Re: Line Selection

[Curt Cleavinger <rcleavin@domain.elided>]

>Date: Mon, 21 Dec 1998 14:37 -0800 (PST)
>From: jmbrodsky@domain.elided
>Subject: digests leaking through and hooray for my steed.

>        My Scout performed flawlessly on the trail run this saturday.  
>     Even with stock height, I maintain that line selection will win 
>     the day.  A guy in front of me, had the worst line selection 
>     imaginable, 4" lift yet: tires in the air, rocks, flying debris, 
>     and tread scars everywhere.  I went through the same spot, and 
>     never got the truck tilted a bit.  Never rubbed a thing.  Turns 
>     out that this same guy in the trail line decided to go with a 
>     split of the main group for a different trail, and broke the left 
>     rear main leaf.  He had a pull-pal holding the spring eyes 
>     towards eachother, and limped out at 1mph.  Ouch.  Live and learn 
>     I guess.
Joel,
  I agree completely - up to a point. For the last couple of years, I've been the
lone stock-height Scout to go out regularly with a group of lifted and heavily
modified Scouts. In that time, I've been able to go just about everywhere the
modified Scouts have gone. I do have front and rear lockers, which make
an amazing difference. The two shortcomings (pardon the pun) of
my stock-height Scout compared to the lifted ones are that I tend to hang up
on the frame at times (make sure to reinforce the bracket at the rear of the 
front springs!), and I tend to take more body damage than the taller Scouts 
(the first few dents hurt the most - after that it gets easier). A good stout 
bumper (see http://www.off-road.com/~jweed/pictures/hole13.gif for a
pictorial explanation of why this would help - this was the first dent on my
Scout - ouch!) and rocker protection of some sort would help the body damage.
Hanging up on the frame is the main reason I'll ahead and lift my Scout.

Later,
  Curt