Rubicon trail on 31s with rear locker
- Thread starter TheBlackPearl
- Start date
just buy load range E's and inflate them to the full 80psi sidewall pressure. That'll get you as close to nominal radius as you're going to get, but I bet you won't like it.
I am sorry to say that my trip to the Rubicon was a disaster. It was not because I was on 31” (measured 29”) tires, but because I simply wasn’t prepared for what I discovered and what unfolded We left Holbrook, AZ on what we thought was a 12 hour drive on Tuesday night. I arrived at midnight on Wednesday evening in South Lake Tahoe, CA. After 5 hours of sleep, I prepped the Jeep and installed a winch and then the day was pretty much over. And then, Friday happened... First, we navigate in the wrong direction when I was trying to get to the Loon Lake trailhead. Then, we finally make it and I can’t find my tire gauge, so I have no idea what pressure I am running. I simply aired down until the sidewalls were bulging and the tire height was probably below 29”... After driving to the gate keeper, I got out to take a leak and see a rear shock dangling. Nothing was broken but a lower shock mount bolt was missing. While removing the passenger rear shock, a fellow who said he lives on the trail (driving a nicely built FJ40 Land Cruiser) asked where we were camping.. When I replied we were taking a day trip, he informed me that if I had never been there before that I should plan to take 2-3 days to cross the Rubicon and said he hoped that I brought camping gear. I did but the reality is I left three school-aged children at a hotel in South Lake Tahoe and had no intention of leaving them alone overnight. So, at this point it is 1:30 PM. I walk up to the gate keeper and determine that it is doable with the right line and prepare myself for the first 100 yards of this trail. Then, my lovely wife informs me that she believes this to be a very bad idea and that we should come back another time. I am 2000 miles from home and this may be the only time I will be in this area with the Jeep. What!?!? She convinced me that we could return with a bigger, better version of the Jeep next year so, I tucked my tail and drove back to South Lake Tahoe. Dreams crushed. What a sad day, yet she assures me that I made a good, adult, common sense decision.
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That my friend was the best decision you could have made!
My wife is my Jiminy Cricket more than I want her to be but that is 1000% times better than her saying, "I fucking told you so" lol
Glad a local steered you straight, 2-3 days is a good average to cross the Rubicon
MountaineerTom
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Rubicon88
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Some do...some are actually larger than sidewall listing.
That said to each their own on the Swamper riding like shit.
I've never had a set of swampers ride bad. Never.
Then again I air them way down even for the street.
My last set was 36 x 12.5 x15 Swamper TSL SX on a CJ-7
I ran those tires around 18 psi on the street. They're extremely tough and don't need much air in the little wee Jeep.
That said to each their own on the Swamper riding like shit.
I've never had a set of swampers ride bad. Never.
Then again I air them way down even for the street.
My last set was 36 x 12.5 x15 Swamper TSL SX on a CJ-7
I ran those tires around 18 psi on the street. They're extremely tough and don't need much air in the little wee Jeep.
Well, that's bullshit. Next time, hop your happy ass out of the rig, walk over to the other side of the rig, yank the door open and fetch your balls out of her purse.
Seriously though, you let your wife convince you to do a very wise thing. It is good we have wives that don't need any ego boost and keep us in check. I know I've been thankful many a time when I listened to my darling bride and let discretion be the better part of valor.
Sounds like she opened the purse and said have some Jeep money!!!!!
She is free with spending on the Jeep. Sometimes, I have to put her in check. She has now decided that we should build a LJ and leave this little 4-cylinder Jeep as is.
Maybe you can be ready again for the Jeepers Jamboree in 2022... I’m planning on being there for that one!
Revolution Gear has dana 35 replacement 27 spline axle shafts they advertise as 10% stronger than stock. for 97$ a piece for your Dana 35. Just throwing that out there. Or a super 35 kit with locker is under or over a grand depending on which kit you get and the source.
I’m going to pull the axle shafts out of an old 35 that I have sitting around and use for spares until I break one of these. Same with the Dana 30 I have in my backyard. “If” I decide to keep spending on this old ‘98 4-banger, I will buy some of the upgraded shafts. If I was re-gearing this old girl, I would definitely go ahead and upgrade but I think my funds would be better suited to a new build (LJ).
I've seen a lot of pictures of it , this is my suggestion-
What they need to do is get up there with a good road crew and fix all that , put In a few McDonald's and a convenience store or two. Folks could run it in a Prius, be home by lunch , and we could sell T Shirts at the gift shop on the way out.
You can run the trail on 31’s and an open front, you can run the trail in shorts and flip flops too (Might rain/snow this weekend) Campfires are not allowed. The weather for Thursday looks great, not so much for Friday and Saturday. Highway 50 is closed so there’s a fairly long detour around to get to your tow rig, if you tow to the trail when you come back take highway 89 to 88 Westbound to E16 (Mormon Emigrant Trail) To Pollock Pines and back to the trail. You’re more likely to smash your oil pan on a rock than break an axle, although it’s a close second. Recovery gear is a must if you are by yourself, go prepared...Just the facts 100% opinion free.
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Wowa! That’s one sexy Rubicon
Wow you made the right choice, 
but I have to be honest it sounds like you did not do your homework on this trail. Driving from So. Tahoe to the trail head is a 2 hour drive. Then doing the Rubicon in one day would be a very very long but doable day if you were running front & rear lockers, 35's, started at 6:00 am, had no breakdowns, no time spent winching, not waiting for other jeepers coming the other direction, or getting stuck in front of you, you might get through by dark. 
Also leaving 3 school age kids in a hotel room alone while you went out jeeping are you F'ing kidding me that's soooooooooooo irresponsible. Anything could happen out there or on any trail, let me guess you also did not have a satellite phone or an InReach to contact your children if anything were to happen.
. It's so easy to get stuck on the Rubi for hours and hours and possibly over night, and when doing this trail by yourself even worse
but I have to be honest it sounds like you did not do your homework on this trail. Driving from So. Tahoe to the trail head is a 2 hour drive. Then doing the Rubicon in one day would be a very very long but doable day if you were running front & rear lockers, 35's, started at 6:00 am, had no breakdowns, no time spent winching, not waiting for other jeepers coming the other direction, or getting stuck in front of you, you might get through by dark. Also leaving 3 school age kids in a hotel room alone while you went out jeeping are you F'ing kidding me that's soooooooooooo irresponsible. Anything could happen out there or on any trail, let me guess you also did not have a satellite phone or an InReach to contact your children if anything were to happen.
. It's so easy to get stuck on the Rubi for hours and hours and possibly over night, and when doing this trail by yourself even worse
Wow you made the right choice,
Also leaving 3 school age kids in a hotel room alone while you went out jeeping are you F'ing kidding me that's soooooooooooo irresponsible. Anything could happen out there or on any trail, let me guess you also did not have a satellite phone or an InReach to contact your children if anything were to happen.
Relax a little bit about school age kids. They could be 10 to 17, we don’t know their ages. Obviously they are decent parents and feel comfortable leaving their kids alone for what they thought would be a day run AND they didn’t risk it.
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