Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: GtoRA2 on August 07, 2005, 02:06:54 AM
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These are my trip pics from the Sour Grass trail, in the Stanislaus national forest. It is off highway 4 and about 2 and half hours from the bay area. Was me and a my sister and her boyfriend in his Xterra
I did the trail last year with the Northern California Xterra club, in the same X when it had the goofy grill guard. The trail was easy for the most part, the stock Xterras did not have to much trouble. Hell my buddy didn’t even air down.
This time around it was a lot harder then it was last year, probably do to all the rain and snow we got last winter. Parts that were a breeze the last time were a ***** this time.
For the X, my Ruby took most of it pretty well. I used the back locker 2 or 3 times and the front once and a pretty hard section.
We had lunch at the camping area and then headed home. Here are the pics.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123394595_xwheelup.jpg)
This is the granite slab right near the beginning, the X aired down right here, my bas spotting was prolly more of a problem then the X not being able to do it.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123397386_jeepbeginging.jpg)
This is me doing the same section. I didn’t air down at all. Took the same line without any trouble, first gear and 4 low walked me right over it all.
This part was the same as last year as far as I can remember.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123397541_streamnewe.jpg)
This is the bigger stream, this was harder last year but it was earlier in the season, this time the stream was no trouble but the embankment on the other side was hard.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123397722_jeepandstream.jpg)
Here is me crossing, it was fun to get to be a driver lol, I was a riding shot gun in the X last year and fell in the water when I was walking across the rocks to take a shot of the crossing.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123395607_lockerson.jpg) This is me coming up and out of the stream area, I could not get up tell I used both lockers.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123395087_xstuck.jpg)
This is the X right before we put on the strap. The X made it up this last year no problem but it was much steeper this time with some bigger rocks.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123395880_atcampsite.jpg)
This is us parked in the shade at the camping spot were the trail ends.
It would be an awesome place to camp. We ate lunch their and played with the dog for about an hour before heading back.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123396389_jeepcoming.jpg)
This is me going down into the stream.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123396443_jeeponrockse.jpg)
Another.
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123396513_goofing.jpg)
Me messing around.
Sour Grass was a blast, long drive from the bar area, and a pretty good starter trail for me to get some wheel time in the new Jeep!
Oh and I didn’t even get s scratch, heck I only hit the transfer case skid plate once.
The X didnt do to bad either, with a locker it would have been fine for the whole trail. (Maybe a better spotter too lol)
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Looks like you had fun :)
Do you have "Jamborees" in there? Something like 5 to 10 cars spending the weekend in the woods driving around avoiding roads?
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Small world... I've made some runs with people from the NoCal Xterra Club.
We went through Death Valley last year.
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Originally posted by Sandman
Small world... I've made some runs with people from the NoCal Xterra Club.
We went through Death Valley last year.
The ones I have met are all cool, I have only done the one trip with them though last year.
One big advantage the X has over the jeep is space. There is no way you can take more then 2 people with you and have room for much more then a tool kit and my powertank lol.
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Originally posted by Staga
Looks like you had fun :)
Do you have "Jamborees" in there? Something like 5 to 10 cars spending the weekend in the woods driving around avoiding roads?
They have jamborees, but everyone stays on marked trails. The enverionmentalists are trying to get most national forests closed to 4X4s and other off road vehicles, and making your own trail or doing any damage to the plant life etc off the trail will get the trails shut down.
Lots of clubs do adopt a trail things with the forest service to help keep the trails clean.
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Looks like ya had fun GTO. I'm totally jealous. IIRC there was a pretty cool Jeep club up in Hayward, CA when I lived in Fremont. I was going to join them but moved away before that happend.
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You remember the name Guns?
Yeah I figured the Rubicon was going to be good, but I was amazed at just how well it handled everything.
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Originally posted by GtoRA2
You remember the name Guns?
Yeah I figured the Rubicon was going to be good, but I was amazed at just how well it handled everything.
yea them beefier axles on the rubi give it a real smooth ride off road.
here's a link to their website
http://www.wanderingwheelers.homestead.com/
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Always wondered what an Xterra was capable of.
My mom has a 2003 just to get to work in the winter without trouble and all that.
I havent driven it much but it seems light in the arse end when doing anything offroad. Really light.
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Hmmm... doesn't seem light in the back at all to me.
