French Tickler Buggy

Clean up day at Tackett Creek this Saturday with the FlexRocks and Rollovers team.
Unreal the amount of shit people toss on the trail. Truly sickening.

F0CE4A1C-A062-429D-8683-C137F52FA0CB.jpg


EC37B6C1-B180-45A8-A0F4-0CA092D65F75.jpeg
 
Clean up day at Tackett Creek this Saturday with the FlexRocks and Rollovers team.
Unreal the amount of shit people toss on the trail. Truly sickening.


View attachment 358235

Wow! thanks for more than doing your part out there.
 
Bent the light bar a few rides ago. Had to drive out of Tackett Creek with no light which was a lil sketch.

Removed it and swapped it for some pods. As much as I loved the big bar and the look it gave the buggy, it also turned me into “that asshole” every time I’d turn it on and blind everybody around.

I’m hoping the pods will be more protected and the light output will be enough for what we do around here.

Everything is done with half decent wire and Deutsch connectors as usual.

DD12ACD8-59B5-485D-9E61-93C81D06C9CC.jpeg


6E82744F-E548-41B7-A552-9654FCC96321.jpeg
 
Bent the light bar a few rides ago. Had to drive out of Tackett Creek with no light which was a lil sketch.

Removed it and swapped it for some pods. As much as I loved the big bar and the look it gave the buggy, it also turned me into “that asshole” every time I’d turn it on and blind everybody around.

I’m hoping the pods will be more protected and the light output will be enough for what we do around here.

Everything is done with half decent wire and Deutsch connectors as usual.

View attachment 358299

View attachment 358300
I’ve always considered the lightbar the equivalent of a princesses tiara. Big improvement if you ask me. :fuck-you:
 
If the pods aren’t quite enough, a little 12” or so would go nicely right here.
E853AE40-61DE-48F1-B0D3-BFC92C3A5822.jpeg


I had one on my XJ and it was so bright I never had any want for more. And it was just a $20 cheapo from the Zon.
 
Bent the light bar a few rides ago. Had to drive out of Tackett Creek with no light which was a lil sketch.

Removed it and swapped it for some pods. As much as I loved the big bar and the look it gave the buggy, it also turned me into “that asshole” every time I’d turn it on and blind everybody around.

I’m hoping the pods will be more protected and the light output will be enough for what we do around here.

Everything is done with half decent wire and Deutsch connectors as usual.

View attachment 358299

View attachment 358300
I have some pods like that basically in the same spot and height on my Tacoma and they light up the trail like daylight while not being a complete prick. I think you will like them a lot better there.
 
Left line on Lion'sDen

78D61FD0-F4DF-4A14-9484-34CA1D2E29BD.jpeg


8422E7AD-C28E-40E5-B5E7-D4C229BD3B56.jpeg


B7D5B554-A8B2-41CC-AAC6-09A1238F751C.jpeg


Gave it hell, caved the rocker, didn't work.
So I turned around and made it through the normal line, just all the way up the rock.

13A59B79-1B52-4DDF-8762-131B1AFBE26E.jpeg


Took the right line up the boulders on Mason Jar.

6CDE23B1-4A25-4448-A4D6-CAEB0F2082E8.jpeg


Didn't work so I front dug my way out of there and got it real twisted in the process. Tires never left the ground. She got long legs.

798DD72A-8F40-434D-92C8-DE8DA5A6651F.png
6B9ECFFB-2661-4F03-A8FC-15B6320FAA76.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Left line on Lion'sDen

View attachment 358576

View attachment 358577

View attachment 358578

Gave it hell, caved the rocker, didn't work.
So I turned around and made it through the normal line, just all the way up the rock.

View attachment 358579

Took the right line up the boulders on Mason Jar.

View attachment 358580

Didn't work so I front dug my way out of there and got it real twisted in the process. Tires never left the ground. She got long legs.

View attachment 358581View attachment 358582
You got real twisted up there on Mason Jar! Looks like you were pointed down the line I come up o_O :rockon:

Same lines @77GreenMachine hit on Lion's Den and @DannyH on Mason Jar earlier this year unsuccessfully.
 
No idea if you can see this but here was my front dig in mason jar after failing at going over the two big rocks.


Link to the forum post with the video:


I just turned around there and came up the second rock easy peasy.

The Mason Jar line is definitely doable. The Lions Den one is very hard.
 
