San Diego BS Thread.

I'm sure we will Gabe, ya know a few neighbors of mine talked about all the happy memories where I was but really the memories of this house were my Dad getting sick/dying of cancer & my Mom getting sick & dying of dimentia so no issue there but I will miss hitting trails with the regulars (you & others)

Cali is great if you have the $$$$ & don't mind over regulation on every fucking thing you do haha...

 

We wish you nothing but the best Doug. You will be missed around here.
It's great to hear you finally have an open door and even better that it's out of state.
If you are not leaving immediately please let us know so we can try to get together one last time

 

Hey guys. Need some stuff gone asap I have a tire carrier that Jeff made and my rear bumper that Jeff made, both posted in the pic below. The tire carrier comes with the black 3-way strap and the carrier also holds a reg size cooler. Also have a set of 16in gen grabbers red letter tires for sale that I need gone ASAP. One wheel is a little banged up but holds air and one tire only has a rim, don't ask why but the tow shop was I guess unclear on what I said. Everything should fit 05-11 maybe even the 12-15. Give me a call asap also have a gas can and holder and a jack I forgot the name but if interested just call.

619 818 8433 bobby I'm moving to Vegas so I need $$ so just need it gone but not giving it away.

 

if I remember correctly that rear bumper is a bolt on. No trimming or cutting required.

 

Thanks for the input. I got a few texts I didn't put pricing just because I'm open to any offer just don't wanna be low balled

Also if anyone knows someone selling a good 4Runner or older Tacoma for a decent price shoot me a text or call. I need at least ext cab but wanting 4 door.

 

I was hoping to be able wheel again sometime.
It's all good. It was great to meet you.

 

Got a question about gears for you guys. Looking at getting gears from ECGS and wanted to know where a good shop is to install them and if you guys happen to know the price on installation of gears. Looking at both axles (4x4)

 

I should clarify first. I'm on stock gears and looking at jumping from 33s to 34s (don't want 35s right now). Anybody on stock (3.73) gears and running 34s?

 

For you local guys I have my Rigid 20" and 30" up for sale.

30" $600
20" $400 w/ amber covers

 

I talked to the SD truck shop about installing my air locker and they quoted me about $500, not including the compressor, so I'm guessing that's pretty close to what a gear install in one diff ($1000 for two? ) would be with them. I talked to my regular mechanic and they referred me to their guy (Oceanside Driveline) and he quoted me $900 for the locker install (no compressor) plus a rebuild for anything over 100k miles. Sounds about like the same rate for just the locker, but he wouldn't do just the locker if there were more than 100k miles on the truck. My guess is the same applies to gears, but I don't know for sure.
My dad and I are going to install it this weekend because we were able to source the tools and everything and we're doing the rebuild while we're in there because it makes sense since I'm over 200k now.

 

Thanks Tyler , well I leave on Feb. 1st, it'd be great to squeeze in a quick run if time allows, if not no worries I'll still be popping into town seeing how my girls are still here, & its not that I hate San Diego (quite the opposite) Ca. may blow chunks but hell I'm a native with roots here...

Thanks Connor & Stella..... It'll be a nice change I think...

Thanks Frank & you too !! But I'll be back, this is the first time I've ever relocated out of state & I think this will be the ticket to shake all the neg. mojo thats been my life for the last few years, clear my head haha..

 

Right on Kevin! You back in SD now?

 

Yep! Here until my girlfriend finishes with peace corps, then off to grad school.

 

Hi Doug,
I am happy to hear you found something to do... I am scratching dirt still, barely hanging in there. California is where I was born 57 years ago, as well... and is sad the state (and country) has gone downhill so much. I really think it will get better with the recent changes in government (I hope).
Please keep posting here to let us know your progress amigo! Nevada is a lucky state to get you!!
Your fellow 57 year old amigo,
David

 

Back... was great four wheeling... but too freaking cold at night! Photos coming: Yuha Desert, Plaster City Railroad track road, Salton Sea.

 

I just saw a 2015 4x4 trd or with a spindle lift on it (today). I always thought you couldn't do a spindle lift on a 4x4, only pre-runners.

Have you ever seen one? I wonder what (if any) disadvantages there are. It looked pretty decent.


*btw I'm kinda new around here ... but I'm one of the few people born/raised and still living in San Diego. Thought I'd hop into the thread.

 

It probably had drop bracket lift

 

You saw a spindle lift on a 4x4? Do you have pics? With out doing portal spindles that's not possible

 

More than likely what you saw was a 4" or 6" drop bracket lift, the drop bracket lifts all come with aftermarket spindles because they have to be taller to match the DB drop distance.

 

While we planned it to be a 2 night camping trip, it was so cold at night we packed a 2 day trip into one!