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I am fairly impressed with the Xterra, they did pretty well both times I have seen them wheeled.
Small enough to fit on tight trails to.
My budy wants to trade his in a a rubicon, because the cost to upgrade anything on the X is pretty high, (like 1700 bucks for a 3 inch lift?)
No one makes a front locker.
It still has a live axle in the rear, most of the newer SUVs are going to independant, that will make them suck ever worse off road.
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Calmini (http://www.purenissan.com/3_lift.htm) has a lift for less than $1000.
AFAIK, the only way to get a locking front diff is to do the full out solid axle swap on the front. Calmini has a kit for that also, but parts are probably going to cost $5000+ before it's all said and done.
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Doesnt sound like a bad lift.
I will pass it along.
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I've post this pic before but gotta do it again; it's my friend's former 4WD in Russian wilds getting its tie rod fixed.
They found a big excavation and noticed that if they reverse the Volvo in that it would be easier to straighten bent rods :D
http://www.kolumbus.fi/staga/volvo_levittaa.jpg
Another friend drove months with a Blazer which had cardan axle made from ordinary drain pipe after original axle met a stump in the woods in Russia.
Some local blacksmith cut cardan joints from old axle and welded them in drainpipe. Worked well for months :D
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Originally posted by GtoRA2
(http://www.onpoi.net/ah/pics/users/314_1123394595_xwheelup.jpg)
Looks like the average Jersey highway by springtime LOL
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That is alot steeper then it looks Dred, it does not show in most of the pics just how much.
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GTO, those pics remind me of when I was in college working on my geology degree. I did an independent study for my final grade in structural geology, where I mapped the geologic structure of an area east of Birmingham (in the Appalachian foothills). Fool that I was back then, I took my 1971 Gremlin-X on some old logging roads and fire breaks that looked almost that bad. I did have to call a buddy to come pull me out with his Chevy Blazer 4WD, once. My new bride by this time was wondering what the hell she'd gotten herself into, marrying a rock hound.:lol
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Originally posted by GtoRA2
That is alot steeper then it looks Dred, it does not show in most of the pics just how much.
Im sure it is. Looks like alot of fun too
Actually I was referring to how nice and smooth it was LOL
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lol.
I want to go up again but this time camp for a night or two, maybe try fishing in the river.
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LOL You're lost; in couple years you'll be searching a true mudrunner and watching your wallet at the tireshop thinking if you could afford to buy bit bigger Boggers :D
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Originally posted by Staga
LOL You're lost; in couple years you'll be searching a true mudrunner and watching your wallet at the tireshop thinking if you could afford to buy bit bigger Boggers :D
Well you were kinda right, just ordered a Rubicon Express 2 inch lift, JKS sway bar disconnects, rock crusher dif gaurds and have a a whole new tire carrier rear bumber on the way too.
Hopefully get it all installed next weekend.
I will post some pics then.
Went out to Holister hills ORV park, after calling them to make sure they were open, only to find out the chick on the phone was wrong and they were closed. :furious
I even took a day off work for it.
Oh well. :D
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Originally posted by GtoRA2
Well you were kinda right, just ordered a Rubicon Express 2 inch lift, JKS sway bar disconnects, rock crusher dif gaurds and have a a whole new tire carrier rear bumber on the way too.
Hopefully get it all installed next weekend.
I will post some pics then.
Went out to Holister hills ORV park, after calling them to make sure they were open, only to find out the chick on the phone was wrong and they were closed. :furious
I even took a day off work for it.
Oh well. :D
are you doing this yourself or paying somone? Sounds good to me either way cept some of that stuff is EASY to do but you'll get charged an arm an a leg.
Of course my jeep is in the shop (for the first time since I've owned it) getting a new rear quater welded onto it.
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Pay someone? Not a chance for this stuff.
Hell, I am confident I can do it all no problem, I build 2 GTOs from the frame and body shell up so this should be easy!
Warranty work would go to the dealer and tranny, transfercase and dif work goes to a shop, but I can handle everything else.
This way I know the work is done right, and how everything is supposed to look if I brake something.
I am going to try and recruit a budy of my for the spring spacers though cause he can get one of his budies to let us use his shop and the lift.
I will install the oil pan and steering skid at the same time.
Should be fun, been a few years since I did anything like this.
Hope your Jeep comes out of the shop ok Guns!