M4R4A Trip Report
 

This was one of the most intresting trips I've done this year, I'm a bit tired after making a 10 1/2 hour drive home, but here's a few photo's I uploaded;


Link to more photo's

http://memimage.cardomain.net/member...340_4_full.jpg

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This was an amazing trip! Thanks to everyone who made it happen. Sorry I had to leave so early on Saturday night, we didnt make it home until 4am. By the way, did I win anything in the raffle? :laugh: Here is my writeup with a bunch of pictures. http://www.du.edu/~lbarrett/M4R4A.html

Moab
 

Awesome pics Larry! That looks like one fun trip! Some day, some day I'll get to Moab... :laugh:

:guitar:

Looks great! Is that the place in the video on tv where the lady is driving the K5 down and she lost her brakes? I wouldn't have wanted to be in her position.

:rockin:

Nice picture and trip, hope I can joint you guys soon :)

So what's this guy doing??

Demonstrating how his suspension is supposed to twist? Kicking his tires to make sure they're aired down to the correct psi? Getting his sandal clad footsie run over while trying be a spotter? Using the exhaust as a foot dryer after he peed down both legs when he got a little confused on the "Golden Spike"? Or maybe he just learned "slickrock" is Indian for lotsa dog poo.... :think: :dunno:

No that is not. That was Lions Back which is 25X longer and higher. Only myself and Steve Hunt did lions back this trip.

Now haven't you seen the movie "Karate Kid"?

really, why?

i was at lion's back last year and was almost gonna do it, but i felt i should have been better equipped (no tjm bumper at the time, no locker - just in case, pry wouldn't need it i'm guessing :dunno:, less experience). plus it was really, really windy. next time i'm there i sure would like to try it.

Lion's Back wasn't a planned run, but was done after the finish of Hell's Revenge, so only the one group was given the option. I'm sure if it was a planned run, most would have gone, since it isn't a difficult trail, just intimidating to those who have a fear of heights. I was going to, but we got off the trail at 4:30 p.m. and I needed to stop by Moab Offroad before they closed at 5 p.m. to pick-up some stuff they were holding for me.

yeah. nice painted fenders btw. :D much better.

Looks like you all had fun. Sorry I couldn't make it with you guys, but I'm prepping as we speak for my trip out there with the TTORA crew.

Bruce- you called it on my rear shock mounts! Ripped one of them out up at gorman a couple of weeks ago :hillbill:

Regarding the pic of the crack, like Bruce said, Brent was doing the move at the end of the Karate Kid movie so he could kick me across the crack. :D
Larry, you won a TRD hat. I have it. I'll have to get it to you somehow.

Have fun with the TTORA guys, It would have been nice to get a photo of the 2 SA Tundra's together......

I hope you double sheared the shock mounts this time.....

The trails do find the weaknesses in your rig..... I think I was the first to break, snapping a LF axle, near the beginning of the first days trail. Then on Pritchet, my ARB air locker developed a leak and started pumping out lube, from the breather. Considering I didn't have a front locker for the rest of the trail, it did quite well.

The 2 other problems that came up were a coolant leak at the back of the engine on the first day that stopped on it's own halfway through the day and never came back...... then my check engine light came on, during the drive back from Pritchet P0420 code I think? But after Steve Hunt cleared it, it too never came back.

No body damage, but I did manage to pop the clips on my right rear fender flare, that I simply snapped back together.

Banged up one of my lower control arm mounts, but that's OK since I'm planning on cutting them off soon anyways.

I'm sure others will chime in with their carnage list......It's gonna be long

Before all the baseless and clueless "sandpaper rocks" comments start rolling here is what broke. Keep in mind this is more or less the MOST built up 3rd gens out there.

Myself (Steve Schaefer):

One front axle

Steve Hunt:

Two front axles

Jeff Bathke:

One OME rear shock
Ripped off rear Limited flare, re-attached on the trail

Joe J. with the SAS Tundra:

Steering shaft
ARB Compressor

Bruce C:

Front axle
Front ARB locker

Michael from Santa Cruz:

Rear ring gear (3 teeth)
Front fender

Mike Nevitt:

Radiator
Front skid plate

Arian, Cheese:

Front axle
Idler arm
2nd Gen body cladding, re-attached on the trail

Greg:

Front bumper came off winching

Go Zack Go:

Aisin hub
Many more dents

ORS Guy:

Front leaf spring


I'm sure there are more I don't remember. Moab is full of "slickrock" and you can see from the damage and more specifically the group of people that sustained it, that the trails are indeed quite difficult.

Most of it occurred on Pritchett Canyon. Which is without a doubt harder on drive train parts than Aftershock @ the Hammers. Aftershock has a much great risk of body damage where as Pritchett has a great risk of drive train breakage.

It was a great trip and I had a great time. Bruce, you got the WRONG two guys back. Even funnier is that I walked out seconds after you pulled out. Turned mine and Cheeses valves right back in.

Details? Pics?

:guitar:

From what I heard the Cheese started it all by pi$$ing on your tires and since you clearly know who did what... guilt by association.....

BTW I was tempted to just take all the valve cores and I did see you at your rig from the gas station across the street when I was filling up.

Yes it was a fun trip, but the vandalism to other peoples rigs wasn't necessary, especially to vehicles that weren't part of our group. Fortunately I had planned on taking the jack off the front before loading, but if I didn't notice my winch line attached to the dumpster and back out from where I was, the bin could have swung right into that Jeep that was parked next to me.

You really can't compare the two trails, being Pritchett Canyon is one of the most difficult trails in Moab and AfterShock is the easiest of the Hammers trails. The big difference is the traction you get on the "slickrock" which really isn't that slick, more like 80 grit sandpaper. It surprised me on just how much grip you can get, some of the harder lines were easy to walk up compared to similar lines in Johnson's Valley where the rocks are truly "slick" from the usage. Most of the time I ran in 2WD low since you can feel the binding in the steering and both diffs unlocked, unlike Hammers where you can leave your rear locker engaged the whole time.

I'll post a video for everybody else to see, of the Cheese breaking his axle and you can understand what I mean by too much grip.

When Greg gets back home sometime next week, I'm sure he'll have all the stories and photos/videos for ya :)

Until then, I speak nothing of it :nerd:

I'm sorry Saturday night ended so abruptly and I didn't get to say goodbye to the folks in the campground.

The kids and I had a great time as usual. I'm glad I didn't have any breaks. (I took it a little easier.) It was great to meet the new folks. Thanks for driving so far!!! I hope you weren't scared by the junior high humor. (We try to celebrate diversity within our group -- in this case, the chronically immature. We love them for who they are. :con: )

The weather was great, and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. My only suggestion for next year is that we all stay at a single motel.

Thanks, Jeff, for putting this thing together!

I didn't take many still photos, but here are a couple.

I'm too freaked by heights to have any desire to do Lion's Back. These pictures are of Steve Hunt:

http://www.superbrown.com/images/IMG_2275.jpg

http://www.superbrown.com/images/IMG_2278.jpg

The kids as we drive back from Pritchett:

http://www.superbrown.com/images/IMG_2281.jpg