When You Realize You Don't Really Need A Locker

[Gizmokid2005]

This past weekend we had a local Ranger5G meetup here at Hungry Valley SVRA in Gorman, CA, which you can find a lot more information (and pictures/videos of) about here: https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/feb-22nd-hungry-valley-off-road-meet-up.6028/page-10

One of the obstacles was "The Wall" along the Pronghorn trail (one of the few black diamond difficulty trails for vehicles) that we visited as a group. If you're unfamiliar, to really understand the gravity of the wall, height, angle, and difficulty you can get a good idea here:

Well, I happened to be the only guy at the meetup with a nearly stock Ranger, no FX4 package, no lockers, stock height and tires. After much contemplation of whether or not I wanted to test this wall, I opted to go for it. There was a bit of drama, but GLaDOS did just fine once I got some momentum and hit a better line.



Thanks @Urabus for the video!

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[Gizmokid2005]

Very nice! This is the exact reason I'm a firm believer that the locker is not as required as a lot of people think it is. Sure, it might have helped you make that a bit easier. But obviously you did it without it. Good job! Not sure if I would've gone for it my new truck. I'd have been too afraid of bottoming out or sliding into the wall or something.

Exactly! It would've been helpful, but hey, I made it work! I did get a bit of rash on the wheels (and I have a tiny bit of chunk out of a sidewall I need to get checked out/replaced), but I expect that I'll have some damage from going off-road.

 

[chasvs]

Lockers are important if you only have a 4x2! Gives you just as many driving wheels as a standard 4x4

 

[jlmotox]

Got a some rash on my wheel from that hill too, Just a little battle scar that will remind me of the great time I had!
Glad you made it out and had a good time!!

 

[Gizmokid2005]

Lockers are important if you only have a 4x2! Gives you just as many driving wheels as a standard 4x4

For most of my driving I'll never notice. It's nice to have but I'm good without it for now!

Got a some rash on my wheel from that hill too, Just a little battle scar that will remind me of the great time I had!
Glad you made it out and had a good time!!

That hill is going to claim us all!! Haha!

It was a wonderful time, thanks for playing trailmaster!

 

[chasvs]

For most of my driving I'll never notice. It's nice to have but I'm good without it for now!

Yes, with a 4x4 you have 2 driving wheels One in Front and One in the Rear when in 4WD.. So needing a Locker is rare. In a 4x2 you only have one driving wheel in the rear unless you have a Locker, which gives you Two driving wheels in the Rear when needed!

 

[t4thfavor]

Yes, with a 4x4 you have 2 driving wheels One in Front and One in the Rear when in 4WD.. So needing a Locker is rare. In a 4x2 you only have one driving wheel in the rear unless you have a Locker, which gives you Two driving wheels in the Rear when needed!

The ABS system "kind of" makes the need for a proper locker un necessary. With the locker disengaged, but in the offroad cruise control mode, I drove passenger side front wheel over a large log. Put the truck in reverse, and let the offroad cruise figure out which wheels were gripping, and which were not. The truck was able to drive back over the log in 4" of snow on a grass surface without too much drama. With the locker on, I could have driven out easily, but with it off, and not using the off road cruise, it was a bit dramatic and I basically slid sideways along the log until I got to the end of it.

I suspect that hill with a proper FX4 would have been crawlable with little or now drama/damage.

 

[Mokume]

This past weekend we had a local Ranger5G meetup here at Hungry Valley SVRA in Gorman, CA, which you can find a lot more information (and pictures/videos of) about here: https://www.ranger5g.com/forum/threads/feb-22nd-hungry-valley-off-road-meet-up.6028/page-10

One of the obstacles was "The Wall" along the Pronghorn trail (one of the few black diamond difficulty trails for vehicles) that we visited as a group. If you're unfamiliar, to really understand the gravity of the wall, height, angle, and difficulty you can get a good idea here:

Well, I happened to be the only guy at the meetup with a nearly stock Ranger, no FX4 package, no lockers, stock height and tires. After much contemplation of whether or not I wanted to test this wall, I opted to go for it. There was a bit of drama, but GLaDOS did just fine once I got some momentum and hit a better line.



