Metal Masher...

[gijohn40]

I was thinking of taking my cj-7 on Metal masher this year at EJS and was wondering if anyone could tell me more about it...

My cj is pretty much stock except that it has dana44 rear with a locker and 32x11.50x15 BFG AT's I have 2 inch of lift from longer shackles... the 4.2 has a 4 bbl carb and the gear ratio of the axles is 4.56... I have heard about having to be winched on that trail and seeing I don't have a winch on the jeep I wanted to know if I should stay away or not....

Here is a picture of my jeep on Kennys hill in moab

Any thoughts?

 

[Barney]

Seems to me you are quite well set up for that trail. The winching part you alluded to is probably mother in law hill. Usually what happens is someone gets up and provides either a winch point or hooks a strap to you, not a big deal. My XJ with lockers F+R and 8" Lift/35" tires didn't make it up, but that was due to being too tall causing my front end to "unload". Your CJ may even walk right up it with the right amount of finesse+skinny pedal. The rest of the trail is hard enough to be fun, but not enough to beat your rig up. Pay attention though or your "metal" may get "mashed".

 

[offroaddave]

Piece o cake, If your locked in the rear.
wish I was goin. :freak: :freak:

 

[cruiseroutfit]

A great trail, your rig will be fine.

A major trail goal is Arth's Rim, which overlooks Highway 191 about 1300 feet below. The route first angles up the sloping part of the cliff to a gap in the rim rock. It follows Little Canyon partway into the mesa to resume the climb along the more gentle slope of the tilted rock strata. Much of the trail is routine four-wheeling, but the approach to the rim though Mirror Gulch is difficult and threatens sheet metal. Despite some shovel work last year, Widowmaker Hill could be considered a "5" rating. Your leader is likely to take the roundabout bypass to the top of Widowmaker, but he may authorize the original route for vehicles that have very short overhangs, very large tires, and both differentials locked. In the past, it has simply taken too much time to winch or drag 90% of the vehicles up.
Scenery: The road portion on the slope beneath Arth's Rim climbs to increasingly fine views of Arches National Park, Moab Valley, and the La Sal Mountains. That is just a warm-up for the later perch on the cliff top. Little Canyon has beautiful vertical walls, and a few arches may be spotted by alert riders. The trail leader may have time to include Gemini Bridges or Long Canyon at the end of the day.
Road Surface: This trail varies from easy dirt to some tall sandstone ledges, with some relatively level slickrock and sand mixed in.
Obstacles: The slickrock slopes on the way to Arth's Rim have one step that will warm up a few tires. Near the rim the trail passes Rock Chucker Hill, once the way to go but now used occasionally as a 4+ playground that triumphs over some awfully good equipment. The "easy" route through narrow Mirror Gulch includes difficult rock steps. The original route via Widowmaker Hill climbs a big ridge in two stages. The lower section is a tippy, narrow cliff-side at its top and warrants care in choosing a route. The second section is steep and has a smooth rock ledge with a low-traction base that is being dug increasingly deeper. Trust your trail leader for guidance to avoid this one; it has the same overhang and center clearance problems as the Dump Bump but is now taller. There is another short, but vexing option called Mother-in-Law hill.

 

[greenjeep]

I'm leading Metal Masher on Tuesday. Metal Masher's 4 rating is a little misleading because it is basically the optional obstacles that make it hard (namely Rock Chucker Hill, Widow Maker and Mother-in-Law Hill). Without these OPTIONAL obstacles it is more like a 3 1/2, with Mirror Gulch being the only mandatory challenging section.

With 32s and a rear locker, you'l be fine. Have fun.

 

[rockreligious]

Its an easy trail, like said above you can go around almost everything if you wish..the only spot you may need a winch is mother-in-law and you can bypass that obstacke if you turn off at the top of the hill before you get down there. but its not that bad I climbed it with my Grand Cherokee with 3.5 lift and 33 mtrs front and rear lockers. fun trail, go for it.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

How come I can't remember Mother-In-Law, I have done the trail several times and nothing comes to mind?? Anyone have a pic?

