Jeep Wrangler Forum banner

First Time Off Road, I'm Amazed

6K views 59 replies 24 participants last post by  JKU.12 
#1 ·
Im working in Colorado for a couple weeks, I had Sunday off so I decided to take a couple co workers on some trails. I have never been on a trail before, so I researched on here, trails.com and trail damage.com as much as possible during the week. I had a couple of forum members offer for me to tag along with them further south, but I wanted to stay up here by Loveland/Fort Collins, I appreciate the offers though.

I decided to hit Kelly Flats, I watched some videos of Heart Attack Hill and The Chutes, two major obstacles on the trail, and decided not to do the chutes and make my decision on The Hill once I got there.

When I looked at the rout from the hotel I saw one option took me close to another trail I researched, Old Flowers Road. I decided since I have never been on a trail to hit this one on the way to Kelly Flats.

Heading out


I'm glad I did, it was a basic trail, but even on this basic trail we were all amazed at the difference in the ride once I disconnected the sway bar.

Old Flowers Road


My First Ever Flex






We finished the trail and made our way to Kelly Flats. We decided to stop at Kelly Flats Campground and eat lunch before hitting the next trail.

Lunch




I aired down to 18psi, (I only knew to air down because of this forum).



Starting the trail scared the crap out of me, and we hadn't even seen Heart Attack Hill yet!!!! But once I started crawling up the rocks I couldn't believe how easily this Jeep made it seem. Making it through this area gave me the confidence to go up The Hill instead of the bypass. I didn't take the most aggressive lines in the 2 most difficult areas, but this hill is still difficult, especially for a first timer.

We survived Heart Attack Hill!!!!

This is looking back down the hill, you can see the trail a bit from this angle.



More trail shots




On the last half of the trail I made my first mistake. We were going down a jagged rocky hill, I picked the wrong line I guess. We dragged a couple times, but I assumed my factory Hard Rock armor had me covered. We made it to the end of the trail, as I was airing back up I decided to check out my first trail scars underneath the Jeep.

Just under passenger door, no big deal i assume


Then I saw my rear differential (guess that's what it's called, I'm a novice remember) it looked a bit wet on the bottom. I think it is the cover that got bent a bit and started seeping some fluid out. It never dripped to the ground while we were airing up (30 minutes). Here are a couple pics, how bad is this? Do I need to take it to a shop immediately? Can this be put off for a bit? Can I just replace the Cover?





It was overall a great day, and I love my Jeep even more, which I didn't think was possible.
 
See less See more
14
#2 ·
Yep these are amazing off road vehicles, even dead stock. I am amazed too.

Yes that your differential. And yes it looks like you bent the cover and its leaking.
 
#3 ·
Time for an aftermarket diff cover. I would be concerned if all the fluid drained out. It's an easy way to burn up the gears.
 
#4 ·
Good Heavy Duty Diff Cover will be built to avoid this through strength as well as not exposing the "lip".
Lots of great options. Also, easy enough to check your fluid level.
3/8" socket extension fits in Top plug.
Pull it out and stick your pinky in. Diff fluid should be at the hole.

Nice Pics :)
 
#5 ·
Great report! Looks like you had a blast. Wranglers off-road are beasts. Even bone stock (especially HRs).

Regarding the differential cover, this is a great opportunity to upgrade to a stronger, aftermarket cover that is specifically designed to prevent what just happened to you. Personally, I went with Poison Spyder diff covers in the front and rear. You can paint them to add a little personality and match your Jeep. Here are my color matched sunset orange ones.





You'll want to get this done here in the short term. Depending on how bad the leak is, you can add a little bit more oil as a temporary solution, but should get that cover replaced ASAP. Good luck!
 
#6 ·
Yes. ASAP. IF it's "wet" it's leaking. You got lucky, minor "Tweak".

Full blown cover failure w/o noticing would have been catastrophic for your rear.
When you hear scrapes or feel hits you'll get to know where and what but until then - good idea to take a look just to make sure.
IF you are going to be doing much rock crawling - there are lots of armor options. Good idea.
 
#9 ·
75W90 Gear oil. How fast is it dripping ? if its super slow, you could try to open up the diff, clean everything, and use a little more heavy coat of RTV in that area for the time being.
Check "the right stuff" RTV, it's supposed to be the shiat :)

Congrats btw on your first outing, the pics came out great, nice rig.
Enjoy the future offroad trips.
 
#10 ·
Researching covers, I like the red ARB the best, but it's $100 more than the poison spyder. What are the differences besides the drain plug and magnetic dipstick? Is it more heavy duty? Double the price seems extreme if it functions close to the same. But I'm also not extremely worried about the price difference if it's justified in performance and looks (I would t have to paint ARB.
 
#12 ·
It's not a fast leak, you'll be fine driving locally. get the new covers as soon as you can can and replace them.
All aftermarket covers are stout, pick whatever makes you happy. I have the Poison spyders, and they have taken some really good hits without a single issue.

Hard to see the scratches, but if you look the terrain, you'll get the idea :)

20160828_120742 by Wrangler RSM, on Flickr
 
#23 ·
Congrats OP! Looks like fun! Diff cover needs to be changed soon as other have said. But a little carnage is not the end of the world.

Also, you may want to switch to a wheat bread for the fiber content. :)
 
#25 ·
HooRaw Another hooked Jeeper, I LOVE IT!

Thanks for the post and now the fun really begins!
 
#30 ·
If you are still in CO, I will donate this to you to get you back on the road with no worries...



Had it on craigslist for like $40 with no takers. It's yours if you come pick it up in Castle Rock. Will even help you install in my garage if you want.
 
#32 ·
Yeah. Hitting the lip of the diff cover is fine. I'd replace it real soon though. I have the ARB diff covers on my Jeep as well and they are top notch! Definitely pricey though. I've hit them hard a few times and they have some scratches. No bending or leaks though. ARB makes some of the best stuff after market. I like how the bolts are recessed into the ARB cover so you can't hit them either. I have some Poison Spyder stuff too and they are great as well. Also, those factory skid plates are a step above tissue paper. You likely have the Jeep bug now and will want to try stuff like this again. One of the best mods you can make for your Jeep is a full set of skid plates. I have the Rock Hard 4x4 skids on my Rubicon and they're amazing. I've slammed down on them with the full weight of the Jeep and they keep their shape. Those factory ones will bend real easy. A full set of skids and some good diff covers are one of the absolute best things you can do to your Jeep. Better than a lift and big tires.

Your Jeep is very capable. You've only scratched the surface of what it can do. Protect it and make it a lot more reliable with some good armor underneath. Don't go cheap either. You have an expensive machine there that can last you a real long time and provide you with years and years of enjoyment and adventure. Don't put cheap crap on it.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top