Rockcrawling with the Polaris RZR 4

By Nolen Grogan, www.rockmidgetphotography.com

Rock crawling has been my passion for the last 12 years.  I have gone through just about every possible rock buggy and have wheeled most every hardcore trail system in the United States.  UTVs have been in the picture since my first Polaris Ranger 6×6 to a recent string of Yamaha Rhinos.

In the last few years, I have taken my Rhino 700 out on the trails when my buggy was broken or when I was building it up and did not have a ride.  I had it nicely modified to take my kids along and overall; it was a pretty capable rock machine.

When Polaris came out with the RZR 4, I was very disappointed in how long it was.  The platform is PERFECT for my family to trail ride with me, but it just looked way, way, way too long to use on the rocks.

Being selfish, I decided to pass on the platform when it came out, save my money for a RZR S and keep the Rhino for when the family wanted to go.  2 UTVs, not a bad plan.

I lurked on the RZR forums and more and more “4” owners kept posting up that they just don’t see that much disadvantage from the length of the “4”.

The more I looked at it, the more I realized that, although it may not be the rock machine my Rhino was, the RZR 4 with its’ four seats was so much better in all other areas that I had to buy one.

My first 150 miles were clocked on my farm with miles of dirt roads, jumps and hills to play on.  I was hooked.  If it gets stuck on every rock I try to crawl, I don’t care.  This RZR 4 fits my lifestyle to the T.

So, this weekend I took my new RZR 4 it up to Hot Springs AR to the Superlift ORV Park.  I have been there a few times in my Rhino so I knew what to expect and how to gauge its performance versus my last platform, but not before adding Factory UTV UHMW 3/8” skidplates and A Arm guards.  I figured if I was going to get this long thing hung up on every rock in the park, I might as well protect it from damage.

When we got to the park, we unloaded and my wife and 2 kids (6 and 8 yrs old) jumped in the RZR 4 and peeled out.  It was Friday and the park was nearly empty so we were able to really work the RZR 4 on the main roads.  The Fox shocks simply ate up the rock strewn main roads and jumps.  No problems at all.  I was amazed that I could straddle a lot of the larger rocks with the awesome clearance under the belly.  I took a few dips too fast and bottomed the front suspension out, but the rubber bumpstops kept me from doing any damage.

At this point I was dying to try this thing out in the rocks.  I had run out of time and did not get my winch installed so I jumped in on a trail that my Land Cruiser buddies were running just in case I needed a tug when I high-centered this short bus.  I dropped the RZR 4 in Low and punched the AWD button and nosed into my first trail, a 3 rated trail called Greeson’s Gulch.  The RZR 4 ate this trail up.  It is a tight trail that snakes through a beautiful ravine.  Most of the trail was super easy, but the few rough sections were a piece of cake.  I LOVE the Polaris AWD system.   You can just put the vehicle in AWD and it engages and disengages the front differential as needed.

Once we got to the top of Greeson’s Gulch, a “5” rated trail turns up the mountain called Box Canyon.  This trail is rated a “5” because it is steep and loose.  None of the Land Cruisers I was with were willing to try it.  I had been on it in the past with my buggy and it was a handful due to the steepness and the small round boulders that just kill your traction and momentum.  Naturally I have to test the RZR 4.  With 6 pounds of pressure in the stock Maxxis Bighorns, the family and I turned uphill.  I was floored.  The Bighorns did amazing.  They rarely slipped and if they did, they caught immediately and pulled up and up.  The long wheelbase kept all 4 of us feeling safe, even when I had to bump up some short ledges.  So far, the high centering I was so worried about was not happening.

Once we spanked that 5-rated trail, I decided it was time to test this thing out in the bigger rocks.  I dropped off my family to play in camp and took off for Ultimate Adventure.  I had run this trail in the past in my Rhino and it was a great test for a vehicle with 26” tires.  Rated a 4, this trail has a good mix of rocks and ledges that should allow me to get nicely stuck.  Once again, the RZR 4 performed perfectly.  The suspension travel is really nice with the RZR 4 and its “S” long travel suspension.  The tires stuff nicely into the fender well and the fronts drop out just enough most times to pull the long wheelbase “4” up over ledges.  UA was a cakewalk so I stepped it up a notch and headed over to Four Fingers.  Done.  Still I have not stuck this thing on its belly.  The UHMW skid was slick as glass and the few times I hit it hard and was stopped, I was able to back off and use more throttle to carry the belly over the ledges.

It was getting dark so I headed back to camp.  One of my favorite climbs in the park is called Bonus Hill.  It is a rocky ledge at a sick angle just behind the main camp.  I nosed up to it once in my Rhino and the front immediately got light and I had to pass.  This time, I knew the RZR 4 would own it.  I had to take the far left line, but after a few test crawls, I ran the front tires back to the edge of the ledge and matted it.  The RZR 4 literally jumped up the ledge.  The belly scraped up the entire ledge, but the traction was good and the momentum was right to carry me up and over.

The next day we ran a bunch of different trails, mostly rated “4” at this park.  Being so narrow (compared to a buggy), you are able to pick your way through some really nasty stuff.  I was more impressed and pushed it even harder.  Not once all weekend was the RZR 4 ever stopped where I could not back off the obstacle, grab a better line and throttle over.  That said, I can see a winch coming in handy with this thing as I push it into more and bigger rocks.

So after 2 days on some of the best trails in the South, I have to say I am overly impressed with the RZR 4 in the rocks.  I was already sold on the its ability to run at speed soaking up the bumps and on the trails, but now I can add rock crawling to its list of accomplishments.  The cab-forward occupancy and low, rear mounted motor in the RZR 4, make it a climbing machine!

Next time out, I am going to have to take a photo dog….see, that is my job and I was too busy having fun on this trip so I apologize up front for the lack of pictures.  I will check back next time I get this on the rocks and let you guys see more action!

My next real test environment is in Johnson Valley California for the 2011 King of the Hammers race.  In the past, I have tested a Polaris RZR S, Yamaha Rhino and Kawasaki Teryx while covering that race for www.pirate4x4.com and utvweekly.com.  I cannot wait to see how well this wheelbase takes the whoops!

---

Tags: Polaris RZR 4

Category: Polaris, Product Reviews