Spring Creek Second Smaller NAXJA Group.

[Hubbazoot]

Well here's the pictures promised showing off my damage. Will have my video footage posted here and others' as soon as they're findable.
Well, mostly pictures.

Short story: Dinged up my exhaust going up Spring Creek. Got myself a replacement system out of a '92 H/O XJ. Needs some cutting up at the flange but this is what I got.
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/korinthan/SpringCreektrip1001.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/korinthan/SpringCreektrip1002.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/korinthan/SpringCreektrip1003.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/korinthan/SpringCreektrip1012.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/korinthan/0518091625.jpg
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/korinthan/0518091620a.jpg

[Hubbazoot]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOzVJXUJX9c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cMAydrJh5I

[Hypoid]

Ouch! I think we paid $120 for a CAT that bolts up to a RENIX exhaust. The old one brought $35 at the recycler. Prices have dropped since then.

[Hubbazoot]

Ouch! I think we paid $120 for a CAT that bolts up to a RENIX exhaust. The old one brought $35 at the recycler. Prices have dropped since then.
I got a full replacement exhaust for $75. :scottm:

The catch-22 is it's from a '92 XJ H/O so it has a different manifold flange:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c221/korinthan/SpringCreektrip1009.jpg
And that's a flowmaster there for a muffler.

[jeepdude25]

Sorry to see the damage but awesome videos looked like alot of fun!!!

[Skully]

The videos look good!

I like how you stage the camera man to catch everyone at the obstacles. I am usually the camera man! :cool:

I need to have my camera man get better.

How did you ding your door?

So you are giving navy crap for no tow points and armor and then get the most damage? :D

[YELLAHEEP]

Jon - a little tip to help keep you from suddenly dropping backwards on rock climbs: Set your e-brake half way or a bit more. It'll slow the movement backward.

I'd also invest in a hand throttle (rubicon express) so you can free up a foot for the brake pedal. :thumbup:

[Hubbazoot]

The videos look good!

I like how you stage the camera man to catch everyone at the obstacles. I am usually the camera man! :cool:

I need to have my camera man get better.

How did you ding your door?

So you are giving navy crap for no tow points and armor and then get the most damage? :D
I dinged my door coming up the first obstacle the first time. I went left around the boulder right before the obstacle instead of right. Nobody was spotting me. The rail actually kept the rock from getting into the door more than it did.

I'm giving navy crap about not having tow points because he got stuck. I have no idea to what extent he took damage but he sure dinged up his gas tank a lot more than I did.

Jon - a little tip to help keep you from suddenly dropping backwards on rock climbs: Set your e-brake half way or a bit more. It'll slow the movement backward.

I'd also invest in a hand throttle (rubicon express) so you can free up a foot for the brake pedal. :thumbup:
Hand throttle is on the to-do list. Part of the reason it kept stalling on me after I hit the exhaust was the exhaust was mostly closed.

[Hubbazoot]

More vids because I love you all :D

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fjtXKH3RlY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ4Hb2Z82ss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfW_4zPRebw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=md5HVCD9dn4
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=redneckdadnco&view=videos

[ColoradoRaptor]

Jon - a little tip to help keep you from suddenly dropping backwards on rock climbs: Set your e-brake half way or a bit more. It'll slow the movement backward.

I'd also invest in a hand throttle (rubicon express) so you can free up a foot for the brake pedal. :thumbup:

A good tip but here is a better one............ GET A SLUSH BOX!!!!! :patriot:

[DutchVDub]

Just learn to drive is a tip that come to mind, your clutch work was very un-impressive dude.

You probably should get an Automatic to wheel with, it makes wheeling a lot easier ans especially helps when you haven't done much wheeling to begin with.

[90xj4x4]

Hubba- What are the specs on your rig? Are you running a LS or Locker in the rear??

[Hubbazoot]

A good tip but here is a better one............ GET A SLUSH BOX!!!!! :patriot:

My 5-speed is the only vehicle I have to wheel with, and I'm okay with that. I know my clutch work wasn't THE most impressive in the world, but wheeling is a constant learning experience. I'm still working on getting my clutch work down pat.

Hubba- What are the specs on your rig? Are you running a LS or Locker in the rear??

2" AAL with full springs in the front, full shocks for a 2" lift all the way around. I have a D30 in the front and D35 Locked in the back. I'm running 30x9.5R15 A/T Retreads by Treadwright. Tcase skid, gas tank skid, rails.

[DutchVDub]

Keeping working at it man, I'd just start on less challenging trails the Spring Creek. You can force I less built vehicle up a lot of trails, but if you want that vehicle to stay somewhat decent you don't really want to. I'm not bashing you, just speaking from experience. I beat the crap out of my Zuki to get it up Spring Creek. Better to do more moderate trails until you really get the hang of it.

Another thing that will help (and way more than some gay hand throttle) is better gearing. Even just a set of 3.55's from an automatic would probably make a huge difference as you're only on 30" tires. According to math you need 3.41's to be back at stock with those 30's so some 3.55's will be just a little bit over gear. Probably help you out a lot. I think I spent a total of 80$ on my XJ when I went from 3.07's to 3.55's. I just used a used R&P for the D30 and swapped in a 3.55geared 8.25 for the rear. I could help you with the gearing too if you go that route.

[Hubbazoot]

Keeping working at it man, I'd just start on less challenging trails the Spring Creek. You can force I less built vehicle up a lot of trails, but if you want that vehicle to stay somewhat decent you don't really want to. I'm not bashing you, just speaking from experience. I beat the crap out of my Zuki to get it up Spring Creek. Better to do more moderate trails until you really get the hang of it.

