theesotericone's Trails and BS Thread

[Road Bull]

Holy crap man! You have been going BIG on all fronts! lol. That trail looks like it eats rigs. This makes me want to look into beefier rear lower links. Man, nothing is cheap, but those Metal Tech lowers look shaweeeet. Glad you had a good group of people for the adventure. And thank goodness for AAA. But other than the one CV, did the front seem to hold up okay? Were you using the crawl box much this go around? I hope your front issues got sorted.

 

[Wedgy]

Great stuff man !!!
I'm assuming you have AAA Premier ???
It will also cover you for a rental car and hotel if you break on a trip, as well as covering on RV or boat. Cheap insurance !!

 

[rkntoy]

I leave you guys alone down there and look what happens. I always carry 2 spare lowers and 1 spare upper - although with the [MENTION=118730]AssBurns[/MENTION] links I only carried 1 of each.

Should have left my Ready Welder down there.

 

[phattyduck]

And remember kids, people RACE on that trail... :boom:

Hopefully my friends and I will get back out there sometime in the spring (after KOH) for slightly different desert fun: Racing old beater cars on/near the lakebed. I won't be going on any trail nearly that difficult in my 4Runner...

What do you think the method of failure was? Did it start with a bend on that lower link from a rock impact?

-Charlie

 

[theesotericone]

But other than the one CV, did the front seem to hold up okay? Were you using the crawl box much this go around? I hope your front issues got sorted.

Front held up great. I was in lo/lo the whole time. Same with Motino. I'm slowing weeding out all the weak links in the system. I knew the lower links where weakish but the upper link folding and also bending the mount surprised me a bit. There's a few things, mount wise, that will get re-enforced sooner rather than later. I'm also seriously thinking of outboarding my shocks and raising the lower mount point just above the axle. I need to cycle the suspension to make sure it will work.

Great stuff man !!!
I'm assuming you have AAA Premier ???
It will also cover you for a rental car and hotel if you break on a trip, as well as covering on RV or boat. Cheap insurance !!

Yep. Premiere. They asked if I needed a rental. We have two other vehicles still running and it was faster to just ride with the tow truck driver then to get to a rental agency. It sure is cheap insurance. I forget the exact figure but it is less the 150 a year for my wife and I. I just got towed 260 miles for free. That's a 2600 dollar tow without it. lol

I leave you guys alone down there and look what happens. I always carry 2 spare lowers and 1 spare upper - although with the [MENTION=118730]AssBurns[/MENTION] links I only carried 1 of each.

Should have left my Ready Welder down there.

Yeah, we're always getting into trouble. Shit breaks but I still have both side view mirrors. lol

What do you think the method of failure was? Did it start with a bend on that lower link from a rock impact?

-Charlie

At some point the drivers lower link took a hit and bent up. Towards the end of the trail I had to back up to get my diff off a rock. The rear drivers tire hit a rock. Since the link was already bent the force went into the link. The tire stayed put and the torque bent the link up at a 90 degree angle. The passenger side lower link stayed put. So did the drivers side upper. That caused the passenger side upper to bend and rotate as the driver side tire was pulled towards the front of the rig. That bending and rotation folded the passenger side upper link frame mount.

 

[Black798]

Looks like you need a set of these...
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/147275993@N05/31192343418/in/album-72157686600194093/" title="IMAG0558"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1902/31192343418_f623c418a8_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="IMAG0558"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/147275993@N05/45017318232/in/album-72157686600194093/" title="IMAG0557"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1927/45017318232_b5a547dc20_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="IMAG0557"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/147275993@N05/31192343108/in/album-72157686600194093/" title="IMAG0559"><img src="https://farm2.staticflickr.com/1951/31192343108_ac13de868a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="IMAG0559"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

These are the mounts I am installing in my truck this weekend since I have mangled my lower link mounts into oblivion lol. Full 1/4 inc steel with ruff stuff weld washers, 2 5/8 metalcloak joints for the lowers, 2-inch ballistic joints for the upper, and 2 inch solid 7075 aluminum links for lowers and the upper link. No way in hell I'll ever break that.

For outboarding your rear shocks Im not sure you'll be able to get the lower mount clear on top of the axle, due to the amount you have to shift the whole shock upwards, moving them behind the axle is an option but it adds some odd bind points into the system. Clearance is pretty tight in the wheel well unless your running really low backspacing on the rims. On my setup, I was able to raise the lower mount an inch and have yet to hit them on a rock fwiw.

