Northern Utah Willard Peak Leisure Run Tomorrow (Sunday)

[Shane]

My buddy and I was thinking of making a run up towards Willard Peak tomorrow morning. My neighbor went up there yesterday and said you can make it to the switch backs just past Perry Reservoir.


If anyone would like to join us let me know. No hardcore wheeling, in fact you can probably make the drive in a car, I just want to get out of the house, go for a nice leisure drive, see some scenery and enjoy some time with mother nature. We could even make a run over to Rocky Dugway afterwards. Don't know if the roads are all open yet but it sure is beautiful up there.

I'll be in my Rodeo and my friend Tim will be in his Jeep. Meet at the parking area at the mouth of the canyon, just past the Mantua church around 11 or so (time is flexbile).

 

[user]

If I would have seen this earlier I would have been there!! I'm thinking of going up AF or somewhere today...just wanna get out of the house!!

 

[CobraNutt]

Dang....wish I would have seen this last night! Oh well...parking the Jeep today, and heading out in the Mustang instead.

 

[XJEEPER]

Shane, this is a classic example of how NOT to build an XJ. Please convince your friend Tim to park this Jeep until he can come up with the money to build it right.

The steering geometry is all wrong and the drag link is designed to fail. I suspect the reason for dual steering stabilizers is to reduce death wobble. The dual front shock setup is "creative", but the giant rear lift blocks are beyond silly, as are the rear shock extensions.



Over the last 18 years, I've built and wheeled 3 XJ's and I am more than willing to provide instruction, tips and pointers on proper steering and suspension geometry and to help him make his rig safe, both road and trail-worthy. Send me a PM and I'll provide contact info if he is interested in the help.


Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I truly care that his life and the lives of those which he shares the road with are at risk........seriously.

 

[STAG]

I've been on the receiving end of a message like that once. That was before I knew better. That Jeep belongs in the "you are not a fabricator" thread.

 

[jeep-N-montero]

Shane, this is a classic example of how NOT to build an XJ. Please convince your friend Tim to park this Jeep until he can come up with the money to build it right.

The steering geometry is all wrong and the drag link is designed to fail. I suspect the reason for dual steering stabilizers is to reduce death wobble. The dual front shock setup is "creative", but the giant rear lift blocks are beyond silly, as are the rear shock extensions.

View attachment 91762View attachment 91763

Over the last 18 years, I've built and wheeled 3 XJ's and I am more than willing to provide instruction, tips and pointers on proper steering and suspension geometry and to help him make his rig safe, both road and trail-worthy. Send me a PM and I'll provide contact info if he is interested in the help.


Sorry if this sounds harsh, but I truly care that his life and the lives of those which he shares the road with are at risk........seriously.

Holy crap that looks scary!

 

[jeep-N-montero]

And if your friend needs the proper steering and shocks for his XJ let me know, I have a bunch of extra parts that would work great for him.

 

[Shane]

Hi Guys, sorry I haven't replied. I thought I set it up to receive email notifications of new replies but never got any so I figured nobody responded, guess I did something wrong.

I had a great time up wheelin, nobody showed so it was just me and Tim. To save me from typing everything again I'll try and copy my post from the Isuzu forum and post below.

I really haven't taken the Rodeo out wheelin since I put the new tires and Skyjacker shocks on so this morning my buddy and I jumped in the Rodeo and went for a little drive.


Our destination, Willard Peak, which sits at an elevation of 9,764 feet.

It's a pretty easy drive but unfortunately the snow got to deep and we could only make it about 3/4s of the way up. Probably wont be able to make it to the top until the end of June or first of July. It was a beautiful drive but it was very dusty and crowded. Damn motorcyles, 4 wheelers and side by sides around every corner, so we decided to get the heck out of there and headed off cross country.

Once we got off the main trail the wheeling got a little more extreme. I climbed some stuff that I never would of even tried in any other truck I've owned. We drove over 50 miles off road, up some insanely steep and rocky hills, over bolders, through washouts, up creeks, down rutted out trails, in and out of pine trees and quakies and the little Rodeo didn't even skip a beat. I was super thrilled with the way it handled.


I didn't get to many wheeling pics but I snapped a few scenic pics.

My buddy enjoying the scenery

The Rodeo enjoying the scenery

Some pretty mtn wildflowers.

Working the suspension.

The rear flex isn't to bad

but not so much with the front. I need to pull the sway bar and see if I can get more. It's hard to tell in the pic but both the left rear and right front tires are off the ground.

Dust covered Zoo and Jerry Lemond stickers

And the final picture ... The Rodeo taking a bow .... Good Girl!!!

It was a great day ... Beautiful scenery, saw some wildlife, played in the snow, smelled the fresh pines, drank ice cold water from the streams ... All in all a great day out.

XJEEPER Thanks! I will pass on your concerns and info to Tim. I'm not sure how long he has had that lift on his Jeep, at least 5 years and probably twice that long ... long enough to wear out a new set of 35" BFG MTs. It's a daily driver and I know he hasn't had any problems with it yet. I drove it a few weeks ago and it handled nicely. Either way, I will still send him a link to this post so he can read it.


It was so nice to get out and enjoy the hills I think I may try and go again this Sunday ... Anybody game?

 

[Donner]

Shane, I am up for a drive, but my lack of planning has resulted in expired tags on the 'Zu. So, until my centerlink arrives, I'm grounded