Rubicon Directions

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FarmerMatt

NAXJA Forum User
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Down on the Farm
I haven't been up their since I was 18 & even than we ran it forwards. I don't know if I could find the trail head if my life depended on it. We'll be staying in a hotel in south lake Thursday night & going to the trail first thing friday mourning. Directions from south lake would be just peachy. Thanks

Matt
 
Take HWY89 north, you'll pass by Emerald Bay. The turn off will be after Tahoma(north of Meeks Bay) and before Chambers Lodge. Make a left(west) on Rubicon McKinney RD. There should be a brown forest service OHV sign. Once in the subdivision area follow the brown signs to the curvy one lane paved road. The staging area is on your left as the pavement ends.
I'm trying to find a good map to direct you to but can't find one yet...

Jes

Edit: As a matter of fact, I'll have a hard time finding it Thursday night since I've only gone in that way one time! :D
 
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Backwards rules, don't listen to (s)BS boy.

Matt, as long as you don't miss the first left turn, you'll be fine. The USFS has used your tax dollars wisely for once by adequately signing the neighborhood. I can't believe you haven't been there since you were 18. I'm disappointed in you.

Have fun, guys.

CRASH
 
I've never run it backwards, but I think I can find the staging area with no problems. How long a drive is it from Sacramento?

Keven, where am I picking you up?
 
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Check to make sure you can run it backwards. I was there last week, and they wanted peeps to stay off the last third of the trail, past Cadillac Hill...from what I was told, it was just too wet. It wasn't closed, just requested to limit travel on that part.

Oh, ya, go prepared...it ripped my rig apart...literally.

Eric
2MUD-IN.
 
2mud,

What happened to you out there? Where's your trip report?

CRASH
 
Richard, pick me up here at the house. Exit South Watt Ave from Hwy 50, go to the third stop light and turn left (Kiefer Blvd). Go through the stop light and look for the 7/11 - Autozone sign, turn right (Tallho Drive) continue through the third stop sign and look for my Jeep on the right (4312 Tallyho Drive).

What time do you think you'll be in town?
What do I need to bring?
 
SactoXJ said:
Richard, pick me up here at the house. Exit South Watt Ave from Hwy 50, go to the third stop light and turn left (Kiefer Blvd). Go through the stop light and look for the 7/11 - Autozone sign, turn right (Tallho Drive) continue through the third stop sign and look for my Jeep on the right (4312 Tallyho Drive).

What time do you think you'll be in town?
What do I need to bring?
Click to expand...

I plan to leave no later than 5:00, which would put me in Sac around 9:30, depending on where in town I'm going.

Sean, what are you doing, are you going? Can we coordinate things with picking up Keven? Do you still want me to bunk with you on Thursday night?

Keven, I'll bring my big tent, very comfy for two. I'll also have a large ice chest, don't know what all you'll want to bring but we can figure that out. What do you want to eat? Do you want to cook? What's your phone number, maybe I should call you tomorrow to plan food. I'll bring a single burner stove, but can bring the two burner if needed. I'll also have a lantern. I can throw in two chairs, or just one if you'll bring your own. I can also throw in two air mattresses if you don't have one, let me know. I'll have an air pump.

Shoot me your number, or call me on my cell tomorrow, 661-706-1600.
 
Richard, I'll call you on weds. If you stay up here in Rocklin, we'll end up going up 80 to Tahoe, so driving back down to pick up Keven wouldn't be prudent. Keven can drive up here and leave his truck at my house. After you get thru the Con, take the new road through georgetown and back down to 80 to drop keven off.

I would also like to hear the trip report from last weeks Flatlanders trip.

SeanP
 
Trail was rough on me. I thought I had built this thing to take the punishment.....WRONG!

Items that broke, or what happend:

-upper link of my 3 link broke on front end, so it sent the axle housing and pinion spinning upwards, and went through my oil pan.
-track bar (when the housing spun, it ripped it off at the axle mount)
-oil pan
-D60 front yolk
-front u-joint
-both front shocks...they look like an "L" now
-put one front spring back in...it shot out when the axle housing spun....didn't ruin it, just a pain to get back in...ever try to put a 12" lift coil back in place on the trail?

second break:
-rear shock mount
-rear shock

3rd break:
-steering heim

4th break:
-transmission mount

final break, within 1/2 mile of the trail head:
-track bar frame mount (used a come-along to secure it to get off the trail....grade 8 bolts held, but the mount just ripped away from them).


This is the quick version. I got to Spider Lake on Monday when the big break occurred. Didn't get any further than that...and it took us until Friday afternoon to get off the trail.

I'll get some pics scanned in soon, and up on the boards. I know everyone likes carnage pics.

Oh ya, to round out the trip...I got a speeding ticket when I left about 1 hour away from my house, and my F-250 Diesel decided to foul a couple of fuel injectors while I was out there. Luckily, Ford was working on that while I was hiking in parts to fix my XJ.

Thanks to AAA for their tow...thanks to Maita Ford in Auburn for fixing my F-250 quickly (Mike "Moose" Russell)...and thanks to Foothill Offroad in Auburn (Virgil Haddox) for sourcing parts for me, and not charging me out the a$$, considering my situation. And, one last shout out to Vern Mitchell from Modesto Differential, for welding up my tranny mount out on the trail. Glad he was out there to weld it up right....I tried a trail weld...obviously, it didn't hold :rolleyes:

Let's just say I'm glad to get home.

Anyone want to buy a set-up XJ?
 
You're not giving up that easy are you? The trails out here dish out the punishment, but it sounds like you had an especially nightmarish experience.

Think of all the stuff you learned how to build stronger. I'm glad you got out OK.

CRASH
 
After seeing all the rigs out there, I'm thinking...Keep the front D60, sell everything else, and build a buggy.

However, if the price is right, I may sell the front end too.
 
You don't need a buggy for the 'Con. I ran all the trails in Northern California for 4 years with a 3 inch Rancho lift, 31" all terrain tires, and a rear Detroit in a Dana 35.

That was about 8 years ago, but the trails haven't changed THAT much.

If anything, you may have been TOO big for the trail, and the suspension stuff was just not up to holding the big tires on the rocks.

I would think you would want to keep your rig built for the areas you wheel, since I assume it works well out there. Really, how often do you come out West? I wouldn't think you'd want to build a rig for a trip that occurs once or twice a year.

The cadre of hardcore XJ guys that I wheel with out here almost all run 6 - 7 inches of lift, 35 inch tires, and spend the majority of their time bulletproofing their rigs. Size works against you out here, in many ways. 14 inches of lift is sky high for a rock rig.

CRASH
 
Well seeing what happenned to him I'm rethinking this trip:eek:
I have 5 1/2" lift and 33's, a 9" and an stock open D30 with stock steering. Should I buy axles or a spare steering rod for spares if I go??:confused:
 
crazy don't let 2-mud scare u! he just had a bad expreance! u'll do fine!! i am willing to bet u won't even have a problem!(kock on wood)

ALSO ATTENTION!! is there anyone going up thursday evening that i can convoy with?? i don't know how to get to the thahoe side that well!! so call me at 916 223 5795 or pm me!

THANX
stoney
 
(kock on wood)
Click to expand...

I hope none of you guys were planning on bunking with Stoney! :eek:

CRASH
 
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