Almost live from Moab!!!

[Rick]

Our Moab run has now came and went. What a great time. It was a small run, only my wife Jack Lobell and myself, but we had a great time. No rushing just relaxing days of fourwheeling. I wan't expecting 108 degrees, but, "it's a dry heat"!

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com





[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 06-30-1999).]

 

[Rick]

HELLO FROM MOAB!!!

Jack and I just got back from our first day of wheelin'. Great fun, lots of slick rock, sun and blue sky.

The first day wasn't without excitement though. Jack ripped the sidewall on a brand new BFG KO TA. We attempted a repair with about 8 tire plugs, but it wouldn't seal up. Since Jack had the 33x9.50 "mini spare" I lent him my full size M/T for the trip back to town. He already bought a new tire and we're ready to roll tomorrow morning.

Today's trail was the Gold Bar Rim, a 3-1/2 rated trail. Lots of slickrock shelves to climb and awesome scenary.

We haven't decided which trails we're going to tackle tomorrow, but I'm sure it'll be fun.

Here's a couple photos I grabbed with my digital camera.
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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com


[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 06-24-1999).]

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 06-24-1999).]

 

[Rick]

DAY TWO!!

Well, it was my turn today. Just seconds before we were going to stop for lunch at Coffee Pot Rock I flattened a rim and tire while driving down into a wash. I let my stomach get the better of me and went too fast. It looked smooth and easy, but there was a rock and I drove right into it with my aired down BFG MT. I heard a "whoosh" and drove as quick as I could to level ground.

After lunch I pounded out the dent in the backside of the rim. It looked pretty good, but when I aired it up and pressed down on the sidewall there was a very slow leak. I used my spare to get me back to town.

In town we stopped by our favorite tire shop. Dan, busted the bead, layed on some tire sealer and now it's "ready to rock".

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com


[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 06-25-1999).]

[This message has been edited by Rick (edited 06-25-1999).]

 

[Paul Gagnon]

Rick, Jack,

I hate to say it, but you guys seem to be having an awful lot of trouble with those RADIALS! Dead Link Removed

Come over to the Dark Side.
Go bias-ply. Dead Link Removed

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Paul Gagnon
"No Brain, No Pain"
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[Rick]

My tire survived. It was my rim that died. Actually I pounded out the rim on the spot and it looks like it'll do fine for a spare. It's a bit flatter now, but it still goes round and round... Dead Link Removed

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com

 

[Rick]

Our third and last day of wheelin' went great. We ran Mill Canyon and the North Fork. Nothing busted in over 5 hours of grueling rock crawling.

Well nothing busted except for my pride...While I was taking some photos of my Exploder I tripped backwards and landed on a prickly pear cactus and another cactus. I guess that was natures revenge for my running over a very small snake at the beginning of the trail. I survived, the snake wasn't so lucky.

A full report and lots of photos should be online early this week.

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com

 

[Rick]

The Moab trip report is now online.
http://www.4x4central.com/moab.html

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com

 

[Paul Gagnon]

Great pictures! You self-employed guys have all the fun. Dead Link Removed I wish I could get away more often. Dead Link Removed

Are you sure those are pictures of Jack's truck? Dead Link Removed It seems to be flexing! Dead Link Removed

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Paul Gagnon
"No Brain, No Pain"
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[rpenner54]

I think that this whole experince right here shows why you point out on the Explorer Tips page why 16 year olds should not purchase and lift a truck. Dead Link Removed I counted at least $200 worth of damage, plus a couple of brusied egos (not to mention backsides). But I still say the instant gratification from all the $cost$ is the great views you get and the fun you have driving these trails.



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Ryan Penner
1992 Explorer Sport

 

[Phil Christensen]

As a long long time Moabite (gramma/grandpa live there - visit every summer) I always get a kick out of hearing all the stories of those that have recently (<15 years or so) discovered Moab. Great stories and pics Rick.

