AZ Run Photos!!

[Kris Guilbeaux]

I wish I would have gone now....

 

[mattadams]

hopefully there will be another one when vacation time is a bit more flexible so I can make it, looks like a blast!

 

[FAKRWEE]

Hi guys. Got back with the Froader group safe and sound. Thanks Rick and Char not only for organizing the event but having us into your home and making us all feel like family. Char you have a beautiful home. Thanks for the tour. I told my wife about the furniture and she's willing to go to Arizona so she can go shopping while we go off-roading. Who says off-roading isn't an expensive hobby Anyway Char let me know when you want some more sipping medicine

Also thanks to everyone who helped me on Sunday when I got high centered on the Ajax trail. The tranny cross member is so bent it's vibrating on the transfer case but everything else is ok. Hammer97 you can be my trailboss any day.

Rick I don't know if this counts as carnage but my drivers seat broke and it keeps flipping back when I least expect it. Keeps you awake.

Thanks to Winter for not only being a great mechanic and helping everyone out but also for being the best damm spotter I've ever met. If the club gave out MVP awards he would win hands down.

Tomorrow I'm taking the Navajo to 4x4Dr. for the axle swap. Winter is designing the new twister radius arms for the 44. As soon as it's done I'm going back to Arizona to try it out.

See you all soon.

 

[Hammer]

Paul,
Did the tire blow that you had the slice in?
That is crazy, we were talking about that happening on your way home and it did. Man that is crazy!
FAKRWEE,
I thought that cross member would give you some static on the way home, It was pretty tweaked.

I had a blast with you guys. Rick and I will do some serious explorations in that area and when you guys come back we will have it all figured out.

I agree with Fakrwee about Winter, he really knows his shiznit!
Winter, I will be talking to you about my engine and axel swap. I just got to make some money now
I want to make sure you get paid properly!

 

[TwoToneX]

Douglas - Thanks for the driving compliment, hopefully my skills will still be there when I move on up Lord knows how that oddball even got on there, but I will be getting new tires so I'll make sure to change it then. Are you gonna be at Moab?

Ray - I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye to ya, but I just wanted to say it was great chatting with you. I'm sure we'll run into each other again.

Tom - I didn't get to say adios to you either, but wanted to thank you for being a great spotter. I learned a lot just from listening to you, and I can't wait till we can get together and do it again. BTW, I think the "spotter of the weekend" award should be split between Winter, you and Ray. Ray helped me up a couple tough spots on the Coke Ovens trail, and I'll never forget the time your spotting allowed me to walk right up that first little obstacle on the Crown King trail, with my dad standing right there saying "you'll need to be strapped up this one Jared, sorry to say it" He was a doubter

I'm still on a bit of an adrenaline high from last weekend. I had a great time and now I just can't wait to lift her and make the trip to Moab!

 

[Rick]

It sucks when the weekend is over! What a let down.

 

[BKennedy]

Dang...I knew I should have called in sick and gone to AZ. Next time, with Paul B's old suspension installed and new tires, I will make the time to come out.

On the plus side, the wife and I have been seriously shopping for camping trailers since we got back from Truckhaven (TDS). Just waiting for the right deal (and I need to buy her a new car first this month so I can park the Ex). Cool Pictures, sorry I missed it.

 

[TwoToneX]

Here are Kevin Cross' (offroadkc) pictures


http://ucsu.colorado.edu/~dotyj/kc/kc.html


My favorite one

 

[Robert]

I'm back (actually have been back for a while)

Sheryl and I had a great time meeting all of you. We got the best bunch of soccer mom vehicles I have ever seen . I like the idea of putting a mug shot, maybe standing next to your vehicle so we can remember who everyone was and what they drove. I especially want to thank Rick and Char for their hospitality. It was the first time I met most of you, but it felt like we have been friends for a long time. I will be dropping a CD in the mail to Rick on Wednesday that includes all of the pictures and video clips I took. Cox.net doesn't like me sending a 115MB file. After getting disconnected 5 times after an hour each, I gave up. So Rick, the CD is in the mail. The CD I mailed to Rick contains the high-res version of the pictures. I am sure they will be shrunk and compressed when they are put on the board. Anyone that sees pictures of their vehicles that they want the uncompressed version of, shoot me an e-mail. Rick G. yours are coming. For now here is a good one that I thought I would pass along.

 

[Robert]

OK, here is another one. It shows what was going through Alec's mind just before it was his turn to go over the last big obstical

 

[Paul B.]

