SAFETY REQUIREMENTS (Must Read)

Ok guys, we're just about a month away from the greatest XJ Bash ever.

But, as you are welding and wrenching, saving your pennies for the gasoline to make the trip, and otherwise having fantasies about the Utah landscape , PLEASE REMEMBER that all vehicles that expect to ride with us, MUST meet minimum safety standards.

Our first obligation is to make sure that this is a safe event for you, your family, and your fellow drivers.

All vehicles will be inspected prior to participating in any runs for the week. XJ's, MJ's, ZJ's, other wheel based-challenged Jeeps, other models! If you want to ride with us, you have to at least meet these standards:

1. At least one, visibly charged fire extinguisher (Type B:C, or A:B:C)

2. First Aid Kit

3. Adequate spare tire, Jack, and Lug Wrench

4. Safety belts for driver and any pasengers

5. Adequate attachment points in the front AND rear of the vehicle. Acceptable forms of attachment points are: Tow Hooks of OEM or greater integrity, D-Rings, Shackles or Clevis.

6. At least one, 20ft, 10,000 lb Snatch Strap WITHOUT metal hooks.

7. A properly secured Battery

Missing some of these? Then, get your butt in gear and get some! You have a month!

* * * * * *

In addition, we have some SUGGESTIONS for further enhancing the safety and comfort of your ride:

A functioning CB radio - permanent or handheld (This one should actually be a minimum requirement, and it is highly recommended!)

Appropriate Tools

A 2nd Fire Extinguisher

Duct Tape

Rocker Protection or Armor

Skid Plates (at least Transfer Case and Gas Tank)

Tires in Good Condition (especially sidewalls) Note: AT's are usually better than MT's for this terrain.

One Gallon of Water per person

Hi-energy snacks

Critical vehicle fluids (engine oil, ATF, Coolant, Gear Oil) Gasoline only in approved, well mounted EXTERIOR containers. Better choice: make sure you are FULL before you start the trail (Ask me how I know)

Hi-Lift Jack

Spare Parts (especially hoses and belts. Machined parts if you REALLY are concerned)

Tarp, spare rope

Emergency Signaling devices

Detailed Topo Maps / GPS

Change of clothing/shoes, warmer outerwear, blanket.


* * * * * *

The North Atlantic Chapter of will be conducting safety inspections during the course of the event, you only need to be inspected once, at the beginning of your stay. Inspected rigs will receive a PASSED sticker that will be looked for by the Trail Leaders before they start their rides. Without that sticker, you cannot participate.

Folks, please take this seriously. We want everybody to have a great (but safe) time in Moab. But please don't be taken by surprise - if you cannot pass our basic safety inspections, you cannot run.

See you in a month or so.


Mike in NJ atriot:

good post!

and seriously......don't expect to sneak through the checks....Last year Brad did an excellent job with the inspections, and as far as i know, didn't have to disallow anyone to run with the group However, on the last day, some new folks showed up right at the market, hadn't registered or recieved their "formal" inspection. Since these folks decided to run with our group for the day, i performed a check of the new vehicles, and was amazed to discover an extremly important safety feature had been removed entirely from on of the jeeps....

A FRONT BRAKELINE!

Yep, that's right, someone showed up to run Poison Spider/Crack/Gemini with only ONE operating front disc brake....the line on the other side had been pinched off.

I can tell you it really stinks to have to tell someone "NO" but unfortunatly we had no choice. The particular jeeper wisely decided to leave his jeep there at the market and ride shot-gun with the other jeep he was traveling with. He later admitted that he would have made a big mistake by trying to negotiate the various obstacles with only one brake.

Moab is a tremdously fun place to wheel, but it can be incredibly dangerous. Please make sure to follow Naxja's safety requirements, because, even though its stinky.....you will be told "NO".....

can i assume the stock battery tie down is sufficient

THAT is a safe assumption.

Mike in NJ atriot:

Clear as glass except, what is adequate in the eyes of the spare tire inspector? This leaves room for speculation.

Mike, I have homemade bumpers front and rear. I know the front is good and I am curious about the rear. I think it is OK, but I don't want to travel 1500 miles to be told I can't wheel. For the rear I have 2x4 tube with a 2" reciever and 2 shackels. My question is, I attached it all to the stock mounting on the rear cross member, I think it is suficant (sp) being so close to the 'frame' rails and all, but I have also been told otherwise. I've pulled a loaded car hauler with it several times.

If I bring this in the way it is will you OK it?

Sean

Let me get on my soap box for a min. HAVE a radio , CB radio... I think this should be a requirement. Nothing worse than being on the other side of a blind hill and have a guy come hauling over it w/ you stuck halfway down! If ya have a radio you will know there is a jam or problem around the bends.

