Post by wonk on Nov 22, 2009 9:44:38 GMT -5
Our club (K&I 4 Wheelers) had a Toys For Tots run yesterday at one of the club members property. First time I have been at his place and we had a great turnout. I don't have an official count but just standing on the road yesterday morning while folks were still coming in I counted at least 25 vehicles. I lined up with a group doing the hardest trail, called The Rock Road. It's a short trail, probably not a half mile long start to finish. I was probably the 7-8 vehicle in line and we quickly came to a stop before I could even see the rocks. Two guys broke front axle shafts half way up the lower part (the easier half of the trail). We also had a couple guys bow out and take the bypass after seeing the trail/carnage. I started up the first half and was a non issue with a couple tricky spots that with Dewaine spotting for me got me through without incidence. Most of the guys took the out here and didn't do the upper half. I went up behind two Scramblers. Again a couple tricky spots one of which I hit my pretty AEV front fender corner tweaking it, but with spotting and a few rocks stacked got me 3/4ths the way up. I got to a spot that I had to maneuver the Jeep to get it lined up to ATTEMPT to go between two trees. Backing up there was a tree that had a weird bow in it at the perfect height right behind the rear corner of my Jeep that I did not see. Yeah, I backed into it hitting the corner of my hard top crushing it and blowing the back glass out. I think the top is now toast. I finally decided the Jeep would not fit through the two trees without body damage so we go to plan B which involved 3 guys hanging off my rock bar to keep me from flopping.
This is where we had to stop as the front Scrambler had kicked a huge rock up that busted his exhaust and punched the pipe up through the floor pan! It also somehow bent his clutch fork, jamming the clutch in the engaged position, and bending the shift linkage jamming the tranny in reverse. They sat there working on it for a couple hours trying to do whatever they could to get the transfer case or transmission in neutral. They finally got the Jeep in neutral and drug it up the side of the trail and back to the trailer. I decided I had enough carnage for the day and took the out here also leaving the last obstacle for another day. We spent the whole day on this one trail. I wheeled less than a half mile and did a couple grand in damage. I should have gone deer hunting.
This is where we had to stop as the front Scrambler had kicked a huge rock up that busted his exhaust and punched the pipe up through the floor pan! It also somehow bent his clutch fork, jamming the clutch in the engaged position, and bending the shift linkage jamming the tranny in reverse. They sat there working on it for a couple hours trying to do whatever they could to get the transfer case or transmission in neutral. They finally got the Jeep in neutral and drug it up the side of the trail and back to the trailer. I decided I had enough carnage for the day and took the out here also leaving the last obstacle for another day. We spent the whole day on this one trail. I wheeled less than a half mile and did a couple grand in damage. I should have gone deer hunting.