First Cross Country Trip: South Carolina to California. What can I expect/tips for the drive in my '95.

[vegasfj40]

I'm late to the party, but I have done the I-70 and I-40 corridors (I'm based at Nellis and have driven to NY and DC and back). I also had my brakes done before one of the trips and for some reason my front's locked up after driving about 20 miles. The simple road-side fix was to pull the ABS fuse, drive a bit, and then reinsert it. The brakes have been working perfectly since. Just some food for though if the same thing happens. I personally like the I-70 route because Colorado is so beautiful, but the climb up the Rockies will be a bit slow going. Sounds like you're doing the I-40 route and you can take a portion of old route 66 from Seligman to Kingman in AZ. Nice drives and you don't have to worry about gas. I mean bring a 5 gal jerry can if you want piece of mind, but I would definitely bring an extra fusible link. I think this long drive will help--the old gal may even drive better after your extended "Italian tune up"!

Also, as others have said, take your time. There is no reason to travel greater than 65mph. You might be tempted to drive faster after watching those F250s whiz by at 80+mph towing an Airstream. Just don't.

I bought my first home in Las Vegas 26 years ago just north of the Hollywood and Lake Mead intersection at the south end of the base. Back then there wasnt much out that way and watching the aircraft and the Thunderbirds was awesome! What wasnt awesome was Red Flag exercises at 2 am.. Thank you for your service.

 

[bigredmachine]

My buddy and I don't know if we need to remove these bolts to actually remove the rotors. Essentially, we don't know where to go from here.

the whole hub has to come off, if you dnt have the gaskets your going to have to get them from the dealership and most likely they are not in stock but probable a 1 day turn around on the order depending on where the parts are coming out of. since your on a bit of a time crunch you may have to pad slap them and replace the rotors when your in cali and you have more time to repack the wheel bearings, not ideal but better than running on skinny brake pads.

when you do the rotors it may be worth while to get the axle nuts and the lock washer as a piece of mind. i had to replace mine as the hack that did the brakes fo rthe po used an air chisel to get the nuts off . get the hub seal, drive flange gaskets and a tub of red wheel bearing grease and have at it

 

[studawg]

Any of those places happen to be in Amarillo?

Go to The Big Texan in Amarillo! I spent the night there and planned on eating dinner there, but when I drove by it was PACKED and I was too tired and hungry to wait. So I ate somewhere else that night and went there for breakfast the next morning before I headed out. Their breakfast is AMAZING, the place is really neat, and first thing in the morning it was EMPTY and I could look around without fighting the people.

 

[studawg]

Unfortunately I will not have time to replace the radiator. I had planned on taking the I-40 route, stopping in Memphis, TN, and Amarillo, TX. The other option is I-40 and I-20, as this goes through the lower southern states like Mississippi and Louisiana ( I would stop in Jackson instead of Memphis). What do you recommend, they both are approximately 33 hours. The second option is 30 miles longer.

I did the I-40 route. I saw very few cops the whole way, except then in Arkansas, I got pulled. Cop was super nice and just sent me on my way. And then I hit Memphis at night and there were cops EVERYWHERE. People pulled over everywhere, that place was sketchy.

 

[clx16]

Arkansas pulls people like crazy. I've been pulled for going 2 over. Everyone in my family has stories of getting pulled over multiple times for less than 5 over and following to closely behind tucks (officer told us we should be aware that tuckers can stop faster than cars) anyway not sure what they will pull you for but no one in my family has gotten a ticket just lots of obnoxious warnings probable more related to out is state plates.

 

[iptman]

Read through this thread from the FAQ. What you need to do to replace the rotors is about half way through a full axle rebuild. Lots of good pictures in here and tons of tips and tricks.

Front Axle Rebuild - For FAQ

The following thread is compilation from forum members and other sources Please notify the moderators of additions, errors, tips or clarifications you think would help a novice take this on. The following thread is a culmination of posts and threads from many forum members including Semlin...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Never had to use cash once for fuel, food, hotel, park entrance fees, etc.

I rolled into the small town of Hyrum Utah coming off the mtn at the end of a deer hunting trip one October. It was a Sunday and helping another vehicle stuck in the mud put me behind schedule. Being after 10:00 PM in Utah on a Sunday in a small town the only gas station was closed and the card reader on the pumps was even turned off. I thought I was screwed for gas because I was driving on the light.

I got lucky because a young kid who worked for the gas station drove by and asked me if I needed gas. He told me the card readers were down and they could only take cash or checks.

After this experience I always keep a little cash squirreled away in the rig. Although I highly doubt someone would need it driving cross country on the interstate. But you never know.

 

[ZackR]

After this experience I always keep a little cash squirreled away in the rig. Although I highly doubt someone would need it driving cross country on the interstate. But you never know.

