Off-Roading Thrills for Jac

Jack Kraken drove down the highway toward his destination with the sun just starting to peek over the hills in the distance. His 1997 Toyota 4Runner SR5 4x4 purred as he punched the gas pedal to speed up for a hill. His rare 5 speed SUV surged up and over as he shifted into 5th gear.

He was finally going on a long-prepared trip. He needed a long vacation after his recent ugly divorce. He used to enjoy off-roading in his youth. Work and family kept him close to home with only a few weekend trips a year with his favorite adventure company. Now a free man, he looked forward to heading to the beautiful Sierra foothill countryside to decompress and reevaluate his life.

He was well off having sold his modest construction company. At 6'2" tall, Jack was a good-looking man. He had a toned muscular frame, tuned over many years of construction work. His light sandy blonde hair and chiseled features gave him a Greek god appearance. His looks, easy-going attitude and work ethic landed him an incredible looking wife.

Things went well for many years until she became a victim of middle age. She ran off with a young stud last year. Jack, heartbroken, divorced her at once. Shocked out of a comfortable life Jack started off-roading again and decided to modify his 4Runner.

Jack had spent many hours working on his 4x4 4Runner, getting it ready for the two weeklong off roading adventure. At 300,000 miles his beloved truck was no spring chicken, but any one even close to the SUV world knows that the 3rd gen 4Runner is arguably the most reliable, longest lasting vehicle Toyota ever made.

His loving care of the truck was clear. While a 4Runner is a very capable off-roader stock, Jack loved Rock crawling (The slow speed maneuvering up and over rock and boulder obstacles). With that in mind he had the truck lifted with an Icon brand stage 4, 3" lift kit, solid rock sliders (metal tubes running between the tires below the doors to prevent boulders and rocks from crushing the body).

Added to that he installed a solid metal front bumper with a 9.5K winch and rear axle lockers (to prevent one tire spinning in tough traction situations).

For additional ground clearance he installed 33" tall, all terrain tires. Then, LED headlights, and sway bar disconnects (sway bars are great for pavement driving by keeping the truck more level around turns, but crappy for off-roading as they prevent the front suspension from acting as independently as it could) and an on-board air compressor.

His last most expensive modification was the addition of a reduction gear box (the 4x4 world called it a Crawl box) that allowed for an extra low gear for climbing up super steep rocks and boulders with ease.

Most 4x4's final gear ratio was between 40:1 and 80:1, but his new crawl box gave him a super low 187:1 final drive gear ratio that produced maximum torque and traction for rock crawling. He built and installed the gearbox himself and was quite proud of it.

Even with all the modifications his 4Runner looked mostly stock besides the 3" lift and front bumper. He was not interested in the common "Mall Crawler" fad where people would buy and or outfit a 4x4 for show only. Most Mall Crawlers never left the pavement.

He signed up for a group trip as he was a careful man. He did not want to go off-roading for a long time without the back up of another truck. Also, he had gone with this company before, and they knew and respected his off-roading driving skill.

The trip would be led by a team in two 4x4's leading the others. They would supply support and guidance but no food, tents or other camping support. That was ok with Jack, he wanted to save money and he enjoyed camping.

He arrived at the staging area parking lot near the entrance to the trail head. It led up and over a long overland trail through the Sierra foothills near Yosemite. It was a challenging trail with many optional rock crawling areas to enjoy. Some of the obstacles were not optional, but he was not concerned about these.

He pulled in and parked near one of the Jeeps owned by the adventure company. He recognized Derek right away and smiled. He and Jack had a great time on the last trip.

"Hey there Jack! Nice to see you again," Derek said, walking over as soon as Jack parked.

Jack climbed out and shook his hand smiling. Jack liked Derek. He knew his job well and was great company.

"Hey Derek. Yeah, good to see you also. I can't wait to begin. How is it looking so far?" Jack said, referring to the other participants.

"Well, I think I will have my hands full! I have two families with little experience, but they are renting Jeeps from us, and we have good rigs, so I know I can get them through. I will be a busy man on this one!" Derek said, glancing over to the families loading their gear into the Jeeps.

Jack looked over and saw two families. One family was an older couple with teenage kids and the other was a younger couple with kids that looked to be 10 or 12-years-old.

"Well, that's why they choose you guys. You are the best adventure company around. I am glad I went with you to begin with! Is this the whole bunch?" Jack asked.

