Anyone off-road with a QT1?

Rev. Al · 07-13-2008, 08:50 PM

I know...but this is what I got stuck with.
My wife's 06WK which happens to have a QT1 not the QT2.
Does anyone try wheeling without low range?

05WKinPA · 07-14-2008, 08:16 AM

I have the QT1 and have mildly offroaded it a few times. It's still very capable, but it's obviously going to have some limitations. I would suggest maybe a budget boost lift and some mud or all terrain tires if it's in the budget. I think you'll find it to be much more capable. On the "other" forum, their is a guy with the 3.7 and a 4" superlift who's been in the badlands with it and posted some pics. Sounds like it did pretty well in there.

Rev. Al · 07-14-2008, 08:55 AM

Thanks for the reply.
Is the RR 2.25 working out pretty good?
Do you have any pictures of your Jeep with the lift & tires.
I agree with you. I think a mild lift and slightly larger tire will look and work just fine. If I need to do more serious off roading in the future, I'll build up a better suited Jeep.

05WKinPA · 07-14-2008, 09:19 AM

The RR lift is working great. It really isn't too difficult of an install either. I would suggest going with the rear Bilsteins when and if you decide to lift it. The rear shocks really show their weakness when extended. I see you're in Jersey....me and my friends hit the Pine Barrens alot, so if you're ever interested in checking it out, just let me know. My stock WK before the lift was great in there...much to my surpise.

Here is a link to some pics. If these don't work...they're on page 17 of the WK Picture thread

http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift1.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift9.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift8.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift6.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift7.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift6.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift4.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift3.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f8...c610/lift2.jpg

ltdanyj · 07-14-2008, 11:19 AM

I've wheeled our '08WK once with the QT1... It actually did pretty good with mild stuff/mud, but I really had to remember that I didn't have the ground clearance of a wrangler....

sabre364 · 07-14-2008, 01:22 PM

You simply have to consider what kind of terrain you are going to encounter. Essentially you can do whatever you want, but you don't have 4lo, so creeping along for an extended period of time or over big rocks and lots of mud probably ain't your best bet.

I am not to the level of some of our fellow JF-ers who crawl the rocks and serious mud trails, but I do hit forest service trails and seasonal use highways all the time, regardless of the season. I also go out and play in the mud once in a while with my buddies and their 4x4 trucks, though haven't got a chance to do it with the WK yet. I did go once down a stream bed and I definitely was able to do a lot more than my buddies 05? chevy 1500 w/t 4x4 at least traction wise. For all those uses QTI is fine. I am trying to think and the only low speed crawling situations I'd really get myself into is deep snow(thats why I run snows) or perhaps a little bit of mud. AWD will really get you more places than you would think. I've thrown subarus around everywhere I've ever gone that needed power to all the wheels and they had maybe 4 or 5 inches at most of clearance, so I'm not really worried.

A budget lift (2.5 RR) would be a good idea. Most important are the tires. Unless you're getting screwed because of the stock clearance, most of the time you'll be getting stuck with the stock tires. Find yourself a nice A/T and go for it!

Remember your front air dam comes off! I'll need to remember that as well when winter hits and I'm screwing around in a parking lot.

Rev. Al · 07-14-2008, 08:03 PM

Thanks for the feedback.
O5WK what tires are you running in the pictures?
Your truck looks great!
Thanks

05WKinPA · 07-15-2008, 09:11 AM

They are 31" General Grabber AT2's. Got a great deal on them and they have a very similar tread pattern to the much more expensive BF Goodrich All Terrains. Best part is that the spare fit underneath fully inflated. Thanks for the compliment.

rwmorrisonjr · 07-15-2008, 11:09 AM

Just tried to look at the pics, the links aren't working.

How do the General's ride? I'm running the Goodyear SilentArmors and am not impressed, they ride very rough and vibrate at highway speeds.

colinzj · 07-15-2008, 11:46 AM

The Wrangler Silent Armors shouldn't be giving you that kind of problem. Definitely head back to the tire shop. Something's off, whether it's the balancing or the tire. (Or, God forbid, the lugnuts... but most tire shop employees do seem less reliable than trained monkeys these days.)

05WKinPA · 07-15-2008, 11:59 AM

I have no complaints... They've got a little hum on the road, but definitely nothing to the point of being annoying. I was in the Outer Banks in N. Carolina last week and it handled great at highway speeds on the way down and back. No vibrations at all. Aired down to 20 psi once I got to the island and headed out onto the beach with it. Handled great in the deep sand...the rpm's stayed very low and I got great traction through some pretty deep and soft sand. Even stopped in the deep stuff to let a Tahoe having some major issues with the sand get by....was able to start right back up with no trouble. The treads did clog up a little with packed sand, but traction still was not an issue. For the cheap price, they're a great tire.

Crappy cell phone pic from the beach...

and a couple from the day the tires went on.

TRZ · 07-15-2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by colinzj

The Wrangler Silent Armors shouldn't be giving you that kind of problem. Definitely head back to the tire shop. Something's off, whether it's the balancing or the tire. (Or, God forbid, the lugnuts... but most tire shop employees do seem less reliable than trained monkeys these days.)

Ditto. My Silent Armors have been quite impressive on the highway.

spryan81 · 07-15-2008, 01:43 PM

I was actually wondering how that was going to work. The only off-roading I've done is drive up my front lawn haha, just a steep incline and grass... I'm actually in NC and thought about driving on the beach but my only concern now is that my tires are nitrogen filled so getting them re-inflated would be kind of a hassle. I just wasn't sure how the Commander would do with the stock tires and the QT1.

05WKinPA · 07-15-2008, 02:36 PM

The majority of the trucks i saw out on the beach were bone stock. I don't think you'll have any problems. I installed my rear tow hook the week before I went down there as a "just incase" precaution (didn't want to be pulling it from the axle)...still haven't gotten around to doing the front. I would say to just make sure you have at least one tow point (peferrably both), just incase you need a tug out of a deep area. But go for it...it was a ton of fun....I think i did more beach driving than i did surfing that weekend.

tennesseewj · 07-15-2008, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 05WKinPA

I have no complaints... They've got a little hum on the road, but definitely nothing to the point of being annoying. I was in the Outer Banks in N. Carolina last week and it handled great at highway speeds on the way down and back. No vibrations at all. Aired down to 20 psi once I got to the island and headed out onto the beach with it. Handled great in the deep sand...the rpm's stayed very low and I got great traction through some pretty deep and soft sand. Even stopped in the deep stuff to let a Tahoe having some major issues with the sand get by....was able to start right back up with no trouble. The treads did clog up a little with packed sand, but traction still was not an issue. For the cheap price, they're a great tire.

Crappy cell phone pic from the beach...

and a couple from the day the tires went on.

No click for you!