Rubicon trail

Z

ZheGerman

New member
I was just wondering if anyone would like to do this trail in the near future, I have no clue about this trail and would like to get someone with experience on this trail to go.

Questions:

1. How long would we travel

2. What is needed for preparation

3. What a re the best times to go trough there

4. Do you need lockers on this trail

If you have any more info please post it and maybe we can get a decent size group together and plan the trip more accurately!

I also posted this on the JK Forum
 
In the near future? With the amount of snow we are getting in the Sierras it will be many months (like late spring) before the Rubicon will be runnable. If we get even more snow in Feb and March (like we often do), then I imagine it could be early June until some of the large drifts in the shade could be gone. I would also expect water crossings to be deep this year.

As for vehicle requirements, search some of WOL's threads on here. As a general statement, I'd say 35's, rocker protection, and front and rear tow points are a bare minimum if you will be in a group with some more capable rigs.
 
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Sharkey said:
In the near future? With the amount of snow we are getting in the Sierras it will be many months (like late spring) before the Rubicon will be runnable. If we get even more snow in Feb and March (like we often do), then I imagine it could be early June until some of the large drifts in the shade could be gone. I would also expect water crossings to be deep this year.

As for vehicle requirements, search some of WOL's threads on here. As a general statement, I'd say 35's, rocker protection, and front and rear tow points are a bare minimum if you will be in a group with some more capable rigs.
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Yup, what he said. The soonest you can hope to run the Rubicon is late June although, I have been up there where there was still tons of snow well into July.

ZheGerman said:
1. How long would we travel
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While I have personally run the Rubicon in 6 hours, I wouldn't recommend it as you would be missing the best part of the trail and that's it's beauty. Most people take 3 days with 2 nights of camping.

2. What is needed for preparation
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Have a rig that's capable (as mentioned, at bare minimum - I recommend 35" tires, rocker guards and tow points front and rear) have the experience to wheel it or go with people who do, be prepaired to deal with breaks and be ready to deal with freezing cold, searing heat and rained on all in the same day. There are are also bears in the area so educate yourself of bear safety.

3. What are the best times to go trough there
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If this is your first time, late August to early September is the best time to go if for no other reason than there are no more mosquitos.

4. Do you need lockers on this trail
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Depends on how good of a driver you are.
 
I really want to do this too but I am quite a few mods away. Not to mention the really big issue of having a dana 30 up front still :thinking:
 
bl17z90 said:
I really want to do this too but I am quite a few mods away. Not to mention the really big issue of having a dana 30 up front still :thinking:
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:cheesy: I would think you being all the way across the country would be the biggest problem for you. If you could make it out west, you can do it with a Dana 30 no problem. I've done it in a 4-door X, Dana 30, no lockers and running 35's. I have seen stock 2-door JK's Sports run it too. Granted, it took a hell of a lot of work to do but, they were doing it.
 
Being in MD is no problem for me, I love roadtrips. Was that X unlimited your old Jeep Nemo? And I remember seeing the Canadians in your Rubicon video in that stock JKUR TJ. So is there any danger in running a dana 30 with 35's?
 
bl17z90 said:
Being in MD is no problem for me, I love roadtrips. Was that X unlimited your old Jeep Nemo? And I remember seeing the Canadians in your Rubicon video in that stock JKUR TJ. So is there any danger in running a dana 30 with 35's?
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Stock JKUR TJ?


The danger with the 30 and 35's is being too hard on it. You should be fine with gussets and not heavy on the skinny pedal. Nemo went a lot of places with 35's and a 30 up front.
 
bl17z90 said:
Being in MD is no problem for me, I love roadtrips. Was that X unlimited your old Jeep Nemo? And I remember seeing the Canadians in your Rubicon video in that stock JKUR TJ. So is there any danger in running a dana 30 with 35's?
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Yup, that was Nemo. One of the 2 Canadians was driving a 2.5" budget boost lifted JKUR running stock 32" MT's and the other was pretty much a stock TJ. 35's are as big as I would go on a Dana 30 and at that size, you should be okay so long as you don't lock it up or regear with a ratio that is too high.
 
Cool, then I'll save my money on axles for now, and if i get my tires in the spring I'll do the gussets at the same time. Would sleeves help strengthen the axle at all or is that just a gimmick? I have never actually heard of anyone running them.
 
bl17z90 said:
Cool, then I'll save my money on axles for now, and if i get my tires in the spring I'll do the gussets at the same time. Would sleeves help strengthen the axle at all or is that just a gimmick? I have never actually heard of anyone running them.
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Gussets are absolutely needed to prevent bending of the C's. Sleeves are cheap insurance but, I haven't felt the need to run them and don't. You're significantly more likely to break an axle shaft than a housing tube and with sleeves, you cannot run stronger axle shafts.
 
wayoflife said:
Gussets are absolutely needed to prevent bending of the C's. Sleeves are cheap insurance but, I haven't felt the need to run them and don't. You're significantly more likely to break an axle shaft than a housing tube and with sleeves, you cannot run stronger axle shafts.
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Are you saying that you can't run rcvs or chromoly shafts with sleeves?
 
Atch said:
Are you saying that you can't run rcvs or chromoly shafts with sleeves?
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Allow me to clarify, if you run sleeves, you cannot run an ARB front locker which requires you to use a much stronger 35 spline axle shaft.
 
wayoflife said:
Allow me to clarify, if you run sleeves, you cannot run an ARB front locker which requires you to use a much stronger 35 spline axle shaft.
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Good to know, I'm not a believer in sleeves but the guys in my club think they are a must.
 
OverlanderJK said:
That was what Moochie ran into right? Had the sleeves and then tried the ARB locker?
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Yes, this happend to Moochie. He wanted to run an ARB front locker but couldn't because it would have required him to run stronger 35 spline shafts and they will not work with sleeves installed.
 
wayoflife said:
Yes, this happend to Moochie. He wanted to run an ARB front locker but couldn't because it would have required him to run stronger 35 spline shafts and they will not work with sleeves installed.
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Thought so. I remembered talking about that at one of the last runs or dinners or something.
 
Atch said:
Good to know, I'm not a believer in sleeves but the guys in my club think they are a must.
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It is funny because I get guys telling me they are a must all the time as well and yet, not a single one of them have seen an axle housing break other than the few they've seen on the internet. I have personally seen and have dealt with 3 housing breaks and still don't think they are a must. Unfortunately, it's all hype based on fear but, I suppose that's what sells product.
 
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