4x4 recipes for success are no big secret. We see them all the time in Moab. One-ton axles, big-ass tires, V-8 engines, coilover shocks, and four-links-they're all in abundance during Easter Jeep Safari. Why? Because they work! But some other tricks of the trade that we see in Moab (and other places as well) work well too. Stuff that works, but you might not know about. Here is just a glimpse of some ideas you'll see next time you're in Moab. Talk about your winch anchors! On Pritchett Canyon, there are a few permanent winch anchors stuck in the rocks. This provides an invaluable tool that Jeepers can hook a winch line to and keep themselves safe while winching up the ascent. Though you'll rarely find a permanent winch anchor (toe stubber!) on a trail, a tree or other vehicle will also serve well. You can also buy mobile winch anchors like the Pull Pal that will sink into soft ground and give an incredibly strong point to pull from.Talk about your winch anchors! On Pritchett Canyon, there are a few permanent winch anchor This is no truck mod to get you up and over an obstacle, but rather a very effective method used by the earliest pioneers with horse-drawn buggies. Rock stacking has got to be one of the oldest tricks in the book. And the best part is that one of our staffers caught Walker Evans doing it! The Man himself, stacking rocks! We love it. Oh, Walker's gonna have some words for us....This is no truck mod to get you up and over an obstacle, but rather a very effective metho Have a floppy set of coils that like to bow out and sometimes dislodge themselves? Try this trick. The steel cable was run from coil to coil, and while it is able to go floppy during articulation, it will become taut as soon as the coil springs start to bow out.Have a floppy set of coils that like to bow out and sometimes dislodge themselves? Try thi Ah, dual shackles-remember those? Things like BFGoodrich's Velvet Ride shackles, revolver shackles, and dual shackles were just getting popular when four-links became all the rage. If you're unfamiliar with how dual shackles work: The first shackle lies flat under the frame while the second shackle attaches the leaf spring and acts like a normal shackle/leaf setup under normal highway conditions. When it's time to let the suspension droop off-road, the first shackle will move away from the frame, allowing lots of axle droop. The issue? If not set up correctly, the dual shackles could fold the wrong way when the suspension compresses.Ah, dual shackles-remember those? Things like BFGoodrich's Velvet Ride shackles, revolver Mini ATV/utility winches on the ends of 4x4s are used to keep the suspension compressed for climbing or descending (front one for climbing, rear one for descending). We've seen it on more hard-core off-road-only rigs for a few years now, but we haven't really seen too many street-legal wheelers running them. We do see a lot of guys running their front winch lines down to their axles to get the same results, but a setup strictly for cinching down the front or rear is nice because all you have to do is hit a button on the dash. This particular buggy did it a little differently, mounting the small winch on the axle instead of to the chassis.Mini ATV/utility winches on the ends of 4x4s are used to keep the suspension compressed fo Driveshaft hoops are nothing new. In fact they've probably been around longer than most of you have been alive. But still, we don't see very many rigs running them. Why not? If they're carefully measured for clearance and designed properly, they'll never get in the way of any driveshaft movement or ever hang you up on a rock. There is no downside to them, yet it's one of those mods that lots of guys overlook (including ourselves sometimes). Have you ever seen what a driveshaft does when a U-joint lets go at speed under a truck or Jeep? Not a pretty sight, and potentially very dangerous as well.Driveshaft hoops are nothing new. In fact they've probably been around longer than most of Though not many guys use 'em, steel rollers like the one on the front of this HighRock 4x4 bumper allow you to slide more easily across objects, should you get hung up a little bit. Obviously, the common argument is "Well, why wouldn't you just pull the roller off and maybe that extra bit of approach angle would let you over the obstacle without touching?" Maybe so, but hey, it's just another method. Not everyone wants to drive blue trucks.Though not many guys use 'em, steel rollers like the one on the front of this HighRock 4x4 Traction-bar setups are no new thing, but we don't see them on front axles very often. But why not? We caught up with this Toyota running leaves and a Dana 60 on the Coyote Trail near Area BFE, and he was going just about anywhere he wanted with minimal front spring wrap and no binding of front suspension parts that we saw. His front traction bar and shackle setup was slung from the crossmember in between the front spring hangers.Traction-bar setups are no new thing, but we don't see them on front axles very often. But By Jerrod Jones Enjoyed this Post? Subscribe to our RSS Feed, or use your favorite social media to recommend us to friends and colleagues!
