Pics: Bronco Battle Scars From Completing Rubicon Trail

[MadMan4BamaNATL]

No Big whoop?! Brother, we're family as we're both here on this forum rooting for the Bronco. But if I'm spending $55-$60K or higher (Badlands + sasquatch + Lux) and they're boasting were the GOAT we have the GOAT transmission, and then you see that?!

On a personal level though, perhaps it's a personal problem right? I'll admit it LOL, but I don't run from a fight and I finish what I start. If I'm Ford and I say I have the GOAT transmission, you better back it up. Hey I hope your right, maybe they did finish, if so awesome!

A few too many action movies perhaps?

Whether or not you're able to complete an obstacle or not has more to do with the skill of the driver than the vehicle; much like driving a sports car on a track.

I've seen many an idiot bring a new Vette or 911 Turbo S to track day then end up beached in the sand or into the wall at Barber Motorsports Park; trust, it ain't an issue with the Porsche.

Same for wheeling. Seen many a knucklehead with a perfectly modded and lifted JK or JL, but either didn't have a spotter, or just didn't listen when said spotter yelled "Passenger, Passenger!" and they instead turned "Driver" and lost the line, banged on a boulder, and broke an axle.

This isn't about pride, or your ego. If a guy can't take the obstacle, he just can't do it. We don't give guys crap about it, we all have limits to confidence or don't want to damage our rig. When on the trail, I'd much rather have a guy take the bypass route if they aren't feeling it, rather than getting stuck n fuked, then I've got to help get under the rig with ratchet straps, the torch, or duct tape (always bring duct tape! Shits like magical powers) to help him avoid a $1500 recovery fee.

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[John Bronco]

I'd like to see the people talking shit in here to hop in that Bronco and show them how it's done. Ha.

Seems everyone is an armchair crawler.

I hear you and as someone who actually rockcrawls, it would be fun to do so.

That said, I don't think anyone who knows what they are talking about would jump in that vehicle with that attitude as wheeling a completely stock vehicle on even the most basic trails is a pain in the ass.

I'm sure a lot of people will think it's heresy to say this but this bronco is a good starting platform for light off-roading. The lockers and swaybars are a good start. But to do what it takes to get these vehicles (as set up in the video) up moderate obstacles, you'd have to do things like heat up the tire, drop the PSI down well below 20 psi and you're still going to be banging the belly pan and bumpers and I'm not totally sold on the idea that the front end is going to hold up to that kind of wheeling.

If we're having an honest conversation here, a stock rubicon is going to be in the same boat but probably have a slightly better shot with the straight axle up front. The Bronco isn't replacing the Jeep. It's a long awaited alternative to a Jeep.

To me, the question is what needs to be done to get this bronco up that obstacle or even the more difficult line. You're going to need traction (aired down sticky tires are ideal (I run 7 psi up front and 4 psi in back in the 39 krawlers on my buggy for frame of reference), going to need more articulation but with proper suspension geometry, need to keep the body low(ish). 2-4" lift with 37" minimum tire. At that point, you're talking about compromising a lot of the stock components but you're going to have better chance.

 

[John Bronco]

A few too many action movies perhaps?

Whether or not you're able to complete an obstacle or not has more to do with the skill of the driver than the vehicle; much like driving a sports car on a track.

I've seen many an idiot bring a new Vette or 911 Turbo S to track day then end up beached in the sand or into the wall at Barber Motorsports Park; trust, it ain't an issue with the Porsche.

Same for wheeling. Seen many a knucklehead with a perfectly modded and lifted JK or JL, but either didn't have a spotter, or just didn't listen when said spotter yelled "Passenger, Passenger!" and they instead turned "Driver" and lost the line, banged on a boulder, and broke an axle.

This isn't about pride, or your ego. If a guy can't take the obstacle, he just can't do it. We don't give guys crap about it, we all have limits to confidence or don't want to damage our rig. When on the trail, I'd much rather have a guy take the bypass route if they aren't feeling it, rather than getting stuck n fuked, then I've got to help get under the rig with ratchet straps, the torch, or duct tape (always bring duct tape! Shits like magical powers) to help him avoid a $1500 recovery fee.

Exactly. Hell, even if you listen to your spotter, bad things can and do happen. If I'm spending $50k-60k on a vehicle I'm not letting it even look at the rocks. For that price you can by a beater JK or TJ , LS and 1 ton swap it and have a proper wheeler. Hell at that price you can buy a sick buggy. Nope I'm good.

