Cal Rocs May 3rd and 4th 2008 - Marrysville

[XJ_ranger]

Well,

Now that I have a few minutes...
I had a great time! I really appreciate everyone that came out to watch!

Some things changed, and Matt couldn't make it, so Phil stepped up to tell me where to drive and move rocks... I honestly think that Phil had the harder job of the day...

Special thanks to Bryan, Greg, Max, Janel, Dad and Katie for hanging out and supporting...

Thanks to Captain Ron for telling me that I'd never compete in my current chassis... .!..!.

Big props to Phil.

The competition was rough...
Running order on Saturday was:
Ryan Dias
Jeff Mello
Dennis
Me

C-1:
Ryan broke a hub, and took his Detroit with it after just passing gate 1
I pointed out by taking 4 cones, but drove under power through the finish gate :banghead: Took a 37 on this one

C-2: I timed out after only going through 1 gate Took a 39

c-3: I rolled... but got the farthest of anyone on that course. somewhere on there, I broke my traction bar... 37 for making 3 gates

c-4: I pointed out by taking too many cones, but I did drive through the finish gate... 37

Sunday, the running order was reversed so Phil and I were first up, so all the obstacles were not pre-stacked...

We started on C-3: I made the first gate cleanly, and then got hung on my flat belly REALLY bad, no traction to any tire... Timed out 39

C-4: Made the first two gates, then rolled HARD off the 'cliff' onto my lid and timed out 38

C-2: made the first gate clean, was half way through the 2nd gate, trying to burn the rear tires in 2-hi to get the rear end to drop into a hole, stalled, and then my starter wouldnt start the jeep, sat there for 6 minutes trying to get my starter working, and timed out 39

C-1: still no starter, roll started the jeep, and entered the course, got hung really bad... spent 5 or so minutes spinning tires, destroyed a front driveshaft, and timed out with a 40...

Saturday total: 150
Sunday total: 156

weekend total: 306... :banghead:

Some where in there, my M8000 took a beating, and no longer free spools, and my solenoid pack is unrecognizable...

also, my Rigwerks Flat belly is about 1/2" above flat now in the middle

I ended up 3rd of the 4 in my class, because Ryan had only 3 wheel drive the first day, and lost his front D/s later on in the 2nd day - comp was hard on both our rigs. Jeff Mello took first, Dennis took 2nd - they both had front dig which was EXTREMELY helpful... expeically for the land yaught size rig I had compared to the 93" WB CJ that Mello was running...


some photos my sister took...

Ryan Dias on C-1

Jeff Mello on C-1 - Saturday -

Dennis on C-1

me - jacked on C-1...

 

[XJ_ranger]

some ugly Ranger -

Ryan on c-2 with 3 wheel drive -

Denis on c-2, showing the need for a center limit strap, and a smaller than d60 diff for a 35's class...

myself, jacked on C-2

Where I timed out -

Ryan on C-3

 

[XJ_ranger]

Jeff on C-3:

He drove outta this roll:

into the hole:

right where I parked too...

Denis at the begining of C-3, he ran outta gas half way through the course:

C-4:

I guess I really did hit that cone... :wow:.

 

[XJ_ranger]

Traction bar:

110 Flux Core Mig weld picture - Just for Ron

good ol rig stacking fun... (mine is NOT in there...)

good as new! NOTE: when making a traction bar, use thicker than .120 wall tube for the 'touches rocks' part! My floor is REALLY dented from where it contacted after it broke...

Ryan's detroit locker becoming a spool -

Day 2:

C-3:

C-2:

I have yet to find any pictures of my roll on sunday... and I still have to uplaod my video of my saturday roll...

I had a great time! and found a few week links, but in the end, all is well.

My pics from the weekend are here:
http://www.opiebennett.com/images/Jeep/CalRocs5408/

thanks again!

 

[JeepFreak21]

ROFL @ Fairlead!
Billy

 

[Captain Ron]

Good job Bryan!

Just for the record though, never said "never", just that it would be what you found out it would be.

Alot of fixin goin on.

...

110 Flux Core Mig weld picture - Just for Ron

...

The only thing missing in that picture is a 12 pack of Bud Light.



--ron

 

[Matt S.]

That is so awesome!

 

[XJ_ranger]

The only thing missing in that picture is a 12 pack of Bud Light.

I think right after this, we left to go to the local gas station, and phil bought an 18pack... I got a 6'er of Fat Tire - just to save face :laugh3:

 

[Jes]

Great pics!

