Clearing rocks from frame after wheeling?

[red-runner]

Just what the title says.

My rig picked up some rocks on our last trip to the desert, and the noise is driving me bonkers. I've shot the bottom with a pressure wash, but they're still rattling around somewhere -- gotta be in the frame. Not sure I want to blast the inside of the frame with water, so I thought I'd ask here first. Anyone else have this problem after a day in the dirt?

 

[JBurt]

I'm out in the desert quite a bit and have never found rocks in the frame. You might double check under your skids. Where did you go out here?

 

[red-runner]

I'm out in the desert quite a bit and have never found rocks in the frame. You might double check under your skids. Where did you go out here?

Ran around Ocotillo Wells chasing my buddy's RZR last weekend. We generally go to the SRVA or the other trails around Anza Borrego. SRVA is more common, since my buddies can't drive the RZR on BLM trails.

No rocks under the main skids, but I haven't checked under the gas tank skid. I'll bet that's where they are. Away for business travel at the moment, but you've given me an idea where to look. Thx.

 

[JBurt]

Glad I could chime in. Just checked out your build thread. Talk about full speed! Good job. I've always been partial to that color.

 

[MyHigh]

I've actually had rocks or I guess pebbles in my frame. Last summer I went to the beach, here in Oregon the coast is considered a highway of some sort, back in the 70's Oregon declared the beach a road so as to keep all the coast as public land, and one can effectively drive along the whole coast, anywhere there is sand you can drive.

Always after driving in sand I hit the coin up wash and just wash the crap from the trip off. I decided to see if I could clean the inside of the frame. I was surprised to find what got trapped in the frame, hundreds of little pebbles came washing out along with dirt, sand and for minutes the water ran murky.

My logic was, I live in Oregon, it rains and so I wanted to get anything that would retain water out of the frame and allow it to drain freely.

Sorry long story, (nutshell).

I see no harm in cleaning out the inside of the frame rails.

 

[98WhiteT4R]

I'm out in the desert quite a bit and have never found rocks in the frame. You might double check under your skids. Where did you go out here?

I've literally found pounds of dirt and golf ball size rocks in between my skids and when I took off my tow hitch there was about a pound of sand and pebbles in there too!

 

[red-runner]

My 'runner definitely attracts it's fair share of dirt, sand, and pebbles. When I took off the mud flaps, they all had so much dirt in them that it had packed itself into a sort of concrete. Pulled a lot of dirt out with the stick nuts that held onto the old tow hitch also.

I guess I'll take a chance, and shoot some water down the frame rails, but I'll bet the noise is coming from the gas tank skid.

While we're on the subject, I've also found a couple of weird things under the truck too. Old driving range golf ball was wedged under original rear bumper. And, worst a black widow was holed up in one of the mud flaps. Spider fell on my chest while I was removing the flap. I kinda freaked out, and smashed my head into the truck trying to get it off of me.

 

[Mtssurf1]

If it helps every time I wheel I stick a Waterhouse in each one of my rails for about a minute will water is coming out of every hole, then I change sides and after that I put the hose on the front side of the curve of the frame. That way I get sand and all the crud out of the frame.