 

[rockreligious]

How come I can't remember Mother-In-Law, I have done the trail several times and nothing comes to mind?? Anyone have a pic?

I dont have a picture of it but its likely that you didnt know it was down there and bypassed it. I believe its the last obs before the end of trail( other than the little playground rock shelf area. theres a small fork in the road if you stay right you go to mother-in -law and loop back into trail, if you turn left you miss mother-in-law by a quarter of a mile..if Im wrong someone correct me, its been along time since I was on that trail. its pretty much a obs similiar to the dumpbump only steeper and taller, its a throttle/wheelbase thing. shorties can flip over backwards ez.

 

[fordy4]

I believe its the last obs before the end of trail( other than the little playground rock shelf area. theres a small fork in the road if you stay right you go to mother-in -law and loop back into trail, if you turn left you miss mother-in-law by a quarter of a mile..if Im wrong someone correct me, its been along time since I was on that trail. its pretty much a obs similiar to the dumpbump only steeper and taller, its a throttle/wheelbase thing. shorties can flip over backwards ez.

Are you sure you are not talking about widow maker?

 

[James K]

How come I can't remember Mother-In-Law, I have done the trail several times and nothing comes to mind?? Anyone have a pic?

its on the way out after you are past widowmaker. it is optional. you have to turn around once you get past it to see it.

 

[James K]

Are you sure you are not talking about widow maker?

I think he is.

 

[James K]

pic of widowmaker may '05

 

[wipedawg]

we went up metalmasher last ejs.. and the only obstacle i didn't try was widowmaker, i hadn't heard about motherinlaw until just 5 minutes ago. There was one other thing that i bypassed, it was incredibly steep, and maybe this is the obstacle you are all talking about. I just know that if i got my frontend up it, the rear bumper would have most likely bottomed out.

 

[Bart]

MIL is after Widow Maker at the end of the trail. It's an optional bowl shaped, play area, that most drive by.

 

[Milner]

I can not believe how much WM and MIL have changed over the years....I need to scan some of my old pics....
First time I did MM was on 31's and wore out trac locks

I have lead it many times....You wil be fine.

Still one of my favorite trails.

 

[Jinx]

I can not believe how much WM and MIL have changed over the years....I need to scan some of my old pics....
First time I did MM was on 31's and wore out trac locks

I have lead it many times....You wil be fine.

Still one of my favorite trails.

I know what you mean, Easter Jeep Safari 97, I ran metal masher in a cj-5 with 31s, and a detroit in the rear.

(obviously I skipped Rock Chucker.)

Looking at James's Pic Widow Maker has changed quite a bit.

 

[cruiseroutfit]

I know what you mean, Easter Jeep Safari 97, I ran metal masher in a cj-5 with 31s, and a detroit in the rear.

(obviously I skipped Rock Chucker.)

Looking at James's Pic Widow Maker has changed quite a bit.

I was there fore EJS 97'... I was 16

This year will most likely be the 1st year I have missed since... , though I may try and get down there early in the week...

 

[Milner]

I was there fore EJS 97'... I was 16

This year will most likely be the 1st year I have missed since... , though I may try and get down there early in the week...

I went for 14 years without missing....missed the last 3....yep, I'm that old:sick:

 

[rxcarl5]

same thing here that obstacle is a lot tougher then it used to be. in 97 I did it with a yj that was spring over and open on stock axles and made both rock chucker and widowmaker open. last year I couldnt make widow maker locked front and rear with my waggy 20 and dana 44 setup I really do like this trail though really fun to hit every now and then

 

[James K]

I know what you mean, Easter Jeep Safari 97, I ran metal masher in a cj-5 with 31s, and a detroit in the rear.

(obviously I skipped Rock Chucker.)

Looking at James's Pic Widow Maker has changed quite a bit.

I ran it around ejs of '97 for the first time also, with a cj5 on 33's and a lockright in the back, and it wasn't nearly as big as it is now.

I think the little road leading up to it is worse the WM is.