What mods are needed if any to tackle vic high country

[Rugrat]

Originally Posted by JeepMangler

hey guys and girls, am fairly new to all this, am looking for info from any of you expeacially MJOC members about driving in the vic high country. I've got a stock 09 jk unlimited sport crd with 17" and 32" wrangler silent armours, .... .......
tackle tracks like zeka, wombat range, crooked river, blue rag, butchers, billy goat bluff, and the likes, in mostly dry conditions, ..... ...

(P.S. to MJOC members, i probably join them once i have my Jk set up and get some time to do drivers course, hehe)

Answer to the first question - is the Jeep good enough 'basically' off the dealers floor............
- YES!!!
I caught the jeep bug when I drove one for a mate, who was writting an article, on tracks 4wdVic accredited course would use for the 'High Country or Prof + course' - it didnt miss a beat - was a Rubi but lockers etc were not used - except for possing factor...

I own a 2dr Rubi - it has the mopar lift but still std tyres and I used that to Set and Q/A sections of a 4wd competition down around Aberfeldy and some of those tracks are 'interesting' - especially when your competing as the red mist can drift down

By the sounds of it, you have some experience at least and your setting up the car nicely...

Join a club ---- MJOC or any other (you don't need to own certain vehicle to join other clubs), get the Driver Training - I know who I'd head to for that and then get out and enjoy -


(puts on flame proof suit and runs.....)

One day I may Red Wine and Cheese by joining MJOC but I'll stay where I am - content with my lattes & jigsaws........

[jeepnjules]

Any standard of the showroom floor 4wd with low and high range will do these tracks you have mentioned on allterrain tyres , probably not a good idea to take a soft offroader as some of the tracks you will need low range to negotiate, been on these tracks with a holden frontera, and was a walk in the park even billygoat bluff ( was dry though)

[PapaSmurf]

JeepMangler - as the others have said, your JK will do fine in the High Country as is. But in case something goes horribly wrong, I'd recommend having at least one other vehicle with you. Even though the area is very popular and most of the tracks there are frequently attended, it is still possible to get stranded in the middle of nowhere and not see another soul for a few days.

[loric]

A stock JK will be fine. Spent a fair bit of time up there and those tracks in a mildly modded KJ with bigger rubber. Your JK will be more capable off the showroom than mine and you won't have a prob if you air down.
Most of that area has NextG reception higher up on the hill and you are never more than 2 days walk out, so it's not really that isolated (unless you are injured or whatnot).
My only tip would be to carry warm clothes and food/fuel to sit out bad weather (same in any alpine area). I was up King Billy last year and got caught in white-out conditions.
18" of snow fell over two days and made all the big holes/rocks pretty much invisible.
My fave part of the world - hope you have a great time up there.
If it's really wet, have a go going up Corn Hill Logging Track. Clay+Steep+wetbark+running water = FUN!

[Rugrat]

Originally Posted by loric

If it's really wet, have a go going up Corn Hill Logging Track. Clay+Steep+wetbark+running water = FUN!

Yep I'll second that - and a nice spot to camp just on the other side of the river. Quite popular though so expect 'neighbours'.

[Crackles]

Minimum mods for the High Country would ideally be a 2" lift as the Unlimited has a very long wheel base (easy to belly out), a snorkel & diff breathers. (rivers are often up to 1m deep) A larger relocated steering dampner could be handy as well. The rest of the items you are looking at fitting including oversized muddies & lockers are for far more serious driving than you'll come accross in places like Billy goat & Wonnangatta.

[JeepMangler]

yea i thought about getting an ome steering damperner when i go get the OME lift, where to relocate it to? is there a bracket available to do that, read in one of the post about poly bringing out steering damperner relocation bracket and trackbar bracket? is that one of them, what others are available and from whom?