California Question about shocks and trails in Orange County, CA

TWallRudy

Member
Joined
Nov 26, 2018
Messages
26
Location
Orange County California
Hi Everybody,

I've had my Jeep for a couple of months now and its stock with the only upgrade was to the tires (Falken AT3W 30/9.5R15) and i want to keep it relatively stock but am wondering if i should swap out the shocks into something slightly better to improve both highway and off road ride. I'm not trying to rock crawl with it but i do want to take it to some back roads, go camping/fishing with it.

I am completely new to the Jeep scene, and don't know maybe people in the off road community, I just want to know some easy off road trails where I can test the waters of what my jeep can handle so when i do decide to take it for a weekend trip i feel more comfortable know what it is capable of.

Jeep Info:

2001 Wrangler SE
Stock( no lift/suspension upgrade)
30x9.5r15 Falken Wildpeak AT3W tires
 
Hi TWallRudy and welcome to the forum, congratulations on your jeep purchase, you are in for lots of fun and decision making in the future, this forum will be a great source for information and ideas from many experienced jeepers. You have many options for trails that are easy and easy to access from where you live. You can youtube trails in southern california as one source. Some of the jeep clubs also like to have guests on their runs, its a great way to gain experience and exposure to offroading. One club I run with is Dirt Devils, based in Tustin, you can google them for their website. It has the club meeting schedules and run schedules as well. There is an easy run coming up April 6th, mostly forest service roads, a great one for a first timer.
 
You’ll find plenty of Forest Service roads you can go to in Cleaveland National Forest. Look up Holy Jim trail/Trabuco Canyon.
Another near one will be Azusa OHV. If your up for a drive you can go to Santa Clarita and take a scenic trail called Sierra Pelona that’s intertwines with Rowher flats trail located in Rowher flats OHV don’t get on rowher flats trail is much harder Sierra pelona trail you wont even need 4x4. Another one is Sugar Pine Mountain trail also a scenic drive by Silver wood Lake Big bear area easy dirt road all the way up the mountain.
 
Azusa Canyon.

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If you want to put the best riding (on-road and off-road) off-the-shelf shocks on that thing, throw some Rancho RS5000X shocks on there. You won't regret it!
 
Before you go out and start buying new shocks or other jeep parts, go on some runs with one or more of the local jeep clubs. The Dirt Devils are a good crew, or at least they were when I lived in Orange County. I am a former member of the West Coast 4WD Club that meets in Yorba Linda but has members from all over Orange County. https://www.facebook.com/West-Coast-Four-Wheel-Drive-Club-1407107049594657/.

There is also the Capo Valley 4WD Club in San Juan Capistrano, Jeeping Jeepers that meet in Yorba Linda, and Orange County 4-Play in Huntington Beach.

There is a directory of Southern California clubs at https://cal4wheel.org/CA4WD/Join/Cl...spx?hkey=98d289bb-6cd2-4552-a844-dc545e1bb47f, also at https://www.corva.org/clubs

The reason for my suggestion is you need to know the good and bad about your jeep before you start changing things. Take a look at what more experienced jeepers have done and talk to them about what works and what doesn't, what you need and what you don't. A jeep club is also a great resource for acquiring take offs from other rigs as those owners "upgrade." You can save a lot of money that way.

And when you are sure that your mostly stock jeep actually needs shocks, the Rancho RS500x shocks recommended by @Chris are a highly regarded budget shock that will give you close to OEM ride.

Enjoy your jeep!
 
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Now that you decided to see what it’s like off road. I forgot to tell you to never go off roading alone. You have no idea what might happen to your rig if your rig breaks down you might be hours walk from anyone. I suggest if you don’t have anyone to go with go to a popular spot where other OHV vehicles will be such as Azusa.
 
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