[JohnnyJ]

I got the Amazon 5 uncle brand. Looks pretty much identical.

I put a front tow point on the winch tray. I thought had some 3/8” flat, but it was only 5/16. It’s two pieces welded together for 5/8” thickness. I made one leg long to extend down the winch tray and used my press to bend it to shape. Hopefully that's enough weld surface.

 

[Plato2k5]

Loving these progress pics. Makes me want another project LOL!

When do you hope to have it "complete" ?

 

[JohnnyJ]

lol complete. We are headed to AOAA/Rausch Creek the weekend after Labor Day, so I'm trying to knock out some nice to dos for that. When we get back I'd like to make a full set of panels for it, so if I do want to run them the tabs are there. I've also gone back and forth and adding a tube here or there. Then I hope to tear it down and paint it. I'll work in tear down and paint around any other potential wheeling opportunities. When I reassemble I want to use some Deutsch connectors to make it easy to remove electrical. I figure disassembly will show me where I need them.

 

[JohnnyJ]

I bled the brakes. It drew down some fluid, but not crazy amounts like I thought it might. Tried to watch a few videos to see how quickly other units draw down the master. In the end, brakes feel the same. So either I had a decent bleed on the brakes or the unit did nothing. I did test that it pulled vacuum and it does. Not crazy amounts but there's some suction.

follow up: for a sanity check I poured the recovered brake fluid into an empty container and then used the device to vacuum it out. It seemed to do fine. So I think it's just my brakes require a lot of throw.

 

[xj4life]

When I reassemble I want to use some Deutsch connectors to make it easy to remove electrical. I figure disassembly will show me where I need them.

Great idea. I've been adding extra connectors with that same thing in mind. Trying to think ahead when things need to get pulled or serviced.

 

[JohnnyJ]

Saturday I noticed that my drinker's side upper ball joint was loose and the cotter pin was still in place. The upper ball joint had pulled up about 3/8". Driver's side is fine. I ordered a fresh spicer unit from Jeffs Bronco Graveyard. Took it apart tonight. Was struggling to pull the axle shaft out, finally it came out with the inner axle seal stuck on the shaft. FML

I was able to cut it off without f'n up the seal surface, so that's a win. Also had a spare set of inner seals in the cabinet. So tomorrow I'll pull down the driver's side and remove that axle shaft, drop out the ring and pinion, and install at least one new inner seal. I have a feeling the other will have the same fate.

Leave Thursday morning. But at least everything else is good to go.

 

[Mihlfeldl2005]

"Drinker's side".... I like that

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

 

[whiterhino]

"Drinker's side".... I like that

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

You may have hit upon his actual problem.
🍸🍸🍹🍹🍺🍺

 

[greygoose]

"Drinker's side".... I like that

Sent from my SM-G996U using Tapatalk

You may have hit upon his actual problem.
🍸🍸🍹🍹🍺🍺

 

[xj4life]

drinker's side upper ball joint

You watch Vice Grip Garage?

Was struggling to pull the axle shaft out, finally it came out with the inner axle seal stuck on the shaft. FML

Wow I've never seen that before. Thank goodness for being prepared with spare parts ready to go!

 

[JohnnyJ]

You watch Vice Grip Garage?

Yep, he cracks me up

Wow I've never seen that before. Thank goodness for being prepared with spare parts ready to go!

yeah, I remember the shafts were hard to get in, but I figured it was because I had not put shafts in with a fresh seal in a while. Apparently not the case..

they were the seals that came with the master install. I had bought the spares since I wasn’t sure if the master kit had them. New ones are spicer and slip on the shaft smoother.

 

[whiterhino]

Yep, he cracks me up



yeah, I remember the shafts were hard to get in, but I figured it was because I had not put shafts in with a fresh seal in a while. Apparently not the case..

they were the seals that came with the master install. I had bought the spares since I wasn’t sure if the master kit had them. New ones are spicer and slip on the shaft smoother.

You gonna need help tonight?

 

[JohnnyJ]

Went to AOAA with @whiterhino and 2 other rigs. We attempted Mammoth on Friday and got kicked around by it. Was still a good day on the trail and Saturday was fun running other parts of AOAA.

I want to return and get redemption.

 

[sterlingfire]

Damn that looks rough!
What would work better, longer wheelbase, shorter, wider, skinnier?
Looks like a great place to snap axles

 

[greygoose]

^^^ What he said.

 

[sterlingfire]

^^^ What he said.

Oh, but sir, i want me some of that😅

 

[JohnnyJ]

What would work better, longer wheelbase, shorter, wider, skinnier?

I dunno. Sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller. Probably best to be a helicopter.

 

[xj4life]

Probably best to be a helicopter.

That trail looks like a lot of fun but I also get the feeling that maybe they built it to much on the "extreme" side. Do big, to much, for 99% of rigs.

How did you like the rest of the trail system out there? Videos I've seen on Youtube it looks like a good mix of rock trails and ledges.

 

[JohnnyJ]

with 8000 acres, they have something for most everyone. Lots of SXS, quad, and dirt bikes out there. We chatted with a group that had rigs from mostly stock to reasonably built and they have been coming from 3 hours away for years. They were running blue and black trails. We ran a few black and reds.

Mammoth is their halo crawling trail. It cost money to build, but still cheaper than land restoration. They now have something to bring in crawlers from all around, and could easily host competition crawls on it with easy to spectate access. They had hosted a few Ultra4 races in other sections of the park in the past.

 

[Plato2k5]

Some big rocks you found.

What do you feel needs to be changed to conquer it next time out?