theesotericone's Trails and BS Thread
- Thread starter theesotericone
- Start date
theesotericone
New member
Thanks guys.
The winds have let up for the night so I'm safe for now. I'll be up all night to make sure that's the case. Air support will arrive at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Once those guys get on scene I'll get some sleep.
The winds have let up for the night so I'm safe for now. I'll be up all night to make sure that's the case. Air support will arrive at the crack of dawn tomorrow. Once those guys get on scene I'll get some sleep.
theesotericone
New member
Evac orders have just been lifted for my neighborhood. :rockon:
We got lucky with the winds laying down last night and the cold front upping the relative humidity. Cal Fire is doing a great job of getting containment and mopping up the hot spots in the rear. Air support was limited to a few helo's but they got it under control.
Fighting fires isn't an easy job and it doesn't always have the relatively happy outcome this one had. Lots of resources are on scene and I've stopped by as many as possible to say thanks.
To any guys in here [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] that are or have been on the Fire Dept, thank you. Especially you crazy ass wild land guys. lol
We got lucky with the winds laying down last night and the cold front upping the relative humidity. Cal Fire is doing a great job of getting containment and mopping up the hot spots in the rear. Air support was limited to a few helo's but they got it under control.
Fighting fires isn't an easy job and it doesn't always have the relatively happy outcome this one had. Lots of resources are on scene and I've stopped by as many as possible to say thanks.
To any guys in here [MENTION=120071]mtbtim[/MENTION] that are or have been on the Fire Dept, thank you. Especially you crazy ass wild land guys. lol
Last edited:
Hopeless Diamond
New member
Good news, have family that was under evac too so glad to hear it's quieting down
Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk
Unner
New member
Glad you're no longer in danger! Nature can get pretty scary when it wants to show it's power.
Road Bull
Senior Member
Great news!!! I am glad to hear it man. This has been a crazy year with fire and disaster. Glad it steered clear of you and your family!
TonyB66
New member
Was wondering about your fate, so great news!
Having lived in a canyon for 20 years, one that has had its share of fires (Uvas Canyon, Croy Road, etc), I can empathize, especially with the crazy, unpredictable winds found in canyons. Not so fond memories, minus the relief of being spared of course...
More trails and BS!
theesotericone
New member
First thanks for all the well wishes and good karma about that little fire situation. It's 100% contained and no longer a threat.
I didn't get any wheeling in this week but I did come up with a fun game for us to play. It's called "Death Wobble Guessing Game". It has nothing to do with my rig cause we all know that drives like a Ferrari. This one is Taco related. I'll haven't looked into it at all yet and don't plan to until this weekend. So I'll give you guys all the info I have and we'll let the guessing begin.
Unloaded with the stock tires it drove straight and true at 80MPH.
I put my old 4Runner tires on the Taco.
It drove straight and true at 80MPH with a slight front end shake cause one of the tires is shit. That's why there not on the rig anymore. lol
I loaded up about 200lbs of tools in the rear.
As soon as I hit 75MPH the ass end oscillates. If I go faster it oscillates faster. If I slow to 70MPH it stops.
It is not coming from the front when loaded. It is the rear for sure. I verified this today when I swapped rigs with my co-worker on the drive home. I could see my truck rolling back and forth in the rear.
If I take the weight out it drives normally.
Shocks in the rear have been replaced.
When I replaced them I also fully inspected the front end. Everything but the rack bushings are tight.
There's no cracks or breaks in the rear leaf spring packs.
All suspension related bolts are present and tight.
So, who's got the first guess?
I didn't get any wheeling in this week but I did come up with a fun game for us to play. It's called "Death Wobble Guessing Game". It has nothing to do with my rig cause we all know that drives like a Ferrari. This one is Taco related. I'll haven't looked into it at all yet and don't plan to until this weekend. So I'll give you guys all the info I have and we'll let the guessing begin.
Unloaded with the stock tires it drove straight and true at 80MPH.
I put my old 4Runner tires on the Taco.
It drove straight and true at 80MPH with a slight front end shake cause one of the tires is shit. That's why there not on the rig anymore. lol
I loaded up about 200lbs of tools in the rear.
As soon as I hit 75MPH the ass end oscillates. If I go faster it oscillates faster. If I slow to 70MPH it stops.
It is not coming from the front when loaded. It is the rear for sure. I verified this today when I swapped rigs with my co-worker on the drive home. I could see my truck rolling back and forth in the rear.
If I take the weight out it drives normally.
Shocks in the rear have been replaced.