Hammer, yes it was the spot where the split was that blew out. I guess the tire heated up to much for it. The funny thing was, when it happen I did not know that I had blown a tire. The truck all of a sudden started to move to the right like it was caught in a groove in the road. So I tried to turn it to the left with some success but then I heard the tire start to flap and then I knew that I had a blown tire. I think which probably saved me from loseing control of the truck at 80 mph might of been the wider wheel base and the steering system that Winter had design for the new suspension. I don't know but I had complete control of the vehicle when it happen to get it off of the highway.

 

[Alec]

Robert, Thanks for the mug shot.

I made it to my aunt and unk's house yesterday thanks to Bill's directions and help. Today I fixed my PA which had some wires vibrated loose, moved my below bumper backup lights to the roof, and my cousin cleaned my dash and engine for me I also had to replace my airhorns at Rick's on saturday due to some minor tire rubbing and trail dust.

Thanks to everyone for their help and support this weekend, couldn't have done it witout y'all. It was good to meet everyone. Thanks as always to Rick for coordinating and the hard work. Thanks to Ray and Winter for the spotting. To Jared for the moral support. To Michael and Bill for the caravans.

That's the short of it since I have limited computer time until I get back home. I'll post my pics next week, but they're not very good. I'l waiting for Rick's video of me on a huge boulder and in the river to be up, it's awesome!

Projects for Moab: Air tank setup.

 

[Alec]

I also just modified my sig to reflect my new motto

On this trip I learned the real benefit of disconnecting swaybars for added offroad performance when the rear decided to reconnect itself mid-trail. Thanks Ray for the help. To help this, I might get some adjustable shocks and do away with the rear bar. I'll keep the front since it does most of the work and is easier to disconnect quickly. I just might do this before Moab, but probably not. Adjustable shocks should replace the need for a rear bar and also add to the front bar's stiffness so I might end up cornering even better.

 

[Rick]

Better yet Alec, get some quick disconnects. That way you can have the best of both worlds. Shocks like the Rancho 9000s help, but don't give you the same cornering performance as when you have the sway bar connected.

 

[becker69]

Well, I can certainly agree about the 'living on an adrenaline high from last weekend' comment... now I really want to go to Moab. I was really working on talking the wife into it, but I think work solved my efforts; It looks like I will be in Alaska at that time... or within a few days of it But a free 2 week trip to Alaska should be fun in a different way. Keep the pictures coming; it's cool to see what the other 'group' was up too.
Jared (6 tire); your dad is a really cool guy for helping you out with your lift, etc. It's cool that you went wheelin' with your old man

Something I didn't mention before; It was really cool to meet everyone's Sig. Other's... expecially the time that I got to talk to Rick's, Ray H's, Sinjin, and Robert's. I hope to make a run sometime with my wife. (although I might here her screem like that woman that almost rolled her Xterra
Sinjin; How is your hand doing after you got bit by the 'jumping cactus'? Hope it doesn't hurt as much as mine did.

 

[offroadkc]

Thanks for getting those pics up "Six Tire".
Now I'll go back and see if I can fix those other posts.

I think the best part of buying my Ex is having the opportunity to meet and wheel with this group. I have never had that much fun out wheeling. Even my buddy that came with said he hasn't had a weekend that good in years. Now I know some local people who will actually use their 4X4s (my jeep driving buddies are wussies).
Thanks Rick and Char for making it all happen.

Who is ready for Moab?

 

[tdavis]

I'm back.. got back in 11hrs, 30 mins.

Missed all the traffic in LA, and the Bay Area!

I had fun. Can't wait to play in Upper Ajax with the sammy!

Great seeing everyone, and seeing new faces!

 

[Rick]

Here are Robert's photos from the weekend:
www.explorerforum.com/azrun1/robert

 

[rpenner54]

Originally posted by Mudd*****


Any more info on this? I am interested in these twister arms for my swap. I assume that they are going to be similar to Coby Hughey's twister arms that are currently not available through BCBroncos.

If you want to make your own check out the thread over here...
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37312
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=35518
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=37642
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=39081

It should tell you how to make the same thing but slightly cheaper.

Hows that?

 

[FAKRWEE]

Mudd*****, we're still working on the design. I just got back from 4x4Dr. with Winter. I'm going to do a write up under explorer projects. I just ramped it today when I dropped it off for before and after pictures. It ramped 864. We'll see how much better it'll do. It's going to be a similar arm to BC but different.

TwoTone my spotting helped but you did great controlling the rig. Hope to surprise your father again soon.