In case you missed it!

[DudeNiceH2]

I've been to bell mountain twice now, and I bailed both times. Bell mountain just sets off my spidey-senses. Those rots are no joke.
Maybe when I upgrade some parts and build a cage haha

[Cannonballkev]

I don't blame ya.  I've been impressed with my truck so far, 2" lift, open diff, long bed,  3:42 gears ( possibly 3:83's) no weight in the back.  I have all the wrong things!  Ha ha.  I will say, I'm not afraid to use the skinny pedal!
  I would like to try Durahmtown sometime.  Where do you live?

[gint2]

Wow I just saw this haha.
Yes it was a high pucker moment for sure. Closest I've ever been to going over.

It made me think of a couple things.
1. Would I benefit from moving the spare tire to the truck or onto a rear tire carrier?

2. I feel this could be prevented by increasing my rear travel. So i can keep that wheel on the ground. Extended shocks and coils in the rear?

3. Are there specific DOs and DONTs in regard to choosing a line?

Thanks in advance

Not going to pick on what you wheel, but not many have addressed your 3 questions... from my perspective, and I'm sure others will jump in if they don't agree with me.
1) Move the spare. Having something that weighs 100+ pounds sitting 4 feet above the body center line. Is like making the springs compensate for a 400+ pound counter weight.

2) Yes, more flex/ articulation will provide more stability, however, wheeling a rig like (top heavy) with the additional weight on top will still make it floppy. You also need to have the flex up front to match the rear. Which on the IFS your somewhat limited on how far it will go.

3) YES!! Take the pin striping like a man! Take the lower line which would keep your rig more grounded, it appears that you went high (note where your r/f tire is up on the berm) to avoid the shrub and that put a huge off camber for what your rig can take. By trying to avoid some brush scrub your almost flopped your rig. One would cause a lot more damage then the other.

[jc79]

When I saw the pic I actually figured you took that line on purpose to "push the limits."  We've all done that to increase the fun-factor, but it has it's time and place!  Not sure if that was your plan or not.


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[Krawler00]

Not hatin on the H2 by anymeans. But anything that has an ifs front suspension is better suited for pavement. Seth had one and he did alot of nice mods but it could not do the hardcore stuff other rigs could do. It does good for what it is though. More seat time will make you a much better driver and able to pick lines.

Off Grid Post

[kvom]

To expand a little on some prior comments:

- Not only does the tire on the roof raise the center of gravity but also catches tree limbs on wooded trails and generates extra turning moment when off camber.  3 strikes.  Roof racks are also poor choices for trails with trees.

- Aside from flex issues, IFS makes recovery from breakage on the trail a PITA.

- With big ruts on trails you have two options: either straddle the rut or ride in it.  When you're in you're automatically off camber and need to be cautious.  Climbing out on the high side is generally not what you want (and that appears to be what happened in the photo).  A good rule of thumb when off camber is to try to steer towards the low side.

I remember a group of Hummers that we'd see occasionally at Tellico.  The H2s seemed to do OK on moderate trails like 4&5.  We had a bit of a laugh at them since many covered the sheet metal with stick-on plastic panels to avoid scratches.

[Matt]

Biggest mistake was you went to far right, up the bank. You would have been better off riding the left bank some and try to straddle the rut. IFS doesnt flex well no matter what you do, it will always want to lift the rear tire, so you have to compensate with you driving ability and picking good lines.

[jgerhard]

I keep my tire strapped flat in the back of my JKU, its even lower then when its mounted on a tire carrier.

You did go too far right, you could have backed out of that and re-aligned over the rut or down into it once you got that special feeling of going over being a possibility. 

At times its been pointed out to me the best solution for a problem that I was in (where I felt uncomfortable and was asking for help) was to reverse.

[DudeNiceH2]

The funny thing is that I had to reverse to get all wheels on the ground.

Someone made a point that IFS doesn't flex, and that's mostly correct. However I had a solid axle in the rear, and that should flex more. I was saying that, with more travel in the rear, I wouldve had 3 wheels on the ground, thus being more stable.

Lastly, I wasn't trying to avoid bush scrub. Anyone that wheels with me, knows I couldn't care less about paint damage. In fact, I see it as a badge of honor!

[DOUG]

Stock solid axle it's not going to flex very much.  You are limited by shocks designed with a few inches each of up and down travel.  Add a lift and longer shocks with proper bump stops.

Flexing should help keep your rig more stable and level, and you need travel to flex. 

Never let the center of gravity get outside of a vertical line up from the inside of the tire.  Lower your center of gravity by removing everything that is mounted high and relocate to a low spot or leave at base camp.

Picking proper lines is paramount.  Always try to keep your rig as level as possible.  When you have to clear high spots, place your tires to roll over high spots when you need to get the axles and belly through. 

[DudeNiceH2]

Stock solid axle it's not going to flex very much.  You are limited by shocks designed with a few inches each of up and down travel.  Add a lift and longer shocks with proper bump stops.

Flexing should help keep your rig more stable and level, and you need travel to flex. 

Never let the center of gravity get outside of a vertical line up from the inside of the tire.  Lower your center of gravity by removing everything that is mounted high and relocate to a low spot or leave at base camp.

Picking proper lines is paramount.  Always try to keep your rig as level as possible.  When you have to clear high spots, place your tires to roll over high spots when you need to get the axles and belly through. 

Thanks for the good info!
I'm in the process of getting extended shocks, coils, and brake lines, because of this one almost-flop

[jeepjunky68]

Guess my tire will be coming off my roof rack. Any ideas how to get a 33" tire to fit in the back of an XJ using the same mounting spot as the original spare? I wonder if it is possible to move the rear seat up some?