My "Hero" Blog

Went to the Rubicon this past weekend. What a trip.

Hit the trailhead at 10 or 11. Hit the first obstacle at gate keeper and broke the other main leaf. Pulled out my spare and the centering pin was the wrong size. Wandered around for a while trying to find someone with a drill and some bits. Finally found a guy after half of the people out there were asleep. Drilled it out. Brought it back. Put the leaf back together. Went to put ubolts on and the threads on it were jacked. Found a new ubolt and stripped the nut on it. Got a new nut and when we were tightening down the ubolts I guess the centering pin popped out of the hole. Tightened it down not knowing this and caved in my spring perch. Went to bed at 5:15am.

Woke up in the morning and slapped it all back together (basically with no centering pin) and wheeled to spider and did soup bowl on the way. Got to the box and busted the high pressure steering hose. Bypassed it at the pump and wheeled out Sunday with no power steering. I still don't know how I didn't break both of my thumbs.

Then when we woke up Sunday morning my friend in a cj7 found out he cracked his frame. So out came the batteries, jumper cables, and 6013 welding rod and we welded it back together. Twice.

Overall it was still a fantastic trip and if anything got me re-motivated to keep wrenching and wheeling. Funny how that works.

Now to fix the perch, buy/install new leaf springs, fix the hose, replace all the bushings up front, replace the power steering box, replace the front ujoint, and just do an overall prep for Cantina in 2 weeks!

Compilation of a selfie with my broken jeep, a shot of where I broke, and the broken spring
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Soup bowl
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Camp near the box
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My buddy mike welding up his frame
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Another "successful" Rubicon trip in the books!
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Sorry about the Instagram pics. It's all I got this trip.
 
Kevin,

Gbless main leafs.
 
Gordo they were/are rough country springs with about 5 years of hard use. They were sagged enough to need replacement anyways. But of course I don't have my receipt any more so no warranty.

Now they're rough country packs but with a factory main. Both sides. Hoping to buy jakes RE springs this weekend maybe?

Jake I'm down for fordyce sometime in a few weeks once I get settled back into Sacramento for school.
 
I need to redo my leafs. I like everything about the but that i land and get hungup on the shackles all the time. Ill probably end up bastard packing something again. Need a strong pack with a little over 2" lift. Then ill adjust with a shackle. Going to be doing the no lift relocators too.
 
I need to redo my leafs. I like everything about the but that i land and get hungup on the shackles all the time. Ill probably end up bastard packing something again. Need a strong pack with a little over 2" lift. Then ill adjust with a shackle. Going to be doing the no lift relocators too.
If you're getting hung on the shackles, your tires suck. Buy real tires, and they'll pull you off the shackle every time.

I ran BFG All Terrains for a long time, the switch from them to the MTR Kevlars that I had was night and day.
 
Its backing up that posses the problem. My shackles are masssive. Landing on that much leverage is starting to bend the hanger is well.
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Sorry to clutter up your thread kev
 
No problem Gordo. Tech is tech. Sounds like links are in your future. Muahahahha


Mike ill likely be down. Gotta play it by ear though. I missed out on a lot of wheeling this summer so I have a lot to make up for.

Is anybody going to Cantina this weekend? I started my prep tonight. New (to me) RE leaf springs (thanks jake) are going in after I fix my messed up spring perch. Then a long list of other smaller things. Should be solid for the weekend.
 
Its backing up that posses the problem. My shackles are masssive. Landing on that much leverage is starting to bend the hanger is well.
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Sorry to clutter up your thread kev

what brand shackle is that??
 
could you just cut down the neck and the threaded rod to shorten them?
 
Yeah but that changes the shackle angle and the lift height i have now.
Ill be going with some low lift leafs and some no lift relocatos and some shackles. Maybe these or maybe something else. I have four different sets of lift shackles of different makes and types.
 
Yeah but that changes the shackle angle and the lift height i have now.
Ill be going with some low lift leafs and some no lift relocatos and some shackles. Maybe these or maybe something else. I have four different sets of lift shackles of different makes and types.

Awesome setup. Sounds good to me. Consider: (shoving that long shackle up in the factory location ) instead of (no lift relocators and a shorter shackle). Sell the relocators or use them in your other rig. One perk is you will bring your rear roll center back up a bit. Another perk is getting those shackles a few more inches out of the rocks. I am not 100% sure, but you are better off dropping the front leaf mount and raising the rear one. Plus perhaps you could also get away with a dodge van main leaf and those shackles(adjust those out if needed it seems)
 
They dont have near enough lift to make that a viable option. They are pretty close to stock height springs just longer and stronger. All of my lift right now is coming from my relocators and shackle combo.
I had thought about droping the front but just going to a more conventional spring i think will give better results. If i raised up the rear of the spring to where i want it would be into the bumper too. I found that rancho makes a 1.5" leaf pack. They also make an add a leaf. I was also looking at old man emu but cant find any deffinite numbers. Id like a 2" heavy duty pack then use a 5" or so shackle and call it good. Id also like to maybe make my own revolvers with a locking pin maybe. But make them out of lift shackes. I have a lot of ideas floating around right now.
 
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dodge van mains on top of your existing packs? PNP is having a half off weekend. you could get both dodge van packs for next to nothing.
 
Rancho makes a 1.5" pack? Does anybody make a 2" or 2.5" pack? I'm afraid my new 3.5" pack will be too tall
 
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