Anyone run their Talon on the Rubicon Trail?

[lifeisgoodsteve]

Hi All,

Anyone have experience on the Rubicon trail with their Talon?

My Buddy is heading there in August with his modified Tacoma so I’m sorely tempted to join him.

if so or run similar, any highly suggested mods. Please keep in mind I’d rather not mod at this time what I don’t have to vs using this and an excuse to mod.

Currently:
X4 Live valve
32” BFG K3
Superatv front lower control arms
Winch w recovery gear
Rear hitch w shackle
Light bar front and light pods rear (
Front and rear Windshield

thanks,

s

 

[Admin]

 

[Adam490]

Hi All,

Anyone have experience on the Rubicon trail with their Talon?

My Buddy is heading there in August with his modified Tacoma so I’m sorely tempted to join him.

if so or run similar, any highly suggested mods. Please keep in mind I’d rather not mod at this time what I don’t have to vs using this and an excuse to mod.

Currently:
X4 Live valve
32” BFG K3
Superatv front lower control arms
Winch w recovery gear
Rear hitch w shackle
Light bar front and light pods rear (
Front and rear Windshield

thanks,

s

Get an aftermarket skid plate and I think you'll be golden. I'd love to run that trail

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

I would add high clearance radius rods and also some heavy duty tie rods to that list.

 

[Adam_20_Adam]

I just ran the rubicon. In a mostly stock talon x-4 on 31"s.
Things I broke. Bent all lower radius rods really bad. Steering box over heated and was like turning an old Willie's jeep with no power steering. It did start working again kinda. Destroyed the skid pan. So definitely need a UHMW one. I have honda rock sliders. Those are destroyed. Rear driver door got smashed up badly as there was a broke down jeep and we needed to pass in a really tight spot. Front passenger a-arm tweaked.
So I have ordered all new control arms with high rise. 6"portals and 36" tires and UHMW skid pan with slides. O and I-4wheel drive doesn't work well. So I ordered a locker. Waiting on parts before I decide what to do about the steering.
Fyi I had 4-220 lb guys in the machine and all the gear and food for camping for 4 days. So I was kinda a low rider even in the parking lot.
Still one of the best trips ever.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

I just ran the rubicon. In a mostly stock talon x-4 on 31"s.
Things I broke. Bent all lower radius rods really bad. Steering box over heated and was like turning an old Willie's jeep with no power steering. It did start working again kinda. Destroyed the skid pan. So definitely need a UHMW one. I have honda rock sliders. Those are destroyed. Rear driver door got smashed up badly as there was a broke down jeep and we needed to pass in a really tight spot. Front passenger a-arm tweaked.
So I have ordered all new control arms with high rise. 6"portals and 36" tires and UHMW skid pan with slides. O and I-4wheel drive doesn't work well. So I ordered a locker. Waiting on parts before I decide what to do about the steering.
Fyi I had 4-220 lb guys in the machine and all the gear and food for camping for 4 days. So I was kinda a low rider even in the parking lot.
Still one of the best trips ever.

With the 6" portals and the 36" tires I would strongly suggest you look into an RB3 billet steering rack and the Zollinger Racing Products full replacement Desert Series tie rod kit. You will probably need the upgraded power steering unit also.

Not one piece of the stock steering will be reliable with the amount of stress the portals and tires are going put into it.

 

[Vondy]

With the 6" portals and the 36" tires I would strongly suggest you look into an RB3 billet steering rack and the Zollinger Racing Products full replacement Desert Series tie rod kit. You will probably need the upgraded power steering unit also.

Not one piece of the stock steering will be reliable with the amount of stress the portals and tires are going put into it.

Is there an upgrade to power steering? Only one I know of is epowersteering.com and I have read some bad reviews about them lately.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Is there an upgrade to power steering? Only one I know of is epowersteering.com and I have read some bad reviews about them lately.

That's the only one I know of. What are the reviews saying?

 

[Vondy]

That's the only one I know of. What are the reviews saying?

Poor support and not backing their product when it fails.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Poor support and not backing their product when it fails.

That sucks.

 

[Vondy]

That sucks.

Just a few, but I haven't really found anyone that is running the setup to get additional feedback.

