Rubicon Trip -- nicknamed carnage canyon

[81jimmyslt]

Well here are some pics from the longest wheeling trip I have ever been on. Upon my return my entire trip was put into perspective when I read about Jason Payne's tragic accident at buck island, RIP brother. At least he was in one of his favorite spots surrounded by friends.

We started this trip Last Friday, entering at Wentworth Springs. The first night we made it a couple hours in after a late start. We made camp after one of the yotas flopped and hydrolocked his motor with oil. We were yelling at him to shut it off but his key fell out and we found it underneath the truck. In the morning we flipped him over the rest of the way, with more light on our side. Then pulled the plugs and cranked the oil out, new plugs and we were on our way.

Custom Narrow Job = PRICELESS

View Above Little Sluice

At the end of Saturday after a great day Mike was driving my truck down old sluice when he hit a rock on my tranny pan and t-case skid plate cracking the housing of the tranny by the adapter plate bolts. We drove the truck to a camp at Buck Island and left it there.

 

[Hogback Fabrication]

Where's the rest?

 

[81jimmyslt]

More

After leaving my Truck @ Buck Island we huried out to go get a tranny to fix my truck.

On the way out one of the toyota's broke the studs holding his steering knuckle on

The my shop partner broke one front hub, followed by the other, the finally his rear pinion to leave him in zero wheel drive. Both the yotas broke in the sme spot on the trail, with enough room to pass aroung them thankfully. We then hitched a ride with one of my employees and his friends for the next 5 miles, and made it home @ 4AM

Next morning I was making phone calls gathering parts. Scored a running parts yota for $300 to cover both the yota breaks. We also had an extra carrier and 5.29 gears sitting around for the rear pinion break. I also landed the right short shaft TH-350 in Cason for $650

The morning after we gathered our parts, more tools and food and headed back out with a stock 86' toyota pickup and a F-350 on 38" with ARB's

After Fixing the Knuckle, both hubs and dropping in the new pinion we reloaded Mike's Toyota with all of our gear, 4 people, 1 tranny, and a dog.

We left that night @ 8PM and made it to my truck at Buck @ 3AM

Bright and early in the morning we spent the next day swapping out my drivetrain to fix the damn tranny in the woods. Funny how I was rather calm about the whole situation and was making cracks about how I could not think of a better place to change a tranny.

Again we finished up @ 8PM and headed 12 miles out of the trail. About 6 miles in right before caddy hill one pf my Hydro ram lines loosened up enough to leak, we though it was broken, just needed a wrench.

At the last obstacle of caddy hill @1AM my rear 1350 strap yoke on my 14FF broke an ear off and the keeper for the u-joint caps. Again we left my truck because the others were headed to mexico @ 6AM

I cam back with my Wife and her Stock 86' Yota. Swapped the yoke and wheeled the rest of the way out watching my wife handle the trail in her stocker.


What a trip.....


More pics @ http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t287/Blazenoffroad/Rubicon%2007/

 

[Hossbaby50]

Man you would fit in in with the AZ guys PERFECTLY except you need a little more body damage. Our moto is "we travel to remote an scenic places to work on our junk". That fits this to a T.

Harley

 

[chevysmithz71]

Sounds like you went out to improve your wrenching skills rather then driving. Nice to here Kara can hold her own on the trail, wish I could say the same for mineLooks like it was a fun trip. Are those lights on your Caliper Brackets????What a group!!

 

[boz42]

Nice pics, Beautiful country. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Mikey von]

good pics. I have never wheeled that area, but have done tons of backpacking up there. It is always interesting to watch the wheelers around spider lake from way up on the hill.

Any more pics or info on that rear bumper in the thrid pic down? (nevermind, i see which bumper it is now. It looked like it was a swing away spare tire carrier, which I want. I like the swing down, but my wife would never be able to get it back up, not to change the tire but to open the rear doors.)

 

[RGV72BLAZER]

Custom Narrow Job = PRICELESS

great pics

 

[barneybasher1010]

With all the breakdowns you still had fun, that is what counts. Great pics also.

 

[rcamacho]

Nice pictorial. Clearly you guys need more stuff to break or start building beefier rigs ;0