We started working on the course for this year. It will be at the same location as last year, at Cranberry Lake. This is on Highway 7 about 3 miles south of the Eatonville cutoff.

We're expanding the size of the mid size course. This will be a challenge for all open diff'd rigs but all rigs should be able to run this course. I don't recommend any poser hoop steps or running boards as they won't make it. Take these off first!

The big course is getting tougher. Any rigs with less than a single locker and 35" tires will not make it through without help. Today, both Jeeps that tried the rock pile required winching. Jaydog has a 2004 TJ with a 6" Skyjacker lift and 35" tires. Buster has a Cherokee with 33s and a rear locker. Buster bent his tie rod and only got about 10' in. I didn't have any trouble, but did break off a shock mount and bent the shock.

This year the mud put will be a water hole, the log crossings will be a lot more like the tank traps on the Tuff Truck challenge with trenches between the logs at lots o water. There is an entirely NEW mud bog this year. It's still a single track but it's over 100 yards long. Today after building it (my first time driving a dozer) I took a test run. It was a little muddy, but we didn't put any water in yet and didn't push the dirt back it. I got high centered (almost) at one point and almost rolled falling off the hill climb on the exit. It was and will be an awesome run for those that like mud. I built multiple obstacles into the run that will be hidden, including a couple off camber sections, hole, crevasses, deep and shallow spots. This won't be a simple straight forward deep mud run, it will keep even the experienced, mud runners busy.

We will be using the Webfooters barrel run course for our Mud Prix. This will basically be the same course, but we'll add a bunch o water to it. We'll be running timed runs through this. No prizes, just fun, It's kind of like a Grand Prix track with about 6-8" of mud. This should be a ton o fun!

The date for this year's event will be June 26th, not July 4th.

 

so is it open to whoever? or do you have to be a member? do you have to be a certain age? (18+) gonna be room for lots of spectators? or mainly people you know?

Sounds like a sweet patch of land you got.

 

The obstacle course event is open to the public and is free (donations are accepted if you had fun). The courses are open to whomever wants to try them out. Specatators are more than welcome. Last year we had just over 100 trucks. This is an annual event that we put on. I'll have more info posted on our website in about a week or so. Next weekend I have to go out to do a few things and I'll get some photos. The courses won' be tweaked out till probably a week or so before the event. Then well finish with the heavy equipment work and start the watering process :o)

 

what about rules and requirementsfor the rigs . Like do we need to have helmets. 4point seat belts or stuff like that.

 

Nope, this isn't a race. We ask that you have insurance, sign a waiver, and be responsible. Have fun. If someone's an idiot, I'll throw their butt out of there personally.

I've been known to take the fun away a little by keeping people under control. Last year we had some army guys that were having a blast, but they got out of hand. They were riding in the back of the pickup hanging on to the roll bar. One guy got tossed out. I had let it go for a while but put an end to it. They respected it, even if they didn't like it - it did look like a LOT of fun - but...

I'd sure like to see Yotatech make this a group outing. The Nissan Pathfinders Association is making this one of their events. We Toy people wouldn't want to be shown up by some pathfinders would we???

 

Sonoran Steel L.L.C. will be donateing a 3rd Gen 4Runner PanHard drop kit for the raffel, I made it today and it will ship off to Gibby in the next day or so.

I wish I could attend but, the drive is a bit far.

 

Many thanks to Steve for his support. Now we need to see some more of the Yota Tech crew out there. This is a great chance to test your rig and your skills on a variety of different obstacle. They thing that makes our event different from everyone else's is that, well it's FREE, but on top of that it's not a race. Anyone and everyone can try one of the two course, or the mud bog. We've have extraction equipment on site to get everyone out safely and quickly. We've got the course set up for trail rigs, not competitions rigs. That doesn't mean it's any easier, but it's not designed for speed. We count on sponsors for to fund this event so I hope you guys and girls will help our sponsors out.
You 3rd gen 4runner folks will want to be out there just for that drop kit alone! We haven't had a large contingent of 3rd gens in the past, but there've been a few. Come on out and show us what a 3rd gen can do.

 

UPS delivered the PanHard drop kit to Gibby today. I am Happy to support this event. I hope everyone has a great time.

 

Excuse me for sounding like a complete newbie but what might a drop kit be?

 

The opposite of a lift kit!

Nah, just kidding. The drop kit is for the 3rd gen 4runners who have done a lift kit. I have a second gen, not a third, but I assume that most of the lift kits use the stock panhard arm brackets. This will cause some dogtracking of the rear end and some rear steer issues. The drop bracket is a complete bolt on to restore factory geometry in a lifted vehicle.

Nice work by the way!

 

Here are all the detials:

http://fastq.com/~sschaefer/store.html#Panhard

A Pan Hard bar can also be called a Trac Bar.

 

Actually there is no way to bolt on to the 3rd Gen so my kit is weld on. It does retain the stock mounting hole so you can "go back" if you want to.

 

I stand corrected on the weld on/bolt on.

I read the directions. If one of you 3rd gen guys wins the bracket, I can weld it on for you, on site if you want. It sound like about a 15 minute job.

Let's see a good showing of 3rd gens at this event. You don't want us 2nd gen guys showing you up do you? I really like to see what a 3rd gen can do!

 

Here's an update on the prize list for our raffles.
ARB - 25% off their jobber rate on anything in their catalogue.
Weld Racing - $250 gift certificate on wheels.
Tuffy Security - $50 off anything in their catalogue.
High Angle Driveline - $100 gift certificate.
Sschaefer - Toy 4runnner 3rd gen panhard drop bracket
Skyjacker - $500 gift certificate
2 sets of 4 shocks
1 set of stainless steel braided brake lines
1 single or dual steering stabilizer
Other sponsors include
AOR4x4
S&N fab
Northridge 4x4
Warn
Winning Team Consulting
Inchworm Gears

We're still working on more raffle prizes from our sponsors. The Faithwheelers want to thank everyone who's sponsoring our event. Our club members personally use all of these sponsors for our parts and service needs.

 

wow I wish i was in WA, I'd make it in a heartbeat!

 

We had people last year travel from Idaho and Montanna to make it out. AZ's just a little farther.

 

yea true, except I'm in Michigan right now......

 

OK, well, that would be a little long...

 

About where is this place located from everett? I'm interested in going but i have no clue where it is.

 

Hey Cody!

It's not bad from Everett, about 90 miles/minutes.

Lotso information up on the website:
http://207.202.208.243/faithwheelers/Course2004.htm