Bad day, nice guys...

[jedijeeper]

Well the mild run tests were run on the project Liberty and it wheeled superbly. We went to Little Moab on Monday to start running some harder core tests and were treated with the discovery of the "weak link". After scaling the "baby dump bump" and the rest of the obstacles on that pile, and breaking the T-case into pieces on the J-10 my brother in law brought, we went to the other side. The upper mount for the three link on the rear of my Jeep was incorporated from the original Jeep stuff. When scaling the first big obstacle (The rock area going to the North from the main road, the 25 foot bumpy wall with a crevice running up it's left side just to the right when you come in... ) that upper mounting bracket failed. It broke into about three pieces and let the rear diff spin completely around. As the Jeep fell backwards back down the wall it snapped a front axle joint as well.

The predicament that the thing ended up in was a sight to behold with it's axle folded up under the rear doors and it still halfway up the obstacle, and recovery was going to be nasty to say the least. But the bright spot of the day was that some other wheelers out there pitched in and really helped out. A fellow named Casey and his friends, driving a "Six States" full cage rig helped us with a second winch to lower the Jeep off the wall and into to hole below it. They all stepped right up, got in the dirt and under the rig and lent hands wherever needed. I am sure this shortened their trip as they had a time frame they had to leave by.

After mine was out of the way, Casey put on a hell of a show in the XJ and used what time he had left to get in a little bit more wheeling.

Well, anyway, if any of you guys are on here (someone has to be... the XJ had RME stickers on the hood!).... Thanks a ton for the help. Sure hope I can re-pay the favor sometime. I owe you all one!

-Adam

 

[troutbum]

what no pics

 

[jedijeeper]

what no pics

Working on it..... the digital camera had dead batteries when we got out there, and the other camera was a film style that also did not happen to be mine. So... I am at the mercy of the person owning the camera to get me copies to scan in.... probably be a few days....

Adam

 

[Andy]

Casey is a good guy, I was supposed to go but had to work. There is a reason Brent named that Cherokee the Hero.

Andy

 

[jedijeeper]

what no pics

So here is the only pic that I have right now... this is what you might call a "before" picture

On the tower over the diff, you can see three bolts going through. They held the cast iron bracket that the ball joint from that upper link slides into. That cast iron piece is now many pieces!

I guess on a cool note, my Teraflax LCAs and Modular Ends went through the whole ordeal without bending or breaking, or even really scratching much.... When my brother told me the rear axle was under the rear doors I thought for sure those arms would be dead or at least bent some. I am impressed!

Later,
Adam

PS, Andy, you missed all the fun! You could have sat there looking at the thing trying to figure out how to get it down with us!