Frontier4x4

From there we headed towards Estes Park. Once we got in the mountains I was hearing a repetitive squeaky noise so we stopped to check things out at Colorado Cherry Company -- Juices -- Black Bing Cherry Cider (now flooded out). I ended up greasing the rear u-joints and we headed out.




Back on the road towards Pole Hill. We were a little behind and decided this would be a good place to set up camp and do a little trail riding. We got camp set up and sat back and kicked it.




On the way in I found out I needed to do some more rear fender trimming so I fired up the sawzall and broke the piece and quiet!




Estes Park from camp. I wonder if they heard the ear piercing sawzall on sheetmetal and hammer body work I was putting out.

Frontier4x4

We had internet service from camp so the next morning we stayed back to get caught up on orders and emails while the rest of the crew ran the trail. What an awesome office!

[office pic here]





We headed out the next morning. Monte in the Explorer was get some weird behavior from the 8.8 rear axle. Pulled over and could see something trying to get out from inside. Pulled the cover and all the ring gear bolts were out or on the way out. It started raining, local store had the right bolts, we got it fixed.




The set back had us change plans a little. We were going to run to Loch Lomond and camp at the excellent spots around there but decided to head to Spring Creek and camp half way through instead. Both trails are in the Idaho Springs area.

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Camp was cold that night. It was rainy and wet. While everybody got the fire and food going I worked on figured out what that weird noise was. Turns out the rear drive flanges wanted more grease so I tore them both down, cleaned them up, and put lots more grease on them. It's all solid between axle, drive flange, and hub but must get just enough from the flange touching on the aluminum cap to make the noise. It was fine after more lube.




We wheeled the rest of the trail no problem. Nothing really hard, just some great views and a good rock crawl section.

Frontier4x4

We got caught in some more rain and had to wait it out. The road ahead zig zagged down the mountain and part of it was washed out. It let up so we headed down, aired up, and got back on the road towards Holy Cross to set up camp. Next day were going to wheel to Holy Cross City. We ran highway to Vail then headed south. One of my favorite paved parts of the trip.






Lane and his smoker met up with us at camp and we headed to the trail head. Props to Big Horn Jeep Club for keeping this trail as clean as it is.

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Holy Cross City. We went to Cleveland Rock and headed back down. It was snowing. At the beginning of the trail Monte in the Explorer had to turn around. He took out a driveshaft after his spring perches decided they didn't want to hold the axle in place any more. So he turned around and went to Leadville, our next stop, to find a shop that could help him out.






No problems on the way down. We stayed another night at camp then headed to Leadville in the morning.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

Curious how much weight of the beads you put in each wheel?
I think I am going to have to break down and pick up a small scale.

Frontier4x4

Leadville was our mid week shower/bar party/warm bed break. We partied it up that night and got some good sleep. The next morning while we waited for Monte's $800 spring perch replacement to get finished up we attended to Scott's leaking fuel tank. It was rusty and after slamming hard on some rocks it started leaking. We got it patched up by lunch about the same time the explorer was finished up.

Timberline Motel is my choice if you plan to stay in Leadville and want to walk around town without driving.




Off to Buena Vista towards Chinaman Gulch

We set up camp in Four Mile area. Great camping around there with tons of secluded spots! This was our first campsite. We set up and headed off to run Chinaman Gulch




Chinaman Gulch and Carnage Canyon are next to each other. I had wanted to run Carnage when first planned but it was late when we got there and JR in the Cummins Jeep was the only other one that would be up for running it. We ended up only running Chinaman which does take some time and on the way out you're tired of all the bouncing around.

Frontier4x4

Stick pretty close to this and you should be good unless you have other problems going on. Works great of me. I've never used a scale. BB's are labeled by how much they weigh and how many in a container. Just need to do some math. I split the containers into equal parts with cups.


http://offroadexposure.com/diy-tire-...rsoft-pellets/

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

Awesome link. Thanks

Frontier4x4

We got back to find a bunch of vans, tents, and hippies around our camp. Apparently they have a big get together every year right where we set up. Instead of partying with them all night we decided to move camp down the trail. Turns out we liked this one better anyways.

