- Joined
- Mar 20, 2005
- Location
- Morganton NC
I got a call and was invited to go ride up in Harland for this past weekend. Andy from the Rockshop met up with a friend of mine and me at The Love truck stop in Marion. I was a little late due to finding another broke tranny line going to my cooler. Pulled out of my drive way and had a river of red. A quick fix with the help of tube cutter and a piece of fuel line had the leak stopped and on the road.
When I got up to the truck stop I pulled right in behind Greg Stone, who was filling his Dodge up for a trip to Tellico. Pretty soon there after the whole station was filling with tow rigs and trail rigs. I pulled up to fill up, and the card thing wasn't working. So I went inside. The young woman told me I would have to leave a deposit, or my card. I left my card. After I filled up, I went back in to settle up. I noticed her running outside with a card in her hand hollering to some folks that they forgot their card.
I went on in and told the guy I had $84 on pump 12, and that I left my card with the lady. He said "that was YOUR card"? I said yes, as she walked back in he told her it was my card. Both she and I went running after the SUV that took my card, and they never stopped. So a beautiful beginning to a long trip. I called and got the card canceled, and wrote her a check. She didn't ask for ID anything, as if I would have shown her. I was pretty pissed and dismayed as to how she could have did something so stupid. I had some choice words, but left as soon as I could.
The trip up other than that was uneventful. Three of us towing together, one of them being a 30' motor home pulling a Jeep, so progress was a little slower, but not too much off the pace that I could have gone, but a lot off the pace that Andy could have gone.
Once up to Harland we set up camp and waited for the AM to go wheeling. Saturday morning we went up to the Dairy Hut for breakfast. When we went in we noticed there were a lot of folks sitting around, but only a few with food. We sit there about 20 mins or so and never saw a single person behind the counter. So, we drove up to the Chevron station and got some breakfast there pretty quick. We then drove over to the campsite of the rest of our crew. Patrick and his Toy buggy, and two other guys. A fresh built Sidekick, and a lil Ford Ranger.
We headed up to the trails and stopped first at the waterfall entrance to railhead. Patrick tried it and pulled cable, and I tried and also pulled cable. it's a tough lil spot! The rest of our group took the go around.
On over to lower Damnation. Patrick and Andy walked it, me however, didn't fair so well. On one spot I broke a rear drive shaft yoke and U-joint, a front right stub axle, and a couple of motor mounts. We winced it up as far as we could to get to level spot and changed out the axle shaft.
Had to beat and pry the rotor off due to a fubar'ed spindle. Of course it also took out the lock out, but the shaft was not only broke in one piece, but many, that required beating it out. My winch was just not pulling too well, I think it defiantly needs a new motor or re-wound. Andy pulled me with now 2 wheel drive, and got me out to good road. A local guy rode back with me and took me back over to Harland where he said we could get another yoke. On the way back we stooped and got some chain too.
We found a yoke, and back at camp we changed the yoke, welded some chain down to keep the engine in the engine bay and not jumping around.
Back to the trails we went, we started at the railhead again, then over to lower rock garden, where we had to do a weld job on the Sidekick's front wish bone mount. Then wove our way up to middle rock garden via several smaller rock gardens. I was trying to keep the same lines as Andy, but my rig is just too long for some of his lines. So I went a little different and got hung again. I tried to winch but it just wasn't in the mood to pull me. With the help of spotters I finally got out of it and up to the top.
On to upper Rock Garden or another name for it is can opener.
Patric and Andy went thru, and then went backward. I had just about talked myself into going thru it, but it got dark, and I decided I would wait a few weeks and try it, rather than going thru in the dark. So, back to camp.
Sunday Morning found just Andy, Patrick, and me, going to the trails.
We didn't wanna stay out too long, so we hit all the rock gardens again. While we went so much faster than the day before, we were sitting there trying to decide where to go, and I piped off at the mouth and told Andy he ought to run it( middle rock garden) backward. He did! the whole garden in reverse. All the way to the top! then came back down, and no brakes! The culprit was some zip ties that had melted and allowed a custom braided brake line to get into his header and melt.
He crimped it off, and we all slowly made our way back to camp. On the way back Patrick lost a fan belt, that drove his PS pump, his water pump belt had also rolled off. We got the good belt back on and he limped his back to camp with an PS for his full Hydro.
I had a great time even with the carnage. I am sure the others would have liked to ride more, but due to my carnage they didn't get to. A Big thanks to my Friend Chris, Andy, Rodney, Jerry and who ever the guy was be hind me(a local) for the help getting me partially repaired and off the trail. Also a big thanks to the local guy that went with me to find a yoke. He told my his name but I don't remember it.
Andy's buggy works sooooo smooth. The Iroks he runs work great! I was impressed. Patrick's buggy also works great too.