When I replaced them I also fully inspected the front end. Everything but the rack bushings are tight.
There's no cracks or breaks in the rear leaf spring packs.
All suspension related bolts are present and tight.
So, who's got the first guess?
4Runner4Leon
Senior Member
Not first to guess, but first to answer a question with a question - is it doing the same wobble on both sets of tires when loaded?
I just recall all the wise folks here telling me to start with the tires when I had my shake, so I learn quickly
.
Dezert4Runner
Senior Member
First off, glad you dodged the fire situation. We were within the direct projected path of the Lilac Fire in Bonsall/ Oceanside a few months ago, but thanks to the wind/ weather, the kick ass fire fighters and some luck, it never got to us. Scary stuff for sure.
As for the Taco, tried swapping wheels & tires front to back? Leaf spring bushings in ok shape? It’s possible if the leafs are negatively arched when loaded they could cause the rear end to do funny things, especially if the above parts have issues. It’s spring over, right?
As for the Taco, tried swapping wheels & tires front to back? Leaf spring bushings in ok shape? It’s possible if the leafs are negatively arched when loaded they could cause the rear end to do funny things, especially if the above parts have issues. It’s spring over, right?
Hepar
New member
theesotericone
New member
Not first to guess, but first to answer a question with a question - is it doing the same wobble on both sets of tires when loaded?
I just recall all the wise folks here telling me to start with the tires when I had my shake, so I learn quickly
The stock tires and rims lasted less then a day once I got it home. I'm one of those wise folks that told you to look into the tires. In my case though it's the rear only. Nothing comes through the wheel. Picture someone pushing your truck from side to side with a very exact rhythm. That's what it feels like and looks like for that matter. I won't rule out tires but there the last thing I expect to fix this issue.
Yeah, it's spring over. Leaf pack bushings appear fine with the old pry bar test. The springs aren't negative under that load but there very close to flat.
So what you're trying to say is that I should order some Deavers leaf packs just to rule out the current packs, right? lol
Dezert4Runner
Senior Member
Of course! It’s just money! Since you aren’t building the Tacoma for wheeling you might just want an add a leaf instead of a full leaf pack and pocket the extra $600.
4Runner4Leon
Senior Member
I remember that well! And not only that, you offered to swap your tires/wheels with my truck to see if that helps, which I thought/think was really class act!
Bent rims maybe?
theesotericone
New member
BrianSD_42
New member
Glad to hear your home and family ended up safe during the fire scare. Regarding the Buttermilks trip .... I did a brief 30 min drive up there a few months back during my Alabama Hills camping trip and frankly I didn't get very far because we didn't have a lot of time to explore and the road looked like it would go on for more than a solid hour of driving at a minimum. Looking forward to future pics of the Buttermilks so I have a better idea of what to expect.
Lastly, where you got stuck ... could you have just driven around it and avoided the mud? I don't mean to ask a dumb question but it looked like you could just roll over some (small) bushes instead. Personally I hate mud. It sucks, literally.
Edit: I don't condone anyone driving off trail carelessly in a way that damages plant life. Keep it at a minimum whenever possible folks.
Lastly, where you got stuck ... could you have just driven around it and avoided the mud? I don't mean to ask a dumb question but it looked like you could just roll over some (small) bushes instead. Personally I hate mud. It sucks, literally.
Edit: I don't condone anyone driving off trail carelessly in a way that damages plant life. Keep it at a minimum whenever possible folks.
Last edited:
theesotericone
New member
The loop is about 20 miles. If you haven't done it I'd plan for at least 4 hours with time for stopping and exploring. If you stay on the main road you'll hardly even need 4wd. There's nothing technical.
If you get off the main road on some of the spurs you'll find some technical terrain. There's a few "I should probably turn around" spots on the spurs. If you don't have second rig and recovery gear I'd think about listening to your gut. I've never been stuck out there but plenty of friends have.
To answer your question, yes I probably could have just driven through some scrub brush and gotten onto the higher spot. It's my local area and I didn't really see a need to run it. Had that same thing happened on a trail I hadn't ever been on things might have been different.
It was more about pushing those open diffs and seeing how well the tires did. I could have also hit it really hard and gotten through my intended bypass. That's just not me though. I like slow calculated wheeling as opposed to ram it fast and pray wheeling. I fully expected to get stuck well before I actually did.
And yes, mud sucks. lol
Unner
New member
Ram it fast is a good way to start really tearing your rig up too...
Mud is the worst. I hate being asked by locals down here "You take that thing muddin'?"
Similar threads