 

[Felix808]

There are harder trails than Rubicon. I think Slick Rock and Dusy/Ershim are more challenging. My 2 cents.

Dusy would be a challenge to come out unscathed in a 4-door Bronco. Some really tight spots & no bypasses. Awesome trail, but quite the marathon

 

[Macdaddy59]

If you're going rock crawling, check your ego at the trail-head... If you don't, you will break things or worse.

I understand your point... Ford giving it the GOAT name definitely opens the door for people to give you a hard time. Just laugh with them... You are meant to smile while driving the new Bronco. This isn't a $100k+ built buggy... It's a modern street legal (to current standards) vehicle that is designed to take on some pretty rugged stuff from the factory.

If you have to pull off to the side to let others through, it's no big deal... Anyone that is out there and in such a hurry that they get frustrated with you, has problems of their own that aren't for you to be worrying about.

We all want this thing to be awesome, but let's also be realistic with what a stock vehicle can/should do and more importantly, remember it's just meant to be fun!

Absolutely brother agree with you 100%. You get it. It's not that we're boasting about the GOAT, that's how WE will be labeled by others.

 

[Macdaddy59]

Exactly. Hell, even if you listen to your spotter, bad things can and do happen. If I'm spending $50k-60k on a vehicle I'm not letting it even look at the rocks. For that price you can by a beater JK or TJ , LS and 1 ton swap it and have a proper wheeler. Hell at that price you can buy a sick buggy. Nope I'm good.

Agreed. if the boast that Ford is making is GOAT, regardless of the reasons, you gotta be the GOAT or change ur name. And your absolutely right, I will be offroading for sure but to take my $55K and up Bronco on that negative. BUT... if my Bronco is being labeled as the GOAT, I should have the confidence and option to know that in my mind I look at that hill and say.. "If I wanted to I can take that hill no problem" Now... not sure I can say that.. so then the next question hits your mind mostly from the other half... "then why the hell did we spend all that damn money if you can't make it up the hill you want, should've just got the cheaper version" LOL. I apologize if it seems like a rant, but I want us to win.

We know who we're competing against.. here's the 4 words that we don't want said... "Well.. Jeep did it"

 

[Macdaddy59]

A few too many action movies perhaps?

Whether or not you're able to complete an obstacle or not has more to do with the skill of the driver than the vehicle; much like driving a sports car on a track.

I've seen many an idiot bring a new Vette or 911 Turbo S to track day then end up beached in the sand or into the wall at Barber Motorsports Park; trust, it ain't an issue with the Porsche.

Same for wheeling. Seen many a knucklehead with a perfectly modded and lifted JK or JL, but either didn't have a spotter, or just didn't listen when said spotter yelled "Passenger, Passenger!" and they instead turned "Driver" and lost the line, banged on a boulder, and broke an axle.

This isn't about pride, or your ego. If a guy can't take the obstacle, he just can't do it. We don't give guys crap about it, we all have limits to confidence or don't want to damage our rig. When on the trail, I'd much rather have a guy take the bypass route if they aren't feeling it, rather than getting stuck n fuked, then I've got to help get under the rig with ratchet straps, the torch, or duct tape (always bring duct tape! Shits like magical powers) to help him avoid a $1500 recovery fee.

Agreed. But.. If I'm selling a product that says GOAT and charging a fee for it, you better back it up. Shoulda had a spotter, shouldn't have done this and that... If I'm in marketing for Ford (which I'm not) and your trying to sell a product, you don't want anything to counter your point.. like that video. And no.. not too many action movies brother.

Listen brother you know dang well that despite checking our ego, which I'm with you on, you don't take a hill or a slope and it'll gnaw at ya. Also, despite what others may say... you hold up the line in Central Florida or Bama in the middle of August at 100% humidity people only have so much patience. Thirdly, yeah it's true people are for the most part cool, but you know dang well in the back of their mind they'll be like... "Nope not the GOAT today". Ford is boasting a title and we gotta live up to it like it or not.

 

[pan-y-cerveza]

You're taking this way too seriously. It's a truck. It says GOAT. Big deal. I honestly don't care one bit if a Jeep can drive over some rocks that my Bronco can't.

 

[Macdaddy59]

LOL at taking the GOAT seriously. It's marketing. Not a promise.

Make sure you tell that to the people when you're holding up the line when you can't make it up the hill. LOL!

 

[Macdaddy59]

While I would have liked to see the Bronco make it up the obstacle, I'm not too concerned - it looked like it certainly had the capability, it just didn't get it on the first attempt or two. That isn't that abnormal when out rock crawling.

