How did Stock Offroading work for you?

[UrbanBurban]

Well, I would like to start off by saying this is my first post ever on this forum. One my good buddies actually referred me to this forum, and so far it seems neat. But anyways, I drive a stock '97 Chevy Suburban. When I first acquired the truck about a year and a half ago, I was stupid and took it off roading at the local trails.

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I've gone a dozen times before I accidentally bumped my door into a tree. Not being that bad of a hit, I panicked, but shrugged it off as nothing. Until, I tried shutting the window. Turns out, the tree limb i bumped, actually crushed the door under the mirror on the passenger side.

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This resulted in my buying a junkyard door from a Tahoe.

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My truck being a two-tone blue and silver, i had the punishment (yes, I call this a punishment) of paying $150 for a blue door with a yellow pinstripe. I'll add pictures from that time. after 10 months of suffering with one full color door, my good friends dad works at an auto body shop, so he painted the door for to factory color at a whopping price of $50 bucks. What more could I ask for! It looks great.

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But anyways, how was your truck off road? Mine actually did pretty well. It crawled up hills, got through mud with no problem, and never got stuck in sand or mud. I loved my truck, and if I had money, (like we all wish for) I would've probably kept my hand me down Suburban clean and buy a another one all beefed up and ready to off road.

Although the scenery makes the truck looks 100 times better, please do not go off roading, if your looking for scenery, stick to buildings and fields haha.

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[jdyates]

Mine hasn't let me down. It's a 2wd on 31" street tires (don't ask lol). Most recently, I hit a VERY muddy clearing before a bridge, didn't get stuck. Drove across to the other side to turn around, almost got stuck, she climbed right out in low gear. Back on the first side, hit a thicker patch of mud, she sank. I threw her in reverse, then it low gear and floored it and she climbed right out once again, while my buddy was sliding and spinning all over the place in his 4x4 F-150.

I've also jumped it over hills, slammed into another truck while sliding in mud, done countless donuts on dirt and in mud, fell in a few ditches, driven up and down canals at extreme angles, among other things.

Pardon me for thinking these trucks are unstoppable. Can't wait to find myself a 4wd one day.

 

[Blind]

my 2dr tahoe is a bit of a beast off-road even stock, unless the trail is too narrow (meant for quads or bikes) or just large rock piles. I stay away from the rock piles as I don't want to risk the body damage. Pretty much as long as the tires are touching the ground it will go up or down it. I recently took it through everything at the '4x4 proving grounds' area of Gorman OHV park in Socal and was able to go through every obstacle with no issues, even the mud pit with water 1/2 way up the doors with 5 people in the truck, it was great fun..messy clean up afterwards though.

 

[twomanymontes]

1st, Welcome to the site.

2nd, Nice looking truck. Sorry to hear about the damage, but it looks like it got fixed up pretty good.

And as for off roading with a stock vehicle, I don't do much, just the ocaisional trail ride out at my brother in laws property

 

[UrbanBurban]

My buddy used to go with me in his 2WD Ford Ranger...so stupid lol. But he did just fine. One instance I remember is that he couldnt make it over a ditch and had to slam up it resulting in his bed shifting. Not my problem so I didn't ask.

Nothing crazy, but I've had mud up to my rear license plate. I've long stopped off roading and now I look to do the "clean look".

 

[great white]

How good any vehicle does offroad is usually more of a comment on the driver than the vehicle.

My 98 does very well when I offroad it, but I know how to use it, have been offroading for a very long time and don't do things with the truck that I know will either put me in a bad spot or break it. It's not a tiny little jeep and it never will be. It's a big bruiser that gets by in most situations but not much more.

I usually follow the boys down the trail as far as I'm comfortable (or until I get tired of being bounced around) and then head off for a high hill top somewhere to act as base camp and communications (CB works better in high spots).

My "serious" offroading days were over several years ago. Now I just tag along until it's no longer fun and then head off to establish base camp. I usually have most of the serious recovery/emergency equipment and the eats because of my big bed topper anyways. That's base camp stuff.

The gents in the jeeps and other smaller trail vehicles head out around us to do their best at breaking them.

It's lots of fun to hear the boys screaming for help on the radio when then "screw the pooch". Even more fun teasing them over the air about their "cute little jeep" that's just popped an axle.



Meanwhile, I'm sitting in my lawn chair with my feet up, enjoying a beverage, the sun, their screaming and probably the last sandwich!

I usually end up being the last chance recovery vehicle too, because (depending on how deep they're in to "the stink") they know I can get that big monster pretty much where they're jammed up.....or I'm usually on the way home to pick up their recovery trailer.

 

[UrbanBurban]

my 2dr tahoe is a bit of a beast off-road even stock, unless the trail is too narrow (meant for quads or bikes) or just large rock piles. I stay away from the rock piles as I don't want to risk the body damage. Pretty much as long as the tires are touching the ground it will go up or down it. I recently took it through everything at the '4x4 proving grounds' area of Gorman OHV park in Socal and was able to go through every obstacle with no issues, even the mud pit with water 1/2 way up the doors with 5 people in the truck, it was great fun..messy clean up afterwards though.

I usually had a hard time keeping up with the Jeeps, couldn't fit through the trees haha. But I had my fun.

 

[UrbanBurban]

1st, Welcome to the site.

2nd, Nice looking truck. Sorry to hear about the damage, but it looks like it got fixed up pretty good.

And as for off roading with a stock vehicle, I don't do much, just the ocaisional trail ride out at my brother in laws property

Thanks man! Like i always say, give me an open field, and I'll go "off roading" but my days ares done.

 

[UrbanBurban]

How good any vehicle does offroad is usually more of a comment on the driver than the vehicle.

My 98 does very well when I offroad it, but I know how to use it, have been offroading for a very long time and don't do things with the truck that I know will either put me in a bad spot or break it. It's not a tiny little jeep and it never will be. It's a big bruiser that gets by in most situations but not much more.

I usually follow the boys down the trail as far as I'm comfortable (or until I get tired of being bounced around) and then head off for a high hill top somewhere to act as base camp and communications (CB works better in high spots).

My "serious" offroading days were over several years ago. Now I just tag along until it's no longer fun and then head off to establish base camp. I usually have most of the serious recovery/emergency equipment and the eats because of my big bed topper anyways. That's base camp stuff.

The gents in the jeeps and other smaller trail vehicles head out around us to do their best at breaking them.

It's lots of fun to hear the boys screaming for help on the radio when then "screw the pooch". Even more fun teasing them over the air about their "cute little jeep" that's just popped an axle.



Meanwhile, I'm sitting in my lawn chair with my feet up, enjoying a beverage, the sun, their screaming and probably the last sandwich!

I usually end up being the last chance recovery vehicle too, because (depending on how deep they're in to "the stink") they know I can get that big monster pretty much where they're jammed up.....or I'm usually on the way home to pick up their recovery trailer.

Glad your kids still have fun with it hahaha, the Jeep scene where I am is enormous, everyone goes offroading in their jeeps. Gross haha

 

[BadBowtie 98]

Got me here

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