The Urban Rider's Glossary - BubbaBouncer
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The Urban Rider's Glossary - BubbaBouncer
BubbaBouncer - any kind of full-size truck which has been modified for exaggerated clearance above the ground and fitted with oversize tires. Like most vehicles modified for intensive off-road use, these vehicles are almost never actually used off-road.
Hallmarks of the classic BubbaBouncer include one, or more, of the following:
- the bottoms of the door frames are higher than an average person's head;
- the tires, alone, are worth more than the rest of the vehicle combined;
- the gas gauge needle can be seen to move when accelerating;
- obvious signs of motion sickness when the "captain" climbs down from the "bridge".
Pocket BubbaBouncer - similar modifications made to a compact pickup truck (often with hilarious results).
Hallmarks of the classic BubbaBouncer include one, or more, of the following:
- the bottoms of the door frames are higher than an average person's head;
- the tires, alone, are worth more than the rest of the vehicle combined;
- the gas gauge needle can be seen to move when accelerating;
- obvious signs of motion sickness when the "captain" climbs down from the "bridge".
Pocket BubbaBouncer - similar modifications made to a compact pickup truck (often with hilarious results).
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The thing I don't get about these rigs is that they don't actually increase the ground clearance by very much. The clearance is still limited by the transaxel and U-Joint, which are generally significantly lower than the bottom of the doors. I guess it makes them easier to change the oil in, though.
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The drivers are referred to as "Bros" here in southern california... It's rather alarming to see such trucks flying down the road at 20mph over the speed limit.
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The thing I don't get about these rigs is that they don't actually increase the ground clearance by very much. The clearance is still limited by the transaxel and U-Joint, which are generally significantly lower than the bottom of the doors. I guess it makes them easier to change the oil in, though.
Funny thing is that most lifts I've seen around here (Redmond, WA) are block-kits and body lifts on luxury SUVs which will never see any off-road action aside from parking on the grass when bringing the kids to soccer practice. Without a significant change to the t-case and diff' gearing, those 38" mud bogger tires aren't doing anything aside from sapping power and wearing out the engine prematurely.
I've scared more than one flatted-out cyclist walking their bike when I pull over in my scratched, dented, CB-antennaed Jeep XJ and it takes them a second to realize I'm offering them a ride to the LBS.
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Actually, around where I grew up, those guys are out running mud bog races pretty much every weekend all summer. They go through a lot of universal joints.
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Those things sometimes have the extra wide mirrors used for towing. Like the one that knocked my wife off of her bike and never stopped.
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I felt one of these mirrors whiz by my ear from less than an inch away. It was one of the most unnerving feelings I've ever experienced. Is your wife okay?
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I don't think of my truck as bubba.
I have an 89 V6 4runner on 36"x13.50" IROKs. Peak fun.
Favorite trail in CO = Billings Canyon
Favorite trail in Moab, UT = Pritchet Canyon (no winch, no strap)
ARB lockers front/rear
Crawl ratio is 244:1 (turbo truck tranny has 4.31 st gear X 4.7 t-case X 2.28 t-case X 5.29 differential gears)
I have a tube bender so roll cage, bumpers, sliders are all hand built
20 inches of suspension travel at each corner = pretty darn flexy truck
It still fits in the garage even with the sun roof open. The headlights are higher than our MR2-Spyder's roof line however.
I put about 2x as many miles on my bike(s) as the truck. (4kvs 2k)
I have an 89 V6 4runner on 36"x13.50" IROKs. Peak fun.
Favorite trail in CO = Billings Canyon
Favorite trail in Moab, UT = Pritchet Canyon (no winch, no strap)
ARB lockers front/rear
Crawl ratio is 244:1 (turbo truck tranny has 4.31 st gear X 4.7 t-case X 2.28 t-case X 5.29 differential gears)
I have a tube bender so roll cage, bumpers, sliders are all hand built
20 inches of suspension travel at each corner = pretty darn flexy truck
It still fits in the garage even with the sun roof open. The headlights are higher than our MR2-Spyder's roof line however.
