BRacing
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- August 21, 2001
- Messages
- 123
- Reaction score
- 0
- City, State
- Northern California
- Year, Model & Trim Level
- '96 Explorer Sport
What a weekend it was. I spent the weekend in the Sierra Buttes outside of Downievielle, CA. I went with my MTB team to go for a few rides and socialize with the new members. But the local OHV trails were beckoning me to take my new '96 Sport out.
Saturday evening was the perfect time to take it out. After a bike ride, i took a few friends in the X out to the fire road. We decreased the air pressure from 45 to 35 psi in hopes of better traction.
The 96 Sport is bone-stock. It has a 5-Speed with a 3.08 open rear end, and only has 2wd. The slowest i can go is about 12mph, so it will not "crawl" over anything. It rolls on the 15" wheels and stock-sized goodyears that are over 50% worn. This is NOT an off-road vehicle, and i knew that. But i figured fire roads wouldn't be challenging.
We wanted to drive up to the summit of the Sierra Buttes where there is a fire lookout at 8587 feet elevation. So we started out on the fire roads and began our journey around 5pm.
The first fire roads were not at all challanging, as we passed a minivan and other trucks. At the Y, we turned towards the summit and the fire road became a bit rougher.
The trails were rough and dry, very slippery and dusty. I tried to keep the speed to a minimum to keep the dust down, and drove up the trail at about 15-20mph.
At the next Y, we turned towards the summit (again) and a sign greeted us with, "Short Wheelbase - High Clearance Recommended". I figured I'm a couple inches shorter than the typical X, and continued up the trail.
Immediately, we encountered a steep section, with deep holes staggered in each tires path. My first attempt only dug the holes deeper, as my tires switched back and forth digging holes into the dry dirt. I remembered that momentum is the key to clearing a section like this, so i backed up and tried it again.
Gaining speed, my passangers gripped the "Oh Sh*t" bars as we hit the holes. The tires clawed from side to side, the RPMs fluctuating from the spinning tires. Somehow, we managed to make it to the top... of this section.
Inspired with confidence and feeling quite invinceable, we continued up the trail, encoutering many more sections like the previous one. The trail continued to get steeper, and the sections more treacherous. After about 1 mile on this road, we decided to call it quits. I pulled off the trail and we hiked up to the fire lookout, only 3 miles from where we left my explorer.
On our way down we watched motorcycles crash in the loose soil that we were hiking. I realized that i probably shouldn't have tried to drive this trail, and was lucky to make it as far as i did. We drove down, which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The ABS seemed to want to kick in as the truck would slide through some sections.
We made it back to camp about 4 hours later, having watched the sun set from one of the highest peaks in California. The truck was VERY dusty/dirty, but went unscathed.
I bought the X to tow the trailer for my race car. But now it seems that i'll have yet another hobby as i prepare to purchase 265/75R16's, as well as 3.73's and a Lock Rite.
The whole time all of us were kicking ourselves, as none of us had thought to bring a camera.
Saturday evening was the perfect time to take it out. After a bike ride, i took a few friends in the X out to the fire road. We decreased the air pressure from 45 to 35 psi in hopes of better traction.
The 96 Sport is bone-stock. It has a 5-Speed with a 3.08 open rear end, and only has 2wd. The slowest i can go is about 12mph, so it will not "crawl" over anything. It rolls on the 15" wheels and stock-sized goodyears that are over 50% worn. This is NOT an off-road vehicle, and i knew that. But i figured fire roads wouldn't be challenging.
We wanted to drive up to the summit of the Sierra Buttes where there is a fire lookout at 8587 feet elevation. So we started out on the fire roads and began our journey around 5pm.
The first fire roads were not at all challanging, as we passed a minivan and other trucks. At the Y, we turned towards the summit and the fire road became a bit rougher.
The trails were rough and dry, very slippery and dusty. I tried to keep the speed to a minimum to keep the dust down, and drove up the trail at about 15-20mph.
At the next Y, we turned towards the summit (again) and a sign greeted us with, "Short Wheelbase - High Clearance Recommended". I figured I'm a couple inches shorter than the typical X, and continued up the trail.
Immediately, we encountered a steep section, with deep holes staggered in each tires path. My first attempt only dug the holes deeper, as my tires switched back and forth digging holes into the dry dirt. I remembered that momentum is the key to clearing a section like this, so i backed up and tried it again.
Gaining speed, my passangers gripped the "Oh Sh*t" bars as we hit the holes. The tires clawed from side to side, the RPMs fluctuating from the spinning tires. Somehow, we managed to make it to the top... of this section.
Inspired with confidence and feeling quite invinceable, we continued up the trail, encoutering many more sections like the previous one. The trail continued to get steeper, and the sections more treacherous. After about 1 mile on this road, we decided to call it quits. I pulled off the trail and we hiked up to the fire lookout, only 3 miles from where we left my explorer.
On our way down we watched motorcycles crash in the loose soil that we were hiking. I realized that i probably shouldn't have tried to drive this trail, and was lucky to make it as far as i did. We drove down, which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The ABS seemed to want to kick in as the truck would slide through some sections.
We made it back to camp about 4 hours later, having watched the sun set from one of the highest peaks in California. The truck was VERY dusty/dirty, but went unscathed.
I bought the X to tow the trailer for my race car. But now it seems that i'll have yet another hobby as i prepare to purchase 265/75R16's, as well as 3.73's and a Lock Rite.
The whole time all of us were kicking ourselves, as none of us had thought to bring a camera.
wow dropped pressure to 35? that is what i run on the street...i keep 15 psi on the trails....
