How about an Az run

[explornj]

my wife and i are going to be out in the Phoenix area and wondering if there were any meet and greats going on this weekend, would love to try and meet up with some people we are thinking about moving out to AZ

 

[Maniak]

Run still on?

Are people still intersted in going April, 21st? I'm up for it..

~Mark

 

[dirtbro]

just found this thread...id be interested...im only 2wd though...it is however lifted, locked, and on some really worn/torn swampers...id be down for it...assuming i can make it...dont want to slow people up though and ruin the run...

 

[Rick]

I'm still up for it Mark.

As far as making it in a locked 2wd... Do you have a strong tow point on the front of your Explorer? Prepared for possible body damage?

2wd gives you less choices when picking lines.

 

[cloaked_chaos]

Its true. I finally got my car working good (yay me) and I did a test on this very steep, rutted, rocky hill near my house. My X cannot get up the hill in 2wd. It couldn't even get up the hill in 4wd since I was taking it very slow, but man when I put it in 4wd LOW, it just went up the hill like driving over a speed bump.

 

[dirtbro]

yeah...i got the tow points...the whole body damage thing probally wont go down...it is technically my dads vehicle still and last time i jacked something offroading, i got tore a new one...so yeah, i guess im not in...enojy...take pics...

 

[cloaked_chaos]

I just talked with my dad. Me and him could most likely make it on the 21st. We would only be taking one explorer (mine) out of the 5 we have though. I still don't have my license yet due to lack of money for insurance, but with a permit I am covered under my dad's.

I am going to change out my tires with a set from another explorer because mine are mismatched and the ones we would switch with are more rugged anyway. I was wondering if I should take all 4 of the changed out tires as spares or not. Three of them are good for offroading, 2 of them being good michelins a third being a slightly rugged firestone, and the last being a crappy yokohama street tire that chirps every time we make a left turn (its on the right rear). Let me know what you think I should take with me.

Oh, I almost forgot, I have a heavy duty winch I might install on my front end. Would this be an ok alternative to installing tow hooks?
[edit- nvm on the winch, I just checked it out and its made for an atv and only holds 1500 lbs]

Here is a pic of 3 of our 5 explorers. Excuse my camera for taking crappy pictures. It will either take good pics from less than 1 foot away, or long distance pics, and isn't too good for the in-between. On the right is my dad's 93 2wd (which is going to be painted soon), the middle is my mom's 93 4wd and on the left is mine which is a 94 4wd. They look so much better than the pic can show.

 

[Maniak]

Rick,
You live on that side of the world. What would be a good meeting place (and what time)? I'm going to trailer my X up so I can get some practice at it while still somewhat close to home..

I guess we should also get a count of how many rigs will be there, but from the looks of things, we are at 4 or so.

~Mark

 

[Rick]

There is a good place to meet at the end of the Lake Pleasent access road.

I-17 to Carefree Highway, Carefree Highway past the first lake entrance, past the rock dam which will be on your right, to the main entrance road which comes in on the right a few miles past the dam.

Follow that road for several miles. Just before it dead ends at a T intersection there will be pull outs where you can park you trailer and we can meet.

How about 8:30am?

 

[cloaked_chaos]

There is a good place to meet at the end of the Lake Pleasent access road.

I-17 to Carefree Highway, Carefree Highway past the first lake entrance, past the rock dam which will be on your right, to the main entrance road which comes in on the right a few miles past the dam.

Follow that road for several miles. Just before it dead ends at a T intersection there will be pull outs where you can park you trailer and we can meet.

How about 8:30am?

Is this where you are talking about? http://maps.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&z=17&ll=33.907991,-112.323521&spn=0.005343,0.007993&t=h&om=1

 

[Rick]

Yep, that's exactly right. On the right side you can see the gravel area where Mark can leave his trailer.

I'm driving the Explorer there. No trailer this time.

If it rains, I'm out since we don't have any windows.

This run is an all day deal. It takes quite awhile just to get to the trail head from Lake Pleasent. Bring food, water etc. The weather in Crown King is usually much colder than the temps in the desert.

We'll be driving back via I-17. Char and I will be getting off at the New River exit. The same exit, Mark will need to get back to his trailer.

 

[dirtyXplorer]

We should plan some more AZ runs end of may, june, july. Ill be totally goin. I have only done trails in sedona and flagstaff but would love to get out more. Ill def keep an eye on this post for the future.

 

[Cleetis]

right now it is stock but by the end of the month i am going to have mytires on and then the next thing that i plan on doing is putting on a 3 inch body lift

I recommend against the 3" body lift. I have had 4 explorers. two of them I had a 4" superlift, 2" TT with Shackels and and a 3" body lift. I rolled both of those explorers whenever I went around a corner going over 20mph. It's just too much top heavy. I recommend just doing the 4" superlift and 2" TT with shackels for a 6" lift. You can still get 35" tires on that lift. Anyways just something for you to think about.

 

[dirtyXplorer]

Here is my Explorer last year at Broken Arrow in Sedona

I had 31"s, 3" bl, and 4" RC lift. I even did this trail with 31"s and the 3"bl. Explorers are pretty capable and if you don’t mind a few scratches or getting stuck there are a lot of trails you can do.

My friend in a stock Rodeo made it all the way....good thing for skidplates

 

[cloaked_chaos]

I've been talking around and I know a person who stays at Lake Pleasant. He is 50/50 on coming with us. If he did come he would bring his Chevy 4x4 pickup truck. He also has a little 2 seater dune buggy, but I don't know if he will take that or not.

 

[Maniak]

There is a good place to meet at the end of the Lake Pleasent access road.

I-17 to Carefree Highway, Carefree Highway past the first lake entrance, past the rock dam which will be on your right, to the main entrance road which comes in on the right a few miles past the dam.

Follow that road for several miles. Just before it dead ends at a T intersection there will be pull outs where you can park you trailer and we can meet.

How about 8:30am?

8:30 sounds good to me. I'm thinking of heading up on Friday afternoon (daylight) and crashing at my brother house (Chandler).. that way I can have daylight if anything interesting happens on the way up (This will be the 1st time I've carried the X anywhere outside of town).. I can also leave the trailer at his house and then I'll only have 30-40 miles to drive for the 8:30 meeting (easier to time)..

~Mark

 

[Maniak]

It T minus 4 days.. do we know who is going for sure yet?

I'm there, I'm assuming Rick is still there... Chaos, you still going for sure? Anyone else?

~Mark

 

[Rick]

Any way we can push this to Sunday? Sunday is supposed to be 10 degrees warmer. Saturday is supposed to be 51 and windy... with no windows that will suck.

 

[Maniak]

I can't do sunday.. We have show tickets for Cirque Du Sole here in Tucson.. If I missed that, I'd be sleeping with the dogs..

Noaa.gov shows 70-78 for the high in lower elevations and 50's in the upper (crown king proper).


~Mark

 

[Rick]

We'll just bring layers of clothes and add and subtract as needed...
I've got to get doors back on this thing tube doors definitely help in the rough stuff, but the rest of the time they pretty much suck.