Most popular component/part to go out on the trail

[agent98]

what i have lost on the trail, driving to the trail, or DD (while en route to/from somewhere):

kRustys track bar x3 (one during repair, one on the trail, and another when trying to adjust the tre)
idler pulley
mech fan pulley
serp belt x3 (one for the idler, two for mech fan pulley)
a few fuses
taurus fan motor (seized and caught fire)
ac compressor
ds u joint (was able to limp home on a clunky one)
AW4

things i have seen go out on the trail:
tie rod(s)
axle shafts
axle ujoints (+++)
drive shafts
ds ujoints
winch line
brake lines
radiator/heater hose (pin hole leak)
tc chain
carriers
spider gears
more tie rods
a forceful reduction of fuel capacity THAT'S FUNNY!:jester:
pride

 

[JJacobs]

My most common breakage has been ujoints and the ears of the shafts along with them. Under that is bending the tierod.

Im curious as to how a ujoint breaking effects balljoints. Can anyone explain please?

With the ujoint intact the axle shaft ears are centered on each other. If the ujoint breaks the right way the shafts can jam on each other trying to stop rotation- the ball joints become the path of least resistance, and off goes the wheel.

 

[3fifty]

That makes sense. I would think that would be a rare occurrence but I get it now. Thanks.

 

[DanMan2k06]

Ehh if you look around google, it happens more than you would care to think...

pride

More like dignity lol. After getting nice citation for getting stuck on property that was beyond the boundaries and deemed "private" :banghead:

Things I have broken while wheeling:
-AW4
-Wheel studs (could have already been bad, but somehow one sheered?)
-Axle U-joints
-Alternator (too many lights, not enough RPM's)
-CPS (this was right after I was driving on the beach, got super lucky)
-Tailpipe
-Catalytic converter (hit it too hard, busted all the honeycomb inside)
-Bent control arm mounts
-TRE's

 

[Jeep450r]

jeez howd you bust your aw4? haha

Anybody break open their oil pan on the trail?

 

[old_man]

overheating due to stuck thermostats and crappy hoses and clogged radiators.

 

[stumpXJ]

I can only reiterate what has been said. I also can say I have seen both ball joints taken out by a broken u-joint. It is not a pretty fix nor easy (especially at a 35 degree incline on the side of a mountain), but I have a set of ball joints in my spares set now. I didnt before.

U-joints U-joints U-joints.
Shafts
Tires
Serpentine belts
CPS
Drive Shaft

~James

 

[Stukboy]

I was wheeling with a friend that smacked his oil pan on a rock and punched a hole in it. We patched it with a pizza box, RTV and duct tape then drove it 60 miles home. We did add fliud alone the way.

Another friend broke the mounting plate for his 8274, dropped it to the ground and split the winch. I think he is selling it for parts on another forum.

Exhaust pipes getting stuck on a rock while backing up is pretty bad also.

Lots of tail lights!!!

I've seen a 350 clutch fan go through a 3 core radiator.

I've seen a rear axle ripped off the springs from sheered center bolts.

I could go on. Common stuff has been listed just depends on your wheeling style and what you get suckered into.
Stukboy

 

[kastein]

I was wheeling with a friend that smacked his oil pan on a rock and punched a hole in it. We patched it with a pizza box, RTV and duct tape then drove it 60 miles home. We did add fluid along the way.

Reminds me of this: http://bash.org/?865725

I blew up my exhaust on a country road a while ago... mostly only because it was held together with U-bolts instead of being welded at that point. Now that I've lifted it, I'm expecting I will break a lot more stuff...

 

[JAS]

I have been very lucky. 3-1/2 inch RE lift with 31x10.50. even with a D35. I have been in rocks, sand, mud, uneven steep climbs etc...

Tires.. I have only lost 1 valve stem...

I did have a brake caliper get sticky on the way home from the trail...That was an interesting last 26 miles to get home. and a slow go at that.

 

[1990JEEPXJ]

if you are still on stock control arms, it couldnt hurt to bring spares. they are flimsy and like to bend.

 

[hanaxj87]

Dana 30 front axle shaft u-joints.

Damage to tires and broken bead lock bolts.

Nick

 

[outlander]

I can only reiterate what has been said. I also can say I have seen both ball joints taken out by a broken u-joint. It is not a pretty fix nor easy (especially at a 35 degree incline on the side of a mountain), but I have a set of ball joints in my spares set now. I didnt before.

~James

that means you carry a ball joint press aswell?

 

[JRW7072009]

I read through kinda fast and didnt see any cooling parts like hoses, caps, radiators. A new or used hose and some stop leak can be very helpful.

 

[Jeep450r]

Figured Id bump this. Lots of good info.

My CPS went out on the trail... which sucks when theres a big group behind you.

Seems like breaking serp belts are pretty common.. I never would have guessed id need a spare for that.

