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Wheeler Lake June 18 2020

Romer

RS Moderator
Staff member
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Centennial, Colorado
Not knowing your skill level, I believe your truck will be fine :)
 

DaveInDenver

Rising Sun Ham Guru
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Jun 8, 2006
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12,950
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Grand Junction
My experience was that a stock truck is fine except for the last few hundred yards. It wasn't possible for me in a stock IFS mini truck.

Having someone spot you through the notch would be good just so you get your tires placed right. it looks harder than it is, but the photos sure are cool.

DSC00932_mid.jpg

I did do a slight bit of damage to the truck on that trip, the lower front air dam self clearanced at some point.

DSC00944_with_arrow_mid.jpg
 

CardinalFJ60

Rising Sun Member
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Aug 23, 2005
Messages
2,483
Location
Lafayette
I did it in my lx470 on 32’s and sliders. Was challenging, but…35’s. You should be fine. IMHO
 

Notyourmomslx450

Cruise Moab Committee
Cruise Moab Committee
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Aug 4, 2014
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3,202
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Westminster
Sorry for the random thread bump, but I thought this would be a good place to ask.

I'm doing Wheeler Lake for the first time next week. I'll be in my LX570 which is stock besides 35's and sliders. No lockers. Will I be in over my head? Are there bypasses for the major obstacles if needed? The 80 made pretty much everything easy, but I'm still getting used to the big minivan.

I'll be going with a friend of my wife's in a late model Taco TRD. We've known the guy forever, but never wheeled with him, so I'm not sure if he's a competent spotter.
Before you get to the lake at the top of bowling ball hill, there’s a spot that’s been knows to give a lot of people a hard time.
 

Killacaviar

New-ish
Joined
Oct 8, 2021
Messages
13
Location
Golden, CO
Sorry for the random thread bump, but I thought this would be a good place to ask.

I'm doing Wheeler Lake for the first time next week. I'll be in my LX570 which is stock besides 35's and sliders. No lockers. Will I be in over my head? Are there bypasses for the major obstacles if needed? The 80 made pretty much everything easy, but I'm still getting used to the big minivan.

I'll be going with a friend of my wife's in a late model Taco TRD. We've known the guy forever, but never wheeled with him, so I'm not sure if he's a competent spotter.
I have ran it multiple times with a 570 on 35s and sliders… you should be fine with decent spotter/another person.
 

Heckraiser

Locked
Joined
Jan 6, 2011
Messages
240
Location
Westminster
FWIW, the minivan did not make it. Traction control was going nuts and and the button to turn it off is apparently inoperable. Made it over the rough section at the bottom and the first big gatekeeper obstacle, but wouldn't go up the second big gate keeper--too much wheelspin. I might need a zero-point calibration and I definitely need to figure out the VSC button. Spotting was good, IMO.

The others in the group (rear-locked taco and F/R locked chevy colorado) made it up to that tight spot near the top at the lake, but couldn't make it through because of wet tires sliding off their line. Kept sliding towards a boulder on the side of the road that would have done damage higher up on the body (above the sliders) so they called it quits and we walked to the lake :eek:
 

Killacaviar

New-ish
Joined
Oct 8, 2021
Messages
13
Location
Golden, CO
FWIW, the minivan did not make it. Traction control was going nuts and and the button to turn it off is apparently inoperable. Made it over the rough section at the bottom and the first big gatekeeper obstacle, but wouldn't go up the second big gate keeper--too much wheelspin. I might need a zero-point calibration and I definitely need to figure out the VSC button. Spotting was good, IMO.

The others in the group (rear-locked taco and F/R locked chevy colorado) made it up to that tight spot near the top at the lake, but couldn't make it through because of wet tires sliding off their line. Kept sliding towards a boulder on the side of the road that would have done damage higher up on the body (above the sliders) so they called it quits and we walked to the lake :eek:
You try holding that traction button for 10 seconds with center diff locked and in 4 low?
 
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