January Moab Trip Report

[xjblue]

Preface; (photos below)

Been working on converting a friend to XJ's ever since I started wheeling mine with the club. He has ridden shotgun with ACE and myself during the 02 Fall Fling and on many runs since.

He picked up his neighbors MJ and my parts MJ year and half ago but decided last summer the family wouldn't fit. Not wanting to leave them out of the fun he picked up an XJ to build instead.

Last November ish, I helped him install a 6" lift on his Cherokee. He went with a simple set up, running Deaver front lifted coils with full 2" sized spacers and RRO control arm drop brackets. OME CS034RA rear springs with RRO shackles and 1.5" blocks out back.
Installed A t case drop, that along with the rear of the drop brackets also spacing the crossmember and w/ 5* axle shims - he didn't have any obnoxiouse driveline vibes. Then an RRO trackbar to round it all off.
He found some decently backspaced wheels and 32" rubber to throw on once we finished. Drove pretty good.

So he calls up right after christmas and suddenly wants to go to Moab the weekend after New Years and break it in.

The Trip;

Left work early Friday Jan 4th and packed up the Jeep. Went to my friends house in Kearns arriving well after dark and brought him some longer front brake lines wich he was quickly going to install:sure: . Ran out of brake fluid during bleeding. He had two friends/coworkers to ride shotgun with us, one of wich had extra brake fluid so took my jeep to pick up that passanger and the fluid, returned and finished the last minute brake line job.

We left to pick up the other passanger in Saratoga Springs after Nine thirty PM. (who barely got last minute approval from his wife to go) Hit the freeway in Lehi about 10:30 with some fast food in hand. The snowstorm hit as we approached Spanish Fork Canyon wich made it much slower going than normal most of the way to Price, It let up there through Wellington but heard from truckers on the CB it was snowing all the way to the big road (I-70). It was pretty snowy as advertised. Weather cleared up at I-70 and we cruised into Moab 02:30 hundred hours :speepin:

After a restless sleep in a cabin at the deserted Canyonlands campground, then a casual late morning start and breakfast in town, it was the Hells Revenge trail all to ourselves for his first shakedown cruise.

headed out to the overlook
http://inlinethumb37.webshots.com/1060/2417169380043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2417169380043863621KhWvmV)
steep climb near the black hole
http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/40819/2496479220043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2496479220043863621paEajj)
car wash
http://inlinethumb59.webshots.com/15098/2830696580043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2830696580043863621pwZDVq)
good ole tip over challenge was super slippery (I had to use a locker!)
http://inlinethumb40.webshots.com/12775/2409517630043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2409517630043863621DkUmNB)
When its this slick you just about can't help but end up stuck and flexed right here instead of the perfect xjeeper spotted line.
Notice the fresh bits of glass to the left :D somebody had recently lost the challenge.
http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/9069/2834427540043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2834427540043863621FgGEyr)
During simular conditions last spring, Dan Mick taught me a little driving trick that works great, so got him up no worries.
http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/27672/2123159120043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2123159120043863621OqvGdr)

[XJumpmaster]

I'll be there in 3 weeks! Thanks for the refresher!

[xjblue]

the squeeze
http://inlinethumb58.webshots.com/9401/2261418090043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2261418090043863621rYlYfu)
unlocked shortarm flex
http://inlinethumb60.webshots.com/14331/2016936620043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2016936620043863621AzRcgm)

After Hells, we hit the south side of Fins And Things and let the passengers drive.
It's a little different sitting in the passenger side with somebody inexperienced and heavy on the skinny pedal driving your rig!

http://inlinethumb50.webshots.com/36337/2690743620043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2690743620043863621kIBgEE)

We followed up the trails Saturday with a late lunch/early dinner at Pasta Jay's (wich we also had to ourselves)
then hit the chevron air compressor for the drive home.
I decided to top off the 32gal tank. The XJ wouldn't start:eek:

Trouble shot right there at the pump (in hindsight I would have thought much more clearly if we simply rolled it away from the pump, it's hard to troubleshoot with a constantly changing audience and 3 other chiefs!) It wasn't getting fuel. It was getting power to the pump as far back as the harness plug near the filter but amungst the din of the highway and gas station I coulnd't hear the pump. My friend towed me to the parts store were we could buy needed items as we find problems while working on it. Decided to get a fuel pump before the stores closed. It started getting cold. The tank, Now FULL, was a huge pain to drop, the new pump went in and didn't run - DO"H My friend grabbed the harness to the pump and the end of the factory power wire (before my splices for the new tank wires) just pulled out, looked like it was cleanly cut!!!!! The guys ran for wire and connectors, we bypassed the bad harness, cheered when it ran, re-installed the tank, threw tools in and about 9:30 rolled out of town with the heaters cranked.