The honk of the horn never holds up through out an entire trial ride....people dont signal, not to mention nothing jacks up greenies and hikers more than hearing people honk their horn everytime they clear a blind hill or curve, and i wouldnt blame them it echos like mad out in Moab.

So please clear out the sofa change and spend $50 and get a hand held w/ car charger at least.

Regards , and cant wait
Chewy

seanR said:

Mike, I have homemade bumpers front and rear. I know the front is good and I am curious about the rear. I think it is OK, but I don't want to travel 1500 miles to be told I can't wheel. For the rear I have 2x4 tube with a 2" reciever and 2 shackels. My question is, I attached it all to the stock mounting on the rear cross member, I think it is suficant (sp) being so close to the 'frame' rails and all, but I have also been told otherwise. I've pulled a loaded car hauler with it several times.

If I bring this in the way it is will you OK it?

Sean

Click to expand...

Caveat: I am NOT on the safety crew. But I do have a couple questions about your rear bumper.

You said stock locations on the rear cross member. Are you talking about the 8 bolts on the vertical surface only? Or have you tied your bumper onto the bottom of the frame rails going forward along the gas tank?

Personally, I wouldn't tow anything if it's only hooked on to the stock 8 fasteners. They're small, and the mounting surface isn't that strong.

ChiXJeff

Yea just the eight bolt on the rear crossmember. I am currently working on a gas tank skid plate and am thinking about tying it all together using the bottom of the frame rails. I has any one done this? any pics?

Yes. No pics...but, you should tie it in to the bottom of the frame rails, like a trailer hitch. The factory skid plate, trailer hitch, and most aftermarket bumpers use a reinforcement nut-strip in the frame to bolt to the bottom of the rail.

Rev

Let the games begin . . . . . . :woohoo:

Yank wrote:

what is adequate in the eyes of the spare tire inspector?

Click to expand...

and SeanR wrote:

I have homemade bumpers front and rear

Click to expand...

All you guys have to believe that there were MANY, MANY "discussions" :soapbox: amongst the BOD and some other folks regarding our safety requirements. Yes, we want this (and any event) to be safe, but we also recognize that there are limitations over how far we can go to ensure that safety.

The list of 7 that you see are the minimum requirements that we feel can lead to a safe event, considering that none of us are professional OHSA inspectors. And no x-ray :attom: machines will be available to check welds. Even the choice of adjectives was carefully looked at.

Especially since many in this organization are very accomplished (and some not-so accomplished) self builders.

In the end, we opted for common sense. We'll use it, you guys use it too. When you look, really look (and be honest! :angel: ), at the regulation affected (i.e. tires, battery tie down, tow points, etc.) - do you think anyone might question it? How hard would they question it? What would be your response?

If you think you can pass the red-face test, then bring it out, OR ask here first.

In the case of any negative inspections, it will not be a single opinion that will do you in - that inspector will discuss it with the other inspectors, and then the Safety Sheriff (Nazi is such an ugly word, dontcha think?) - me atriot: , will make the determination. And, even my decisions can be appealed to any BOD member :jester: (your elected representatives).

We think this is a good, and fair, approach.

Now, specifically to the questions a hand:

Yank, "adequate spare" means something that is round, support the weight of the vehicle, will roll, and does not have inner belts showing through the treads. It most certainly does not have to be the same size and make of the original tire it's replacing. We just have to safely retrieve your vehicle from the trail, not be able to continue on the Baja 500. We are trying to avoid the scenario of a group of Jeepers trying to drag a three-wheeled pile of steel across a few miles of desert trail, 1500 feet above the Colorado River.

SeanR, this is a bit more difficult to answer, but the consensus is that tow points (front or rear) MUST be supported directly by tieing into the unirail (with high grade brackets and hardware). Attachment points (homemade or otherwise) that mount directly to a bumper (which is NOT, in turn, tied into the unirails) are suspect.

Based on your description, we would have some concerns. Shock loads with a strap are considerable (much, much more than a flat tow) and depending 100% upon the stock bumper bolts/mounts is a risky proposition. A suggestion would be to add a bracket or strap between the underside of the rear bumper and each rear unirail (similar to many receiver hitch setups) to spread the load a bit.

Sight unseen though, it would be difficult to give you an absolute answer. We have quite a few folks in the Chicago area (not sure where you are in IL), maybe you could get some more direct opinion over what you should,or should not do, before heading out to Utah.

That's the most honest answer I can give you at this time.

(...and I see that others have jumped in while I was painstakingly putting this one together. The comments seem consistent )

Hope it was clear. :dunno:

Mike in NJ atriot:

Mike in NJ said:

Yank, "adequate spare" means something that is round, support the weight of the vehicle, will roll, and does not have inner belts showing through the treads. It most certainly does not have to be the same size and make of the original tire it's replacing.