 

[dukie564]

stock tie rods, and alternators if you're playing puddle duck

 

[kastein]

things I have destroyed on the trail:
sheetmetal (who cares)
LCA and UCA mounts (don't wheel with a really rusty axle, and gusset those brackets.)
UCAs (I was going full retard / high speed in rocks.)
LCA (mildly kinked a stock one. I was in a small local offroad race and going fast enough that people were surprised my turd made it home. they're harder to break than they look)
stock tie rod (slid my stock 98 into a snowbank while having fun in a parking lot. I have abused the hell out of V8 ZJ tie rods on 33s with no issues)
axleshaft, balljoints (some retard installed my new ujoint, and I was on the throttle and bouncing in rocks locked on 33s. not a good mix)
shocks (buy good ones, or get crappy autozone ones with a lifetime warranty and carry spares. I'm on my 3rd or 4th set)
frame (don't wheel rusty jeeps)
AW4 (this was actually on the road, but it died as a result of a LOT of skinny pedal over the course of a year, on 33s, with stock gears. if it had made it another 60 miles it would have died gloriously on the trail)
NP231 (bumpstop your junk so your rear driveshaft doesn't make sweet sweet love to your transfer case)
pinched the trans cooler lines by the engine mount / UCA (bumpstop, or reroute lines over the mount)

also blew a tire off the bead (big deal who cares) and ripped a valve stem off (carry spares.)

I carry spare valve stems, serp belt, thermostat+gasket, waterpump+gasket, lug nuts, brake lines, fluids, CPS (for my year and whatever others I have on hand), sometimes TPS, fuses, oil and fuel hose, hose clamps, d30 parts (shafts/ujoints/stubs/bearings preassembled, spiders), 8.25 parts (shafts, spiders), UCAs, LCAs, assorted suspension bolts, steering parts, balljoints, balljoint press, ujoints, radiator repair materials, driveshafts, and occasionally spare axles, transfer case, and transmission, if I just picked up some parts and was too lazy to unload them before going wheeling.

 

[stockerwithalocker]

Some things not mentioned I have seen more than once:

Steering box sector shaft
T-case front output shaft
Drive shaft yokes & the tiny u-joint retaining straps
Pitman arm
Fuel pump

 

[Peteyg]

Things I have broken on the trail over the years:

3 Detroit lockers
1 Full Spool
Countless axles shafts
Countless Driveshaft U-joints
Several driveshafts (both front and rear)
I quit breaking axle u-joints when I switched to CTMs
Pitman Arm
Pinion gear in a rear D44 (snapped in half)
4 Sets of Ring gears (2 D30's, one D44, and one Ford 9")
Ford Radius Arm (broke right in half...long story)
Several pinion yokes
I have never been able to keep a tie rod straight...
2 winch motors
Many, many Warn Premium D44 front hubs (pure garbage, but they kept replacing them)
Oil pan
Track Bar
Leaf spring pins
Currie rear bumper and tire carrier (came right off the Jeep; Literally ripped out of the frame and crossmember)
Lots of cut tires - I solved that problem when I quit running BFG MT's

The most common things I see broken on the trail:

Axle u-joints
Driveshaft U-Joints
Axle shafts
Locking Hubs
Cut tires

The most bizarre thing I have seen break on the trail:

Tera-Low 4:1 planetary gears. The whole assembly literally exploded in the case. We had to completely disassemble the case and rebuild the planetary gears and weld them back together on the trail. It worked...This was 12 miles into the Dusy....

The most avoidable break:

One guy did a 4.0 conversion in his CJ and let the power lines going back to the fuel pump hang loose...they wrapped around the front driveshaft...

Stuff I carry:

Tire plug kit (did you know you can stuff up to 8 plugs in a cut sidewall and it will hold air? This is not a theory)
Standard tools (wrenches, sockets, screwdivers, etc)
Large Vice grips
Medium Vice Grips
Any specialty sockets I may need for various things like

Pinion yoke nut (1-5/8", works for d30, D35, and D44)

Unit bearing hub nut (36mm)

12-point 13mm socket (for unit bearing bolts)

Baby sledge

Big flathead screwdriver

Electrical kit

Zip ties

Duct Tape

Snap ring pliers

One thing that a lot of people overlook is a good assortment of suspension bolts. I have seen track bar bolts, control arm bolts, and every kind of bolt in between break, and the Jeep rendered immobile for lack of a replacement. We once put a tent stake into a track bar bracket (on the axle) when the bolt broke and we didn't have a replacement. It got the Jeep back to camp and on the trailer.

I once put my whole transmission linkage back together with zip ties. It didn't work great, but it got me off the trail.

If it moves, it can break. That is the one thing I have learned from Jeeping...

 

[jeeperjohn]

I can't seem to get a damn fuel pump that lasts more than a year. I carry a spare now.