One of the most exciting yet demanding and dangerous off-road challenges you could tackle is the art of rock crawling. Requiring precise control, strategic tire placement and a well-equipped Jeep, rock crawling is an extreme off-road activity where you navigate rocky terrain and large obstacles at slow speeds, trying to surpass the seemingly insurmountable.
If you’re interested in getting into rock crawling as an activity, you might be wondering if your custom build has enough ground clearance to properly and safely participate. But how much ground clearance do you really need for rock crawling? That’s what we’ll be answering here today on the LiftedJeeps.com blog.
What Is Ground Clearance?
For veteran off-roaders this probably sounds like a silly question, but if you’re new to off-roading you might not know exactly what ground clearance means. It’s a term that refers to the distance between the lowest part of your Jeep – which typically means a differential or skid plate – and the ground. The lower your ground clearance, the lower your ability to pass over obstacles without scraping your undercarriage or even getting stuck.
High ground clearance, on the other hand, is going to help you better protect the lowest components of your vehicle and open up new trails and possibilities for you. It also goes a long way toward helping you clear large rocks when crawling, but it’s not the only factor that comes into play. You’ll also want higher approach and departure angles, the right kind of tires and more suspension articulation as well.
Ideal Ground Clearance for Rock Crawling
How much ground clearance you need will depend on the type of rock crawling you’re intending to do. A lot of moderate trails with rocky terrain might only need 8-12 inches to crawl over their smaller rocks and uneven surfaces, but for more technical crawling you might want 10-14 inches to handle deeper ruts and larger rocks. Of course, for truly extreme rock crawling, where you’re dealing with deep crevices, large ledges and boulders that are approaching the size of your Jeep, you’re going to want at least 15 inches if not even more.
Other Factors Impacting Rock Crawling
While ground clearance goes a long way towards ensuring your ability to rock crawl, it alone can not guarantee your success on the rocks. We already briefly mentioned some other factors that impact rock crawling, but let’s dive into them a little bit deeper now.
- Tire Size & Traction
- The more advanced the rock crawling you plan to attempt, the bigger your tires should be. Bigger tires not only help to get you the ground clearance you want, but they will provide better traction and grip on the rocks and also affect gearing and stability. For technical crawling, 35-37 inch tires strike a balance between clearance and control.
- Suspension Articulation
- Making sure your suspension system is tuned for the activities you’re tackling is a crucial step you can take to ensure your Jeep’s ability to flex over obstacles while keeping all four tires in contact with the terrain. Look into long-travel suspension and disconnecting sway bars to maximize your Jeep’s flexibility.
- Approach, Departure & Breakover Angles
- These three figures represent the maximum angles of inclines or declines that your vehicle can handle, with approach representing the front end, departure representing the rear and breakover representing the whole undercarriage. Your vehicle’s lift kit, tire size and ground clearance all help build these angles, but you can further enhance them with high-clearance bumpers and minimal overhangs.
- Skid Plates & Armor
- You’re going to hit something. You’re going to scrape against something. Impacts are inevitable when off-roading, but especially when rock crawling. You can do everything in your power to mitigate them, but something is still bound to happen, even if it’s minor. That’s where heavy-duty skid plates, rock sliders and other types of body armor come into play — and we cannot recommend them enough!
We hope all of this information has helped you determine if your vehicle is already capable of rock crawling or if you have some adjustments you need to make before picking up this activity as a new hobby. If you have any further questions, don’t hesitate to contact us here at LiftedJeeps.com as we’d be happy to help.