Everyone stay on the soapbox about BLM, it's a horrible scurge to let them take away our fav hideaways. But also take heart, there's plenty more places to go around Moab if they do decide to shut down our favs. Next time y'all go, don't overlook Lisbon valley, I give you that one as a local favorite and you can add indian ruins and arches into your gorgeous day down there too.

Thanks for the great read. Happy trails.

 

[j]

Paul, I flexed, my Explorer flexed, my wallet flexed....

 

[Rick]

I went to Discount tire today to see about buying a new rim to replace my dented unit. Anyway htey told me that my Black Mods have been discontinued, good luck finding any. Another one of their guys came out and said he just had a set cudtom built for a customer.

Anyway, I was able to buy two new 15x8 rims for 48.95 each custom built. Can't beat that.

After this trip I decided to take two spares along whenever I'm running tough trails. Now to find a place for that second spare. I really don't want to go with a roof mount. I was thinking about running two tires off the rear bumper side by side, but there's not enough room.

Maybe I could remove the 1/3rd seat in back and secure the tire with tie downs.

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com

 

[j]

What about only a skinny spare on the roof? I too am concerned about higher COG, but wondering if the increase would be much. The skinny tire is lighter. If it is your second spare on an alum rim...What type of COG weight are we talking about? How would we measure it?

It might take only a bracket rather than a roof rack to do it.

On the Arch run I liked Trace's roof rack, but never got around to ask about any different feeling in COG.

After our experiences, I'm wondering about getting someone to follow us in my 4x4 pick-up loaded with parts, wheels, tires, and a tank of water, plus vice grips for yanking out yucca thorns Dead Link Removed

 

[Rick]

I need to get my beast in the garage. As it is I only have a few inches of clearance. Anything on the roof would get in the way.

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com

 

[Ray Lobato]

Hey Rick,
Is your tire carrier strong enough to hold 2 tires piggy back? The fronts would have to face each other to keep the lugs from having to be too long, but I think that might do it, and you wouldn't have to loose any room in the cargo area. You would only have 2 tires when you go wheelin', and I don't think it would look bad. Put a cover over and it looks like you have a really fat tire on the back. Dead Link Removed

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Happy Wheelin'
Ray L.
97 XLT 4X4 4.0L SOHC

 

[Rick]

Ray, that would add a lot to my rear overhang. Even though it's up kinda high it would probably get nailed while trying to climb steep hills and also while decending high steps.

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Rick Horwitz
explorer@4x4central.com
Editor
www.4x4central.com

 

[rpenner54]

Rick, Why not try to fit a 33x9.5 in between your toolbox in the back of your truck and the back door. If there was enough room to do that, you could bolt the spare right up to the tool box. If not that then mabey bolt it to the top of your toolbox. I know that in my Explorer a stock spare barely fits lying down, so I am not sure that the bolting it to the top would work real well, but I though I would throw that out there.



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Ryan Penner
1992 Explorer Sport

 

[j]

I have the skinny spare on a stock mag wheel, but after Moab am rethinking the idea. 33x12.50 may be better suited for extracting oneself from some Moab trails.

A skinny spare might work better if wheel offset could match up with 33x12.50 track width. On real steep trails, the skinny spare on stocker wheel might lead to a corner roll.

Like Rick, I think two spares is the way to go. I may do one full size and one skinny, but still have the prob of where to put it.

I have read several posts on another thread about fitting a 31 in the spare tire area. That is only fine if you run 31s. If you run 33s, you have to run them way aired down and run the 31 hard, plus would best on the front that way in 2WD only. I guess this could also be the second spare, but mine won't fit with exhaust. Keep in mind how close the exhaust is to the tire.

 

[Dignan]

hey rick have you thought about a removeable mount on your roof? you could mount the spare when offroad and remove it when pulling into a garage.

also, as paul metioned, "You self-employed guys have all the fun." well i'm self-employed and i love to go to moab, so let me know if you want to make another moab run.

 

[Rick]

How things have changed...