Off-road questions from a guy with not a lot of off-road experience... (transmission and air compressor content)

[DanF.]

Newb questions:

 

Are there realistic pros or cons to driving off-road at slow speeds (+/-5mph) in 1st or 2nd gear with the OD off? Does having the torque convertor locked add any benefit to crawling along at low speeds?

 

Next, I've been looking for ways to increase traction while still adhering to the "tread lightly" philosophy and had a "duh" moment over never bothering to air down. For OEM size tires, what is a good pressure to drop to? Is 20psi still too high?

 

Also, I've seen a lot of positive reviews for the Viair 88P 12v portable compressor. Do any of you have experience with that model, or know of a better model in that sub-$100 category?

[mjotrainbrain]

Newb questions:

 

Are there realistic pros or cons to driving off-road at slow speeds (+/-5mph) in 1st or 2nd gear with the OD off? Does having the torque convertor locked add any benefit to crawling along at low speeds?

 

There are three main benefits:

 

1. Low speed means less whiplash to the occupants and less likelihood of damage to the vehicle

2. Overdrive off and low range keeps lower gears engaged, which forces the engine to rev higher, which keeps things flowing better

3. Overdrive off and low range keeps lower gears engaged, which gives more torque, which is useful in tricky off-road situations

 

In my experience, 5 mph is still too slow for most trails (obviously speed varies based on terrain and obstacles), but I usually go in the 10-15 range.

 

I haven't experimented with airing down yet, so others will have to chime in on that one!

[DanF.]

For some reason I posted twice.

Mods, feel free to move Post #2 to my other thread and delete this one. I hit the back button as I hit Post, and thought it was deleted. WHoops.

[97Pathfinderman]

Airing down vastly increases surface area of your tires to the ground and it makes a big difference on the trail. I'm not too sure what psi would be perfect for stock tires but I would think you would be perfectly fine with 15. Anything lower you might risk debeading on a trail due to the narrowness of the stock size tire. If you want to air down more than that on that tire size, you may need to invest in some beadlock wheels.