First battle scar, scratched my ass

Scratched the towing thingy. It was raining and I am on stock tires. Had to engage the locker as I was totally helpless. Momentum didn't help. But 4Runner is a tank with its tools
But I think I'm not going beyond this, I don't have the ground clearance, and I also don't have beefy tires.
@Thatbassguy the kdss articulation

 

Nice! Some well earned battle scars on a stock rig a little gloss black rust-oleum, it’s good as new

 

Thanks. Suggest something from Amazon.

 

I am a fan of:

I even painted all the weld joints on the frame with it
I may have too much time on my hands

 

Also I am wondering what a Subaru or Rav4 AWD would have done in this situation. 4Low wasn't helpful, had to engage the locker. If this trail gives the 4Runner tough time, what would have AWD crossovers done?

 

Looks like a good day!

A set of good tires and some armor and recovery equipment is all you need!

Did you air down the tires?

The locker has saved my ass several times!

 

No man, no airing down. That's why I am telling you, 4Runner is a beast right out of the showroom
But I will put on AT tirres and some lift eventually since I have a scar on my ass now. I will need your advice when I come up with some money.

 

There's a ton of good reading material in the suspension sub-forum!

Start now, and you might be able to make a decision by the time you're ready to buy stuff.

I think hitting trails stock is a great idea. It will let you figure out what mods you need/want most.

It's good to see you getting your money's worth out of it!

 

Right of the bat, I want to raise my ass, better departure angle.

 

Well, you definitely don't want to raise the back without raising the front.

 

Nice… get out there and explore. See Gods wonderful creation. Go as Far East or as far west as you want/can. Don’t be afraid to scratch the 4Runner. It shows you used it and remember it is a tool (not saying don’t take care of your tools though). But point being is if you scuff some paint off you can paint it back up but don’t be afraid to let the concerns of your vehicle hold you back from the adventure your vehicle can take you on. You can always fix the car but you can’t rewind the clock to do it all over again. Anyways glad to see your out there and putting the 4Runner through its paces. Subaru and RAV4’s aren’t meant for these kinds trails. Keep it up!!!

 

Thank you

 

BTW, what I can imagine about Subarus and Rav4 on this trails, their wheels will be in the air spinning Meanwhile KDSS made sure my boots were firmly on the ground

 

That one doesn't look like a stupid trail !!

Looks like fun.

 

Yeah, I liked this one

 

Did you know? You can get a skid that plugs into your 2" hitch receiver. Welded to the bottom of it is a skid plate that allows you to drag your butt across the rocks.

 

Haha, I want that.

 

Saw a KDSS 4Runner yesterday, feels good

 

Those bubbles should have words in them

 

@The last breed do you have the motor vehicle usage maps for your state forests? Here is the page for Olympia https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/olympic/maps-pubs/?cid=stelprdb5353847


Look around on that website if you havent yet. There is a lot of exploration to do!

Invest in recovery equipment first, and see if there are groups in your area that go wheeling in the national forests. Two is better than one when you’re stuck. You can do a lot of exploring stock…well, some good AT tires go a long way

 

Wow, thanks. I have been blindly driving around.

 

Thanks again, I am dowoading their app, it is a government product so wish me luck

 

Have fun! Be safe. And be ready to accept washing the mud off as your new hobby lol

By the way, the maps are great because it keeps you legal. Although there is no guarantee that marked trails or roads are passable.

 

Thanks. I immediately washed it once I got back. I don't leave it for next day. Plus I rust coated my frame. I am paranoid about my 4Runner. I want it to live for 20 years. I am broke for another car

 

And thank @Thatbassguy for turning me on to these maps! Opened up a whole new world!

 

Don't worry, your entire trailer hitch will be rusty before you know it, haha. Seriously though, it's probably the sturdiest piece on the vehicle, it'll take plenty of abuse.

Just an observation about where these photos were taken. I'm not sure where you are, but here in the Northeast is it illegal to be on trails with power lines. The power companies typically do not want anybody that does not work for them on these trails, so it's trespassing if you're on them.

Like I said, I don't know about where you are, but just something to think about and watch out for.

 

I religiously read the signs and warnings around these areas, but I didn't see any signs saying that I should not be around. This Trail is 40 miles east of Seattle, that YouTube guy, driving Sports, he comes here all the time, in fact you see these power lines in many of his videos.
Thanks for pointing out that, I will be more careful in future

 

As @McSpazatron and @Trail Runnah mentioned, make sure you look at a map before you go exploring! The offline maps are also nice because you don't need to worry about reception when you're out in the boonies.

In Wisconsin, a lot of the forest roads are seasonal as well, and the map key will let you know when they're open or closed.