Wishbone Runner's Build

I really like that you stopped and took a picture of the rock
Did you show it to the alignment guy?

 

I was the alignment guy, so yes. He was impressed that someone could hit a rock of that size, at speed, run off the road, and not have blown up the front end entirely. Then ran Pritchett.

 

Damn, this thing is lacking updates. I am happy to say that I have reached the point in my build where the truck just knows what it needs and mods itself at will. First, it felt that it needed a frame inspection port.



Good thing, as the frame was full of sand that I was able to clear out.

 

Next, the truck determined that one diff breather was not sufficient and added another.

 

@Squeaky Penguin want to bring that spare wonton out this weekend?

 

Plated, gusseted, patched and ready for another beating.

 

I'm assuming that's a leg to the slider?

 

Body mounts I redid last last year with the Atlas install. Ripped right off the frame, the welds held fine. Passenger side under the rear seats sheared completely off and the driver was cracked on the top, I repaired, replaced and gusseted both, and added gussets to the ones in the front, which looked fine.

 

Ah that makes more sense seeing it's further back on the frame

 

Damn! So it's not just my truck cracking to pieces. That crack by the upper link mount start right at the edge of a factory weld? Not too different than mine by the leaf perch.

I'll sell you the 14b for what I paid if you're serious. But not delivering it...

 

Yep, that's the upper link mount, right where it cracked definitely looked not as well welded as the other side and the rest of the welds on that mount.

I was joking about the axle . . . for now. If this is just a chain reaction like yours, my 4 link and axle project will need to move up the priority list.

 

Damn, updates and proof you have been wheeling that thing hard!

I should pay attention, I could potentially have some of the same failures you are starting to see now that I have a functional and good suspension.

 

Yep, I would account 98% of all the shit I break to having the suspension and build to be able to go fastish, I know I should slow down, its just so damn fun ripping around, in particular in the desert. I can't stress enough to do all of the gussets, braces, and overbuilding you can before shit goes south in the middle of nowhere and you are stranded, before the more fun and "pretty" mods if you are going to beat on it. I have been fortunate that I have not had any catastrophic failures, but I would credit that to my preventative overbuilding from the get go. I put in a shock tower brace, cam tab and UCA gussets etc. before I even had a winch lol.

I noticed the body mount collapsing halfway through my last trip to southern Utah when the door started rubbing on the slider and I stuck my head under there and saw what was going on. There wasn't much I could do about it, but also realized that the body was practically sitting on the slider at that point so it didn't really have anywhere to go. The axle mount breaking off would have been a showstopper though, I am just going to have to keep a close eye on it going forward.

 

Plus I think it takes years of driving like that to get to this point.

You make it back to Alstrom? Was it an overlander zoo?

 

Good point, I have been beating hard on this thing for 7 years, plus 3 or 4 years of more moderate punishment.

Yes and yes, we got there at like 4 on a Wednesday and there were 4 other rigs already up there, 2 more showed up after us, and one more after dark. Definitely lost the mystique that it had when we were first there, I almost wish we hadn't gone and it remained a more positive memory. Still pretty amazing though.

 

http://graphs.water-data.com/lakepowell/

 

I've made it a habit of laying under my truck and just looking for cracks any time I'm under there. They say crack kills and that's something I don't want to learn from experience.

 

Definitely way down from when we were there 4 years ago, went down to the beach and the water was a ways a way, and came upon this when we got back, and saw the mud hole exactly where they pulled him out.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ziYUCAmFhIw

Yep, I'll be doing the same every time I crawl under there from now on.