2008/11/28--Black Friday-Rodriquez/Split Mtn./Diablo Dropoff

[BoBoNel]

Report: AWESOME DAY!!

I just wanted to get this thread started. i'm uploading pics now so i'll post up pics and more details in a little bit but we had such a great day.

I want to go out everytime "post-rain". NO DUST, nice and slick, new adventure...the washes are constantly changing after the rain and there were quite a few walls that came down out by the mudcaves.

we started out about 10ish and finished up around 5:30 at the XL gas station. I ended up not going up coyote canyon and camping. We were all tired and i was getting sicker by the minute all day.....by 5:30 i almost felt like i was even running a fever so i opted out. Ralphie and Bluefj still went up coyote. I'm jealous.

actually...i WOULD have still continued on (i know i wouldnt have camped though) if my UCA wasnt falling apart. phrigging truck. everytime i go out something breaks, pops, bends.....very frustrating. (i'll also post up pics of the damage) phil is down to the store right now getting supplies and he'll be taking apart and putting back together my front end...he'll also possibly weld on some steal plates to support the UCA so it wont shift again. its pretty nasty and i'm lucky i noticed it when i did. i drove home like an old lady with my tire all tweaked.

more details to follow and pics of course. just wanted to let you all know we made it out alive.

[FunJunkie]

Chris, What's wrong with the UCA? I have a set of aftermarket ones I need to install and you can have one of my take offs if it will fix the prob. We can help each other out swapping them and be done in a couple hours. Has to be tomorrow though. Lemme know.
Mike

[BoBoNel]

Chris, What's wrong with the UCA? I have a set of aftermarket ones I need to install and you can have one of my take offs if it will fix the prob. We can help each other out swapping them and be done in a couple hours. Has to be tomorrow though. Lemme know.
Mike

i still have my take-offs too....(glad we held on to them JUST IN CASE) and phils taking the aftermarkets off right now. so far everything looks OK with no bent parts but we'll see. ralphie was thinking the (as he called it) knuckle was bent but i think we may have lucked out.
i'm just really surprised this happened.....i know i was sliding thru the washes but not terribly and not as bad as even some of you do.....i thought thats what these aftermarkets were made to handle.......

pics to follow. phils outside cursing...let me make sure all is well.

[BoBoNel]

tweeked looking tire. it wasnt pretty


This is the bolt that slipped......it should be down near the pencil and finger

[FunJunkie]

man Looks like it just shifted, Sucs cause those are the exact same ones I got. Think I might sell em and go with total chaos. Glad it all worked out an I wish I could of made it.

[BoBoNel]

man Looks like it just shifted, Sucs cause those are the exact same ones I got. Think I might sell em and go with total chaos. Glad it all worked out an I wish I could of made it.

yes...it just shifted. NOT GOOD>
phil just fabricated a piece of metal to fit in there/surrounds the nut/bolt so it wont shift. i took pics...let me upload them and post them. its a perfect solution actually and once done will be better than ever....hopefully.
once we hear from toytec (i just emailed them)....depending on what they can or want to do....if they tell me they cant do anything then phils going to just weld the bracket he made to it all to make it extra secure but doesnt want to weld it until toytec has their say.

[BoBoNel]

phils fabricating talent......this is what he made up as a limiter. not on yet...we're waiting to see what light racing has to say.





lets hope nothing was bent. i'm bringing it down to alignment shop on tuesday for a check up.

[BlueFJ]

Great day of wheeling! I can't believe how much the Diablo Dropoff/Fish Creek Wash/Split Mountain area has changed since the last time I was through there. It was like driving through a whole new area. Chris, sorry your ride got messed up and you couldn't make it up to Coyote Canyon. This was my second run up Coyote, the first run up Coyote since they "improved" it, and my first night run up there. The water in the third crossing was just deep enough to cover our axles. It was a blast! Ralphie and I were standing around shooting the breeze and enjoying the view of the stars up in Sheep Canyon when none other than gon2srf rolled up. We chatted for a bit, then headed back down the canyon and home. I didn't get home until about 10:45. A long but very fun day of wheeling.
I'm attaching my GPX file of the run. It starts at Banner, going through Rodriguez and ends at Banner coming west on 78... one big loop!

[BoBoNel]

i wish my rig didnt break so i could have gone up coyote with ya'll. i would have probly ended up spending the night up there once there.
thats funny that scott rode up on yas. small world.
my chelada is still in the fridge calling my name.

[BlueFJ]

Who was the guy from 4WD ToyotaOwner magazine? Do you think we can get him to post some of his pix on the site?
Didn't get his name, but I just want to thank him for the magazines!