembly. I'll keep typing all day. Lol. I'll just stop there for now.
 

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I got to the outpost just after 2:00, probably left around 5:30 or so. Short trip, I arrived late and one of the other guys had to be back in the triangle by 7:30. Still had a good time!
Dang we were on the trails at the same time, oh well. We had a good run with Don @GhostDivers; ran Dutch John and then played around on the back side of Daniel. Got to put the lockers through some good use and they worked perfectly.
 

eck

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Dang we were on the trails at the same time, oh well. We had a good run with Don @GhostDivers; ran Dutch John and then played around on the back side of Daniel. Got to put the lockers through some good use and they worked perfectly.
We only ran falls dam with three stock Jeeps. The other two with me were a 2 door sport and a 4 door rubicon. The 2 door sport was 100% fine with the short wheelbase. The rubicon rubbed a few times. I rubbed a ton right in the transfer case skid plate. I am now in the market for a lift and some wheels with 35s :)
 

mgroeger

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We only ran falls dam with three stock Jeeps. The other two with me were a 2 door sport and a 4 door rubicon. The 2 door sport was 100% fine with the short wheelbase. The rubicon rubbed a few times. I rubbed a ton right in the transfer case skid plate. I am now in the market for a lift and some wheels with 35s :)
The rubbing has gotten worse as the year has gone on. Even with our 2" spacer lift and 33s we rubbed a lot, Don has a 2" Fox lift and 35s and barely rubbed at all so we are right at the tipping point. If you take the humps on at an angle and stay off to the side, which means you aren't using the existing tire tracks, it helps a lot.
The was one part on DJ that we had to throw some rocks on the driver's side at the base of this deep rut to climb out. We also used the lockers so we didn't have to bump out. We got up it and then a JLUR with the Fox 2" lift and 35s comes up and couldn't do it because they actually took the rocks out of the hole. I went back and explained why he needed those and I could tell he was a little nervous. He looked at me and said "well maybe I should go over there and bypass this." I looked at him and said "You have a lifted Rubicon with 35s and lockers... you're going up this rut." nnd then proceeded to walk him up it. He smiled and sighed a sigh of relief. Later we saw him on the trails and I could tell his confidence had bumped up and he mentioned it was only his second time out. I quoted Shawn and said "You're the limiting factor, not the Jeep" :)
 

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I actually think the guy on DJ had 37’s….but @mgroeger , totally shamed him into going way outside his comfort zone ;)
 

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Anyone going to the Veterans Day rides this weekend at Uwharrie? I am debating on doing one of the guided rides they have two one is to big rocks the other is to grand overland. Both are private land. Has anyone done a ride at either. Trying to figure out which one to sign up for. I have a JLUR and am really curious if big rock it to big of a risk. It is stock and they recommended 33” tire and a 2” inch lift. What says y’all?
 

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Anyone going to the Veterans Day rides this weekend at Uwharrie? I am debating on doing one of the guided rides they have two one is to big rocks the other is to grand overland. Both are private land. Has anyone done a ride at either. Trying to figure out which one to sign up for. I have a JLUR and am really curious if big rock it to big of a risk. It is stock and they recommended 33” tire and a 2” inch lift. What says y’all?
I haven't been to either but I know people who have. Big Rocks can get pretty tight and it's easy to take on pin striping and actual side damage from what I saw on a Forerunner. Another friend said there are plenty of places to jack yourself up. @chevymitchell might be able to give better details.
 

Dirt Tiger

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I haven't been to either but I know people who have. Big Rocks can get pretty tight and it's easy to take on pin striping and actual side damage from what I saw on a Forerunner. Another friend said there are plenty of places to jack yourself up. @chevymitchell might be able to give better details.
Sounds like grand overland ride might be the way to go. Thanks
 
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chevymitchell

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Anyone going to the Veterans Day rides this weekend at Uwharrie? I am debating on doing one of the guided rides they have two one is to big rocks the other is to grand overland. Both are private land. Has anyone done a ride at either. Trying to figure out which one to sign up for. I have a JLUR and am really curious if big rock it to big of a risk. It is stock and they recommended 33” tire and a 2” inch lift. What says y’all?
You'd be fine doing either one. Both of them have bypasses for the harder obstacles, which there aren't very many. Even if you don't run the Boulder obstacle, it's fun to watch. Last time out, only myself and another JL made it through. You won't be disappointed with either choice.
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