"Well, no, we have a last-minute addition. I was hesitant to let this guy join. He has little real rock crawling experience, but a brand-new Rubicon loaded with every possible option. He's cocky but says he has gone on several trips in the past, so I did not hire another guide to help this time." Derek said.

"I was thinking about the lineup and who should lead. Would it be ok if I put you just in front of him at the back of the line just to check and make sure he stays out of trouble? I hate to ask you, but you are safe and know what you are doing." Derek said, looking apologetic already for asking.

Jack had no interest in babysitting but the look on Derek's face made it clear that he was asking for a big favor, and he owed Derek from the last trip.

"Sure, I'll help Derek. You've saved my butt more than once on the last trip." Jack said looking up to see the Rubicon Jeep pull into the parking lot going way too fast for safety.

The Rubicon skidded to a stop sending up a cloud of dust not more than twenty feet from where they were standing.

"Hey! Slow down next time!" Derek yelled.

"I may owe you big time for this Jack." Derek said as he walked over to the Rubicon.

Jack overheard the passenger in the Rubicon yell at the driver.

"You idiot! I told you to slow down!" She yelled.

"Easy babe! Look, no harm done!" The driver, a medium build younger guy, looked to be in his mid-30's. He sat back in the seat with his hands in the air signaling to the girl his innocence. Jack's eyes moved to the passenger. She looked to be similar in age with her long blonde hair in a ponytail with a baseball cap and sunglasses that partially hid her face.

She had a loose-fitting lumberjack collar shirt covering her upper body. She looked cute but he could tell little from his vantage point. He could however see and hear that she was pissed at the driver. Jack shook his head hoping for the best.

Jack walked over and introduced himself to the families. Then he walked back over to the couple in the Rubicon. He wanted to give them time to calm down.

"Hey there, I'm Jack," Jack said as he walked up to Dave with his hand out.

"I'm Dave and this is Angela, nice to meet you," Dave said as he shook Jack's hand.

Angela was not looking happy and said nothing.

"Well, it looks like we will be bringing up the rear to start off with. Derek asked me to join you in the back. Hope that is ok with you?" Jack said.

"Ok with me. Is that your truck? Looks like it has been around for a while. Well, if you need it, I would be glad to help." Dave said with a tone of superiority.

"I was thinking the same thing, Dave. Nice Jeep. It looks like you got all the options." Jack said.

"Yeah, I really don't know all the details, but I went with all the possible off-road upgrades. Still trying to figure out some of the stuff. I can't wait to try it out on the trail." Dave said.

Jack was surprised to say the least. How could anyone sign up for a trip like this with untested and untried equipment? He wasn't going to say anything about it though. There was nothing for it at this point anyway.

"I wish you luck. Looks like we will head off within the hour. Let's meet up over there, we can air down and get going," Jack said pointing to the entrance to the trail behind the other Jeeps already lined up.

Jack saw the look of confusion on Dave's face with the suggestion that they air down. Airing down the tires was a common practice when off-roading. It increased traction and smoothed the ride over bumpy trails.

"What air pressure do you recommend?" Dave said finally.

"What do you usually run? I would stick to that, but I run 20 PSI to begin with and gauge it from there," Jack said.

"This guy is going to be trouble! He should know what air down pressure to use!" Jack thought.

"I will see you at the trailhead," Jack said as he walked back to his 4Runner.

Jack was making his final checks of his gear and supplies when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Sorry about Dave," A female voice said.

Jack turned around and saw Angela standing there with an apologetic expression.

She had removed her hat and glasses. He now saw that she had a beautiful face with large blue eyes, sharp facial features, full lips and a cute button nose. She was short at 5' 2" but had long legs for her height and a shorter torso. Her loose-fitting collar shirt hid most of her upper body. He could tell she had a nice chest underneath from the bulge in her shirt.

Her butt looked firm but again was hidden by the cargo shorts she wore. He wondered what she looked like in a bathing suit. He hoped he would find out.

Jack caught himself as he scanned up her body and looked her in the eyes. She smiled a knowing smile but did not say anything.

"Sorry....um...Yeah. It's ok I was just trying to let him know I was here to help, but he seems confident in himself." Jack said feeling guilty for scanning her body.

