What goes SNAP

[Andy Steiner]

POP...

PINNNNG!?!?!?


The three bolts holding the steering box to the frame on Derek's junk. Okay no biggie. Replace the bolts, move on.






Wait! It gets better.







Lookie where it happened...
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/andysteiner/off%20road/Moab%202006/Escalator/100_2223.jpg

Yup. Right in the middle of Escalator.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/andysteiner/off%20road/Moab%202006/Escalator/100_2224.jpg

Manual steering.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/andysteiner/off%20road/Moab%202006/Escalator/100_2225.jpg

Carnage.
http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/andysteiner/off%20road/Moab%202006/Escalator/100_2229.jpg


Wouldn't have been too bad if:
a. We had spare bolts.
b. The bolts hadn't sheared off so damned close to the end of the threads.
c. We started the trail sometime earlier than 5:30PM.

So we winch him up to the top and assess the situation. Derek called a friend and had him pick up new bolts before the parts stores closed. I drove out to Moab to pick up the bolts. Awfully fun driving out with the setting sun in your rear view mirrors, blinding you. Got the bolts, drove back in. Even more fun with the setting sun smack in your face!

Got back to Escalator. Wrong bolts. MUTHA*#&%$(@!!(#$...

Derek makes more calls. Finds another friend who has access to the local power company storage yard. He picks up the correct size bolts and arranges to meet me at the exit of Hell's Revenge on Sand Canyon Road. At least I don't have to drive all the way into town this time. However it is now dark. It's not a hard trail, but in the dark, it's damned interesting.

Return to Escalator about 9:30PM and Rollins, Derek and to friends from LOAST KJ West, Clint and Ted worked on that puppy for a long time.

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/andysteiner/off%20road/Moab%202006/Escalator/100_2245.jpg

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y33/andysteiner/off%20road/Moab%202006/Escalator/100_2249.jpg

We finally got off the trail at midnight. Which would not have been too bad had we not run the whole length of Steel Bender earlier in the day. All together, I spent more than 14 hours running trails on Thursday.

[cracker]

It could happen to any of us ;)

Thanks for getting him out.

-Avery

[erikwylie]

Stories like this reassure me that I made the right choice to join this club. These are the type of people that I like to be around, "Those that help one another, recieve help!"

[Gerr]

ok adding new bolts to the list of fix its to do this weekend and a set for spares

[Mr.OverKill]

ok adding new bolts to the list of fix its to do this weekend and a set for sparesi can see it now,
dzraces :yes, i need two sets of bolts for a 1985 jeep XJ loredo.
sales man: um, whitch ones?
dzraces: all of them:shocked:

you can plan ahead for alot but you cant anticipate every thing that can go wrong with your junk ( unless you bring a spare rig :laugh3: ) plan for 1/3 and your friends will plan on the other 2/3 of the lists and go have fun.

[djblade311]

Did he have a reinforcement plate? Any damage to the unibody frame rail?

[Andy Steiner]

Did he have a reinforcement plate? Any damage to the unibody frame rail?
Not yet. He will in a couple of weeks. No damage at all to the unibody. Nothing at all but sheared off bolts.

[GSequoia]

Not yet. He will in a couple of weeks. No damage at all to the unibody. Nothing at all but sheared off bolts.

Now that's some serious luck.

[creeperjeep]

I did the same friggin thing, just not at moab.
I used the rear seatbelt like a turnoquette sp? to hold it to the frame and limped to the road and got a hook.
6pm on a sunday.
now i have spares of those too

[jmaxj]

Did he have a reinforcement plate? Any damage to the unibody frame rail?
the reinfocement plate is now on and holding good and i gots lots of spare bolts now for just in case, steering box bracer being built this week also.

And thanks to andy, mike,ted and of course clint for hangin out under the stars and getting my junk off of the trail

[creeperjeep]

http://creeperjeep.net/Images/tech/box3.jpg