Frontier4x4

While packing up we met some cool older people in a big toy hauler that still rode dirt bikes. We got them squared up at our camp and headed back north towards Breckenridge. I thought we would take the trails out north and got us pretty much lost. Lots of sandy fun trails back deep in the Four Mile area, I wanted to have my RZR there bad! We made it out, back through the mountain passes and to our next camp spot on Swan River trail area. I felt like this was the first time we actually got to relax some. The rest of our group decided to head up the mountain on some trails. Alison and I stayed behind to just sit back and hang out.

Roark

This build, the adventure, I love it all! Keep it coming!

Frontier4x4

We left by taking the trail through Georgia Pass and back on the road by Jefferson and headed east on 285. We were headed to the Bucksnort Saloon by Pine, Colorado. This leg of the trip was cool. Pine Valley Road and then Elk Creek Road had some awesome scenery. Really twisty, it would be a blast on the bike.






Bucksnort had great surroundings, odd interior, average food, and below average service. Trip there and back made it worth it. Don't set expectations very high once you get inside though. I love hole in the wall bar/grills done right but this was just laziness.

Frontier4x4

From there we headed towards home. We stayed south side of Denver and on 36 towards Bonny Lake State Park, near the Colorado/Kansas border. It was dark by the time we got there. Turns out the state park was abandoned but still open to primitive camping. The state and government couldn't decide who should fund it so it shut down. It was really weird staying at a place that used to be thriving with full RV hook ups, pavilions, shelters, and lighting that was all shut down and overgrown. We were the only ones there and only got a few hours sleep. We had to leave early in order to get back in time to meet my parents and pick the kids up. Since we got there after dark and left before sunlight we didn't get any pictures and were left with a spooky feeling by only seeing it in the pitch black.

On the way home we found the Geographic center of the contiguous United States near Lebanon, KS. Never knew that was there until we saw it and pit stopped for a stretch break. I have two picture on the way home, we were worn out.

Sunflower fields in Kansas




And after we got back home. Lots of driving and only stops we had were for fuel. Everything ran great!

Roark

Your picture of the Center of the Continental US isn't showing up. Otherwise, another awesome update!

Frontier4x4

Fixed it. It was just a link, not sure why it did that. Had to take the http off.

Thanks, I will have more updates tonight.

Frontier4x4

So back from Colorado last August. I got things cleaned up and the funk from living it it for a week out. Also got some other things done that I didn't get time to do before the trip.

I tore the axles down to inspect and mainly to swap the grizzly locker into the back since the spooled 3rd was broke in now. Spool will become my spare this year when I put another grizzly in. Spool currently in the front and actually wheels just fine.






I scrapped the stock seats for some Corbeau JP's and built some mounts with the stock feet and double locking sliders.






I fixed the sway with a Currie Anti-Rock. This helped a ton and got rid of all the lean in turns and on the trail.




I added an ORS quick release fire extinguisher mount and a couple extra 12V plugs on the side of the console.

Frontier4x4

After it was all back together I knew the front fenders needed a little more trimming so I did a little wheeling out back and cut them up a little higher to clear the 40's.








Did some wheeling at the local club's (MIOBI) wheeling area for the Tall Corn Cruiser's event and Miobi's Toys 4 Tots event. Drove in, wheeled, camped, drove home. Still hasn't been on a trailer since the day I picked it up.






Winter came. I haven't been driving it as much because it's a lot easier to get the kids in car seats when it's cold out with the Yukon. It was about time for a winter build session so first time we had snow on the ground we took it out back and got tangled up in some trees. Snow on top of a little mud and frozen underneath makes for some challenging hill climbs! Didn't really care about body damage since it would all change anyways. I ripped a valve stem out. I put the spare on the next day and conquered the same hills after it froze up more.






Then it sat in storage for a few weeks until a friend of mine wanted the front bumper. So pulled it out and got it cleaned up.

Frontier4x4

Exactly 1 month ago I chopped the front bumper off to put on another 4Runner and just kept going while I had it out of storage. Time to start planning cage work.

Frontier4x4

3 weeks ago I decided to say screw it and get my 6.0 LQ9 swapped in. Wasn't really planning on doing it until after this summer but I submitted to Top Truck and thought I might as well get it done now. So I told Alison what I had planned during dinner and got to it.

I pulled it in and got the motor yanked that night.