Very good point. Nobody in a bind has ever said "I sure wish I didn't have this cash on hand to help with x,y,z...."

 

[Irish Reiver]

Also. Since you'll be coming across 40, prepare for some crazy winds west of OKC all the way to Kingman Az. I also probably wouldn't try to tow in overdrive once you get to Amarillo. Heading west from there is a slow climb and usually very windy.

I keep a trip log when i do my big trips. The entry for 1st Dec was a trip from Albuquerque to Flagstaff along the I40. At the bottom of the page in capitals i had written "F#@k me the crosswinds were depressing. Never let up for the whole trip"
I also noted that in cruise at 60MPH she couldn't keep overdrive locked. RPM always hunting. Fuel economy was noted as 10.3 MPG..

 

[Jhnpv]

Really appreciate the advice you guys put out, and recommending that I replace the brakes.

These guys were way past due. The surface felt like a vinyl record. Death wobble is gone. Braking is smooth like butter now.

 

[vegasfj40]

I keep a trip log when i do my big trips. The entry for 1st Dec was a trip from Albuquerque to Flagstaff along the I40. At the bottom of the page in capitals i had written "F#@k me the crosswinds were depressing. Never let up for the whole trip"
I also noted that in cruise at 60MPH she couldn't keep overdrive locked. RPM always hunting. Fuel economy was noted as 10.3 MPG..

Ha! I drive between Albuquerque and Las Vegas NV 6 times a year or so. I plan my trips around the wind. It can be horrendous from Holbrook to Flagstaff.

 

[LandLocked93]

You're in good hands. Just for consideration:

Doing the math, this drive will be approximately 2000 miles.

Yes. And 1500 of them will be in Kansas if you take I-70.
Highly recommend I-40 instead. It's further South, and North Texas STILL beats Kansas. Don't get me wrong. I love Kansasians and Kansas. Just dislike driving across it very much. lol Plus I enjoy learning the Indian tribes going thru OK on 40.

-Will I be putting any unnecessary strain on the cruiser if I drive for about 11 hours each day? (IE: Does driving past a certain number of hours cause issues).

The Cruiser won't care, but the Navy might should something bad happen long about hour 10. Just be careful.

-I average 12 miles per gallon. While I have the sub-tank system, I was considering buying three 5 gallon gas cans just to be safe. Should I even worry about this or will I be fine with just the main and sub fuel tank.

You'll be fine with just the main tank if you wish. Just refuel when necessary and before your last 50 miles of range.

I personally think it should be required activity for everyone to drive across the nation once.
Happy Trails and good luck.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

Its been a few years sense I made the drive across country via I40. But when I did there was a couple of cheap and free places to camp that I found on the route.

The first was a park and lake with free camping in Elk city Oaklahoma. I was traveling in my old 1st gen tacoma with a small trailer and all of my worldly possessions when I camped there. I literally pulled my motorcycle out of the trailer and chained it up. Than I threw my camp pad and bag down and slept where the motorcycle was parked on the trailer.

I woke up after a full 4 hrs of rest at 5:30AM to find a group of homeless guys standing around my trailer drinking beers with disturbing looks in their eyes. Needless to say it was very awkward and sketchy loading the motorcycle back up and leaving.

The next night I decided to camp at the KOA in Talladega Alabama. The weather was great while I was setting up my little tent in the grassy field at 11PM. Well come 2AM I felt like Dorothy in the wizard of oz. The lightning, wind, and rain were so bad I panicked and ran for cover in the cab of the tacoma. I proceeded to watch my little tent blow away into the dark abyss while listening to tornado warnings on the radio. Being a Utah boy that had never traveled further east than Denver I was scared poopless at this point.

Looking back that was one of the funnest drives I have ever done lol.

Enjoy your trip and drive safe.

 

[lumbee1]

We drove from Raleigh NC to Williams AZ in July 2017 for a great family roadtrip and see the attractions along the way and in Arizona. It was myself, wife, and two kids and was by far our most favorite trip we have done. Having a fridge and audio books made the 8 hours each day of driving really enjoyable and there were many times we stopped for a break only itching to get back on the road to hear more of the book. I did most of the driving and found it very tiring but a rewarding experience watching the scenery change. The Cruiser started out only getting 12 to 13 mpg through western NC and Tenn. Towards Arkansas the fuel economy began to get better which helped since we were always on the look out for fuel and averaged 250 to 280 per tank. Tail wind coming back we achieved 15.17mpg corrected.

