I have to be the first person to do this

[Imola Red]

And it's nothing to brag about either.

I promise pictures tomorrow after I drink a bottle of wine and try to forget the day I had today.










Rear drive shaft....................................it's now in 2 pieces

It looks like the transfer case and the wheels both decided to go in two different directions and the weakest link gave up (the middle of the driveshaft!!!).

I have no idea why or how this happend. I was stuck, yes, but it still should have NEVER happend and I still have no idea how.

I'll tell the whole story of how I hiked down from the top of a huge mountain and then tried to hitch hike from the middle of no where and how I got the truck down and home at another time because right now all I want to do is take a vicodin and drink this wine and forget about this whole day.





Oh and the point of the story is to NEVER go off-road on your own on a trail you don't know well. This was on Deer Valley trail in Northern CA and I've been on it before but it is NASTY compared to the last time I went on it a year ago. It got washed out and it is much tougher then it ever has been.

 

[spressomon]

Ouch...sorry to hear about the mechanical and your hike!

 

[Val678]

That Sucks!

At least you have a good story to tell!

Hope everthing works out!

Lates

 

[bundy18]

sorry man, i know how bad that s**ks, kinda, i've had to hike a ways before by myself and now second the not going out alone part

 

[100 TD]

Soory to hear of your troubles Imola Red. At least you got out by the sound of it.

On another angle, I am sure we take for granted too much theses days (I do anyway, and I have to remind myself sometimes) Many years ago I had a Landrover series IIA and I carried behind the seat 2 spare short axles and 1 long axle, 5 litres of gear oil, tools, sockets, hammers, drifts and punches, to change a broken axle when I broke one on the track. I used to go out on my own (one vehicle) fortunately with another person sometimes, and I got stuck and broke axles miles from nowhere. We are talking about an old 2.25 litre 4 cylinder 1961 vehicle, and it still had enough torque to pop the axles in it. So you went prepared for the worst (or should that be USUAL) and carried the goods to get yourself going again.
These days we do the same, although we probably carry less, as we rely on satellite communication, mobile phones, two way, HF, stronger and more reliable vehicles etc. But of course something can still go wrong and invariably it does. In Imola Red's case at least he didn't do the front in as well so I expect he could lock the centre diff and get it home with some help. We will find out in his story. The point I am trying to make here is "We are still vulnerable to many engine/driveline failures(and electronics as well)" which we can't fix in the bush, so please take a SAT phone or at least let someone know where you are going.
Happy 4 wheelin guys and gals, play it safe and have fun!

 

[Imola Red]

Well there THEY are. Not there IT is because now it's plural

So, i'm out on my own and on a trail that I shouldn't be on in the first place because it's much tougher then it has been ever before. I've got some minor body damage to prove.

Well i'm out there and have been thru some pretty nasty stuff when I come up over a small hill and realize that there is a huge rock at the peak of the hill that is coverd by dirt. I scrape the bottom of the truck on the rock and next thing I know i'm pretty much high hung up on it. Not badly and I figure if I can get some traction I can slide off of it.

Well after the usual fun sound of A-Trac kicking in I notice i'm not going anywhere and then the rev's of the engine kick up pretty high so I figure wheels are just spinning now so i'm stuck.

I get out and yes all the tires have dug in pretty good into dirt, not rock's or anything that would cause to much binding or cause the tires to stop instantly and cause some strain on the drive shaft. Well while under the vehicle I see a pipe hanging down and at first thought it was an exhaust pipe! But no it's my drive shaft.

After the thought of what had happend and where I was my leg's are shaking. NO cell service at all and i'm at the top of the mountains between two very small highways. After figuring the best way to run into anybody I start hiking with my 20lb camera bag around my shoulder, damn that thing is too heavy. It's 3pm at this point at about 8,500ft elevation.

So I hike about 5 miles down and off the trail to find good ole highway 4. All ONE lane of it. Yes it's a one single lane highway that cars going both ways have to share. So i'm not to excited about this fact because not much traffic. I figure I can try and hitch hike (which I have never done before) and make it to a phone (20 miles either direction is the nearest phone).

