new off roader needs some help?

ReInspired

New Member
Hey guys, im starting to get into off roading a bit, well ive always road motorcycles and ATVs but now that Ive had my license for almost a year (im almost 17) im starting to get into off roading with our car.

I have a few questions, first of all, isnt there a different name to call it than, "off roading"

second, ive been using our ford ranger for off roading, but my dad is getting sick of it, cause its a mess all the time, and he is afraid im wearing it down, which is probably true.

So im looking into buying a cheap 4X4 vehicle to off road with. Im not talking about any major rock crawling, but just some fairly rough terrain, and some mud paddling.

Ive been leaning towards an Isuzu rodeo, cause ive heard good things about them, and they are cheap. What do you guys think. Also, is there a cheap way to get a small 2-3 inch lift for the rodeo, like maybe under 150 bucks.

Or should I go with the honda version of the rodeo, the passport i think. Any difference?

Any other small cheap 4X4s Should i just buy another ranger, and get a lift?
 

lewis

Fight Till You Die
Location
Hairyman
No on rodeo or passport. Go with a toyota as they are cheap and the more you wheel the more you will want to make your truck better which is easy and cheap with a toyota.
 

ReInspired

New Member
actually from what i can see, they hold their price range pretty good, i can get a 98 rodeo for 3 grand, but a toyota for 3 grand is usually no ealier than a 91 or so

and as for Toyota, which is better, 4runner, or tacoma?
 

ReInspired

New Member
well, i do like tacoma,s ive always wanted to buy one,

but i was thinking a cheap rodeo would be good to start one

does any have a rodeo or has driven one? are they ok off road?

btw, what do you guys think about for rangers, mine seems to handle ok, but weve had tons of problems with it, mostly in the electrical system. also, i think i screwed up the transmission today, going up millville canyon
 

Herzog

somewhat damaged
Admin
Location
Wyoming
From what I have seen, Rodeo's are not a bad platform to start with. They come with a disk brake rear D44 and they are a good wheelbase & width.

If you get more serious about technical 4 wheeling you will probably want to ditch the IFS in favor for a solid front axle but even so a swap under a rodeo wouldn't be too much work.
 

ReInspired

New Member
thanks bro,

by the way, can anyone tell me how big of tires you can put on a rodeo without a lift kit, and can someone answer my questions about a lift kit for the rodeo
 

Deweyxj

Invisible, on purpose!
So im looking into buying a cheap 4X4 vehicle to off road with. Im not talking about any major rock crawling, but just some fairly rough terrain, and some mud paddling.

Ive been leaning towards an Isuzu rodeo, cause ive heard good things about them, and they are cheap. What do you guys think. Also, is there a cheap way to get a small 2-3 inch lift for the rodeo, like maybe under 150 bucks.

Or should I go with the honda version of the rodeo, the passport i think. Any difference?

Any other small cheap 4X4s Should i just buy another ranger, and get a lift?


Dont know much about the Rodeo/Passport other than they are the same vehicle with different badges & they have Independant Front Suspension or IFS & is expensive to lift.

A good option would be an older Jeep Cherokee or Wrangler.

Either one can be bought fairly cheep & can be lifted quite cheaply in your own garage without any special tools & only basic mechanicle skills:)!
 

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
First and foremost if you are just getting into this sport, educate yourself regarding the rules that apply. You've started off well by joining RME, but check out the Utah 4-Wheel Drive Association and Tread Lightly. It is very very important that you understand that there are do's and do not's about 4-wheeling on public lands.
Next up, if you like Rodeo's, cool! I always thought that a Rodeo or the much cooler Amigo would be a great platform. There are a couple of companies out there that support Isuzu's. Calmini is probably the biggest. Most importantly before you buy a vehicle though is to do your research. Determine what your needs are and ask yourself if your desired vehicle will fulfill them. Entertain multiple options. For example, an older Toyota is a fine choice in comparison to a newer Isuzu. Why? Toyotas are known for their solid reliability and have a massive amount of aftermarket support. Jeeps are also a great way to get started. Their reliability isn't quite as well known as Toyota, but aftermarket parts are abundant.
Finally, go out with other people. Look at the Upcoming Trips section here on RME. Either take your Ranger on some of the milder stuff or see if you can hop a ride. Getting an idea about what other people are doing will give you perspective on what you are thinking about.
Welcome and good luck! Don't hesitate to ask questions and remember to use the search function here on RME. Many of the questions that you may have in your head have probably been asked before and there is a plethora of information to sift through out there.
 