Anyone that expects every single obstacle to be sent on the first go at it hasn't done any real rock crawling. That's part of the fun - giving it a go, re-adjusting, and going again until you get it (hopefully with minimal body damage )

For sure. Here's hoping that there's more to the story. I'm rooting for the Bronco for sure!

 

[stufarmer]

That's a lot of damage. I've had my share of Battle Scares on my Skid Plates and I've Scuffed up my Wheels more than once after crossing the Rubicon in my Jeeps. It's definitely not a first timers trail. It's easy, and not uncommon to slide off, and scrape up the body in a few tight spots, but you can also choose to avoid, or go around some of the most difficult sections along the trail. It would be interesting to see how it was driven, and why it had so much damage.

 

[Macdaddy59]

Marketing teams everywhere prey on consumers like you. Nobody is boasting about anything ‘GOAT’ here - please taper your expectations a bit.

edit: re-read your post and think you would make a fantastic motivational speaker or sports commentator.

Brother I can assure you no one is preying on me. You read my posts, and in reality it's just the opposite. Isn't' that the dang problem?... I... me... the consumer... need to taper my expectations??? Not Ford? Negative my man.. I freely admit I'm a prideful guy, I aim to win at everything I do, and defeat does not sit well with me.. on any level. And If I see my future car failing (And again we don't know the full story) it will not sit well with me. And to tell you the truth brother.. it shouldn't sit well with Ford either.

Now I'll get ridiculous I know.. but you know what? In Ford vs. Ferrari, among all the other things in that fictional movie "Based on a true story", one of the things I took away from the movie, Ford didn't like to fail or be dominated either. "This is not the first time Ford has gone to War"...

 

[Rollerstud98]

Brother I can assure you no one is preying on me. You read my posts, and in reality it's just the opposite. Isn't' that the dang problem?... I... me... the consumer... need to taper my expectations??? Not Ford? Negative my man.. I freely admit I'm a prideful guy, I aim to win at everything I do, and defeat does not sit well with me.. on any level. And If I see my future car failing (And again we don't know the full story) it will not sit well with me. And to tell you the truth brother.. it shouldn't sit well with Ford either.

Now I'll get ridiculous I know.. but you know what? In Ford vs. Ferrari, among all the other things in that fictional movie "Based on a true story", one of the things I took away from the movie, Ford didn't like to fail or be dominated either. "This is not the first time Ford has gone to War"...

Oh man, without even looking at your profile I was going to ask if you were from Tampa, checked and saw Florida. So are you from Tampa?

 

[RockEye]

that sounds like an excuse when you can't do something. Heavy lies the crown, and yes price matters, price matters when I pay for a package and it doesn't perform regardless of the reason. we can talk about physics and science all day, but at the end of the day... unless we see more... we got beat by that hill, and no amount of science is going to change that. Don't make excuses for failure, get up and try again.

I want you to tell the crowd watching, or the gal you're trying to impress, or your buddies off roading when you're the only one who can't make it up the hill. "Damn slippery rocks again" you know what they'll say? "Hey I thought you were the GOAT?!"

See that's my point, us future Bronco owners have a target on our back now because we are boasting we have the GOAT, and then you see that. That's my point. But of course, people will say "It doesn't matter what people think" well... My answer to that... I wouldn't want to be the guy who had to get out of line because I couldn't make the hill (if you notice there were a bunch of cars behind him) and wait to let all the other guys pass me and make it up the hill.

Maybe they made it up the hill. Hey, I'm hoping it did . Bronco Fan here. But let's keep it real as well.

Nobody is boasting about GOAT. It's just a fancy feature that is nearly useless to a seasoned driver. Seriously, get over it. It's a marketing trick at best. There is a lot more to the truck than a bit of software. You're focusing on this way too much.

Other people having to wait for their turn on a obstacle is going to happen all of the time. You'd know that already if you've done trails.

 

[Macdaddy59]

Nobody is boasting about GOAT. It's just a fancy feature that is nearly useless to a seasoned driver. Seriously, get over it. It's a marketing trick at best. There is a lot more to the truck than a bit of software. You're focusing on this way too much.

Other people having to wait for their turn on a obstacle is going to happen all of the time. You'd know that already if you've done trails.

Hey dude, let me be clear, I get over things and I say what I want to say when I want to say it. Period. And you're wrong in assuming if I've ever done trails.

I've got an opinion and I'll listen to yours but don't ever come at me with that tone. I got a problem with that video, and I made it known. End of story.

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