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Squirrel, the 1977 Wagoneer

A 4500 car should have woodgrain trim.
Overview Gallery Discussion
I broke the truck, and I broke it pretty good.

Everything on dirt and rocks was great. Seven Mile Rim and Fins? Spectacular. Two stepping to control slip and tricking the transfercase to split power took a minute to get good at, but I got it done.

IMG_3486.JPEG

It was a real blast driving this thing around. It hustles really well.

IMG_3491.JPEG

IMG_3495.JPEG

The next day, we headed to Canyonlands and went camping. Elephant hill does not mess around, but once again, it was dirt and rocks and throttle and momentum got me through. But, I'm pretty sure I started walking a cap out of the axle u-joint at this point, since this is when the "wheel ticking" started up.

Broverlander mode:

IMG_3533.JPEG

Now, I don't have photos from it, but we drove out of canyonlands taking the southern route through BLM land. We hit snow at 1:48PM. After that, I ripped off the passenger front brake line, the snow pack ended up separating the transmission return line (PO didn't have a double barb on the hard line) and so I had to refill with 5 quarts of Dex and a quart of 20W-50. It's what I had. I had a good grabby 1st, no second, and third would chatter. I also toasted up the engine to 240 a handful of times, too, and got pretty good at putting snow up on the radiator.

Around 1AM, while being dragged through 5 feet of snow by Mike from Marin Crawler, we debeaded and slung off the driver front tire. Then, as the snow was thinning and dirt was visible, we ran out of fuel. It was 2AM before we met up with the rest of the group that had run to Monticello for additional fuel and ATF. We rolled off the trail at 3AM, loaded the trailer, and were back at the AirBnB by 415.

It was a very large day.

I learned something about myself. I don't like being the plucky guy on 33s who lives at the end of a tow rope. And so, I'm skipping that phase and heading straight to the build. I've already got an engine, our friend Greg will build the trans, and our other friend Stephen has a line on a half-decent transfer case and some suspension options. That seems like a pretty good start.

The other folks on the trail (Max Powell, Ed Shin, Nate Pickel) all got some video, and they'll get that into a dropbox and I'll share here and on that video.

What a trip.

David
 
AgDieseler said:
I broke the truck, and I broke it pretty good.

Everything on dirt and rocks was great. Seven Mile Rim and Fins? Spectacular. Two stepping to control slip and tricking the transfercase to split power took a minute to get good at, but I got it done.

View attachment 444186

It was a real blast driving this thing around. It hustles really well.

View attachment 444187

View attachment 444188

The next day, we headed to Canyonlands and went camping. Elephant hill does not mess around, but once again, it was dirt and rocks and throttle and momentum got me through. But, I'm pretty sure I started walking a cap out of the axle u-joint at this point, since this is when the "wheel ticking" started up.

Broverlander mode:

View attachment 444189

Now, I don't have photos from it, but we drove out of canyonlands taking the southern route through BLM land. We hit snow at 1:48PM. After that, I ripped off the passenger front brake line, the snow pack ended up separating the transmission return line (PO didn't have a double barb on the hard line) and so I had to refill with 5 quarts of Dex and a quart of 20W-50. It's what I had. I had a good grabby 1st, no second, and third would chatter. I also toasted up the engine to 240 a handful of times, too, and got pretty good at putting snow up on the radiator.

Around 1AM, while being dragged through 5 feet of snow by Mike from Marin Crawler, we debeaded and slung off the driver front tire. Then, as the snow was thinning and dirt was visible, we ran out of fuel. It was 2AM before we met up with the rest of the group that had run to Monticello for additional fuel and ATF. We rolled off the trail at 3AM, loaded the trailer, and were back at the AirBnB by 415.

It was a very large day.

I learned something about myself. I don't like being the plucky guy on 33s who lives at the end of a tow rope. And so, I'm skipping that phase and heading straight to the build. I've already got an engine, our friend Greg will build the trans, and our other friend Stephen has a line on a half-decent transfer case and some suspension options. That seems like a pretty good start.

The other folks on the trail (Max Powell, Ed Shin, Nate Pickel) all got some video, and they'll get that into a dropbox and I'll share here and on that video.

What a trip.

David
Click to expand...
It’s character building! :D That’s quite the run.
 
