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Jeep Parts - The Cardinal Rules for Wheeling

 

Jeep Parts - The Cardinal Rules for Wheeling


Intro

I have been Jeeping for the better part of 20 years, in all sorts of climates and trails.  I've helped build rigs with Jeep parts, repair them in-garage and on-trail using an assortment of Jeep parts and Jeep accessories.  I've worked in a Jeep 4x4 Center selling Jeep parts. I've spent the past year as a Trail Leader for JeepSkool,  Ohio's Premier Off-road park, instructing and teaching people how to operate their vehicles safely while in an off road environment.  Over the years, I've developed my own set of Cardinal Rules that I operate by, and hold my groups to.  I'd like to share that with you so that you can have a better off-road experience as well as protecting your Jeep parts.



Rule Number 1

Rule number 1.  There is no acceptable reason to drink alcohol or do drugs before or during (or after, in the case of drugs) a trail ride.  Wheeling has a heavy stigma attached to it : big muddy trucks driven by drunken hillbillies who do nothing more than tear up farmer's fields and break Jeep parts.  That stigma and stereotype does not apply to most off-roaders.  In fact, most are great people who have great families - a good many of them bring their kids along for the ride.  Would you want to put your family in harm's way?  No.  Would you want to carelessly destroy your Jeep parts? No way. Leave the beers in the cooler for when you are back at camp and the wheeling is done for the day. 



Rule Number 2

Rule number two : As slow as possible, as fast as necessary.  It's important to protect the Jeep parts on your vehicle. George Perz, a Jeep parts expert from Morris 4x4 Center in Pompano Beach, Florida says, “When out wheeling, engage your transfer case into 4LO; shift your transmission into second or third gear.  This will give you all the power that you need, on demand, for pretty much whatever you encounter.  Granted, there are times that call for different tactics.  When rockcrawling, I like to roll in 4LO in first gear and just creep over the trail.  Sometimes you'll need to get on the gas to get through a particularly nasty patch of trail, and that's ok too.  However, when you spin your tires, you do two very important things.  The first, is that you 'clean' your tires - that being, the built up mud in your tread gets spun out, so you can get better traction.  When you do this, however, your tires are not able to gain traction because they are spinning.  If your forward momentum has stopped, stop spinning your tires.  You are actually rutting out a trail, and may make it difficult for the people behind you to follow and possibly damaging their Jeep parts.  Note also that whatever ruts you cut into a trail may take months to heal.  You want to be able to come back and wheel your favorite trails over and over - be kind to them.  Don't tear them up!  Remember, there is no shame in getting stuck!  Tread lightly and protect your Jeep parts!"



Rule Number 3

Rule number three : never go wheeling alone.  Sure, going out on a quick ride through some mud is always fun, but what happens if one of your Jeep parts breaks or you get stuck?  What happens if your winch fails?  Go in a group - chances are, you will have a better time out with friends and if something goes wrong, you have able people there to help you out. It's probably a good idea to bring some spare Jeep parts as well.



Rule Number 4

Rule number four – No Trespassing.  Wheeling private land is always fun, but make sure that you personally have the owner's permission.  I've been in a few sticky situations where we were told that it was okay to wheel land, and come to find out that it was not okay to be there.  Somehow, the argument that a friend of a friend told you it was okay to wheel so-and-so's property does not carry a lot of weight when the owner calls the police.  Get a permit.  Go and wheel public trails, ORV parks.  Get on the internet and check out what is local to you.  You may find that the nearest park is an hour away and is far better than tearing up Farmer John's fields. While you're on the internet looking for places to go wheeling be sure to look for stores in that area that sell Jeep parts just in case.



Rule Number 5

Rule number five : You are responsible for the vehicle in front of you and the vehicle behind you at all times.  This is one of the most important rules in a large group while trail riding.  Let's say that you're in a technical trail with 20 other rigs you're placed somewhere in the middle.  Now, you're in a particularly nasty part of the trail and you get stuck, possibly with broken Jeep parts - but the guy in front of you isn't paying attention and keeps following the pack.  By the time the Trail Leader finds out he/she has lost the back end of the ride, you may have to backtrack a while to find out who is stuck with broken Jeep parts and how to get them recovered.  Replaying that situation, if the person in front of you stops when they see you are stuck, and the person in front of them stops because they see the person in front of you has stopped, the whole thing goes down a whole lot sooner, and smoothly.  Granted, your rig might be equipped with a CB radio which will alert the TL that there is an issue with broken Jeep parts.  The goal here is to never leave anyone behind.



In Conclusion

Safety is key and should be the first priority during a trail ride. Be safe, have fun and remember – Tread Lightly and protect your Jeep parts!


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