Convoy to 6th Annual Trail Ride

[Posi]

I'll be in flight to Boston in 10mins
A big thank you to Bill D, and Carol for being such great hosts.
Totally enjoyed our stay with them.
As close to home as it gets.

 

[007]

We made it home last night at about 11pm CST. Long haul...



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[oldjeeplady]

Stayed a couple nights in Eureka, took the jeep out and had a great time but really missed our friends. Heading home now, just leaving Silverton.

 

[007]

Stayed a couple nights in Eureka, took the jeep out and had a great time but really missed our friends. Heading home now, just leaving Silverton.

Be careful folks... Great to see you...

On a related note - spent $10 at car wash yesterday washing Jeep outside and underneath and under hood. What a dusty mess ;-)

Now for the inside...ugh...




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[Bill D]

Be careful folks... Great to see you...

On a related note - spent $10 at car wash yesterday washing Jeep outside and underneath and under hood. What a dusty mess ;-)

Now for the inside...ugh...




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We got out the pressure washer Saturday evening after we got home and cleaned the engine and exterior. Today I cleaned the interior and made a few improvements that the experience of the past week showed we needed. Now to get on with the bigger stuff.
I went down to my four-wheeler shop this afternoon and talked to the owner about installing an ARB Air Locker in the front. Since the ring gear in my front differential kinda took a beating, I have pretty much decided to replace both ring gears and pinions with something I like better. In any case, I will have lockers on both axles for the 7th annual CJ Trail Ride. After that, I'm starting to soften Carol up to the idea of fuel injection.

 

[mriplaybass]

We left Silverton around 8:00 Monday morning. Our plan was to drive for a while, stop for breakfast, and continue on home, but this was not to be! About 25 miles east of Grand Junction CO., I heard a sound that I knew all too well from years of being a trucker, the distinct sound of a tire side wall blowing out. A quick look in the rear view mirror confirmed my fears, a trailer tire had blown. We pulled off to the side of the interstate and got out the necessary tools in order to change a tire. Using the Jeeps on board air and an impact gun made short work of changing the tire, but then I saw why the tire had blown. The brake drum had shattered, taking the brake shoes, magnet, springs,.................well...................everything along with it, sending the twisted brake shoe into the side wall of the tire.


I removed all that remained of the broken parts and put the spare tire on. We put all the tools back in the truck, let the trailer down off the jack, and prepared to get on our way. Then it started to bother me. Why did the brake drum fail? Better check the others just to be safe. An inspection of the other 3 brakes revealed that a brake drum on the other side had also shattered and was about to repeat the same scenario of the other side. I got all the tools out again and removed all the broken parts.
The dilemma we now face is how to proceed over the mountains with 2 of the 4 brakes not functioning. Not only that, but not knowing if the remaining brakes are OK, or are also about to fail .
I calculated the weight of the trailer, and the trucks rated load, and capacity, and found that we were only about 1000lbs. over what would require trailer brakes, and decided that it would be safe to use the trucks diesel engine and Transmission for braking, and if necessary, turn on the remaining 2 trailer brakes. At first, I was a bit nervous, but I found that getting behind a slow moving tractor trailer rig, and shifting into a lower gear enabled me to hardly have to even tap the brakes going down the mountain, plus, being behind a slow moving truck with it's flashers on also avoided the inevitable middle finger from other drivers thinking that I was a wimp, and moving too slow.
We got to the other side of Denver without so much as a hiccough, and slowly watched the mountains growing smaller in the rear view mirror.
We got home around 7:30 last night and unloaded about half the stuff in the truck. This morning, it's raining, so unloading the rest may have to wait until tomorrow , oh well! Good day to work on the trip pictures.
In summary: When this trip began almost 2 weeks ago, we started out blowing the boot off the intercooler, and having to find a dealership with the right clamp to make repairs. Next, there was a short in the trailer plug causing the trailer brakes to come on with the right turn signal, flashers, and brake pedal. Several more hours lost while repairs were made. Then the whole brake drum disaster thing!
Is this even worth it?????

YES!!!!!

We are already beginning to compile a list of what to bring next year, and what improvements and repairs the Jeep needs. This week the trailer will be evaluated, and necessary repairs and or modifications calculated.

We are already counting the days until the 7th annual Colorado Jeep trip.

 

[007]

Glad you made it home safely....

We are already beginning to compile a list of what to bring next year, and what improvements and repairs the Jeep needs. This week the trailer will be evaluated, and necessary repairs and or modifications calculated.

We are already counting the days until the 7th annual Colorado Jeep trip.

