Sweet video dude! I haven't been through stuff like that since my Level II Ranger.

Just a FYI... it's not good for an automatic transmission to pull that hard in reverse. When you're in drive the clutch bands wrap around the clutch stacks and tighten against the clutches and itself because it's wrapped several times. When you're in reverse the clutch bands are rotated in the opposite direction and don't tighten against the clutch stacks for friction; you're generating power to the wheels directly through the clutch bands themselves; do it hard enough or often enough and the band will break off at the point where it's fixed to the stack.

Think about it kind of like a 2" wide ribbon wrapped tightly around your wrist about 10 times. If you pull on the loose end the ribbon just tightens up against itself and it doesn't unwrap. Now think about that ribbon made of a very thin gage spring steel wrapped around your wrist tightly 10 times and instead of pulling on the loose end... push it back towards your wrist; it will unwrap right to the other end which in the case of a clutch band that "other end" would be attached to the clutch stackup.

Not to mention, if the chain snapped it would be cheaper to replace your tailgate and/or rear bumper than it would be to replace the front bumper, grille, hood, and windshield. (BTW... this is why I'm interested in your tailgate. I sheared a 3/8" grade 8 bolt between two chain links pulling out a BURIED lifted Ram w/ 38" Super Swampers.)

 

And I know that in a lot of situations on a trail where you can't turn around it's unavoidable to pull in reverse, but flipping over the truck and pulling the white truck up the hill would probably be better done in a forward gear.

 

I'd love to see the pics of that Ram, sounds killer. Great suggestions, but I no longer pull with the tow hooks as I have a shackle hitch in the back now (I used to have to use a choke/slipchain's hook to attach it to my hitch, very unsafe). Good luck with your tailgate quest. There is actually a story behind why I'm selling that tailgate too. I was out wheeling (ironically at that same spot) and speeding out of there with my tailgate down going over bumps. Anyways, my tailgate pops out of it's sockets and was hanging by my bedrug. I kept hearing this rubbing and hitting sound so I ask my buddy what the hell that is and he goes, "Oh that? That's just your tailgate." "Oh ok," I said. So we're passing by quads and bikes who all turn to look back (I'm thinking, damn they must think I have a nice truck, they all want a piece of it look at'em starin). So we come down to a fishing spot and ask these fishermen with my head out the window if they caught anything and they go, "Is your tailgate supposed to be like that?" I go, "Oh yeah, it's fine." He says, "Wow man, I've never seen'em do that before, thats sweet." (that part really cracks me up, the tone of his voice was classic). I thought to myself...what kind of idiot is this guy looking back in my bed, "Well yeah, they all do that...what do you mean," I said. My buddy gets out and goes, it's hanging on by the Bedrug Jay, get out here and help me put this sucker back on. All 4 of us burst out laughing, the fishermen thought it was funny as hell. Needless to say it was scratched quite a bit and I had to sport them scratches for Months.

 

You know... I really hope you don't take this the wrong way because you seem like a cool guy, but sometimes when I read your posts (like the one above) I just say to myself, "Man that guy's an idiot." Not literally of course, but that's what I would expect one of my friends to call me after I got done telling them a story about how I dragged my tailgate through the woods for a few miles and thought some guys on quads were staring at me because they thought my truck was cool.

Funny story... literally had me laughing.

I don't see any lift pictures yet though!

 

Sorry no pictures of the Ram, but I have pictures of my chain whipped tailgate!

After I snapped the chain bolt I gave up on pulling that guy out. He did end up getting pulled out by a Ford though, but one much bigger than mine... a 4X4 dualie F-550 dump truck w/ a load of road salt in the dump bed.

 

haha, you know, I'm glad you explained yourself or I'd have been a little hurt. I'd like to see the tailgate bud, can't imagine. Anymore information from the story about the Ram? Did the dump truck pull him right out or did it take a few tugs? How does his hemi (if he has it) handle those tires and have you two raced? What has he done to his truck, and what about yours? Just a few questions, it's pretty late I know.

 

I need to make a gallery here.

No I never raced him, but his truck isn't really built for speed w/ 38" tires. His truck is powered adequately, but he regeared to 4.56's, has an intake and exhaust which is annoyingly loud (some type of Dynomax bullet mufflers). I don't know him that well; he's a friend of a friend who would get together with me and my buddies when we went on weekend wheeling trips. We'd fill our vehicle tanks and bring enough gas in cans to refill the vehicle tank... drive all day until the first person almost ran out of gas, set up camp, and go home the next day.

The dump truck got him out pretty easily but the owner had a 6" thick 50' Pro-Comp yank strap. (Something worth the money that I need to buy!)