 

[SLOWPOKE693]

Anybody tried adapting a Saturn Vue electric P/S unit to a SxS yet? Samurai guys use them all the time to gain power steering without all the complications of having to source and install a pump, lines and a new steering box. The unit is fairly compact and could be mounted between the rack and column with minimal fabrication work.

 

[PaulF]

Just a few, but I haven't really found anyone that is running the setup to get additional feedback.

I believe that @Sheetmetalfab has the ePowersteering.com unit on his with portals. Maybe he can chime in here with any feedback.

 

[Adam_20_Adam]

With the 6" portals and the 36" tires I would strongly suggest you look into an RB3 billet steering rack and the Zollinger Racing Products full replacement Desert Series tie rod kit. You will probably need the upgraded power steering unit also.

Not one piece of the stock steering will be reliable with the amount of stress the portals and tires are going put into it.

Thanks for the heads up. I wasn't sure what I was going to do about the steering setup. I knew it wouldn't hold up but was kinda at a loss for which direction to go.

 

[lifeisgoodsteve]

I just ran the rubicon. In a mostly stock talon x-4 on 31"s.
Things I broke. Bent all lower radius rods really bad. Steering box over heated and was like turning an old Willie's jeep with no power steering. It did start working again kinda. Destroyed the skid pan. So definitely need a UHMW one. I have honda rock sliders. Those are destroyed. Rear driver door got smashed up badly as there was a broke down jeep and we needed to pass in a really tight spot. Front passenger a-arm tweaked.
So I have ordered all new control arms with high rise. 6"portals and 36" tires and UHMW skid pan with slides. O and I-4wheel drive doesn't work well. So I ordered a locker. Waiting on parts before I decide what to do about the steering.
Fyi I had 4-220 lb guys in the machine and all the gear and food for camping for 4 days. So I was kinda a low rider even in the parking lot.
Still one of the best trips ever.

Wow, that’s a pretty brutal weekend. How much do you think of the damage was caused by having an extra 700 pounds give or take?

is yours a live valve?

I love the idea of an epic trip, but I don’t want to be out thousands of dollars afterwards..

 

[Adam_20_Adam]

Wow, that’s a pretty brutal weekend. How much do you think of the damage was caused by having an extra 700 pounds give or take?

is yours a live valve?

I love the idea of an epic trip, but I don’t want to be out thousands of dollars afterwards..

If I were to do it again I would crank the suspension up to get as much clearance as possible. And for sure have a UHMW Skid plate before. I wouldn't have any damage. Just fyi parts to bring me back to before I left is $2370.00
The extra weight did kill me. I bet If I was a 2 seater and only had two of us it wouldn't have done any damage. As it sits.
Also one thing to note is I went 3 weeks ago. Note that the Monday I left they closed the trail and did some clearing of boulders for the Jeep Jamboree which ended Friday. And I do believe they are putting those boulders back in a week or so. Not for sure on when they put those back. Depending on when you go you could miss needing to navigate or go over those boulders.
And to say it was EPIC is as accurate of a term I can think of. Definitely want to do as much to mitigate the heat coming out of the shift tunnel as well. And yes my machine is a 2020 x- live valve. Here is a mountain of a rock I went over one of many.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Poor support and not backing their product when it fails.

My experience exactly ^^^^^.

Unit failed after 5 rides and only option is to buy more parts from them.

Of course everything was my fault. 🤷🏻‍♂️

Dust collectors.

 

[Sheetmetalfab]

Anybody tried adapting a Saturn Vue electric P/S unit to a SxS yet? Samurai guys use them all the time to gain power steering without all the complications of having to source and install a pump, lines and a new steering box. The unit is fairly compact and could be mounted between the rack and column with minimal fabrication work.

Epowersteering.com uses the saturn ps unit.

 

[bigshoe]

Portals are more for mud. the few guys I seen that constantly ran them trail riding where always fixing them. It's wasn't the portals fault it's just not what they made a for IMHO.

 

[Adam_20_Adam]

Portals are more for mud. the few guys I seen that constantly ran them trail riding where always fixing them. It's wasn't the portals fault it's just not what they made a for IMHO.

Yeah not sure. I spoke with Super Atv about using them for sand and rock crawling and the technician I spoke with said that's exactly what they are for. More ground clearance and keeping the axles at stock angles. I will let you all know what my experience is once I have them on.

 

[McCarthy]

Group rubicon trail ride?