I put about 2x as many miles on my bike(s) as the truck. (4kvs 2k)
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I don't think of my truck as bubba.
I have an 89 V6 4runner on 36"x13.50" IROKs. Peak fun.
Favorite trail in CO = Billings Canyon
Favorite trail in Moab, UT = Pritchet Canyon (no winch, no strap)
ARB lockers front/rear
Crawl ratio is 244:1 (turbo truck tranny has 4.31 st gear X 4.7 t-case X 2.28 t-case X 5.29 differential gears)
I have a tube bender so roll cage, bumpers, sliders are all hand built
20 inches of suspension travel at each corner = pretty darn flexy truck
It still fits in the garage even with the sun roof open. The headlights are higher than our MR2-Spyder's roof line however.
I put about 2x as many miles on my bike(s) as the truck. (4kvs 2k)
I have an 89 V6 4runner on 36"x13.50" IROKs. Peak fun.
Favorite trail in CO = Billings Canyon
Favorite trail in Moab, UT = Pritchet Canyon (no winch, no strap)
ARB lockers front/rear
Crawl ratio is 244:1 (turbo truck tranny has 4.31 st gear X 4.7 t-case X 2.28 t-case X 5.29 differential gears)
I have a tube bender so roll cage, bumpers, sliders are all hand built
20 inches of suspension travel at each corner = pretty darn flexy truck
It still fits in the garage even with the sun roof open. The headlights are higher than our MR2-Spyder's roof line however.
I put about 2x as many miles on my bike(s) as the truck. (4kvs 2k)
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I once took my stock ford Windstar minivan back on a trail in the woods, out to a lakeside site. I had to get out and spot for myself a dozen times or so to plot paths across the rocks and holes and water traps. My 6 year old daughter was with me. This is way the heck in the middle of nowhere, probably not 20 people a week go back within miles of this place.
While at the site we walked around on the shore for a while, and a group of about 6 people came walking down the path. They didn't say anything, but kept looking between me and my minivan.
Eventually we got in the van and left. On the way out we discovered that the people had come in a pair of of lifted 4x4s; not as extreme as many but obviously lifted and with big tires. They gave up and walked about 1.5 miles down the path. I bet they didn't talk much about the 40-year-old guy and his little daughter that took a minivan down the path they decided was too rough to drive.
While at the site we walked around on the shore for a while, and a group of about 6 people came walking down the path. They didn't say anything, but kept looking between me and my minivan.
Eventually we got in the van and left. On the way out we discovered that the people had come in a pair of of lifted 4x4s; not as extreme as many but obviously lifted and with big tires. They gave up and walked about 1.5 miles down the path. I bet they didn't talk much about the 40-year-old guy and his little daughter that took a minivan down the path they decided was too rough to drive.
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I once took my stock ford Windstar minivan back on a trail in the woods, out to a lakeside site. I had to get out and spot for myself a dozen times or so to plot paths across the rocks and holes and water traps. My 6 year old daughter was with me. This is way the heck in the middle of nowhere, probably not 20 people a week go back within miles of this place.
My favourite thing do to in Cinci was drive the outerbelt after a snowstorm. I'd have my scanner running all the dispatch channels for the towing companies so I could find out how far backlogged they were... then I'd show up to a spinout and offer the person a pull-out for half the price of the towing company without a 2 hour wait. It was funny to see how many suburbanites driving 24" chrome spinnered Escalades and Denalis were spinning their Pirellis in the median after finding out that 4WD does not mean "70mph in a blizzard is OK."
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Memories of my Landcruiser, mine fj-40, not that turd 2004 that my wife had that was a lemon and bought back, 33's, ez lockers, and alot of fun in Tennesee and Ky. Livingston, natural bridge, tellico, but that was back when gas was 99 cents a gallon.