The 4.0 Swap was chump change compared to this - Look inside... | Page 39 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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The 4.0 Swap was chump change compared to this - Look inside...

I watched the other vid first, and I thought wow, thats a **** spot to try and get through, that sucks balls... Then I watched your vid from the top angle instead of the bottom and I just realized that you're right, Eric really is retarded and actually will try anything!!!
 



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I know I'm playing Monday morning Quarterback, but I would have with out a doubt done two things differently. One, told the passanger to get out. Hate to see her loose a finger cause she grabbed the wrong spot or worse, being she did not have a helmet. I know I don't wear one but if I knew there was a chance to roll that hard, I'd have one. Had a good friend who did loose a finger in that same situation. Second, why didn't someone slip a strap around the A or B pillar once the truck got a little tipsy, not like there was no time or no one had a strap? It don't take much of a pull to get the COG back on the inside of the tire patch in that situation while wheeling very slow. Been a perfect place to stand pulling on the strap where the vid was shot while he crept along. Then probably could have negotiated it instead of making the whoops section.
Not that i'm perfect cause I rolled one and flopped another. One while off road dirt racing and one while driving on ice covered streets, but thankful the family was all strapped in.
Glad there was no major body parts (human) too banged up.
 
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I know I'm playing Monday morning Quarterback, but I would have with out a doubt done two things differently. One, told the passanger to get out. Hate to see her loose a finger cause she grabbed the wrong spot or worse. Had a good friend who did loose a finger in that same situation. Second, why didn't someone slip a strap around the A or B pillar once the truck got a little tipsy, not like there was no time or no one had a strap? It don't take much of a pull to get the COG back on the inside of the tire patch in that situation while wheeling very slow. Been a perfect place to stand pulling on the strap where the vid was shot while he crept along. Then probably could have negotiated it instead of making the whoops section.
Not that i'm perfect cause I rolled one and flopped another. One while off road dirt racing and one while driving on ice covered streets, but thankful the family was all strapped in.
Glad there was no major body parts (human) too banged up.

you are right Rick, we asked Leah to get out and she said she wanted to stay in, we asked her a few times actually, she was hanging on to her shoulder straps with a death grip haha. We thought about the strap but there wasn't any way for more than one person to hold onto it, where I was sitting was the only flat spot one way or another for about 35 ft. and we didn't want one person trying to hold a rollover by themselves. The biggest mistake was trying it in the first place, I'm sure Eric will read this and say I'm being a wuss but that line is to gnarly, and I think he has big balls and a pretty small brain for driving up on there. the other thing was if he had gassed it he may have not rolled or gotten to a point where it was a flop on his side rather than a full roll and then down 20 ft.
 






Ok, I knew i did not have all the info. Sometime pride can be a dangerous thing.
 






Ok, I knew i did not have all the info. Sometime pride can be a dangerous thing.

damn right it can, the reason he was up there and this is a direct quote was "well Dan made it". stupid over competitiveness. he is posting on facebook that he can make that line, now that he knows what to do haha, what a retard. You were spot on about what you said though Rick, if we could have strapped him it would have turned out better im sure.
 






here it is from the front, the pics are pretty cool

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Definitely a 'oh shi- and a half' moment right there. Over confidence and competitiveness can be dangerous.
 






I think I came across to harsh on Eric, I forget that you guys don't know him so I make statements that I would make to people around here. He thought he could make it bk it has been made once by a rig that was very similar to his, a blazer on tons and 40's, locked front and rear with a very similar suspension and drivetrain. the competition has arisen from those guys for a long time now, Dan and Eric trade being the first to make lines all the time, and both are very accomplished wheelers. I don't think that Erics sole reason for trying captain insano was bk Dan had made it first but I think that fed into it. the real reason for the rollover, and this is key and hasn't been mentioned pretty well anywhere was that he got off the line by about 6", the reason being is his tires were so aired down the downhill tires were folding in on themselves, if he had been about 6" uphill it would have been tippy but he would have made it. that is also the reason he thinks he can make it when he tries it again. when you are doing obstacles this hard very trivial things can be the difference between making it and rolling 20 feet onto your lid, anyway end rant, well done Eric im glad you made it out in one peice.

now onto Bdos news, I got the frontend back together with the new bracket and coil retainers, I think its a big upgrade from what I was running before. I also aligned it and set caster at 6 degrees. ive decided while im taking the back out to redo the spring perches im going to weld the tubes and build good shock mounts both for the rig and for the axle end, this way I can run a shock that will be softer and longer. the JK jeep shocks I have in there are just waaaay to stiff, they are made for a vehicle that is about 5500 lb so they just don't react, I can feel the front soaking up everything but the back is super bouncy. ill get some pics while I have the axle out.
 