Well everybody that comes by (all 4 cars in 1 hour) go right by me even while i'm giving my best "i'm going to die out here look". It's about 6pm by now. I find a campground and ask the people how fat it is to the nearest phone and they confirm my thought on 20 miles either way and then go back to doing whatever they were doing and ignore me. About another mile down the road I run into another large campsite with a bunch of people, young people who actually might talk to me. I ask them if there is anyway they can help and I tell them my story. One guy looks at me and say's he knows the trail well and points to his Jeep that is very well built and has a wench even. He say's "jump in!" and we go and take off for the great recovery.

The whole way up i'm thanking him BIG time and also thinking "damn even with my rear wheels not working my 100 can out wheel this thing anyday;p". (well after I get it off the rock ).

We get out and he pulls me off the rock. We get under the vehicle and in less then 10 minutes both halves of the drive shaft are off, so easy and i'm happy for that fact.

I can tell you this...........the 100 is the best front wheel drive off-roader out there!!!! I still out wheeled that jeep. He used his air lockers twice getting out of there and I made it out with 2 wheels and A-Trac.

That's my long story. I had fun until that happend. There were a lot of moments on that trail before this happend that had me very nervous but the 100 kept on going. I have no idea why this happend. There was never a moment while I was trying to get out of that spot that I would ever dream of putting that much strain on the drive shaft.

Any idea's????

 

[mikeacs]

Wierd, looks almost like a clean break too rather than a twist. Was there a weld joint there?

 

[Imola Red]

Not that I could see. At first I thought it was some type of joint or flange that was between the two pieces because of the bend to the outside edges of the driveshaft but I don't think so after further examination.

 

[NMuzj100]

Looks like it was rotating against a rock at high speed and "Lathed" itself in two like a copper pipe in a pipe cutter. Note the rotational polishing on both sides of the break.

The good news is that if that is true there was probably little stress on the other components of the drive train.

 

[sleeoffroad]

Not the shafts fault. Obviously sitting on something and you basicalled ltather it off like NM said.

Take it to a driveline shop and have it re-tubed with .120" wall tubing and you should be good to go. Also have them rebalance it (should be part of the re-tubing.

 

[Imola Red]

That makes sense to me. Good observation guys.

NM I agree that is good and again makes sense that it wouldn't put much strain on the rest of the drive train.

Christo,

I didn't think of that. I'll have to go around and see if that's possible or if anybody can do it around here.

Thanks a lot guys!!!!!!!

 

[bad_religion_au]

guess you'll have to change your sig line there too

 

[spressomon]

That makes sense to me. Good observation guys.

NM I agree that is good and again makes sense that it wouldn't put much strain on the rest of the drive train.

Christo,

I didn't think of that. I'll have to go around and see if that's possible or if anybody can do it around here.

Thanks a lot guys!!!!!!!

Drive Line & Gear Service of Reno on Glendale 331-4500 should be able to do this...

 

[spressomon]

That makes sense to me. Good observation guys.

NM I agree that is good and again makes sense that it wouldn't put much strain on the rest of the drive train.

Christo,

I didn't think of that. I'll have to go around and see if that's possible or if anybody can do it around here.

Thanks a lot guys!!!!!!!

IR: Time to think about 2M? FYI: There's a 1-day study/review/take the test coming up in October in Silver Springs...see ya there?

 

[NMuzj100]

IR: Time to think about 2M?

Or time to make a friend.

 

[Imola Red]

Drive Line & Gear Service of Reno on Glendale 331-4500 should be able to do this...

I'll give them a call.

Will I do any damage driving around with my center diff locked? I only have one car this week, my wife is out of town with the other.

 

[Imola Red]

IR: Time to think about 2M? FYI: There's a 1-day study/review/take the test coming up in October in Silver Springs...see ya there?

Couldn't hurt.

Any info on it?

 

[NMuzj100]

Make sure you get the fix chome plated or painted a flourecent color so everyone will know your trucks a "real" offroader.

 

[Imola Red]

guess you'll have to change your sig line there too

lol!!!! I thought about that.

 

[NMuzj100]

I was thinking you needed to send the jeep guy an appropriate present a jeeper would appreciate. Maybe a crome-plated bow shackle.