first camping trip and rough terrain

[4wordSOUL]

I went camping a couple of weeks ago here in Colorado and I have a few questions for you experienced folks. This is my first SUV so forgive the newbie questions. In our efforts to find a good camping site (after the finding the first one sucked) I got stuck in several feet of snow at the first alternative site - near Vail pass. For the second site...I blasted up a muddy, rutted, snowy, super wet fire road about a third of a mile before we had to turn back (a guy we talked to on the way up told us if we got stuck we'd be there til spring as the tow trucks around there wouldn't go that far up the road - this was around Breckenridge). We ended up camping near Kremmling not too far from the original site...it was a bit better. So my first question is...

What tires should I get that will be good for off-roading, mud, snow and the compound will be hard enough that they'll last a while?

second...

I drove up that fire road pretty fast and I've got some pretty pronounced vibration between 50-75 MPH now. I'm sure my A-arms are ok, but what did I bend? Please don't say the axles....

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

 

[flyte74]

What tires should I get that will be good for off-roading, mud, snow and the compound will be hard enough that they'll last a while?

second...

I drove up that fire road pretty fast and I've got some pretty pronounced vibration between 50-75 MPH now. I'm sure my A-arms are ok, but what did I bend? Please don't say the axles....

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

Tires have been discussed extensively on here, but a few of the top recommendations to address your criteria would be BFG, Goodyear Duratrac (not much info on the wear for these yet), Nitto Tera Grappler...etc. Find one of the tire threads and decide what you think is best. I personally have the BFG's and have had them in all the conditions you have listed. They're good tires, but there are plenty other good ones too.

Can't help you much on the second question. Maybe you didn't bend anything, could be one of the pieces of metal used to balance your tires popped off. Oh, and I think you should slow down on those fire roads....

 

[4wordSOUL]

Oh, and I think you should slow down on those fire roads....

Agreed...I was paranoid that I'd get stuck. Most of the way down that road it looked like if I stopped I would've been screwed. The spot I turned around on was the most solid spot we'd seen the whole way up, it was about a length and a half longer than my Runner, beyond it was untracked snow...and I wasn't about to get stuck again that far up the road. I don't have a lot of buddies to learn about this from so...and let's just say the guy I was with isn't known for his mentoring abilities...

 

[Ryan_S]

I love my DuraTracs. I've only had them for 50 miles though, so I can't comment on wear :biggrin2:

 

[Mr. Leary]

What tires should I get that will be good for off-roading, mud, snow and the compound will be hard enough that they'll last a while?

BFG All Terrains are pretty much the industry standard for a long lasting, tough all terrain.

I drove up that fire road pretty fast and I've got some pretty pronounced vibration between 50-75 MPH now. I'm sure my A-arms are ok, but what did I bend? Please don't say the axles....

What do you guys think?

Thanks!

Depends on whether the vibration is still there. Here are your most likely possabilities:

1. Front end alignment
2. Wheel out of balance, could be due to mud or you knocked off a balancing weight.
3. Bent lower control arm... this is unlikely, but on the topic of bent junk...