Click to expand...

You're mentioning that it doesn't have to be the "same size" but does that mean that donuts are allowed? I personally have a same sized spare so it doesn't really affect me, but I can see a situation where retrieving a vehicle from the trail might mean giong through more of the trail thus a really odd sized tire might go very quickly...

Kejtar

Thirty days from today, I will be in Moab - wish I was there already . . . . :banghead:


Ketjar wrote:

. . . but does that mean that donuts are allowed?

Click to expand...

:tears: oh well, this was going to be asked sooner or later. might as well deal with it now.

Yes, donuts will be allowed - if they are in decent shape, they meet the characteristic of allowing a vehicle to roll while being towed. Hence, the word "adequate" - there was much argument about what adjective we would use.

HOWEVER, does this mean that you will be able to continue on the trail like nothing happened? No - especially if you are running 35's :wierd:.

And, consider that you would be disrupting the ride while you are being transported/escorted to pavement, and while I'm sure that all the rest of the Jeepers will be more than supportive over your plight, I also think they will not be thrilled over messin' up their experience because you were a cheap SOB who wouldn't spring for a decent spare to go off road. I'd watch your back in the blackness between campfires at SlickRock that night. :hang:



Common Sense folks. Common Sense.

Mike in NJ atriot:

Mike in NJ said:

Sight unseen though, it would be difficult to give you an absolute answer. We have quite a few folks in the Chicago area (not sure where you are in IL), maybe you could get some more direct opinion over what you should,or should not do, before heading out to Utah.

Mike in NJ atriot:

Click to expand...

Okay....... I didn't notice that SeanR is in IL. Or that Durand is probably an hour to an hour and a half away from me.

Make all parties concerned a deal.

Sean, we've got a month before we leave. I've helped Mike with inspections before. Do you want to get together some evening and take a look over your XJ? Can't be this weekend, I'm heading for MI. For sure, you don't want to drive all the way to UT just to find out you don't meet the safety checklist.

Mike, we'll post up stuff here for discussion if there's anything questionable.

...donuts...

Click to expand...

Me, I like Krispy Kremes...... but no donuts for me. I do not want to see a donut used on a trail. Between lack of ground clearance, skinny contact patch, and thin tread. I don't think donuts have any place four-wheeling. Other clubs have specified full size stock spares and specifically no compact spares as a minimum. Even trails that stockers can do will have problems occasionally with donuts. Wipeout Hill?

It's certainly too late to change the list now, though.

ChiXJeff

ChiXJeff said:

Me, I like Krispy Kremes......

Click to expand...

Why oh why did you have to mention Krispy Kremes.... now I'm itching to go and get some...

Kejtar

Kejtar said:

Why oh why did you have to mention Krispy Kremes.... now I'm itching to go and get some...

Kejtar

Click to expand...

I drive by TWO of them each way on my daily commute!

ChiXJeff

On the spare tire issue, I went to the bone yard last month and purchased a full size tire of'n a junked XJ. At first I just straped it down to the tie downs in back. Last week I was giving my Jeep a god cleaning inside and out, I took the donut off to clean behind it, (yes I am anal) and decided to try the new spare in that spot, I fit perfectly by moving the attachment bolt up to the next hole. So now I have a spare that is almost the same size as the other four, is in an out of the way location, looks OK, and cost me $25.00.

I will work on attatching the rear bumper more soundly when I install the rear skid. I thought a sideways 'L' shaped bracket in conjuction with the gas tank skid that 'sandwiches' the bumper brackets and the rear X-member and attaches to the bottom of the frame rail along with the skid might be a viable option.

Thanks for the help y'all.

A 'god' cleaning is alot like a 'good' cleaning, only you wash behind the spare tire. duh!

seanR said:

I will work on attatching the rear bumper more soundly when I install the rear skid. I thought a sideways 'L' shaped bracket in conjuction with the gas tank skid that 'sandwiches' the bumper brackets and the rear X-member and attaches to the bottom of the frame rail along with the skid might be a viable option.

Click to expand...

That's also how the hitch receivers mount as well. Make it long, don't use just the first 2 bolts.

BTW, Custom 4x4's rear bumper and tire carrier combo doesn't rely on only the 8 bumper bolts. Mike sends out a set of extensions like you describe with the tire carrier to handle the extra load.

The reason I asked was that some clubs do require a full size spare, 33" in my case. My spare is not full size (30") but I'm sure it would let me get out of the way if needed. I myself am a "stuff the hole with as many plugs as it takes, then sew it shut" kind of guy. It only has to get you back to camp.

Thanks for clearifing this for me.