Replaced my P-Pump that died last ride with a new RD steering system (CB-X pump, filter and fancy resi). Moved the pump to pass side, way higher than previous setup. Everything is located the way it is in order for maintenance to be easy.

rd.jpg


I chopped the steps that were bent to fuck because of my left line attempt on Lion's Den and replaced them with a 4ft piece of solid rod to help distributing the impacts and hopefully let it slide better on the rocks. I also added a .188 wall kicker going to belly.

side.jpg


side2.jpg


side3.jpg


Went to Stony Lonesome for testing last weekend. Rode with Jake Burkey and the BK crew.
Didn't have to turn a wrench once. This rig impressed all day and made everything his biotch.
RD setup delivers ! (I'll write a more detailed report about that in the future). My face had a shit eating grin all the way back home.

shop.jpg


buggy.jpg


Got it done before end of May as I wanted. I'm ready for the ride I can't miss, next weekend at AOP. Friends graduation !

Next mods will be a few tubing changes, adding some lights for a night ride and a chase bar, and eventually I'll replace the rear axle that's on its last legs. After careful consideration, I will not be going rear steer. I've pondered biting the bullet and building a rear Fab10 axle with gearworks center-section, but can't justify the added cost. 14 bolts are so damn cheap and readily available, I'll go this route again.







Also, I fucking love America !

merica.jpg
 
Went to AOP yesterday for a ride and celebrating the Graduation of my friend Abigail.

We had a blast and ran some hard shit.

Area51


Then right before loading up I decided today was the day to try Riot Hill. Got some pointers from Roger King and was able to make it out the top.


After spanking the hill, feeling like I knew WTF I was doing, I decided I was a racecar driver. Then proceeded to Ultra4 my way into a tree. The ol' "click third and eat shit" like Burkey put it !

Managed to break both high steer arms at the same time. SMH.

4DF19058-356B-4BE0-9E55-35BCC0D83419.jpeg


7C260FA4-10BE-4355-B253-04BCE336D78B.jpeg


I also think I hurt the orbital in the process.

Good thing, the knuckles are completely fine and I was able to extract the bolts easily.

3013CAF8-2B24-4F8D-942A-2EC05339A702.jpeg


Time to reassess the situation and see what I will do about this. Multiple options are available, I just haven't decided which avenue I'll take.
 
Last edited:
Did that front bolt on the arm shear off or had it come out/loose at some point?

Would be interesting to see how a welded arm would hold up in that situation. My guess is broke with a broke knuckle.
 
That arm needs more meat on the bone. What about another mounting stud too?

1653336602442.png
 
Dang. Are you using a 4x8 double ended ram?
 
Did that front bolt on the arm shear off or had it come out/loose at some point?

Would be interesting to see how a welded arm would hold up in that situation. My guess is broke with a broke knuckle.

Front bolt sheared off.
I'm not a fan of welded HSA for that very reason.

That arm needs more meat on the bone. What about another mounting stud too?

View attachment 373254

Agreed 100% on all counts.

Dang. Are you using a 4x8 double ended ram?

8.75x2.5 PSC XR double ended ram

Or the driver should avoid hitting trees :flipoff2:

I know the guy... he's pretty bad at driving...
 
Id consider grinding/machining the caliper arm back some, to gain more beef around those middle holes. The section that @drkelly drew would help, but looked like it sheared in the thin wall around the middle hole. Not sure that any of that would have prevented it from bending though, from the hit. Maybe having it in double shear with the stock arm would have helped, but it could have also just caused the knuckle to break.
 
Because I hate money and I didn't want to wait forever on a shop that could cut me some arms.

Also, I found 1 stripped hole in the factory knuckle that hit the tree so that helped make the decision easier.

I had to get new ball joint eliminators too, and new heims since the others ones became kinda sloppy. Yeayyy...

5A05ABD1-4B34-4AAF-B1A6-56B1EFF344BE.jpeg


Those are Reid 05+ knuckles that have been machined by BKOR for the RCV Big Bells. They also add a custom keyway and their arms key into the knuckle.

48499520-AA50-4800-98B7-DFDA759896BF.jpeg


B2D8062D-92E4-4F49-B6B3-683F3B2F5E3A.jpeg
 
Because I hate money and I didn't want to wait forever on a shop that could cut me some arms.

Also, I found 1 stripped hole in the factory knuckle that hit the tree so that helped make the decision easier.

I had to get new ball joint eliminators too, and new heims since the others ones became kinda sloppy. Yeayyy...

View attachment 373823

Those are Reid 05+ knuckles that have been machined by BKOR for the RCV Big Bells. They also add a custom keyway and their arms key into the knuckle.

View attachment 373824

View attachment 373825
Wait a sec! Did you paint them black?!?!?!? Now how are people going to know how much money you spent!?!?!?! :laughing:
 
Back
Top