Who has done the Rubicon?

[sleeperjeeper]

I am planning a early Rubicon Trip. Should be mixed snow and deep water/mud. We had a pretty heavy winter so far. This will be my first time doing the whole thing. I'm planning on running with an open front and locked rear. Plenty of armor as I am running 32" BFG MT's.

I guess my question is, first will I make it without having to be winched (should I invest in locking the front also), and two what spare parts and other supplies should I make sure not to forget.

Thanks in advance.

 

[lancey3]

Ask the correct forum. You might get an answer.

 

[johnnyc]

I hope that you're not driving it alone. :wierd:

It's impossible to say whether you will need to be winched or not. And I would personally want a front locker. But that's just me. I've had to winch twice on the Rubicon, both times in deep water from the melting snowpack.

I carry spare u-joints, axleshafts, water pump, nuts and bolts, etc. and a full complement of hand and air tools. But it never fails..whatever you break, you won't have a spare for.

That's why it's wise to travel in groups. If you break something, there's a greater likelihood that someone in your group will have a spare.

 

[Starboard M]

Axle shafts and steering parts.



I hope you have tcase skids, rock rails and gas tank skids.

 

[sik4wheeler]

How early do ypu plan on running the trail? I am going up with a small group May 9-11 and I anticipate that we will have to winch a few times. I have a ARB in the front and limited slip rear with 35 MTRs.I have been through in the summer and have never needed the front locker, but with all the snow that is still going to be up there and not to mention there is going to be a lot of water. You might want to hold of awhile and/or go prepared with a group of people

 

[KarlVP]

I highly reccomend going with a group.

And a winch is just a good insurance policy. You can use it for lots more things than just self recovery.

If you ran the trail backwards, I'm sure you would have less problems. Going up cadillac hill and out to miller lake when it is wet may require a winch or two. The rest of the trail, not a biggie if you are locked and armored.

I've done the 'Con solo. But that doesn't mean I reccomend it. Bring spare axles and steering at the very minimum.

 

[sleeperjeeper]

Thanks, I'm going early to mid June, with a group of 3-6 jeeps. one guy has a winch, and a couple of them have done the rubicon many times. I have seen pictures of the rubicon in june with deep water, I'm not sure about snow, but one guy I talked to this year who was out snowmobiling, said there is still about a 10 foot snow depth. In this area there is often still snow in july and even into august some years. I'm planning on doing a tester trip in may, from tahoma out to the rubicon springs and back, if I can make it that far.

PS: sorry about putting this in the Mod Tech forum, but I can't post in any other forum (besides OEM) for some reason.

 

[sleeperjeeper]

By steering, do you mean replacement Tie rods and ends, or going as far as steering gear box and shaft?

 

[sleeperjeeper]

Another question I had regards modifications for surviving deep water.

I have heard you can do things like silicon your distributor cap.

Possible siliconing the connections on the starter.

What about protecting your air intake? I don't have a snorkel, I will be installing an aftermarket air intake with cone filter. I am planning on putting it in the bottom half of the OEM air box, to keep it from sucking water from below. any ideas on how deep the water will actually be? should I expect hood depth?

 

[rokjeep]

I live just over an hour from the Con and it is my home in the summer. You will have a blast. My first trip through 10 years ago was in an XJ with a 3" pro comp lift and 31's open front and rear. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was scared out of my mind for half the trip. But I was hooked on the Con.

We have a ton of snow up ther right now. I don't know about 10 feet but it was a good winter this year. In June you can expect there to still be some snow around and remember to check the weather before you leave. We have been known to get snow in June still.

The water crossings will be fine. There are only a few you cannot bypass (legit bypasses by the way) and those are not that deep. But with the heavy snow pack this year it they will be deeper.

As far as parts if you are locked and stock bring spare shafts. Bring spare nuts and bolts, tools-metric and SAE. If you are driving you rig down here from where ever you will probably be easier on it then if you were trailering it from say Pollock Pines.

A front locker will help but make sure to disconnect you swaybar and you shouldn't need it. Like I said I did it in an open front/rear XJ on 31's. A winch will help but is not required. Just make sure you have front/rear tow points.

You know your driving style better then we do. Do you throttle out of situations or do you find the right line and finesse you way through? There are bypasses for all the hard stuff. Now that Gatekeeper is gone(at the start from the Loon Lake side) you shouldn't have any issues getting your rig in there and out just fine.

Take the time to watch the show at the Little Sluice and Soup Can/Soup Bowl.

Are you going all the way through or stopping at somepoint and coming back out the same way you went in? Which way are you going in, Tahoe side or the Loon Lake side?

But most of all enjoy it and don't be in a hurry to get through.

Geoff

 

[fubar XJ]

I ran it back in '01 in my CJ, it was a total blast. We ran it in the Buck Island Lake / Spider Lake / Loon Lake direction, then drove around on the highway back to Sugar Pine Point State park. It was challenging in spots, but never overly so. The only time I needed my winch was on Little Sluice, which had a bypass. We camped two nights on the trail, Buck Island and Spider Lakes. It was one of the if not the best wheeling trips I've ever taken, a fantastic combination of scenery, cameraderie, challenge, and just plain good times. I'd like to run it in the XJ in the not too distant future, maybe next Summer.

 

[sleeperjeeper]

We are camping, 2 nights one at buck island and the other at rubicon springs. We are starting at loon and going all the way through to tahoma. I try to drive in a controlled manner, easing my way through obstacles and such, rather than hammering the gas and hoping for the best. I find that taking the correct line can mean all the difference. I'm hoping not to break anything, but you never know what obstacles you are going to come up against, and I have a feeling this trip will require more from my jeep than I have yet to put it through. Last fall I went to rubicon springs from tahoma and back with stock diffs. I only got stuck once, trying to go around someone parked in the way. Someone suggested that I try Low four, and it worked a lot better. Rookie mistake. Even that small section of the rubicon blew my mind. I had no idea what a jeep could accomplish until then.

As far as front lockers go, (I'm considering a lock rite), is there any reason not to get one? I have heard that you are more likely to break things with a front locker, but I'm sure if that is just a ghost story, as many have said they have no problems being locked in the front.