Jon got it right, we asked the passenger to get out a couple of times. I told her very specifically what would happen if we rolled, she asked me if the cage would protect us. I told her yes it would. I built the cage to protect me in the event of a very hard rollover. Once she had made the decision to stay in, I reached over and pulled her harness tight. Told her where to put her hands, told her not to release the harness till someone was there to help her, or she knew she would not fall on her head, told her unless I yelled get out to wait a second and gather her senses before we got right side up.

Once I was past a certain point there is only forward and down, I simply got the order mixed up and went down first. That is all simple misunderstanding in my brain.

I hate to tell you guys this but if no one had done it before I still would have tried it, if a 100 rigs had done it before yep I still would have done it.

Someone mentioned putting a strap on the cage and a couple guys trying to hold me from going over.

My logic for not letting anyone do that may have been flawed but it sounded pretty good in my brain. I thought if anyone didn't let go in time they would have a mighty nasty fall onto the undercarriage of my rig, not a friendly place to fall from 20 feet or more

Overall its the kind of way I wheel. You can call it pride, stupidity, being competitive, shoot you can call it fluffy marshmallows for all I care.

If we do a crazy line and make it we are great drivers with awesome rigs, if we roll we are morons. Meh I am cool with that, never said I was a smart person.

I am also brain damaged so that may have something to do with it although I was pretty much like this before the brain damage occurred so :D

Moral of the story here, build your cage out of strong stuff, build it with proper bracing and a bit of knowledge, always wear your seatbelts better if you have harnesses wear the shoulder straps.

Be prepared for the worst hope for the best, we had first aid kits and fire extinguishers at the ready, I will be going back up tommorow to finish the clean up of spilt fluids.

Would I do it again, yah probably. Will I wear a helmet next time, yah probably. Do I back down from obstacles, yah all the time. Do I do stupid stuff, well I rock crawl don't I?
 






And now back to your regularly scheduled fully *****en bdos build up.

Soon to come a cage for Jons truck!!!!!!
 






Haha fluffy marshmallows, good times
 






I'm not fat, I'm fluffy!!!
 






gonna run over to the shop tonight and start tearing the rear axle out for some modification, I want to go wheeling, not sure I want to wheel without a cage now though haha.
 






gonna run over to the shop tonight and start tearing the rear axle out for some modification, I want to go wheeling, not sure I want to wheel without a cage now though haha.

Good point. May have to go on the #2 Grocery getter Trails or worse, the #1 Powder Puff trails until... ha ha.
 






Good point. May have to go on the #2 Grocery getter Trails or worse, the #1 Powder Puff trails until... ha ha.

I'll bet you can tell me where those are right? im not aware of them :D
 






axle is out and on stands, slowly cutting the perches off and getting a design ready to put longer shocks on it. I did find out when I was taking the axle out that I was shock limited, the shocks maxed out and I potentially could have 2 inches more droop at the spring perch. that won't do, and as the JK shocks were to stiff anyway a redesign is in order. its gonna be a slow process as I can't work on it all the time it being at Erics, but ill manage to get it done sooner than later.
 






Wish I had longer travel shocks, maybe next year. The problem I have is my shocks are only 10" travel COs. And to get enough droop I really limit my stuff cause most the travel is already in the tube and don't take much to bottom out or should I say top out lol.
Love to get at least 12" or better yet 14" and then raise the top mount.
 






yeah I actually thought about angling them in towards each other mounted on the top of the axle tube, but they really are to stiff. I want this truck to ride really nice down dirt roads and out at the dunes when I finally make it out there.
 






yeah I actually thought about angling them in towards each other mounted on the top of the axle tube, but they really are to stiff. I want this truck to ride really nice down dirt roads and out at the dunes when I finally make it out there.

You guys are blessed with all the terrain, scenery and so many guys to wheel with.
I'd love to build an all tube chassie rig like the ones competing at the Hammers.
Then once I signed up, let Eric race it. Bound to win lol. I'd just set back on the rocks and enjoy watching.
 



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Rick pack your **** and move... We'll let you live here too...
 






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