Minimum Ground Clearance?

To add some more...
What I can definitely say is that 5" aren't enough...
There's a thing to think about and not mentioned yet, future development. So let's just say you take a common IS suv with awd, then you are more or less set to what it is because completely modified suspension aren't commonly available, you may not be able to buy reinforced lower arms or uppers to accommodate more lift etc.
So if you buy something new anyway think about future development options. As we develop so do our rigs, several directions are possible with the right rig and you never know what the future holds. You can't be prepared for everything but you can get a really good starting point.
Let's take a Tacoma for example, you can do a lot of things with a stock one, you can build a almost do everything Overland rig with ultra light camper, you can build it to a rock crawler and you can build it into a prerunner /chase truck, the starting point of all that is the smart chosen vehicle you have to buy.
Hopefully you get what I am trying to say...
 
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I think you answered the question. Depends on where you are going. If in sand, sometimes it's soft and sometimes it's hard. A basic route of dirt can be flooded with 24" of water one day and 2 days later it's not there. A washout with bad camber and eat lifted trucks alive and you may run into that. I prefer to be prepared for all of that. I'd say 90% of my travels are way underrated for my truck. But it's only overkill, until it isn't.
 
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Hey, its always the same .... once I think about a specific car .... I see them everywhere! You will not believe how many people in my neighborhood drive a Forester, Outback, Xterra, Grand Cherokee, 4Runner, etc. I checked out some vehicles (ground clearance, wheelbase, trunkspace). They all looked pretty capable for what i wanna do. Now I have to find the right balance of Stock capability and fuel efficiency. The reason for this threat was not about to find a specific car, but ... my heart is telling me to take the 4th Gen 4Runner. My head the 3rd Gen Outback. And my wallet : come on, stop it :D

slomatt said:
Breakover angle might be a better metric to think about than ground clearance. A vehicle with a longer wheelbase will need more clearance under the belly (not necesssarily the lowest spot) to have the equivalent breakover angle of a shorter vehicle.
Click to expand...


MazeVX said:
To add some more...
What I can definitely say is that 5" aren't enough...
There's a thing to think about and not mentioned yet, future development. So let's just say you take a common IS suv with awd, then you are more or less set to what it is because completely modified suspension aren't commonly available, you may not be able to buy reinforced lower arms or uppers to accommodate more lift etc.
So if you buy something new anyway think about future development options. As we develop so do our rigs, several directions are possible with the right rig and you never know what the future holds. You can't be prepared for everything but you can get a really good starting point.
Let's take a Tacoma for example, you can do a lot of things with a stock one, you can build a almost do everything Overland rig with ultra light camper, you can build it to a rock crawler and you can build it into a prerunner /chase truck, the starting point of all that is the smart chosen vehicle you have to buy.
Hopefully you get what I am trying to say...
Click to expand...

You are so right! Future Development is also a point to consider. With the vehicles on my "list" I think I have good possibilities to go in several directions. But to be honest (this is me speaking in June 2020): Since I moved to the City without having a Driveway, Carport or Garage its hard to find space or have the right tools for DIY projects. The other day I saw some guys on the side of a public road changing their entire exhaust system of their WRX... thats not what I want to do (anymore). In the past I also changed the rear axle of my car on a forest road - but that was a different scenario! You mentioned it : "Let's take a Tacoma for example, you can do a lot of things with a stock one" ... pretty sure i will just change the tires on a stock vehicle and then explore as much as I can. Lets see what the future will bring :)

diabetiktaco said:
I think you answered the question. Depends on where you are going. If in sand, sometimes it's soft and sometimes it's hard. A basic route of dirt can be flooded with 24" of water one day and 2 days later it's not there. A washout with bad camber and eat lifted trucks alive and you may run into that. I prefer to be prepared for all of that. I'd say 90% of my travels are way underrated for my truck. But it's only overkill, until it isn't.
Click to expand...

When you are a greenhorn like me on these types of trails/roads its hard to say which routes i will or can take and which not. In the past I drove Hatchbacks, Convertibles and Roadsters. So this is going to be a new experience. I will just prepare myself with the right vehicle to find that out! Try and Error :)

Have a nice weekend to all of you! I really appreciate your responses!
 
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IMFONYC said:
In the past I drove Hatchbacks, Convertibles and Roadsters. So this is going to be a new experience.
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Me too, I don't miss the sports cars at all. My first vehicle was an M38.... I should have just stayed with 4WD.
 
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One thing you will find with a subi is if you fill it with gear put on a little more tire and lift your mpgs will tank and you will still be less capable than a stock 4th gen 4 runner .
 
Smileyshaun said:
One thing you will find with a subi is if you fill it with gear put on a little more tire and lift your mpgs will tank and you will still be less capable than a stock 4th gen 4 runner .
Click to expand...

Don't be hating on the subies.

This is overlanding and not rock crawling. My Crosstrek has had a minimal change in fuel economy and is way cheaper than a 4 Runner.

Run what you wanna run and have fun.
 
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Just be willing to hop out recce the road and turn around if conditions warrant, then ground clearance becomes less of an issue.
 
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WY_Tigger said:
Don't be hating on the subies.

This is overlanding and not rock crawling. My Crosstrek has had a minimal change in fuel economy and is way cheaper than a 4 Runner.


Run what you wanna run and have fun.
Click to expand...

I don’t hate on subies and have owned a few myself but adding weight to them quickly eats up mpgs both in the rig and tire and wheel weight . 0AF6CE00-5C82-43AD-B30B-E201A7BBBDCD.jpeg
 
Not sure if this post is still active but I found the discussion interesting. Now that EV's are getting more popular I thought you all might want to consider the subaru solterra or if you have the budget maybe a Rivian. Others have lifted the Tesla Model Y with success. I was excited about the new AWD Hyundai IONIQ 5 which has better range and charging speed than the Solterra but the stock ground clearance is a dismal 6.4". Thus the need to lift a few inches and put on larger more capable tires. Here was the result:

 

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Ground clearance is not the best measurement. Look at Approach Angle, Ramp Over and Departure Angle.
Obviously the longer the wheelbase the higher a vehicle has to be to achieve a good rampover angle.
 
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