Same here... I was fortunate enough to not have the travel issues you had, but still have some work to do. I have a two lists - a must list and an optional list. I'm going to keep it as-is until after Halloween, then tear into it a bit and knock a few more things out. Looking forward to it...

 

[Torxhead]

I for one, really look forward to seeing the pics and reading the stories of this trip. Combined with the adventures of getting to and from it.

 

[Posi]

Update on the short nose, or Lil' Red as OJL calls it.
Yesterday, Bill drove it to meet the transporter
Watched while the driver loaded it, took a couple of pics as well.
So it is currently somewhere between CO and MA
However, the driver had a difficult time following Bill's directions for the meet up, so the short nose could be heading to Montana for all I know.
Thanks for all your help Bill.

Also, while I was attending to the Transfer Case torque bolt at the hotel parking lot in Silverton, Bass adjusted my clutch linkage, and OJL wired in their CB into my rig so I could have communications with the group. Thanks guys!

Side note: I thought I saw a black 2 wheel drive Tahoe on the car hauler as well. No way it would be wheeling the trails......or could it?

 

[shooby]

I made it home right around midnight Sunday, stayed in Gunnison Friday night and attended a custom car show there Saturday which I think you all would have enjoyed. From there I went to Crested Butte and drove north on Kebler pass which does not require 4 wheel drive but is fairly scenic and interesting. That night I stayed in Aspen with all the other celebrities. Sunday morning I headed out over Independence Pass which is not unlike the million dollar highway, paved all the way and only slightly dangerous. Driving I-70 from the Eisenhower tunnel on down in a 65 mph CJ5 surrounded by frenzied road raging maniacs made me nervous. Stopped in Denver to buy a nice condition windshield frame ($60!) from some guy on craigslist.Then I headed east on two lane highway 36 to Nebraska and home again. Next day I started getting ready for next year, by removing the bumper and spare tire carrier so I could replace my "flexing" crossmember and add frame tie ins. I found that I could order a decent quality replacement crossmember which is a good thing because my old one is a pile of metal shreds at this point.
I had the best time wheelin' and hangin' out with you all. I'm ready to do it all again. Tomorrow!
By the way Old Jeep Lady...here is another use for Gorilla tape you might want to try...
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[oldjeeplady]

....That night I stayed in Aspen with all the other celebrities......

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Sounds like a fun trip home. We passed one of your "celebrity making businesses" in Lincoln, and I wanted to stop, but we were already behind in our driving. Maybe next time we can stop. It looked really nice - I even checked out the website - very cool!!

 

[oldjeeplady]

Update on the short nose, or Lil' Red as OJL calls it.
Yesterday, Bill drove it to meet the transporter
Watched while the driver loaded it, took a couple of pics as well.
So it is currently somewhere between CO and MA
However, the driver had a difficult time following Bill's directions for the meet up, so the short nose could be heading to Montana for all I know.
Thanks for all your help Bill.

Also, while I was attending to the Transfer Case torque bolt at the hotel parking lot in Silverton, Bass adjusted my clutch linkage, and OJL wired in their CB into my rig so I could have communications with the group. Thanks guys!

Side note: I thought I saw a black 2 wheel drive Tahoe on the car hauler as well. No way it would be wheeling the trails......or could it?

Not Montana!!!! Maybe Lil' Red will show up in Wisconsin instead. I could only hope!!!
I really, really do like this CJ. I enjoyed this CJ so much I am super motivated to get my '67 going so I can at least drive it locally. Finish the brakes, fab the y pipe and the rest of the exhaust, reupholster the seats (split bench) and adjust the float. Then maybe I would be :driving: it.

 

[Posi]

The Short Nose, Lil' Red, Old Mule, 69CJ5, arrived late this afternoon.
The transporter had newer, wide ramps, and the narrow track axles had no room for error while off loading.
What made things worse, the jeep was positioned on the second level closes to the front.
The driver began to back off the Jeep and within a few feet got himself into a jam nearly dropping the driver side tires off the inside of the ramp.
Below was a white JK that would have had it's hardtop crushed.
I also noticed oil droppings from my Jeep on top of the JK.
I asked the driver before pickup to place the Jeep on the lower level front.
Anyways, I told the driver to spot me and I'll drive it off.
About three mins later I got it off safely.

Being a CO Jeep all its life I thought the proper thing to do was to introduce Lil' Red to the ocean so we took a nice shoreline drive while still covered in San Juan Mountain CO dust.

Side note: If you can pull in the first and second pics you can see the Mayflower docked facing out to sea (look just above the rear of the softop).

I noticed a higher then before idle......as it should.

 

[shooby]

Is anybody really surprised to read this?

 

[007]

Ha! Awesome Posi! So happy for you...


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