some pics of my trip to tellico this past weekend, if you're planning a trip there stay at Crawford's Camp... place is cool as hell, mud pit, rock garden, rti ramp, log crawl and 2 full outfitted service bays with welder, air tools, etc. the owner even towed the other dodge 5 hours home for free after he busted in the mud pit.
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cool pics. to far for me to explore there damn it.:( maybe some day;)

i know how well the 44 does but hows the 9-1/4 doin with 38's?:D

so i see 2 dodge rams.. so who broke what, and doing what? is your ram your daily driver? Any regrets wheeling it that hard?

Garrett

other ram broke both ball joints and snapped axle shaft, in the mudhole at camp of all places.:rolleyes: i broke a shock and got some more body damage. hell no, no regrets at all on wheeling it hard... it's a blast, and a definite more challenge with a fullsize. yes, it's my daily driver AND tow rig for my pop up camper on trips of that nature. knock on wood, i have had very little problems from wither of my axles. i have blown two auburn ls's, but now have a detroit and no problems. i haven't broken anything up front except studs, but i'm sure that will change when it gets locked soon. that seems to be the turning point for most dodge 44's on big tires. we have ver few of the high traction situations like ya'll have on the rocks out west, ours are usually coated in slime/mud/water which makes things very complicated especially after a rain, but is a little easier on impacting things like axle shafts, etc. tellico is claimed to be one of the best places to wheel on the u.s., there is stuff out there MUCH MUCH nastier than anything in my pics....

Rufus, how do you like the Ground Hawgs? Are they radial or bias? I'm thinking hard about my next set of tires and any input welcome. Thanks!

yeah, your lucky. Plus, i guess the high traction in cali has some down sides. I broke the alignment adjustment link on my ram 2 weeks ago.. and I am on 33".. although, the thought is in my head that i want to put on some 37" mt/r's, add a dana 60 up front, and lock the rear with a lock rite. Hopefully i dont break another 231.. at 75k miles i am on my third.. 34k for #2, and 61k for #3. Maybe it is time to try out that 241OR from the rubicon :rolleyes:

Oh, and BTW, it has only been wheeled 4 times in it's entire life , (i dont consider dirt roads that requite 4wd to drive up "4 wheeling")

Hick, keep busting t-cases and you need top upgrade. I think it was Rufus that had a link to a new driver side drop Dana300 twin stick conversion, even with the 4:1 as an option that is a direct bolt-in for the 231. Only $700 I beleive for the base setup.

Lloyd, they have been awesome... as you can see they are getting close to being worn out, but they have close to 25-30k miles on them, and that's hard miles driving hard on/off road, burnouts, etc. i've only had to plug one, and that was actually in tellico the other weekend, i picked up a nail or something on the drive up. they are the radials, size 38x15.50. for my next set of tires i'm probably going to go with the 40x17 biases. Hick, sounds like you need and upgrade... a 241 is a direct bolt in but will need a bit of d-shaft work, or as Pavemen said a local 4wd shop just came out with a dana 300 flip kit that inlcudes a twin stick. http://www.downeastoffroad.com

yeah, well, i just know that if i break that, i will be breaking more. I only have broken the tail shaft, so i am thinking about going to a short shaft conversion before i break another one. And if i do replace it, it will be with either a 241OR from a new rubicon, an Atlas II, or an ORD doubbler, with a twin stick 205. i honestly dont see the point of the d300.. not only is is flipped, but it still is a smaller case, and i woudl still be blowing output shafts, unless i put the atlas II output on it. But the things i am most worried about breaking next is my steering and axle. Have any links to any good steering upgrades that dont reduce my turning radius?

thanks Garrett

http://www.rockstomper.com for your steering. the atlas is modeled after the dana 300. sure,it's not quite as strong but it's MUCH cheaper and definitely stronger than your 231. SYE would be a good place to start if that's all your're breaking. i'm not real familiar with the ORD doubler, but a 205 is weaker than the 231.

a 205 is weaker than a 231? RIGHT!! Maybe the smaller 10 spline one will break, but the 32 spline is STRONGER than an atlas II. Of which, i have never heard of an atlas II with 32 spline breaking, ever. yes i have heard of the 32 spline 205 breaking, but not without 700+ HP. Why is it that you say the 205 is weaker than a 231? Maybe i am just missing something.