"He was a jerk, no need to feel bad. I think he is just intimidated and nervous. Anyway, I wanted to let you know that I love your 4Runner! My dad had one and he used to take me off-roading all the time. I see you have lifted this one. Nice bumper by the way! It even has an internal winch," she said as she walked around the 4Runner admiring it.

"Why thank you my lady! I tried to keep the mods to a minimum. I wanted function over form," Jack said, impressed at her knowledge.

"Angela will do just fine Jack. Well, I think it's a great truck regardless of what Dave thinks. Anyway, sorry about my cold reception back there. He has pissed me off more than once so far on this trip. It has nothing to do with you or your offer of help. I am glad you will be with us," Angela said with a bright smile. Her rack of white teeth and red lips was a sight to see and made Jack tingle inside.

Jack was suddenly not so displeased about his fortunes so far.

"Glad to help in any way I can, Angela. I will help you keep him in line!" Jack teased.

"Glad to hear it!" Angela giggled walking back to Dave.

Angela was regretting coming on this trip until now. She really liked meeting Jack. She had recently ended a long-term relationship. He turned out to be a controlling asshole. She liked him in the beginning for being strong and firm.

She needed someone strong to help her, but he turned out to be a psycho. Hurt and feeling lost she turned to Tinder and finally met a nice guy. Dave was a tech bro, but he had money and a 4x4. She needed a break to get her head on straight.

She had fond memories of her dad taking her Off-roading, so when Dave offered the trip, she accepted even though they had only gone on a couple of dates.

She paid her own way though. Also, this was a group trip, so she felt safe enough. The only bright spot for her so far was Jack. He seemed nice and reminded her of her dad, but in a different way. His smile and the way he checked her out made her feel warm inside for the first time in a while.

Derek rallied everyone to start off on the trail. Derek led the way in his Jeep followed by the two Jeeps with the families. John followed in the other company Jeep, then Jack in his black 4Runner followed by Dave in the shiny new Rubicon.

Jack checked the rear-view mirror and saw Angela looking good in her baseball hat and sunglasses enjoying the fine weather in the passenger seat. Dave seemed pleased as he followed Jack down the trail.

The trail was moderate in the beginning. Jack had not even engaged the 4wheel drive system and cruised along humming to classic rock. Bubba O'Reilly from the WHO came blasting out of his six-speaker stereo. Jack was a happy man.

"Teenage wasteland! It's only teenage wasteland!" Jack sang along with the WHO.

After a while the line of vehicles stopped at the start of the first real obstacle. Derek drove to the top and pulled to the side then walked back down to spot the first family Jeep up the hill. Spotting involves a person in front guiding a 4x4 with hand signals and voice prompts. Even the most experienced need help. This hill was not that bad, but the family Jeep had no experience.

Derek had Paul, the dad, in the family Jeep, put the Jeep in 4-wheel low, the lowest gear in 4-wheel drive and turn on the rear lockers, then Derek guided Paul up the hill slowly. Paul had a huge smile on his face as the Jeep crawled up the rock obstacles on the hill. Before long he was at the top. John guided Mark from the other family Jeep up the hill. Next was Jack's turn. Before Jack started, he got out and walked back to Dave in the Rubicon.

"Are you all set? Need anything?" Jack asked.

"Seems like a piece of cake to me," was all Dave said, clearly not interested in Jack's help.

"Ok, see you up there," Jack said, giving Angela a quick glance and saw a semi-exasperated look on her face.

"If he uses the lockers he will be set!" Angela said.

"I got this babe!" Dave said as Jack walked back to the 4Runner.

The other Jeeps before his got up the hill but spun the tires and took a few tries at certain points. Jack knew this was a great test for his new Crawl box. He put it in the lowest gear for maximum traction. He really did not need it, but he was excited to try it out on this hill.

It worked like a charm, climbing straight up without spinning the tires or stopping at any point. Derek and John were at the top, clapping as the 4Runner crested the hill.

"Man, you made that look too easy. What the hell do you have in there?" Derek asked Jack.

"I just installed a crawl box," Jack said. No other explanation was necessary. Derek and John both knew what it was.

"Wow! I know the Toyota's could have those, but I have yet to see one in action. Nice!" Derek said. Jack, beaming with pleasure, pulled the 4Runner over to make room for the Rubicon.

Dave's confidence grew as he saw the old 4Runner go straight up the hill.

"If he can do it that easily then I should be set! I am going to cruise right up it," Dave said.

