does anyone drive far to off raod?

funvtec

funvtec

NAXJA Forum User
Location
oak creek, WI
hey guys i am very interested in joining some of the events planned such as winterfest, but the only real thing stopping me from committing is i'm afraid i'll break. I have a 90 limited and i have done alot of work to it to get it up to par as far as reliabilty and capability however i'm afraid something will break when i'm far away. what if my tranny blows of something breaks to make it not drivable. Do any of you guys drive to these event and drive home, i mean what do you do if your in the middle of a trail and you bust a tie rod? i'm fairly confident it can make a drive wherever i need to go. I have driven it on the freeway for a few hours at a time before and had no problems.

so i'm just wondering what do you who drive to an event what are the plans if something (hope it doesn't ) happens?
 
funvtec said:
hey guys i am very interested in joining some of the events planned such as winterfest, but the only real thing stopping me from committing is i'm afraid i'll break. I have a 90 limited and i have done alot of work to it to get it up to par as far as reliabilty and capability however i'm afraid something will break when i'm far away. what if my tranny blows of something breaks to make it not drivable. Do any of you guys drive to these event and drive home, i mean what do you do if your in the middle of a trail and you bust a tie rod? i'm fairly confident it can make a drive wherever i need to go. I have driven it on the freeway for a few hours at a time before and had no problems.

so i'm just wondering what do you who drive to an event what are the plans if something (hope it doesn't ) happens?
Click to expand...

If it makes you feel better the badlands has a shop, and should be able to fix most anything you can break. You don't know what you have to upgrade until you break something.

I used to drive to everything longest was 4 hours, now I haul my junk.
 
I drove to WF last year and blew out my brake system

clamped the bad brake line and drove home

9.5 hours each way... Lincoln, NE to Attica, IN

I intend to drive to and home from WF agian...

if you have any spare cash laying around - it would be a good thing to have with you - but - a credit card can get you places too...

the thing to remember is - if you are uncomfortable - ask a question, have someone spot you, take it easy and enjoy a good time...

There are trails there for every rig, from right out of the box to the full tube buggy's...

Ill be there on 33's with open diferentials - aired down to about 10 PSI and havin a good time.

The closest place for me to wheel is a 2 hour drive each way...
 
I too drive my XJ to/from wheeling events. Right now its my DD too, so I really can't afford to have it out of commission. You just have to use your head. Wheel like you have to drive it home. You can do this and still have a good time, I've done it and so have alot of others. If you were to break something, there will be people around to help out too. We're not gonna leave you out all alone on a trail cause you broke down and tell ya your on your own. MWC guys and gals do have a heart, well...most of them. Now, knowing you had to drive it home and you were to decide the skinny pedal was going to get you through Pergatory, well that would be a different story. If you just use common sense, you'll be fine. Bypasses are there for a reason, use them. Nothing wrong with that in my book. When the trail comes to something you think might be over your head, get out at take pics of everyone else breaking stuff! That's what I do!
 
Mine is also a DD and I'm usually on a tight budget when it comes to wheeling...

x2 on wheeling smart altho it is possible to break something that was already on the verge of going out...

...course you could even have trouble on the way to an event.

Right Lawn Cher?

:D
 
i went from milwaukee to la crosse and to crandon in my daily driver xj. make sure your rig is maintained well. that will usually take care of the street part of the trip. offroad, only do what your comfortable with until you get a feel for your ride. if your luck, there is usually somebody that lives relatively close that can help or even somebody who has spare parts they might share with you. i broke my swaybar end link on one of my first small trips because i didn't have disconnects. some of the guys helped me fix it before i went home.
you can also do some searching for basic spare parts lists that are relatively cheap and small enough to bring with you just incase. i usually bring my own mixture of trailmix (no not the snack). small spare parts and lots of macgyver style get me out of a jam type stuff. (duct tape and coat hangers can fix alot of stuff. LOL)
 
kinda seems like alot of people are in the same state of mind as I. i still want to have fun and go along so itg good to hear you are willing to lend a hand when 1 is needed as i would do the same. i would hate to be left with nothing far from home and no idea what to do. it sems like i'm in for winterfest i've already set aside vacation for it i figure i'll bring cash too and i'll be sure to make the rig as ready as i can but there is alway the chance. So far its been good to me only minor things and i have beat it a bit on more than 1 occasion. so it seems i can look forward to meeting a bunch of you and really get a chance to see what the paying membership is all about! I really never joined because i never thought i'd be getting into it like i have, i bought mine as a family hauler/ parts hauler/ tow rig/ cheap DD and been falling in love with the sport ever since

i look forward to experiencing some new things with you all
 
scorpio_vette said:
i went from milwaukee to la crosse and to crandon in my daily driver xj. make sure your rig is maintained well. that will usually take care of the street part of the trip. offroad, only do what your comfortable with until you get a feel for your ride. if your luck, there is usually somebody that lives relatively close that can help or even somebody who has spare parts they might share with you. i broke my swaybar end link on one of my first small trips because i didn't have disconnects. some of the guys helped me fix it before i went home.
you can also do some searching for basic spare parts lists that are relatively cheap and small enough to bring with you just incase. i usually bring my own mixture of trailmix (no not the snack). small spare parts and lots of macgyver style get me out of a jam type stuff. (duct tape and coat hangers can fix alot of stuff. LOL)
Click to expand...


haha trail mix, i do the same always to include J B weld, duct tape, electrical tape, and so on. i'll probabally do another tune up before the trip so i'll have all the spare parts fom that i'll bring along, as far as sway bar links go i think mine are invincible (homemade) i made them out of 5/8 rod and threaded the end and stuck them in a hydrolic bender to get them to line up right with the extended 3" and i welded the original eye to the bottom lol they are heavy duty
 
I drove mine home 6 hours after this.

XJ_Roll_1.jpg
 
Oh and don't forget to bring any axles you may want to swap under your rig the day of the event.



:D
 
Gil BullyKatz said:
Oh and don't forget to bring any axles you may want to swap under your rig the day of the event.



:D
Click to expand...


why gears?
 
Welcome to the world of "inside" jokes. They will only be made clear by attending a MWC campfire.

Oh...and don;t worry about you or your rig at Winterfest, well the possability for damage exists, there is plenty to do that will keep you entertained and not risk your rig too much.

Looking forward to meeting you.

Rev
 
as far as damage goes i don't care too much its not a show vehicle as long as i can limp it home i'll be OK, and with the knowledge of the people attending i'm sure thats the least i can do. can't wait for one of those campfires!
 
Last year, I drove home from Hot Springs, AR (10 hours) with a broken rear glass, and home (11 hours) from Clayton, OK with a bent tie rod, mangled tranny crossmember, and quite a bit of framerail/body damage. During each trip, I broke a front drive shaft (PS in AR, DS in OK).

Damage is always a possibility. Carry spares for parts that have a high possibilty of breaking. Make sure you have the necessary tools and can do the repairs yourself. You'll have help, but it's not fair to others to expect them to do it for you. Know your limits, but don't be afraid to push those limits a little. Limping home feels great if you've had fun. A certain amount of risk is what this sport is all about.

Plastic money, or an ATM card is a very good idea just in case you have major breakage. I carry only enough cash for food, drink, and fees.

Les
 
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