Learning the hard way

If you guys didnt see from my other post I recently got my EX stuck bigtime. I planned to go out with my friends target shooting in the forest and got in over my head. I was cruising down the trails smashing throught puddles and none were that deep. Small enough that my 4x4 XLT would go right through them, about a little less then hub deep.(they looked similar to the ones in the pic) Well long story short I went to drive through this one and ended up getting the truck high centered. Of course I was ill equipped for th situation. I had a friend try to pull me out but couldnt get enough traction. The next day we bought two 8000k comealongs and 2 tow straps. We ended up braking the comealongs, the cables started to fray and one got the cable all jammed up, and got the truck almost all the way out. I also bought a high jack which helped the most. I had to let the truck sit in the puddle for another night and come back the next day due to time restraints. With a little more lifting and pulling got the truck out. I always learn the hard way. 8 hours of pulling, shovleing, lifting and the truck was out. 4wd was stuck on but the truck still ran. I drove her back to the road and pulled off the 4wd motor and manually put her in 2wd. The truck still got me home 25 plus miles away. Now I have a storie to tell people on the trails, lots of experince gained on preperation before going out and what seems to be rod knock. Still trying to figure out what the noise is coming from the engine, but it dont sound good. you can hear it on my other post Rod knock? What do you think. And not to mention the whole time this was going on it was a raining muddy mess and a warm 40 degrees outside. Anyways im not gonna let it stop me from going out and having fun. I gained a few laughs and alot of knowlege. It is probably not the last time I will be in this situation either, just a little more prepared next time. Hope you all enjoy!!!

 

[Yankee516]

OMFG! Teflon coat the whole car and interior before the next trip! reminds me of a griswold family vacation! was grandma in the back and the dog tied to the bumper still? Hope you had fun, 4x4'ing in your neck of the woods looks like fun! Would love to get my rig there, or at least ride shotgun with ya!

 

[StryctNy9e]

My EX will have a new motor, lifted and on 33's in no time. You are welcome to tag along if you stroll around to the north west. I am going to go back and conquer the muddhole when my truck is better equipped!!!

 

[nitemare]

The mud hole doesn't actually look that bad without the Explorer in it but I ride on 31" with heavy tread for bite, but yours looks a little sad in the hole. Maybe consider buying a good heavy wench for it for mud holes, much easier

 

[98 5oh XLT]

NICE! Where abouts was that area? Im in clackamas myself.

 

[StryctNy9e]

About 25 miles off scappoose/vernonia highway. A little turn off the road and out onto the logging trails. I know the area very well, but that day there was a new gate open, that I had never been down so I decided to go scout it out for more shooting/hunting spots. And about 5 miles down that road is when I ran into the muddpitt. Maybe we will go wheeling and shootin sometime when I get the Exploder all juiced out.

 

[98 5oh XLT]

Sounds good! Im prepping to do a shackles/TT to mine and im gonna throw some 31's under it, after that ill have to think because i also use it as a family hauler and i cant make it too exciting or the wife gets unhappy. My 2 year old kid loves it but its a good idea to keep the girls happy. means i get to sleep that way (I work graveyard).

 

[nitemare]

You will love the 31" under you, I have 3.73 gears so find I still have lots of power to play. C.T. had a sale on for 31" Wranglers so it cost me $660.00 with tax for four

 

[nitemare]

Sounds good! I'm prepping to do a shackles/TT to mine and i'm gonna throw some 31's under it, after that ill have to think because i also use it as a family hauler and i cant make it too exciting or the wife gets unhappy. My 2 year old kid loves it but its a good idea to keep the girls happy. means i get to sleep that way (I work graveyard).

lol it's funny how well that works, mine didn't like the extra three inches up to get in but thankfully she has her own car. She is still forced to step up when we take the boat out and of course snow storms etc. unless she wants to drive herself. That mud hole is deceiving though but I bet your wife wasn't too happy when she saw the mess.

 

[StryctNy9e]

My Girlfriend is a trooper. She was with me when I got my X stuck. And she was knee deep in the mud with the rest of us trying to get it out. And besides its my truck and she knows im gonna do what I want with it. I dont gotta worry about the wife thing yet. The day after I got my truck out I got my rear warrior shackles in the mail. Im gonna throw a new/used motor in my ex because after that muddhole I belive I have developed rod knock. Then I am gonna do a coil seat/ add-a-leaf lift. Probably throw some 31 MT on her. And eventually body lift, 33's, gears/locker. It will be in the near future. And by the way that picture of the interior was only the tip of the iceburg, that muddy water was coming inside the passanger side doors and now parts of my gray carpet are brown and I had a friends dog(80lb pitbull) with us so there were muddy paw prints all over the back seat and rear carpet. My interior was nothing special anyways and it all cleaned up allright.

