First ride

[BRuss610]

Okay so went on my first ride at Tuttle Creek Kansas with my stock 1997 jeep just to see how it went. got myself in a super pinch and almost had to call a tow but i ended up getting out and i found myself not being able to do 50% of the stuff out there (which i expected) however my question is if i get a 4 inch susp lift and a 1.5 body lift with 33 inch rims all terrain tires will that change anything or do i need to go bigger? I didnt have a winch which i see the huge importance for that now.

[daniel_buck]

First off, I would definitely be going out with a 2nd vehicle, and preferably someone who knows the trails and has a vehicle that's setup well. Going out by yourself isn't a good idea, particularly if you and/or your vehicle aren't capable of running the trails you are on. That can put you in a dangerous situation quickly If you flop or roll over, and nobody else is around to help, what happens next? I don't know what your offroad experience is, but if you aren't familiar with offroading, I would definitely find a local group to be apart of, learn the trails, learn to drive, and see what other folks jeeps are setup like.

As for what type of jeep setup you need for those trails, it's difficult to say without knowing the trails, but for alot of trails, 2-3" of lift and 33" tires with a locker or two and skid plates will get you through alot. That would be a very capable jeep. Throw a winch on there, and it's even more capable. No shame in winching or strapping out of a situation! An inch or two more than that on suspension isn't going to make a huge difference. I would think 4" of suspension, and 1.5" of body lift will be a bit tall for 33" tires. Not to mention with 4" of suspension, you'll likely need to get adjustable control arms to get the pinion angle good, and a slip yoke eliminator and double cardan driveshaft. Possibly adjustable front control arms as well. Read up on this stuff, there's plenty of writeups on those guys And stepping up to tires larger than 32"or 33" is going to start upgrading alot of other stuff, steering, axle shafts, gears, brakes, now you're throwing a ton of money at the jeep.

Without knowing the trails, I'd suggest you talk with some local folks, and see what local folks like to run for those trails, or see if they could give you any advice. I'd bet that 2" springs, 1" body lift, a flat skid, locker or two and 33" tires would give you a fun time out there You'll slide over alot of stuff with a flat skid.

[aw12345]

To sum it up quickly stick with Daniel's advice. Then try to analyse what caused you to get stuck. Wheels spinning? (lockers) Getting stuck on the belly? (bellyup or lift) ETC. Figuring out how to approach an obstacle and finding the way through it goes a long way also

[daniel_buck]

and follow someone who's good at picking lines, watch where they put their tires!