Who are we?: My 26 y/o son Chris (who wants a 4WD Tacoma badly) from Lakeside and myself (you guys know me from my Baja posts and A-TRAC posts mostly).

Chris had some vacation time from his work, and I had no work but a truck that loves four wheeling in the desert.

Not sure at first where to go... Chris knew that when I was a kid (1967) my folks took me to the Yuha Desert to hunt for fossils in their Jeep Wagoneer. The huge oyster shell beds are there from when the sea levels really were higher by a few hundred feet (not just a couple inches)! So, he suggested we go there...

We left Lakeside about sundown on Thursday and headed east on I-8 to Ocotillo, then popped on the old Hwy. 80 (now called the Imperial Highway) to just past Coyote Wells. Now it was dark, and I didn't want to kick on all my HID and Halogen lights while still on public highways!

Back in 1967, there was no Interstate 8 freeway, just Hwy. 80 and the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railroad track parallel to it. I found a spot to drive under the railroad line in a wash, but couldn't find (at first) the bridge to get under the freeway, to the south side. I ended up on the mesa at the edge of the freeway cut, too far east of where I knew there was a bridge I could drive under it with.

I then remembered the technology I possessed with my smart phone, and clicked on Google Maps to see the satellite view of where I was, the roads, and where I wanted to go! In the end, we got to the region of the Yuha Buttes (which are mountains of fossil oysters and other sea shells) and set up camp.

Chris picked up a tent a a sleeping pad, and I just inflated my air mattress and would enjoy the stars. We ate when we left Lakeside, so just the campfire was nice with some beef jerky for snacks. There was no wind, but it was cold and by sunrise, really cold. Between his dog getting cold in the tent, Chris's new sleeping pad (one of those backpacker ones that self inflate when you unroll it) was not adequate, and I didn't sleep as well as I usually do (too cold)... the next morning we decided to not spend a second night out.






Tailgating in then rough!






Next morning we made coffee and cooked up some Beer Brats, yum! I went on a hike to look for specimen fossils and Chris threw a ball for his dog, Aria to retrieve. It was a beautiful Friday morning!










5 million year old oysters!




'Fossilized' sea salt!



I let Chris drive and we found the road to the Yuha Wells, on the Anza Trail (Spain's land connection to Alta California from Sonora, Mainland Mexico). Water is located very near the surface here, and with some digging water would be found. Wells were dug next to the arroyo over 100 years ago for horse and human needs. In 1967, there was water almost at the top of the wells, but today, they were filled with sand, and quite dry. Chris didn't want to amuse me and dig down to the water table with my folding army shovel.












That's Signal Mountain in the distance (the Mexican Border).






This sign was at the De Anza Overlook.

From the Yuha Wells, the road continues west then south to the De Anza lookout and a Border Patrol watch truck, just north of Hwy. 98. We drove the 98 back to Ocotillo, then Hwy. 80 to Plaster City and beyond to the narrow gauge railroad that brings the gypsum from Split Mountain to Plaster City so USG (United States Gypsum) can make drywall sheets and other gypsum/ plaster products.

The road parallel to the train tracks is pretty good, goes through a bombing range (you must stay on the road), and goes through some deep silt, just like we find in parts of Baja! Chris got real excited powering through the silt... loves the four wheel drive!




We watched the Blue Angels practicing around Superstition Mountain for a few minutes before the silt section... There were four jets flying in diamond formation for several minutes, circling around the mountain... very cool.

Once back on the pavement at Split Mountain, we headed north to Ocotillo Wells on Hwy. 78. We could see big clouds of dust from many miles away, and wondered what was causing it? An off road race, a wind storm, what was it?



It was a pair of Ospreys practicing landing on the dry lake bed airport at Ocotillo Wells!

Chris wanted to see the Salton Sea, so we headed east. Last time he (and I) were there... 10-15 years ago, it was real stinky and dead fish and bones lined the shore. We were surprised to see the seashore much cleaner, not stinky, but lower and further out. Some pelicans and gulls were there, so something must still be alive in that water, but it really is a dead sea. All the old marina buildings are gone, and the area near the sea is nearly deserted. A few nice homes are between the highway and the sea, but it is only a fraction of what was here in the 60's when we used to boat and fish on the Salton Sea.

Panorama from North to East to South to West:









Awesome vehicle!


Topped the gas tank at the Salton City AM/PM truck stop station ($2.25/ gal) and racing fuel is $7.99/ gal. We went west to Borrego Springs, stopping at the 4WD test course to do a little A-TRAC and rear locker testing. Burritos in Borrego Springs took care of us for a late lunch, and then came back to Lakeside via Ranchita, Santa Ysabel, and Ramona. After dropping off Chris and Aria, I returned home to San Marcos.

In 24 hours, we traveled about 250 miles, did a lot of four wheeling, had a campfire, went fossil hunting, and saw sites I had not seen in almost 50 years!