Another thing that will help (and way more than some gay hand throttle) is better gearing. Even just a set of 3.55's from an automatic would probably make a huge difference as you're only on 30" tires. According to math you need 3.41's to be back at stock with those 30's so some 3.55's will be just a little bit over gear. Probably help you out a lot. I think I spent a total of 80$ on my XJ when I went from 3.07's to 3.55's. I just used a used R&P for the D30 and swapped in a 3.55geared 8.25 for the rear. I could help you with the gearing too if you go that route.

I think I'll just take the time to get the clutchwork down pat and call it a day. I went up spring creek because I wanted to. I learned a lot, but I also had a hell of a time and would do it all again and probably WILL do it again. At this point, my jeep has become a "toy" vehicle and I am just fine with that.

[YELLAHEEP]

some gay hand throttle......


One of the best mods I'd ever done to the Heep and sure helped keep me alot safer on the obstacles...... FAR from gay. I hope I get to be there when you attempt Liberty/Patriot without one......... :moon:

[DutchVDub]

Me too Troy, I'm going to Park on whats left of Truggy's hood. :D

I'm really not knocking the hand throttle, its also on my eventual to-do list. But better gearing helps out in a lot more ways INMHO.

[Skully]

One thing no one mention yet concerning the clutch is burning it out early. What Dutch was saying is right, gears should be a priority on your list of mods.
The constant slamming or feathering of the clutch trying to climb an obstacle pushing slightly larger tires with those 3.05's, even when you have mastered the 3-step boogey, the excessive use will be the downfall of the clutch prematurely.

In retrospect my current XJ is the first Jeep out of the four I have owned with an auto. I would swear by a clutch any day and it was nice with low gears to slap it in four low and 1st gear just monitoring the gas slowing climbing the hill. Now that I have the auto it is weird, I feel lazy wheeling, but it is nice with my bad knee and lower back. I do miss one aspect of the manual, and that is the precise control of your gears/speed, specially going down steep hills or obstacles or slowing yourself down on slick surfaces.

Back on track with the thread, Hubbazoot where is the other two groups that were in front of you? Coming down the 3rd obstacle they are nowhere to be seen in the back ground of the videos waiting or watching and since they were like a two big bad zits on your grill I figured they would still be around as you were coming down the mountain.

[Hubbazoot]

One thing no one mention yet concerning the clutch is burning it out early. What Dutch was saying is right, gears should be a priority on your list of mods.
The constant slamming or feathering of the clutch trying to climb an obstacle pushing slightly larger tires with those 3.05's, even when you have mastered the 3-step boogey, the excessive use will be the downfall of the clutch prematurely.

In retrospect my current XJ is the first Jeep out of the four I have owned with an auto. I would swear by a clutch any day and it was nice with low gears to slap it in four low and 1st gear just monitoring the gas slowing climbing the hill. Now that I have the auto it is weird, I feel lazy wheeling, but it is nice with my bad knee and lower back. I do miss one aspect of the manual, and that is the precise control of your gears/speed, specially going down steep hills or obstacles or slowing yourself down on slick surfaces.

Back on track with the thread, Hubbazoot where is the other two groups that were in front of you? Coming down the 3rd obstacle they are nowhere to be seen in the back ground of the videos waiting or watching and since they were like a two big bad zits on your grill I figured they would still be around as you were coming down the mountain.


My guess is they took a shortcut down the mountain somewhere or something like that, probably headed down way faster than they should have (I'm still thinking they took the shortcut). Also, we were just at the base of spring creek hill heading up when they were on their way down. I believe the decision at the time was to wait until they came back down to avoid a logjam up there in case they couldn't get through the snow at the rock garden (we had no idea how deep it was and figured their big ol m/t's could at least punch through the snow). We also took quite a bit of time playing around on the way down for photo ops and such.

As for the gearing, it's looking more and more appetizing. I'll definitely be thinking about it.

I may eventually be doing both a hand throttle and the gearing. I like being able to relax my feet sometimes on a drive and a hand throttle would just be fun anyway :D

[YELLAHEEP]

In retrospect my current XJ is the first Jeep out of the four I have owned with an auto. I would swear by a clutch any day and it was nice with low gears to slap it in four low and 1st gear just monitoring the gas slowing climbing the hill. Now that I have the auto it is weird, I feel lazy wheeling, but it is nice with my bad knee and lower back. I do miss one aspect of the manual, and that is the precise control of your gears/speed, specially going down steep hills or obstacles or slowing yourself down on slick surfaces.




Werd. :thumbup:

I'm still tossing around keeping the MJ project a 5 speed...... It'll likely all depend on the donor I end up with.

[ColoradoRaptor]

One of the best mods I'd ever done to the Heep and sure helped keep me alot safer on the obstacles...... FAR from gay. I hope I get to be there when you attempt Liberty/Patriot without one......... :moon:

X2 A great mod for any experienced wheeler!!!!

[ColoradoRaptor]

Just learn to drive is a tip that come to mind, your clutch work was very un-impressive dude.

I was workin a clutch when you were in diapers!! I am one for what works best and an Auto is by far superior on the trail..... PERIOD!!!!

[Hubbazoot]

I was workin a clutch when you were in diapers!! I am one for what works best and an Auto is by far superior on the trail..... PERIOD!!!!
The auto/manual duel.... we could be here a while.

Regardless of what is "best," I have a stick to work with and that isn't changing. As with everything else, good clutchwork comes with time and practice.