Ouray Colorado area trails??? Can I do it? | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations
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Ouray Colorado area trails??? Can I do it?

Ok
I have a serious question here.
I would like to go to ouray, and drive the trails out there. You know, the ones they let you on when you rent a jeep right there in town. Nothing real heavy.
Let's say IF I was to raise my truck back to stock height, get alignment and some slightly larger tires ( stock might be best as this is my spare) maybe go 1 inch higher, re install my skidplates and such, would I be safe negotiating them there roads? I have done it in a rentaheep, which amazingly was hassle free and cheap on gas by the way,we didn't change the thing a bit. But I don't remeber explorers out there.
I did see several vehicles having trouble on the switchbacks, so I was wondering
????
We take it very slow, get out to hike and mushroom hunt, nothing hard.It would take us 2-3 days to cover the area, ptobably not bear road though
I don't want to hurt my stuff, at all. It would be our ride back.
 
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rent the Heep, or lift your truck back up a bit and then go do it, but I am warning you now, you better start saving $$$ for a SAS :) Once you see what your Ex can do off road it gets quite addicting!
 






There are several trails out there that can be done in a stock Explorer. Pick up Charles Wells Colorado Trails book and it will give you excellent trail descriptions and a list of trails arranged by difficulty level.

We have been to Ouray with two groups of Explorers and even the stockers had a great time.
 






A stock 4x4 Explorer can do any trail out there except Poughkeepsie Gulch and Black Bear Pass. Like Rick said, we've had groups out there a couple of times and the stockers did fine. Black Bear is - well, Black Bear; and Poughkeepsie Gulch has an obstacle at the top end of the trail that depending on the circumstances/erosion/wetness of the obstacle will oftentimes stop a stocker.

If I had a stock 4x4 Explorer and could only take it to one place to go fourwheeling, the Ouray area would be it. There's at least two dozen trails there and the scenery is drop-dead speechlessly gorgeous - second to none anywhere in the country. Get your Ex back in offroad shape, buy the Charles Wells book, meet up with some friends, then go make some memories and have the time of your life.

Go in mid summer; some of the high trails are still heavy in snow even up to July 4th.
 






That was it, Black bear pass, ( I said bear road lol)we were told not to go there last time, did anyway , and well, got lucky. I know I'm not taking it there!!
BTW that was my first offroading experience, this will be my second.
( real offroading, not this kansas muddy stuff)
 






I'm interested! I might actually be able to make this run if I have another month to prepare!
 






OK
I'm flexible, however my wife has 1st week of july, and last week of aug first of sept open. We went around labor day first time.
1st of july would be too soon for me, but end of summer?
No promises, but I could shoot for it.
Gotta double check wife's vacation dates

I want a pic of my ride on Imagene pass!!!!
did I spell that right?


Seems all I really need is some tires, and to "reverse" my lowering kit.
TT up front-blocks out in rear. This is versitility

I need 4 tires
I have 17 inch wheels, but a stock spare, so I need a tire that is 29 1/2-30 " tall. I would not run always- just for this and winter. Width is less important than height. Also, a larger spare would get too close to my exhaust, so I'm kinda stuck with a 235 75 r 15 for a spare. Get me there inexpensive please, you guys know rocks. They cut
Other options???
Just run my cooper cobras?
 






Go to 4x4trails.net and do some research. I wouldn go to Ouray without doing blackbear and my reccomendation is to drive your explorer there, trash a rental jeep, then drive your explorer back in one piece ;) Just speaking from what I've learned in past experience- I trashed my ex!
 






pssst go with 31's
 






Dont even bother with the Cobra's, they will get you stuck in wet grass. Or even dry grass. You need some type of all-terrain like a BFG AT, preferably in the 30x9.5 or even 31x10.50. Dont worry about having a 28" spare with 30" tires... you dont have a locker so its close enough. It wouldnt hurt anything unless you drove it long distance with the spare on.
 






heya, if you want to wait till end of aug/beg of sept i'd be up to join ya with my super stocker!
 






psst 31" At's :)
 






Well this is cool
I ask a question and we get a mini run started, I really want to do this.
I have a few things to take care of but I am on my way, as I have been running naked ( no inner fenders) since I changed engines. That there is closet off roader at it's finest.

My back is healing great, just saw DR today and asked his opinion. He isn't releasing me for 2 years, but didn't see a problem IF I don't lift over 40 lbs
( that's what jacks and come alongs are for). Said I could start riding my mountain bike on dirt roads no trails to see how I hold out, This will be the big ostacle for me, but guy's I need a vacation from this place, and Colorado is calling me.
I want this pretty bad,in fact so bad I'm selling my old pickup to help finace it, to my neighbor. Getting the cash friday. (yeah I'm money challenged) so any help-ideas are appreciated
Thanks
 






You sure you want to lift your truck? its addicting it also weighs more like 4500# :confused: :)
 






Hey, this old guy can still pump a jack like nobody's business :D

Yeah, its been fun trying to make my truck look respectable, watching the street truck guys chase doordings, polishes and wings, looks like everybody has real killer times at shows ( not)< I mean where are the memories.
You guys with the offroading definitely have much more fun laughing at the dings and washing the mud.
I've done some offroading around here, around the river, in other peoples trucks and always--always laughed about the catastrophies in the end. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are some sad stories, But for the most part slow is safe. Now I'm overpowered lol
How many old, long stories does anybody remember about street truck meets?
 






I have been researching tires a bit, and can't seem to locate LT tires in 17"

I can find AT type 275-70-17, which is about 30.6" where my spare (new 235-75-15 michelin cross terrain) is 28.9".



Also , dangit, my shocks are 2" lowered edlebrocks, they gotta go also.
I'll probably just get monroe? I really don't want to spend more than I need, because in the long run, to go higher, all this would have to go also. Just enough to test the water, make sure I don't hurt myself.

Babysteps
 






Rancho RSX shocks are a good deal, alot of times they are buy 3 get 1 free too.

Or think perhaps skip all that, do the 2" torsion twist at the same time (have to pay alignment 1 time) and the shackles, get the 32's and shocks, etc :)
Looking back with the BII I should have skipped some intermediate steps, save some $$$.
But then thats how we learn........

:cool:
 






410Fortune said:
Rancho RSX shocks are a good deal, alot of times they are buy 3 get 1 free too.

Or think perhaps skip all that, do the 2" torsion twist at the same time (have to pay alignment 1 time) and the shackles, get the 32's and shocks, etc :)
Looking back with the BII I should have skipped some intermediate steps, save some $$$.
But then thats how we learn........

:cool:
Click to expand...

and then u'd be almost like me!
 



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jtsmith said:
I have been researching tires a bit, and can't seem to locate LT tires in 17"

I can find AT type 275-70-17, which is about 30.6" where my spare (new 235-75-15 michelin cross terrain) is 28.9".



Also , dangit, my shocks are 2" lowered edlebrocks, they gotta go also.
I'll probably just get monroe? I really don't want to spend more than I need, because in the long run, to go higher, all this would have to go also. Just enough to test the water, make sure I don't hurt myself.
Click to expand...

I would think that with 17" tires being the new thing on vehicles, you should be able to find some decent AT that were pulled off of a new one. They wont be top quality off road tires, but they should be cheaper. BFG All Terrains would be awsome.

I am removing some Monroe shocks from my monty when I do my lift, Id sell them after its on if you are interested.
 






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