NM Adventure Series

Good times the other day, @TBuzz

This climb got really sketchy when I decided to do it with the center diff (T-case) unlocked and both F/R axle lockers engaged.... Oops!





This guy almost went ass over teakettle on this climb... He was sweating.



I decided to go up this and broke my first CV. I popped it right at the top as I was making the last foot or two of the climb. After swapping it in just 30 minutes, I think I'm convinced that I need a DeWalt cordless impact wrench. Thanks again for the help, Chris!





And this is why I didn't take the Tacoma... it has no t-case skid.





4Runner kissing a rock...







One big ass Taco...



Crazy ass line that you would think only the big rigs could go up...



Chris thought otherwise...



The end.

 

Nick, where was that? The terrain looks fun.

 

Chokecherry/Glade Run near Farmington. You should come sometime. Chris (TBuzz, black 4Runner in the pics) has come to know the area very well.

Be prepared though, this place is the real deal. There's no 4 high, no warm up, it's instant. You pull off the main road and immediately you're on some serious obstacles, and how bad it gets from there depends solely on your driving skills, risk tolerance, and/or aversion to damaging your rig.

 

I'm with it. Got some skids on my truck that could always use new marks. Let me know next time you go.

 

Hey Nick, how did you break your CV joint? Were you spinning your front tires? My Jeep buddy warned me about spinning tires too much, because stuff breaks sometimes when traction randomly spikes. Just curious. I wonder if I should carry some CV joints for my 5th gen...

 

That obstacle consisted of two big climbs with steep break over angles at the top of each one. The first one was setup so that you could take the passenger tire high and maintain traction, forcing the vehicle to drag the passenger slider on the break over point until the rears grabbed, then it went right up. I did that one without the front locker engaged.

The second climb at the top was trickier because on the other side of the break over point there was a dip in the rocks of about a foot. I'd get the vehicle up on the edge and try to push through, then high center on my belly skid, with the passenger front just barely grabbing traction beyond the dip. I engaged the front locker and we decided to bump through the obstacle to try and get the rears to hook up a little better. On the next attempt I bumped it and the rears hooked up, pushing the truck forward and allowing the passenger front to grab the next section of rock and pull the vehicle up.

While the passenger front was hooked up, the driver front was fully drooped and in the air. I also had to turn the wheels to the left to get the passenger front to grab well. As soon as I got over the edge and the driver front came down, it found instant traction and POP!!!! Just that easy. It wasn't dramatic and wasn't even that loud. We just heard a crack and Chris looked down, looked back me and said "CV".

Things I learned... (some I already knew but wasn't thinking about)

-When using the front locker try to keep the wheels pointed straight ahead.
-Easy on the throttle with the front locked.
-If you think you're going to need the front locked, really study the line and pick the right one.
-Listen to your spotter
-Carry a spare CV axle (or two)

It could have been a much worse situation if I was in a more remote spot, and without a spare. Keep in mind though, that in a situation like that you can break down the CV and remove the two ends, leaving the axle itself and the joints out... then pop the one end back into the diff to keep the diff sealed shut, and the other into the hub/spindle to secure the bearing. If you go this route, you're done with 4WD for the trip, so it's only an option if you can get back out in 2WD. It's also a huge mess.

 

I couldn't agree more with this, Place is a lot of fun but be careful. I busted a front drive shaft and about rolled my truck in chokecherry, took 2 jeeps to get me out of the spot I was in. Thankfully I lived in Durango at the time so I was able to have a friend get a trailer.

 

I've never swapped my CV joint before so I would probably be screwed. Lol. In a weird way, I kind of want my boot to break so my CV runs dry and needs replacement. That way I can practice in my driveway.

My truck does not have a front locker. I usually use ATRAC when I'm climbing around like that. Sometimes I engage the rear locker, but ATRAC alone usually works for me. I wonder if there is a chance that ATRAC could break something in the kind of situation.

 

It's a pretty easy process. I learned through re-booting old/cracked boots on several of my vehicles, and again when I swapped the front diff, which requires pulling both CVs at the diff.

I'm not sure about ATrac, but I don't think it would pose nearly the same risk as a front locker because it's generating traction by applying braking force to the wheel that is in the air / slipping. That being the case, you would be unlikely to have a wheel freely spinning, then find sudden traction, which is where the CVs go bye bye. I've wheeled some tough spots over the years, and never had CV issues until I started playing with the front locked.

I've got ATrac on my 4Runner too, just an earlier version of the system. I might experiment with it next time now that you remind me.

 

My pleasure anytime...Hope to get more people there eventually.

 

Damn had the chance to go out this weekend knowing who was out on the trails and got stuck packing up for an early morning drive to Texas for work

 

I knew those places looked familiar. I've played on some of the trails that start in the wash on the northwest side. That's where I dented my bedside

 

I know where to go and I know the lines. My truck just doesn't drive them all that's for sure. We could have a mini meet there sometime. You can camp as well with a permit.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=53te_k02nJU

 

I scouted out another "NM adventure" option this weekend. It's a perfect day trip, combining some history, scenery, a shelf road, and lots of big views. All less than 1.5 hours from ABQ.







The award for the best set of eyes goes to the first person to name the animal in the photo below, and how many of them there are...

 

Great horned owl? Pecos?
@BigFishAllDay

 

Merriams turkeys - 3?

 

Abert's Squirrels and 2? Dome wilderness/fire lookout?

 

I see two tetons.

Oh, and once I get this damn suspension finished, I'm ready to hit the trails (sliders or no).

 

Thanks for playing, guys!

WildLand nailed it as far as the animals in the photo. There were actually 4 turkeys (all hens), but I only caught 3 of them in the photo. I can post an edited photo with the birds circled... they're camouflaged so well that they're hard to spot. We saw lots of mule deer too.

I'm surprised nobody came close on the location though. I figured the shot of Sandia peak poking up over the range would give it away.

Have a look at FR 245 to Capilla Peak and Observatory, and the Salinas Pueblo Missions. Both are located near the south end of the Manzano mountains on the east side.

Link to the NPS website for the SPM > https://www.nps.gov/sapu/index.htm

We only checked out the Quarai site, and there are two others to see, so I'd definitely like to go back and maybe camp for the night.

 

speaking of turkeys - season opens up the 15th

That would be a great place to camp. I got a job with USFW in Albuquerque so hopefully I'll be able to go on trips like these - as long as they are 2wd friendly