Dusy Ershim Carnage

[Romer]

Looks like you guys had fun and am glad everyone made it off the trail OK. I always like how cruiser guys team together to fix any problem before moving one. I think leave no one and no rig on the trail should be our matra.

 

[reffug]

Very impressive.

If clowns truck didn't make it through unscathed I dont think I would even take mine in there.

 

[Newps]

Wow, looks like a great trip. Why so much rear quarter panel damage? Were you guys trying the hardest lines or was it just that tight in some sections? Awesome trail repair, it’s amazing what a group can accomplish when they have no other options, MacGyver would be impressed.

 

[alvarorb]

Bring what you got.
Wheel what you bring.

Jim,

I couldn't agree with you more. My first time on the Dusy was with a medium OME lift (2.5), 33" MTRs and a rear locker. We stacked rocks for 3 days. It was a blast.


After 5 years of wheeling my truck, some parts are beginning to show fatigue. I'm going to rebuild my steering box, put it back on and I won't worry for several years. Then I'll take a look and see how the splines are, if twisted, I'll change the sector shaft again.

My point is, that if a rig has never been wheeled hard. There's no worries. When wheeling hard, you'll break things. It's OK, it's comes with the territory. I wouldn't start changing parts without wheeling them first.

Alvaro

 

[concretejungle]

When wheeling hard, you'll break things. It's OK, it's comes with the territory. I wouldn't start changing parts without wheeling them first.

Alvaro

I say the man speaks truth

 

[pismojim]

Were you guys trying the hardest lines or was it just that tight in some sections?

It's the Dusy, it's TIGHT. Most people say you can't take a wagon or full size rig through and they are within a couple millimeters of being correct.

Having driven my FJ60 through, I always include the word "tedious" in my description. It's tight, tight and tight and then it gets tight, tighter and tight again. Frankly, a PITA because "tight" isn't my idea of challenging.

Now, the steep, loose and big rocks are cool.

 

[fj80psi]

I'm just north of you guys a couple of hours, I wanna play. I better keep my 91 for this kind of action. Or just get it over with & dent the piss out off my 97. Holy crap! you guys are hardcore! My offroad adventures are like mall cruising Gonna sign up for NorCal cruiser e-mail, Cool site BTW.

 

[Newps]

Jim:

Thanks for the 411 on the trail. Anyone have shots of the real tight sections? I would like to see what a square peg looks like in a round hole.

 

[pismojim]

Jim:

Thanks for the 411 on the trail. Anyone have shots of the real tight sections? I would like see what square peg looks like in a round hole.

Tare, there are literally places where I couldn't open the door to get out to take pictures. I called it jail.

Here's a few pictures from our 2004 trip:
http://www.realcruiser.com/dusy04/tight/

 

[cruiserdan]

That's tighter than a gnat's ass, stretched over a rain barrel..............

 

[pismojim]

Funny... I was spotting him and telling him piece of cake, still room to spare.

NOTE: if the spotter has a camera in his face he's more interested in taking pictures than protecting your body panels.

 

[Newps]

Yea, hum….that’s tight….really tight. Thanks for the illustration.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

Jim-I think the trail, like Rubicon, has gotten harder since 2004. On Thompson Hill, guys were winching at the bottom of the hill! I actually had to get out and stack a rock for my 40. The very last bit in the boulder field, we did at dark, and it was extremely challenging to say the least. Clown nearly flipped the 3 link monster. I started down one bad line, and had to back UP a steep and gnarly section. Very happy to have those 30 spline Longfields in place.

It was an impressive run, and you would have been proud. The third day was a bitch though with all the breakage. I think we did the fastest 80 series birf swap in history, as the light was fading and we still had the terminal boulders and drop off to face. It was great.

I cant wait for 2008. This is the best trail in California, you just can't take it lightly. Some say it's easier than Rubicon, but I'm not sure that's true anymore.

 

[badmuthatrucka]

Awesome pics! Looks like a lot of fun, gonna have to try that one day.

 

[alvarorb]

Mystery Solved

Ever since the sector shaft broke, the question that remained unanswered was: How did it happen?
A.- Was it just fatigue??? (very scary)
B.- Did I whack it on something?

The pitman arm did not have signs of having been struck by anything. So all this time we've been thinking it broke because of "A".
We'll, Cruiserdrew and I were working on my rig earlier this week and found the culprit. Apparently I whacked the tie rod pretty hard, so hard it bent. We think that's why the sector shaft broke.
The sector shaft had been compromised before I got to the Dusy, the different color in the broken metal points to that. But, this was the final blow that did it.

I got some pictures on my blog here.

Regards

Alvaro

 

[GXO]

Well, I went out and checked....and DAMNIT you people seem to make more work for me than I am willing to admit. Let's just say this weld in the pic will soon be appearing in a similar place on my truck. The stock weld is cracked and will fail soon. I am welding it up next week (not driving it).

 

[lowtideride]

Alvar...

I doubt the sector broke when you dented your TRE...It looks like your TRE took the damage, and it would have jerked the wheel out of your hands more than likely to have broken the sector shaft.

Hyfro assist will take the stress off the box, most 40 and 60 series guys never have a pitman or sector shaft problem again after switching hydro...You can talk to Kurt at Cruiseroutfitters if you need further proof.

Looks like a fun trail, Hope to make it out there with you guys in the future.

 

[PKP80]

Sam,
If you wheel your 80 hard, keep an eye on the front upper panhard bracket weld. Luke redid the welds on mine. As far as the sector shaft, I would change prophylactally.

Regards

Alvaro

I will be taking a look at it all 2day...I still haven't replaced the rear shocks and mounts from the CON run in June.

Were there any height issues on the trail? looks like a tall truck might make too good a friends with the trees.

 

[alvarorb]

lowtideride,

I think you are right. However, I don't remember hitting something as hard to take the steering wheel off my hands. But I did find a scratch mark on the drag link ( I've been calling it tie rod, that's wrong. The tie rod is behind the axle.).

I'll ask around about the hydro assist.

Regar

 

[alvarorb]

Sam,

You'd really like this trail. It's hard as nails but your truck would do OK. Mike's did.

Get to work on your truck. Small things start adding up quickly and before you know it, you have a long list of thing todo. The best approach is to takle them as soon as they pop up.

Regards

Alvaro

I will be taking a look at it all 2day...I still haven't replaced the rear shocks and mounts from the CON run in June.

Were there any height issues on the trail? looks like a tall truck might make too good a friends with the trees.