ok guys....have ya wondered about how well our KR's will do offroad? well, April 6th i am gonna find out......i have never done any offroading in my life, but i figure...i payed for the 4x4 package with skid plates and the works so i better use them or i will never hear the end of it from my sister in law, mrs. pkagel. i know this is off topic, but am i the only one who hates the word "in law" jeesh....i love her...anyone who can make my brother cower like a scared puppy is number 1 in my book...hehehe.

anyways, if any of ya KR's wanna come and test your babies it is gonna be april 6th at silver lake Michigan.....email me if you're interested. a bunch of f150's will be there. it is gonna be a blast...even if ya don't wanna take your baby offroad it is a blast....i'll let ya drive with me...hehehe "women drivers" hehehe

sarah

 

ya know sis if you come back without a scratch or dent on it you haven't really been off road. i would take those rims off and put some 15's on before going offroad as those rims are not made to go off road and you take a big risk in bending them up and you are certain to scratch them at the very least. too bad i couldn't go up there also and take you in my suv,

 

Skagel,

Thomas offroad? Tell me it aint true. Oh well, glad to hear old Thomas will finally get a breath of fresh air after being couped up in that there 'gayrage' all winter. I used to be big into going 4 wheeling and I never would've been caught dead out in the woods and mud without rope, chains, pulleys, lights and other rigging, oh and a full cooler of beer and a bottle of Jack Daniels just in case, oh and a loaded six shooter in the glove box. Yea, sounds like I used to be a wild child hey?

I wish I could join you guys with the off roading trip but I'll have to pass since my wife would never want to ride with me that far, much less drive part way.

Have fun and be prepared for the worse and expect to have fun.

DaveMan

 

By the way, 15's won't fit on these trucks. Our discs are too large. Notice 16's are the smallest stock rims...

 

didn't notice that, thanks for pointing it out. never the less, one must agree that the stock rims are less than proper for offroading and going to stock type steel rims would be best.

 

ok i have got to understand this...if 16" rims are for offroading then why did moms truck which is an fx4 which apparently is an offroad package with the rancho shocks come with 17" rims.....that makes no sense...then again i had to tell them to put ats tires instead of the rts which apparently come with the package and are certainly not offroad tires. i am totally confused here.....what i gather is ford is no longer selling trucks that have a purpose, but are selling trucks for looks and look like they have a purpose because i was checking out moms rancho shocks....and well, from a distance they look sweet, btu ya get up close and they are nothing more then whay comes on any other ford truck...just has the rancho labeling....heck i don't even think they are 5000's.

 

wow, i just saw a big light bulb over your head, bingo!!!!! yea, nobody who really offroads uses 17's, heck in all truth, 16's are kinda big but if that is the smallest that fit then that is what you have to go with. most of the true offroaders go with 14's and sometimes 13's as you need extra cushion when you are really getting into it. nobody who really off roads spends 40k on a new truck, they buy an old one and build it to really go offroad. you can build your truck to do some serious off road but it will take a lot more cash and it won't be nearly as nice to run on the highway.

 

Well, I'd say the question then becomes, what is the lay and composition of the terrian you will be going over? You may want to scout it out first. If it is all large stones and boulders, then you might want to protect your baby with different wheels, but if it is mostly dirt, mud, sand, gravel, etc. then you could probably get away with the stock. Also important is how fast you will be traveling the route. The faster you are going, the harder you will hit, the more likely you are to do damage. If you go slow, you shouldn't be able to bend the rims.

 

Isn't Thomas the truck that couldn't get out when there was salt on the roads? And you're going to take him off road!!? Why the 180?

Also, be SUPER careful washing him off. Mud and sand are evil on paint.

Ahh yeah, did I mention that I'm a SENIOR MEMBER now?

 

More evil on engine compartments. I speak from experience. My last truck, which was only a 4x2, I took mudding and never could get the engine compartment clean. The mud stained the paint so it was never right again. I guess it has something to do with the mud baking on for a day or so before I washed it off.

 

So, you're taking Thomas off-road eh? I think that sounds kinky too! lmao

 

umm Rockpick....ummm...hmmm...i can't think of any comeback that would be family friendly...congrats on being a senior member....guess i should give ya some more respect being an elder and all....hehehe.

and thomos will still stay in the garage during the salted road periods of winter for at least the next 3 years....as for the terrain...it will be at the dunes which is mainly sand....no big rocks and unless it rains no real mud....and do ya honestly think i would let Thomas stay dirty all day? i don't think so....it is a known fact cars run better clean....

 

Hey Rock,

So, you're a Senior Member now hey? Man, as of today, you've got 107 posts logged in and you've only been a member for less than a month. Let's see, at the rate of 200 posts per month, you'll be a Senior Geriatric Member before the year's out.

Skagel,

Have you ever been four wheeling before? If not, then you should make sure you're prepared depending on what's in the plan and how long you guys plan on staying off road and how far off the beaten path you plan to venture. Off roading can be a blast but if you run into trouble, it can make you quickly realize your limitations.

Have fun and I'm sure you won't be able to hold back your experiences after you return.

Later,
DaveMan

 

well, this is my first time, but i will be far from alone....all the f150 owners from the michigan f150 chapter and some guys from new jersey, pensylvania, ohio, illinois, indiana...the list goes on...this is a pretty big thing they do every year so i will have plenty of help.

not to worry i don't plan on testing my thomas to much....ya know i would have to take some serious antidepressants if i hurt him

 

Hey Skagel I just can't help thinking of the possible damage that can be inflicited on Thomas. What about the paint, nicks and scratches,
etc. After all you won't even let him play out in the snow.

It does sound like alot of fun though. Enjoy the trip and give us all the details.