I've heard slickrock with snow on it lives up to the name.
 
hmmm. Getting pulled around a trail all day, feels familiar. Minus the snow at least.

You found the weak links. You know how to fix it. No sense in basic repairs and a slow build up. Just dig in and do it once.
 
AgDieseler said:
I broke the truck, and I broke it pretty good.

Everything on dirt and rocks was great. Seven Mile Rim and Fins? Spectacular. Two stepping to control slip and tricking the transfercase to split power took a minute to get good at, but I got it done.

View attachment 444186

It was a real blast driving this thing around. It hustles really well.

View attachment 444187

View attachment 444188

The next day, we headed to Canyonlands and went camping. Elephant hill does not mess around, but once again, it was dirt and rocks and throttle and momentum got me through. But, I'm pretty sure I started walking a cap out of the axle u-joint at this point, since this is when the "wheel ticking" started up.

Broverlander mode:

View attachment 444189

Now, I don't have photos from it, but we drove out of canyonlands taking the southern route through BLM land. We hit snow at 1:48PM. After that, I ripped off the passenger front brake line, the snow pack ended up separating the transmission return line (PO didn't have a double barb on the hard line) and so I had to refill with 5 quarts of Dex and a quart of 20W-50. It's what I had. I had a good grabby 1st, no second, and third would chatter. I also toasted up the engine to 240 a handful of times, too, and got pretty good at putting snow up on the radiator.

Around 1AM, while being dragged through 5 feet of snow by Mike from Marin Crawler, we debeaded and slung off the driver front tire. Then, as the snow was thinning and dirt was visible, we ran out of fuel. It was 2AM before we met up with the rest of the group that had run to Monticello for additional fuel and ATF. We rolled off the trail at 3AM, loaded the trailer, and were back at the AirBnB by 415.

It was a very large day.

I learned something about myself. I don't like being the plucky guy on 33s who lives at the end of a tow rope. And so, I'm skipping that phase and heading straight to the build. I've already got an engine, our friend Greg will build the trans, and our other friend Stephen has a line on a half-decent transfer case and some suspension options. That seems like a pretty good start.

The other folks on the trail (Max Powell, Ed Shin, Nate Pickel) all got some video, and they'll get that into a dropbox and I'll share here and on that video.

What a trip.

David
Click to expand...
That brings up memories of my 75 waggy on a snow trip when my front driveshaft came blew, and the driveshaft wedged between the exhaust crossover and the transmission and cracked the case.
I was dragged by the JPEATER Toyota 10 miles to pavement where I towed it home
 
Fastereddie said:
It’s character building!
Click to expand...
Then I’m topped off!

mrk5 said:
I've heard slickrock with snow on it lives up to the name.
Click to expand...
I heard that hells had feet of snow a few days before we arrived. I can’t imagine running that with white snot all over.

ZooMad75 said:
You found the weak links. You know how to fix it. No sense in basic repairs and a slow build up. Just dig in and do it once.
Click to expand...
Absolutely right. Fortunately, I’ve localized the weak points to only the parts between the 360 and the stub shafts.

imiceman44 said:
my front driveshaft came blew, and the driveshaft wedged between the exhaust crossover and the transmission and cracked the case.
Click to expand...
I can imagine. Kind of surprised I didn’t break a 1310 the way I was hammering it.

David
 
I feel like if you went down hells with snow on it you’d just have to sit at the bottom until the snow melted, that or be helocoptered out
 
mrk5 said:
Yeah, no thanks on that one.
Click to expand...
Same. I'll be at Milt's.

So, as the wagoneer gets filled with chevy stuff, I'm going to sell all the guts and will begin putting the word out here before the rest of the internet. If you or one of your friends wants a working AMC360/TH400/Qtrac, the D44s, and all the bits and pieces that connect them, feel free to share my email: [email protected].

I know there are jeep folk out there who will be able to use this in a restoration, and candidly, it's worth more kept together as a package. I won't start pulling it all until after I'm back from the BDR in June and will put a listing together on the for sale page at that time.

David
 
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Snow on rock is no joke.
I was on work party on the Rubicon trail with my waggy and on our way out it started snowing, when we got to the granite slabs at the end, some had to be winches down because at the bottom there was a hard left turn or you ended up in the creek.
I made it without but many had problems with traction.
I had brand new procomp Xterrains and they were great.
 
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