My current truck isn't really anything special. It's a 2004 Lariat SCAB 4X4 w/ every option available except the gold two-tone paint. I replaced the gold grill with a black XLT grille, added a Superchips tuner, removed the two rear cats and have two 2.5" pipes into one 3" pipe w/ Flowmaster stainless Delta 50 muffler.

 

... oh and two KC daylighters mounted behind my grille and a dual FL1A oil filter setup.

I really need to make a gallery!

 

That thick of a yank strap will have no bungee effect whatsoever on your vehicles, it's for very large vehicles, sometimes tractors (i've seen a heavy duty forklift pulled out with one. I have a 4" thats a bit overkill, use just enough to safely get away with and use as many straps in conjunction (coupled with a shackle/clevice) for maximum stretch. Thats what got me out of a pretty bad stuck in my gallery. The superduty wasn't even budging me with a 3"x30' strap, so we used a 15 foot choke chain, a 3"x20' strap with another 3x30 strap and it worked like a charm, slingshotted me right out of that stuck (well after about the third tug using all those at the same time), all the tugs moved me a little but that last one slingshotted the hell outta me and didn't feel too rough on the truck. Tell that guy to invest in a damn winch, I'm seriously considering it because I outweigh the hell out of all my buddies and I'm always a task to get unstuck (I have no hi-lift jack points on the sides so half our tools are useless). I'm thinking of fabricating simple but durable rock sliders for this purpose (with the benefits of protection and step points as well).

I don't really mention the smaller mods I've done but if you're sharing I'm sure you're interested:
Royal Purple Synthetics
Mark LT Shifter Swap
Carbon Fiber Ford Emblem Overlay's
Carbon Fiber Taillights (these last two carbon fiber mods are brand new, pics to come)
Truetrac in front (coming very soon)
Several Offroad tools in the backseat (comealong, rec. straps, shackles, shackle hitch, ball hitch, etc.)
Bald tires
Spare tire for better traction
Bedrug (awesome for drive-in's with the gf and camping)
LED Bed Lighting (sitting next to me, going to install it soon w/switch in bed)
Mark LT handles coming very soon as well.

What are your next mods, as far as I know I'll have the biggest truck in my town besides a buddy around the corner who never takes his offroad (42" boggers, sweet looking lifted 2002 black chevy). Wish I had someone to pull me out on 38's around here, thats the reason for considering the winch. Well I think I'm heading to bed, way to late to be on the darn computer. Have a good one.

 

Bald tires! Yeah me too.

Actually I just ordered a new truck. I got a Dodge this time... yeah right. I ordered a silver FX4 SCAB w/ the two tone dk. shadow grey; I would have got another Lariat, but now that the FX4 offers the Luxury Package I went that route. It's pretty much exactly what I wanted when i ordered my 2004 Lariat except I couldn't get the Message Center. It's supposed to take upto two months, but I'm not in any real rush because I'm turning my Lariat lease in almost 1 year early.

The first mods on my new truck will all come together, but they won't be for about a year. Here's the list:

1) Fabtech or RCD 6" Lift w/ 6" of lift in rear also.
2) Undecided on tires, but probably 35x12.5" Toyo Open Country MT's (Unless BFG AT-KO comes out w/ some 35's for an 18" wheel).
3) Regear front and rear to 4.56 gears.

Now if Ford comes out with the "Hurricane" engine on a 4X4 platform like the Lariat or FX4 then I'll be trading in again. I have a feeling that the package may only be offered on a 4X2 platform the first year... hint!

 

I thought the Hurricane was scrapped? And you are able to regear, lift and mod the hell out of a leased truck? I'm assuming you're buying it this time around right? I think $800 for the luxury package (or whatever the cost was) is a STEAL for what it comes with, dual power seats, seat heaters, climate control, etc. Awesome package, wish that I had rear parking sensors and heated seats on mine.

 

and it is my favorite Josiah story of all time. That one is hard to beat. Kept me laughing for days.

 

My current 2004 is a lease. My vehicles previous to this F-150 were a 1989, 1992, another 1992, 1998, 2000, and 2002 (All Rangers all 4X4 except the 1st 1992). When the 2004 F-150's came out I decided to give one a try and I liked it enough to buy the one I just ordered.

 

I'm glad I could entertain you at the expense of a lighter wallet

 

josiah, im a little late on comin across this one, but awesome video, what all upgrades were on your truck suspension at the time, bigger tires? looked pretty much stock on that part, but just wanted to ask. i am startin to look for trails around here, and i am trying to gauge the capability of a stock truck, i have future mods planned, but i want to have some fun for now... by the way, exhaust sounds GREAT!!!!!