 

[97xlt4.0]

Looks like a fun day! I'm in Beaverton, too. The spot you got stuck looks vaguely familiar, actually.

I've been going up to Browns Camp a lot lately to shoot/play....took most of my toys up there this weekend!

-Mike

 

[minelson17]

Yeah that's one thing about wheeling here in Oregon, you're sure to find plenty of deep water holes that "don't look that bad". I hydro-locked my first motor in my '92 up in the Silver Falls area a few years ago....no fun. So I learned my lesson and put a cold air intake to elevate the air intake, and eventually lifted the hell outta the rig haha.

 

[Palmer7]

My EX will have a new motor, lifted and on 33's in no time. You are welcome to tag along if you stroll around to the north west. I am going to go back and conquer the muddhole when my truck is better equipped!!!

Hey I'm also over in Beaverton. Where is this puddle you found haha

 

[StryctNy9e]

Nice guys maybe we will see eachother on the streets or trails in orf Exploders sometime and the muddholes was out in scappoose/vernonia area. And I take it browns camp is cool. Been out that way hunting but never wheeling. And if anyone knows a good place to get a used motor in the area please shoot me a message.

 

[minelson17]

drop a 302 in there .....everytime I drive mine I think how I wish I would have just invested in the 302 then while I had the motor out...

 

[StryctNy9e]

wish I had the money to do a V8 swap. The first thing I did was get online and do research and it was a little too much for me right now. I have the mechanical abilitys but not the time or money. Just want that annoying knock to go away and the peace of mind not thinking im gonna throw a rod everytime I drive the EX.

 

[98 5oh XLT]

lol it's funny how well that works, mine didn't like the extra three inches up to get in but thankfully she has her own car.

Mine doesnt drive due to a bad auto accident when she was little (terrified to the extreme of cars now, will only relax in the passenger seat with me which is interesting seeing as i used to love to go around corners sideways) But she didnt like how the f350 diesel sat so high (FX4 package) when trying to get the kiddo into the truck. She is receptive to the idea of me lifting it. Not so receptive to the idea that i think my explorers old grill should be mounted in the living room (tried the modding it with a dear option....not such a great option cost me a fender too)....she let me mount a skull and rack in there once....

Didnt realize there were so many oregonian explorer guys/gals (hard to tell on net) here. This may work as a good excuse for me to have a bbq and consume beer and not get yelled at for being lazy.....hmmmm bbq this summer anyone?:

 

[924dr4x4]

not as bad as mine,i did the same thing http://explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=247181
i eventually put a new trans,transfer case and torque converter in it as the trans went about 2 weeks later,when we did the swap i found out there was no vacuum lines on the trans anywhere thats why water got in it,but it doesnt look like your truck was deep enough to get water in the trans,but good luck on doing the lift

 

[mengjin89]

sorry to hear about that. Is your drivers' seat bottom part movable? Is it motorized?

If you guys didnt see from my other post I recently got my EX stuck bigtime. I planned to go out with my friends target shooting in the forest and got in over my head. I was cruising down the trails smashing throught puddles and none were that deep. Small enough that my 4x4 XLT would go right through them, about a little less then hub deep.(they looked similar to the ones in the pic) Well long story short I went to drive through this one and ended up getting the truck high centered. Of course I was ill equipped for th situation. I had a friend try to pull me out but couldnt get enough traction. The next day we bought two 8000k comealongs and 2 tow straps. We ended up braking the comealongs, the cables started to fray and one got the cable all jammed up, and got the truck almost all the way out. I also bought a high jack which helped the most. I had to let the truck sit in the puddle for another night and come back the next day due to time restraints. With a little more lifting and pulling got the truck out. I always learn the hard way. 8 hours of pulling, shovleing, lifting and the truck was out. 4wd was stuck on but the truck still ran. I drove her back to the road and pulled off the 4wd motor and manually put her in 2wd. The truck still got me home 25 plus miles away. Now I have a storie to tell people on the trails, lots of experince gained on preperation before going out and what seems to be rod knock. Still trying to figure out what the noise is coming from the engine, but it dont sound good. you can hear it on my other post Rod knock? What do you think. And not to mention the whole time this was going on it was a raining muddy mess and a warm 40 degrees outside. Anyways im not gonna let it stop me from going out and having fun. I gained a few laughs and alot of knowlege. It is probably not the last time I will be in this situation either, just a little more prepared next time. Hope you all enjoy!!!

 

[StryctNy9e]

Actually even though water did get to the electial on the seat controls, they came out OK and all function properly. Yes it is moterized and it is crazy the way they still function properly. I thought much more would me damaged, But FORD made me a beliver after my first FORD drove away from that expierence!!