Preparation ahead of time included flushing the radiator with new Toyota red, replacing the fan clutch fluid with approximately 12K, oil change, overhauled the brakes, deleted the LSPV, new leather for the front seats, tint for the glass, rear bumper to hold two jerry cans, and new Fox shocks. Tire pressure was 44psi and we raised it in Arizona however I40 was chewed up and it made for a bumpy ride. We lowered it to 38 and soon after 36 psi. We didn't take any camp gear but had our 270* awning that we never used. The only mechanicals we had was picking up a stone between the rotor and shield and blowing a glass fuse for the fridge. My homemade cord shorted out. I was able to disassemble it and fix it in the motel room.

I really wish I had done 4.88's before this trip. There were so many long steep passes that the Cruiser just struggled with and 315's and 4.10 gears were miserable. I really couldn't afford them at the time but after having 4.88's for 2 years, I know it would have been a more enjoyable driving experience.

We did what seems like the boring route and took I40 all the way. Lodging was not far off the interstate and cheap. We wanted an adventure and stories to tell but we didn't want to go so cheap and end up with bed bugs.
Raleigh NC
Cookeville TN
Fort Smith AR
Tucumcari NM
William AZ
Tucumcari and Williams were the coolest places by far. We also made a point of finding attractions along the way both going and coming.

• Lost Sea Adventure in TN
• Big Texan Steakhouse in TX
• Oklahoma City bombing memorial
• South Rim of Grand Canyon
• Tucumcari NM
• Musical hwy in NM (doesn't work with mud terrains)
• Beale Street in TN
• Slot canyon tour in AZ
• Glen Canyon Dam in AZ
• Lowell Observatory in AZ
  Bicycle Museum in Statesville
• Williams AZ
• Page AZ
• Sunset Crater in AZ
• Petrified Forest
• Schulz Pass in AZ
• Slide Rock
• Sedona AZ
• Wukoki Pueblo AZ
• Horseshoe Bend AZ

Grand Canyon

Great american road trip July 2017.

flic.kr

 

[Jhnpv]

Morning Everyone,

So my trip got delayed when we couldn’t find a the right adapter for my Cruiser to connect to the uhaul trailer. We spent 3 hours driving around town looking for one, but I ended up having to order it off Amazon. My fault for not being aware of that. It arrives today, hopefully sooner rather than later.

Along with that, after my buddy and I replaced the brakes, I noticed a pretty annoying squeak or whistle coming from the front left tire when I drive normally. It usually squeaks when I run over little bumps. Unfortunately, South Carolina roads are nothing but bumps, so that’s all I hear when I drive. Gonna take a look at it this afternoon to make sure everything was installed properly. Before I do that, anyone have any idea what it might be?

 

[Outsane]

If you can I would get a ultra gauge or Scan gauge II to monitor temps and fuel consumption..

I prefer the Ultragauge.... might be a a little late looks like you are leaving soon.

Good luck finding the squeak

 

[Stoshu]

Take a look at the dust shield. It's easy to tweak them a little bit on removal or installation and then have a clearance issue with the brake rotor.

Otherwise, did the caliper piston move freely when you compressed it for the new brake pads? If not, it could be dragging the pads on the rotor.

Another possibility is the brake pads themselves. Some semi-metalic pads can be pretty noisy.

Hope you find the issue. Noises like that drive me crazy.

 

[ZackR]

It would be good to double check that the wheel bearing preload is tight enough. Jack up the front wheels and check for play. You really don't want these to be loose, especially before a long trip.

 

[leonard_nemoy]

I 2nd the above posts. Double check the wheel bearing preload and the dust shield. Heck, I would even triple check the wheel bearings at 500, 1000, and 2000 miles. Better safe than sorry.

Did you set/bed the new brakes?

 

[Road Apple]

Agree that Memphis is a little sketchy. Downtown especially.
Tourists and police mixed with a lot of homeless folks. I would skip it in favor of a smaller town down the road.

If you stop for in Memphis, these were the best spots I found.

Central BBQ
The place to go, but the food in downtown has gone downhill.
Not nearly as good as Kansas City or Texas

Blue Plate Cafe
Good breakfast, not great
Large portions

Jackson is more relaxed and feels safer. Not sure it’s worth adding 30 miles to your trip though.

If you stop in Amarillo, visiting the stock yards is pretty fun. The Stockyard Cafe has good breakfast and you can walk upstairs to watch the stock auctions. I liked listening to the auctioneer, but couldn’t understand much of what he said.

Good restaurants are:

The Coyote Bluff Cafe - small hole in the wall place. Go on off hours to avoid the line. Burgers are juicy and big. If you like spicy, try the Burger from Hell.

It’s a Punjabi Affair - good Indian food.

The Big Texan Steak Ranch & Brewery has a 72 oz. steak that’s free if you eat it all in one sitting. It’s huge. Expect food coma to follow.