 

[Jimbo_1321]

Opie, are you missing a shock in the back?

 

[Phil]

Phil looks so disappointed!

I wish I coulda made it. Maybe next time.
Billy

I thought you were going to say "fat".





Ron, you mean there a difference between competing and being competitive?

 

[Starboard M]

Opie, why the JJs on the axle end of that traction bar?

 

[Jes]

I thought you were going to say "fat".

You do have some man-boobage going on there.

 

[Captain Ron]

...

Ron, you mean there a difference between competing and being competitive?

Well, duh.

The only way to figure it out is to get your feet wet like you guys did. Then do what the best are doing, use what the best are using, and run against the best.

Then go back and run in the class you started in. Your ego will love you for it.

There are exceptions, I think I told you this story. Hanging out after a full day of racing in San Diego during the Lipton Cup one year, I was having a drunken discussion with Dennis Conner about various things racing. I asked him why he never raced J-24's. He said: "I race against the best in the world. If the best are sailing Etchells, that's what I'm sailing. If the best are at the AC, that's where I am. If the best are sailing Farr 40's, that's what I'm sailing. If the best are sailing J-24's, I quit".



--ron

 

[XJ_ranger]

Opie, are you missing a shock in the back?

yeah I've been running one rear shock since like October. Broke one off after a combination of using them as bump stops, and axle wrap took its toll... other than the weird one side dampened feeling when hitting bumps on the lake bed, and the resulting lean that I got, I haven't noticed *that* much difference...

I got exhaust done with out the passenger rear shock in there, and told the exhaust guy that I wanted it as tight to the body as he could get it... well, he put the muffler right where the passenger rear shock mounts... and I haven't had the inclination to change it... :wierd:

Opie, why the JJs on the axle end of that traction bar?

RE Superflex joints because they allow misalignment, and arent bushings?

as the axle articulates, it moves forward on one side and back on the other - not much at all, but some - so the RE joints allow that...

I really am anti-bushing in my rig, and it seems to be working well for my front axle - I like the 'solid' feeling that the hard joints give...

also - bushings would wrap some, the RE joints wont wrap any... as the traction bar is to control wrap, RE joints seemed like a good idea...

maybe im wrong?

 

[Ben H]

You do have some man-boobage going on there.

chicks dig man cans!

 

[Starboard M]

RE Superflex joints because they allow misalignment, and arent bushings?

as the axle articulates, it moves forward on one side and back on the other - not much at all, but some - so the RE joints allow that...

I really am anti-bushing in my rig, and it seems to be working well for my front axle - I like the 'solid' feeling that the hard joints give...

also - bushings would wrap some, the RE joints wont wrap any... as the traction bar is to control wrap, RE joints seemed like a good idea...

maybe im wrong?

From my limited knowledge of the subject, and from reading things online, most people seem to use JJs or RE joints at the shackle, and rubber bushings at the axle end. Ive assumed it was just to cut the cost down a little bit.

It would seem to me that this is pretty similar to a radius style long arm. My TnT kit uses a RE joint? at the frame end, and then rubber bushings at the axle end. Would this not be the same principle, just backwards?

Of course, I think Captain Ron is rubbing off on you, and your doing everything the best possible way. I think you should ditch the DOM and switch to pipe. I read on the internet that its stronger, so it has to be true.

 

[XJ_ranger]

From my limited knowledge of the subject, and from reading things online, most people seem to use JJs or RE joints at the shackle, and rubber bushings at the axle end. Ive assumed it was just to cut the cost down a little bit.

It would seem to me that this is pretty similar to a radius style long arm. My TnT kit uses a RE joint? at the frame end, and then rubber bushings at the axle end. Would this not be the same principle, just backwards?

Of course, I think Captain Ron is rubbing off on you, and your doing everything the best possible way. I think you should ditch the DOM and switch to pipe. I read on the internet that its stronger, so it has to be true.

the difference in the radius arm front, and my traction bar rear is that I only have 1 traction bar - so the inherant bind that occurs when the front axle articulates in the front (the reason that ALL radius arm style suspensions need bushings) doesnt happen with only the 1 arm...

I think... :shocked:

and Ron doesnt do everything right... thats why his rig is currently a firewall with inner fenders right now... something about revisions, and an iterative process...

 

[XJ_ranger]

chicks dig man cans!

Why party with a guy with a 6 pack, when you can take home the whole keg! :anon:

 

[Gravesdiggerxj]

Cool pics Opie! that's pretty awesome just to be competitive at that level!