 

[phattyduck]

At some point the drivers lower link took a hit and bent up. Towards the end of the trail I had to back up to get my diff off a rock. The rear drivers tire hit a rock. Since the link was already bent the force went into the link. The tire stayed put and the torque bent the link up at a 90 degree angle. The passenger side lower link stayed put. So did the drivers side upper. That caused the passenger side upper to bend and rotate as the driver side tire was pulled towards the front of the rig. That bending and rotation folded the passenger side upper link frame mount.

Got it! Until you mentioned backing up, none of the bends made any sense to me. Luckily, you can make this all stronger than ever.

-Charlie

 

[theesotericone]

Looks like you need a set of these...

Metal Tech lowers will be here Friday. They carry a lifetime warranty. I called them to inquire about that. In 10 years of making those links they have had one bend. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna be just fine with the links.

I'm still trying to figure the uppers out. I've got a few options at this point.

Both upper and lower mounts will be getting re-enforced. My biggest problem is going to be trying to get the passenger side upper mount straight again. It's pretty screwed. I might have to just cut one off another rig.

Got it! Until you mentioned backing up, none of the bends made any sense to me. Luckily, you can make this all stronger than ever.

-Charlie

The mechanics of the failure where pretty obvious on this one. As far as making things stronger goes, I have to. The torque of the duals does things that a single case just can't. Everything will get beefed up and I'll go back to breaking other things. lol

 

[theesotericone]

Front Range uppers are ordered. They're heims but if I hate them I can swap out for Johnny Joints sometime down the line.

I also kinda pulled the trigger on something a little bigger. lol

 

[Rockdawg84]

Front Range uppers are ordered. They're heims but if I hate them I can swap out for Johnny Joints sometime down the line.

you definitely wont hate them! I've put a lot of miles on mine and they are still as tight as when I got them. and they don't make any noise what so ever.


I hope the big surprise is in about a 37 :snacker:

 

[theesotericone]

you definitely wont hate them! I've put a lot of miles on mine and they are still as tight as when I got them. and they don't make any noise what so ever.


I hope the big surprise is in about a 37 :snacker:

Thanks for the reassurance about the links.

After speaking to a bunch of very knowledgeable folks about 37's without a body lift I decided the work wasn't worth it. So I ended up "settling" for Pit Bull Rocker Radial 35x12.50/17. They are actually 35.25" tall so there will be no question I'm running 35's when I say I'm running 35's. lol

 

[Rockdawg84]

Thanks for the reassurance about the links.

After speaking to a bunch of very knowledgeable folks about 37's without a body lift I decided the work wasn't worth it. So I ended up "settling" for Pit Bull Rocker Radial 35x12.50/17. They are actually 35.25" tall so there will be no question I'm running 35's when I say I'm running 35's. lol

I totally get it. and honestly 35 PBR's are absolutely :guitar3: and a lot of 37's are barely 35 true inches. Nicely played!!!!

 

[theesotericone]

[MENTION=135317]rkntoy[/MENTION].

I figured you wanted a better picture of what duals can do to the upper link mount. Note the folding as well as the rotation of the mount. It's pretty impressive.

 

[theesotericone]

And these showed up today. Garage time in the AM:

 

[theesotericone]

Out with the old:

And in with the new:

[MENTION=28464]eimkeith[/MENTION]

Yeah man, I bent the driver side rear shock. The top stud is bent at about 10 degrees. The shock still functions fine so I'll just keep using it till it breaks.

 

[jkeith.w]

Out with the old:

And in with the new:

[MENTION=28464]eimkeith[/MENTION]

Yeah man, I bent the driver side rear shock. The top stud is bent at about 10 degrees. The shock still functions fine so I'll just keep using it till it breaks.

Yikes. I'm not sweating going Fox at this point! wow.

 

[Plastics guy]

Keep up the destruction!! I'm learning what I need to reinforce and upgrade!!

 

[Dirtco]

What are you going to do about the mount?

 

[theesotericone]

What are you going to do about the mount?

If I can find a used axle housing laying around I'll cut one off of that. If not I'll make a new one from scratch.

The other side will get re-enforced with 1/4" plate on all sides. The way this failure occurred I'm pretty sure plate on the sides would prevent it but I'll also plate the back just to be sure.

 

[jkeith.w]

Out with the old:

And in with the new:

[MENTION=28464]eimkeith[/MENTION]

Yeah man, I bent the driver side rear shock. The top stud is bent at about 10 degrees. The shock still functions fine so I'll just keep using it till it breaks.

Yikes. I'm not sweating going Fox at this point! wow.