ReInspired

New Member
isnt IFS better though? and ill look into a wrangler, what about a grand cherokee? whats the difference between a grand cherokee and a cherokee
 

ReInspired

New Member
First and foremost if you are just getting into this sport, educate yourself regarding the rules that apply. You've started off well by joining RME, but check out the Utah 4-Wheel Drive Association and Tread Lightly. It is very very important that you understand that there are do's and do not's about 4-wheeling on public lands.
Next up, if you like Rodeo's, cool! I always thought that a Rodeo or the much cooler Amigo would be a great platform. There are a couple of companies out there that support Isuzu's. Calmini is probably the biggest. Most importantly before you buy a vehicle though is to do your research. Determine what your needs are and ask yourself if your desired vehicle will fulfill them. Entertain multiple options. For example, an older Toyota is a fine choice in comparison to a newer Isuzu. Why? Toyotas are known for their solid reliability and have a massive amount of aftermarket support. Jeeps are also a great way to get started. Their reliability isn't quite as well known as Toyota, but aftermarket parts are abundant.
Finally, go out with other people. Look at the Upcoming Trips section here on RME. Either take your Ranger on some of the milder stuff or see if you can hop a ride. Getting an idea about what other people are doing will give you perspective on what you are thinking about.
Welcome and good luck! Don't hesitate to ask questions and remember to use the search function here on RME. Many of the questions that you may have in your head have probably been asked before and there is a plethora of information to sift through out there.

alright thanks man, ill check out all the stuff you said, thanks for the great help bro
 

ReInspired

New Member
just looking into lifts for the rodeo, they are all very expensive, there is no way to lift them yourself? My dad knows quite a bit about cars etc... he was a mechanic for awhile, so we have the know how
 

Stephen

Who Dares Wins
Moderator
just looking into lifts for the rodeo, they are all very expensive, there is no way to lift them yourself? My dad knows quite a bit about cars etc... he was a mechanic for awhile, so we have the know how

Well... yes I suppose if you have the capabilities to fabricate the correct parts. Buying a lift kit from a known manufacture comes with the knowledge that they have tested it and know that it works correctly.
The aftermarket for Isuzu's if pretty limited. As such, parts are usually going to be pretty pricey. Check out Planet Isuzoo if you want a lot of info on Rodeo's.
If price is a primary concern, I would seriously take a look at Toyota's from the late 80's to early 90's.
 
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lostsamurai

FnZuKiN24/7
Location
enoch,UT
If u want cheap get a samurai u can lift it 5.5" for free and it will go anywhere, rodeo's and amigo's arent popular mostly because of the ifs, the problem with ifs is cost to lift, problems when lifted include binding and breaking cv's, low ground clearance, very heavy, poor articulation, and super high cost. i would deff look into an older toyota with solid axle, a jeep cherokee older with solid front axle, any wrangler some prefer tj and some prefer yj, or a samurai, i paid $400 for mine and drove it home spent the weekend doing a spoa lift for free welded my spider gears and drove the hell out of it like that for 2 years, now mines a comp rig and i have 12k invested but ill never forget how i got here
 

gijohn40

too poor to wheel... :(
Location
Layton, Utah
they way you keep coming back to Parts for a rodeo it sounds like you have made your mind up already about getting one... Personally I wouldn't due to the high cost to lift it... I have an expedition with IFS and it cost me almost $3000 to lift it only 4 inches... where as for $3000 you can pick up a cherokee or grand cherokee and due just about as much with a stock one as you will in a rodeo...

Good luck! and welcome to RME
 

ReInspired

New Member
yea, well i have been looking into them for awhile, i think for now it will be a good choice, the only thing holding me back is the parts money.

I did test drive one, and i want on a back road, nothing rough, but i did like the way it felt

btw, which is better for off roading, manual transmission or auto?
 

DOSS

Poker of the Hornets Nest
Location
Suncrest
yea, well i have been looking into them for awhile, i think for now it will be a good choice, the only thing holding me back is the parts money.

I did test drive one, and i want on a back road, nothing rough, but i did like the way it felt

btw, which is better for off roading, manual transmission or auto?

That is personal preference but for the most part people seem to like Auto's for rock crawling and Manuals for more exploration type trips.. My suggestion would be go with an Auto and work on your driving skills.. don't mod your rig until you know what you want to do.. Like has been suggested go on some ride along and wheel what you got until you determine what you want before you dump lots of $$ into something that you may end up not wanting.. (I have a friend that dumped a few grand into mods only to decide he liked exploration travel better and his rock crawler sucked at doing 300 plus offroad miles in a couple of days)
 

Spork

Tin Foil Hat Equipped
yea, well i have been looking into them for awhile, i think for now it will be a good choice, the only thing holding me back is the parts money.

I did test drive one, and i want on a back road, nothing rough, but i did like the way it felt

btw, which is better for off roading, manual transmission or auto?

I say look at what you want to do and pick a vehicle that matches. You just may need a little more skill in areas than someone in a different vehicle. I guess if you need 4 doors and need the seating it may be a good choice. When I was 17 I don't think I ever filled all 4 seats in my car and I could have had a standard cab mini-truck that did everything I needed it to.

The auto vs manual is an individual choice. Pick what you prefer. I drive a stick and I'm usually the only one in the group I usually go to Moab with. (sometimes I'm the only non-jeep also). I've never drove an automatic as a daily driver and offroad they don't act as I expect.
 
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