Oh, and the other reason why i would look into the atlas II or 205, is because under hard wheeling, the case on the 241 will split, and crack.. i know one chevy guy here on the boards has had that problem. I just would perfer cast iron for my case, if i can

Garrett

maybe i worded that wrong... not so much weaker in strength as a 231 (though they're not much if any better imo) i was speaking from a swap standpoint, it doesn't make much sense for a 96 truck. you have poor low range, heavy, passenger drop in most besides a very few exceptions(divorced fords, etc..) i'm not knocking it as a bad case, it has its advantages being gear driven, cast, etc. i just think you have much better/easier/cheaper options. i looked around at the ORD stuff, looks like that kit is around 500 bucks without the cases?? 241's can be had pretty cheap, true you have the weaker case issue being aluminum, but you've already said your truck doesn't see much off road time. i'd wager only 1 out of 10 people wheel their truck hard enough to do that. 241 has a decent low range, much better weight/torque rating, etc. i'd still SYE your 231 or go with a 241, unless you have money to burn. ;)

well, i think i am gonna SYE my 231 just because i only have 12,000 miles on it. I just wish i would have know about the one that JB conversions sells.. conplete dodge 231 with short shaft for $795.. :( But if i do go for a 241.. I will probabally end up putting in one out of a new jeep wrangler rubicon.. factory 4:1 gears, and a factory SYE. but for how much i wheel the truck... i have thought flying in my head of long arms, dana 60 front , 14 bolt rear, and 37" mt/r's....

Nice Pictures. How did the Ground Hawgs do in the Rocks? Also What is the best way to get to Tellico from say New Mexico????;)

the hawgs did decent, with more tread to grab things they would have been much better. i usually run them around 20 psi on rocks, they don't bulge/form to things like i'd really like, but they make up for it in the mud. i could probably run them lower than 20, but i don't carry a fullsize spare yet (too poor:) ) and losing a bead is no fun and having to limp back with a goofy 305/70 on the front.

looks like you had some fun...did you get up that rock wall on trail 4 after the crossing and the small ledge...you had the pic of you at the base of it...did you get up it??

i camp at stateline...but i have seen a lot of pics of the place yall were at...i haven't explored all the campgrounds yet...you gonna be there for dixie run??

no, i could get up on top with my front tires, but never did get up and over... if i was locked up front i don't think it'd be much problem. the first ledge coming out of the creek is where i busted that shock, banging up. i'd really like to make it for the dixie run, the place gets so crowded during those events though. but it is fun... i want to get back up there soon and run upper 2, that's what i really wanted to hit that weekend but rain all day sunday cancelled that. going to uwharrie for the 100th time it seems in a couple weeks, ever been there?

Yeah, you'll make it up locked...i got up it, right where you were and almost made the line over a bit to the right....got over the top and hit some mud and didnt go anywhere....I will more than likely just camp for the dixie run and watch....too many vehicles!!! I have never been to uhwarrie...isn't that pretty close to tellico?? hows the ride out there??

well, depends on where you're coming from... from raleigh, tellico is still a pretty god haul from uwharrie. about 3-4 hours at least. i can be at the trailheads in uwharrie in just a bit over an hour from raleigh though. it's a fun ride there, i'd rate the hardest trails there a little over above intermediate at tellico.

Hey Rufus, one more question on those Hawgs. How close to advertized size do they seem to run? Interco is notoriously small, except perhaps for the tsl radials. Just wondering if Denman was the same.

to help answer that question, from what i understand, denman makes some of the swampers, i believe the boggers.. just a good FYI

That's very interesting. Thanks for the information!

i wasn't aware of that... i thought interco made bogger/tsl/ssr/ltb etc. and denman made hawgs/coyote/buckshots and numerous farm/industrial tires. seems they measure pretty close to advertised size, i think www.natltire.com has specs on them, i've never looked though. when they were mounted, the shop has some 39.5 intercos on 15x12's, mine stood just as tall on 15x10's. they're even with my cousin's 39.5 mickey's as well even bald.