Thanks @Urabus for the video!

Besides driver skill and determination, this is a testament to the 2.3 Ecoboost's torque output and curve!
Good Job!

 

[jlmotox]

The ABS system "kind of" makes the need for a proper locker un necessary. With the locker disengaged, but in the offroad cruise control mode, I drove passenger side front wheel over a large log. Put the truck in reverse, and let the offroad cruise figure out which wheels were gripping, and which were not. The truck was able to drive back over the log in 4" of snow on a grass surface without too much drama. With the locker on, I could have driven out easily, but with it off, and not using the off road cruise, it was a bit dramatic and I basically slid sideways along the log until I got to the end of it.

I suspect that hill with a proper FX4 would have been crawlable with little or now drama/damage.

Well there were 8 other rangers that went before him that all were FX4's and all of us had to power up that hill, The only one that was drama free was a Jeep on 37's with lockers front and rear and sway's disconnected... Pics and videos don't do that hill justice! Very steep sandstone face with sand filled holes and rock ledges. Cruise control mode would have been zero help for that obstacle!

 

[Mokume]

Well there were 8 other rangers that went before him that all were FX4's and all of us had to power up that hill, The only one that was drama free was a Jeep on 37's with lockers front and rear and sway's disconnected... Pics and videos don't do that hill justice! Very steep sandstone face with sand filled holes and rock ledges. Cruise control mode would have been zero help for that obstacle!

Looks to be at least a 30 degree incline, probably more though.

 

[jlmotox]

These pics help show how gnarly it was...

 

[Mokume]

These pics help show how gnarly it was...

"Nuff said!

 

[Gizmokid2005]

The ABS system "kind of" makes the need for a proper locker un necessary. With the locker disengaged, but in the offroad cruise control mode, I drove passenger side front wheel over a large log. Put the truck in reverse, and let the offroad cruise figure out which wheels were gripping, and which were not. The truck was able to drive back over the log in 4" of snow on a grass surface without too much drama. With the locker on, I could have driven out easily, but with it off, and not using the off road cruise, it was a bit dramatic and I basically slid sideways along the log until I got to the end of it.

I suspect that hill with a proper FX4 would have been crawlable with little or now drama/damage.

Even everyone else with the locker and/or FX4 package had drama getting up, nothing as bad as mine, but still no walking right up.

Besides driver skill and determination, this is a testament to the 2.3 Ecoboost's torque output and curve!
Good Job!

Thanks! I like to think I have some skills, and for the first time really pushing this truck that went well. It's definitely a testament to the truck as well as the driver, it outperformed what I could've ever expected. I spent most of the trip in 2wd and only occasionally used 4LO to manage speed over rougher terrain and a few hills.

Well there were 8 other rangers that went before him that all were FX4's and all of us had to power up that hill, The only one that was drama free was a Jeep on 37's with lockers front and rear and sway's disconnected... Pics and videos don't do that hill justice! Very steep sandstone face with sand filled holes and rock ledges. Cruise control mode would have been zero help for that obstacle!

Yeah, the angle of the hill is hard to see from my video and pictures, which is why I linked the other video.

This was definitely not a drama free hill for anybody but my Jeep buddy (who on top of 37" tires, front and rear lockers and sway bar disconnects, was running either 8 or 10psi in his tires too).

 

[rang19ca]

Gizmokid2005, You did an awesome job getting up the wall on Sat. My XLT has a locker but it is not an FX4. According to the video, i got some air on the right rear, Ha Ha. I tend to power up hills. It was great meeting you and everyone else.

 

[Gizmokid2005]

Gizmokid2005, You did an awesome job getting up the wall on Sat. My XLT has a locker but it is not an FX4. According to the video, i got some air on the right rear, Ha Ha. I tend to power up hills. It was great meeting you and everyone else.

Thanks! I'm still pleased with how it turned out! Some wheel rash and if you pay close attention you can see where the bed between the wheel and the bumper on the passenger side takes a hit on the rocks (it's very low and hard to see normally), so it wasn't drama free but that's the price we pay!

It was definitely nice meeting everyone and having a great group together.

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