"Did you turn on the lockers?" Angela asked knowing he was overconfident.

"Yes, but I don't need 'em," Dave said.

With that he gunned the Rubicon up the hill taking it too fast. He used too much gas pedal and spun the tires, losing traction and sliding back down about twenty feet. Jack heard Angela trying to offer Dave guidance. Derek, seeing the attempt, held his hand up signaling Dave to stop where he was.

Derek came down to inspect the position of the Rubicon on the hill. Derek motioned Dave to get out of the Jeep. Derek got in, changed gears and slowly crawled up the hill. The Rubicon slipped and slid but made it all the way up. Dave, looking dejected, walked up the hill.

Jack saw Derek talking to Dave away from the others. While Derek spoke to Dave, Jack came over to Angela.

"Hey there. Well, that was interesting. Are you ok?" Jack said as he looked down at a very upset looking passenger.

"Oh my god! I thought we were going to slide all the way down the hill! I told him to slow down and approach the hill slowly, like you did. By the way, that was a very impressive climb you pulled off. Are you really that good, or is it all the 4Runner?" She said in a teasing tone with a smile on her face.

"Hey now. It's all me of course! Just kidding, the new crawl box is showing off is all," Jack replied.

"You must show me some time. Ok, Mr. Perfect is coming back. Please don't hesitate to help next time. He really needs it, and he will not listen to me." Angela said as Dave walked up.

Dave came back and looked none too happy, but all seemed well enough to Jack. He offered to help, and Dave seemed more amenable to the idea at this point. They all started up along the trail again.

After about an hour more the first rock crawling section came into view. It was a cutting next to a hill with only one way through. It was flat but littered with many boulders of different sizes and shapes.

It took a while, but Paul and Mark had a blast driving up, guided by Derek and John, spotting them through the maze of rocks. The kids squealed in back as the Jeep lurched up and over the big rocks.

Next came Jack. He picked a more aggressive line through the maze than Derek chose. Derek knew Jack had the skill to manage it. Jack's rock sliders came in handy as the front wheel of the 4Runner landed on the other side of a large rock.

The 4Runner temporarily high sided, impacting the right-side rock slider. It can be fun to do this if you know what you are doing. Jack crawled forward as the 4Runner tilted far over to one side to clear the obstacle. Everyone cheered as the old 4Runner showed her paces. Jack finished the obstacle in record time, even with the harder path.

Angela cheered Jack on, watching his skill in maneuvering the truck up and over the boulders. She thought it was hot seeing this guy perform so well. Dave, watching Angela, was clearly not happy.

Dave insisted on taking the same path as Jack. Jack volunteered to spot Dave over the obstacles but not before trying to talk Dave out of the harder path. In the end he sent Dave down an easier path without Dave noticing. Dave was far too busy trying to drive his truck.

Dave, following Jack's direction, performed quite well until about three quarters of the way through. Jack told Dave to turn the wheel all the way to the driver side and stop on top of a large boulder. It is quite common to climb up one side, then turn far to the other side before driving down. For some reason Dave ignored Jack's signal to stop. Jack yelled but it was too late.

The Rubicon slid off the wrong side of the boulder forcing the tire into a deep crack in the rock. Before Jack could stop him, Dave cranked the wheel hard over and punched the gas in low gear to force the tire out of the deep crack.

Jack knew that he needed to be winched out, but again Dave was impatient. They all heard a loud snapping sound coming from the side of the stuck wheel.

Dave finally stopped and shut off the Rubicon to check out what happened. Derek and John came over with Jack to inspect the damage.

Jack already knew what happened. The force of Dave cranking the wheel over hard while trying to drive produced too much strain on the front suspension. The passenger side tie rod had snapped in half, breaking off the tie rod mount from the hub.

Most good adventure companies can repair this type of damage either by welding or with spare parts. Derek got to work after they pulled the Rubicon out of the crack. Derek broke out his welder and got to work. An hour later Derek was finished. There was good news and bad news.

"I was able to weld the tie rod back into the hub, but the damage is too severe to continue. You will have to turn back, drive into town and have them replace the front hub and the tie rod. Sorry man, bad luck but that is the way it goes sometimes. Some lessons are learned the hard way. It may be a new Jeep, but you still must listen to your spotter. The damage could have been a lot worse," Derek said, glancing at Jack and then back to Dave.