In the near future:
New or rewound winch motor
35 spline outers
spare drive shaft
Doubler(in the works)
Tires grooved
Another trip under my belt, and a great time. Going back in August!
When I got up to the truck stop I pulled right in behind Greg Stone, who was filling his Dodge up for a trip to Tellico. Pretty soon there after the whole station was filling with tow rigs and trail rigs. I pulled up to fill up, and the card thing wasn't working. So I went inside. The young woman told me I would have to leave a deposit, or my card. I left my card. After I filled up, I went back in to settle up. I noticed her running outside with a card in her hand hollering to some folks that they forgot their card.
I went on in and told the guy I had $84 on pump 12, and that I left my card with the lady. He said "that was YOUR card"? I said yes, as she walked back in he told her it was my card. Both she and I went running after the SUV that took my card, and they never stopped. So a beautiful beginning to a long trip. I called and got the card canceled, and wrote her a check. She didn't ask for ID anything, as if I would have shown her. I was pretty pissed and dismayed as to how she could have did something so stupid. I had some choice words, but left as soon as I could.
The trip up other than that was uneventful. Three of us towing together, one of them being a 30' motor home pulling a Jeep, so progress was a little slower, but not too much off the pace that I could have gone, but a lot off the pace that Andy could have gone.
Once up to Harland we set up camp and waited for the AM to go wheeling. Saturday morning we went up to the Dairy Hut for breakfast. When we went in we noticed there were a lot of folks sitting around, but only a few with food. We sit there about 20 mins or so and never saw a single person behind the counter. So, we drove up to the Chevron station and got some breakfast there pretty quick. We then drove over to the campsite of the rest of our crew. Patrick and his Toy buggy, and two other guys. A fresh built Sidekick, and a lil Ford Ranger.
We headed up to the trails and stopped first at the waterfall entrance to railhead. Patrick tried it and pulled cable, and I tried and also pulled cable. it's a tough lil spot! The rest of our group took the go around.
On over to lower Damnation. Patrick and Andy walked it, me however, didn't fair so well. On one spot I broke a rear drive shaft yoke and U-joint, a front right stub axle, and a couple of motor mounts. We winced it up as far as we could to get to level spot and changed out the axle shaft.
Had to beat and pry the rotor off due to a fubar'ed spindle. Of course it also took out the lock out, but the shaft was not only broke in one piece, but many, that required beating it out. My winch was just not pulling too well, I think it defiantly needs a new motor or re-wound. Andy pulled me with now 2 wheel drive, and got me out to good road. A local guy rode back with me and took me back over to Harland where he said we could get another yoke. On the way back we stooped and got some chain too.
We found a yoke, and back at camp we changed the yoke, welded some chain down to keep the engine in the engine bay and not jumping around.
Back to the trails we went, we started at the railhead again, then over to lower rock garden, where we had to do a weld job on the Sidekick's front wish bone mount. Then wove our way up to middle rock garden via several smaller rock gardens. I was trying to keep the same lines as Andy, but my rig is just too long for some of his lines. So I went a little different and got hung again. I tried to winch but it just wasn't in the mood to pull me. With the help of spotters I finally got out of it and up to the top.
On to upper Rock Garden or another name for it is can opener.
Patric and Andy went thru, and then went backward. I had just about talked myself into going thru it, but it got dark, and I decided I would wait a few weeks and try it, rather than going thru in the dark. So, back to camp.
Sunday Morning found just Andy, Patrick, and me, going to the trails.
We didn't wanna stay out too long, so we hit all the rock gardens again. While we went so much faster than the day before, we were sitting there trying to decide where to go, and I piped off at the mouth and told Andy he ought to run it( middle rock garden) backward. He did! the whole garden in reverse. All the way to the top! then came back down, and no brakes! The culprit was some zip ties that had melted and allowed a custom braided brake line to get into his header and melt.
He crimped it off, and we all slowly made our way back to camp. On the way back Patrick lost a fan belt, that drove his PS pump, his water pump belt had also rolled off. We got the good belt back on and he limped his back to camp with an PS for his full Hydro.
I had a great time even with the carnage. I am sure the others would have liked to ride more, but due to my carnage they didn't get to. A Big thanks to my Friend Chris, Andy, Rodney, Jerry and who ever the guy was be hind me(a local) for the help getting me partially repaired and off the trail. Also a big thanks to the local guy that went with me to find a yoke. He told my his name but I don't remember it.
Andy's buggy works sooooo smooth. The Iroks he runs work great! I was impressed. Patrick's buggy also works great too.
In the near future:
New or rewound winch motor
35 spline outers
spare drive shaft
Doubler(in the works)
Tires grooved
Another trip under my belt, and a great time. Going back in August!