After Helper we hit another snow storm - It was a long drive home. Thanks to Ryan and Bryon for offering to come to the rescue!

[xjblue]

I'll be there in 3 weeks! Thanks for the refresher!

Your welcome.

[IntrepidXJ]

nice pics :)

[xjblue]

nice pics :)

Thanks Randy,

the rest are here > http://thumb1.webshots.net/t/58/558/0/63/91/2252063910043863621zkeXng_th.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/album/562513563DYlWPy)

[David B.]

I have never been to Moab when it is not crazy crowded with Jeeps and tourists and environmentalists and such.

Sounds like a great trip, but he should have built the MJ:)

Actually, I am almost wanting to tear parts off my MJ and build an XJ, ARGHH! Just finished with ball joints in the front Dana 44, brakes in the rear 44, new diff cover (rear), steering is all put together. My tranny still does not shift into L gear and I need to find an EGR valve so it will pass the good old I/M. Other than that I am completely finished...(yeah right!).

[xjblue]

I have never been to Moab when it is not crazy crowded with Jeeps and tourists and environmentalists and such.

Sounds like a great trip, but he should have built the MJ:)

Actually, I am almost wanting to tear parts off my MJ and build an XJ, ARGHH! Just finished with ball joints in the front Dana 44, brakes in the rear 44, new diff cover (rear), steering is all put together. My tranny still does not shift into L gear and I need to find an EGR valve so it will pass the good old I/M. Other than that I am completely finished...(yeah right!).

Dave your almost as bad as Jared.
Actually my friend wants to keep my parts rig and buy my MJ and build it. (maybe I should let him then buy it back when he is done, he has a history of selling me cars at cost (free labor!) after all:cool: ) He still has his project MJ too....

[MoabXJeeper]

So I guess you are not going to give up the driving trick Mr., and I use the term loosely, Mick taught you?

[Handlebars]

So I guess you are not going to give up the driving trick Mr., and I use the term loosely, Mick taught you?
Yeah, spill the beans Jared! I have been in the same position before, with wet, sandy tires.

[xjblue]

So I guess you are not going to give up the driving trick Mr., and I use the term loosely, Mick taught you?

Yeah, spill the beans Jared! I have been in the same position before, with wet, sandy tires.

Ok, for my IC peeps here's the low down.
Well last spring there I was, leading our spring fling group, Dan Mick was on top - had just spotted those Chrysler testers up ahead of us (seen in this photo at Hells Gate earlier that day),
http://inlinethumb52.webshots.com/40819/2925421050043863621S425x425Q85.jpg (http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2925421050043863621nRLZgs)
I was trying to show our group how it was done with open diffs and ended up in that same spot with wheels spinning. Dan shakes his head and says "you've got to know how to drive it when it's slick or your going to get in trouble, now this is what I want you to do, turn your wheels hard passenger" and had to prompt me to keep turning them to full lock. I'm like :sure: He continues "yeah it's opposite of what you feel like doing but now you will be able to pull foreward about a foot or so, then once you can't go further again, straighten your wheel and go easy on the gas, you will crawl right out."

Used it to spot the braver of our group behind me that day and again was absolutely needed on this trip. It took me four + attempts just to get up that far it was that slick.

[Handlebars]

Ah ha, I see what you did. You just got him unflexed enough to go forward a little to get the rear tires up the steep part.

Given a choice I would be putting the right front tire where the left rear is going in this photo:

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/27672/2123159120043863621S600x600Q85.jpg

Niiice job, thanks for sharing! :thumbup:

[xjblue]

Ah ha, I see what you did. You just got him unflexed enough to go forward a little to get the rear tires up the steep part.

Given a choice I would be putting the right front tire where the left rear is going in this photo:

http://inlinethumb25.webshots.com/27672/2123159120043863621S600x600Q85.jpg

Niiice job, thanks for sharing! :thumbup:
Yup, just enough un-flex, thanks and your welcome. He still had some wheel spin but had more flex than I did. With wheel spin at that point the front end can slide over in the scary direction, wich is what happened to me after the pull foreward (I probably steered too far driver also), after the front end slide I straitened the wheel and almost idled it up, makes an awesome finesse move.

By right front where left rear is, are you saying passenger front where the driver rear is Ala this line when it's not too slippery to stay on the high side right? or vice versa?
http://inlinethumb06.webshots.com/19397/2675639360043863621S600x600Q85.jpg (http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2675639360043863621ihADzK)



We sold both our passengers on offroading and gave them a good show of XJ capabilities.