Moab Mayhem 07'!!!!!!

[TrAiLbUs1]

This year FJCCentral put together a nice little gathering in Moab...lucky for us the trail team was able to attend this event also. What a blast we had with friends and fjs. Here are some pics!!!!


Getting close to monument valley (almost there) this is James in his Cherokee in our side view mirror. He came along with us for the mayhem.

A quick pic of monument valley

Our first trail was Gold Bar Rim. This is the first real obstacle we encountered after racing through the sand in the beginning of the trail.

Betsy went up no problem

This was the first scary obstacle we encountered, much steeper than what you would encounter in Tucson. This is trail boss BigBadFJ

The baja trail team replica at the same obstacle

Nice wheel stand from the other trail team vehicle

A shot from inside the truck of our fabulous spotter

This one shows what you see as you are sliding down that rock, you lose traction at the very end of it, steepest I have ever gone down but very fun : )

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

TanaJ and Montana coming down

Tail hitch scrapes… it just does.

Our fearless leader, notice his hand clutching that oh**** bar

Best sticker ever

Nice canyon!!! Moab is really beautiful!!!

Nice set of stairs

Go trader!!!

Betsy likes to kick dust up

Parked at the top of the rim for lunch

From here you get the most spectacular view, this is the rim. I will have a panoramic in a few days to add a view of this.

Another good angle at the top

BigBadFJ going back up that very steep ledge

Trader going up, poor little wing

Good angle that shows the rest of the group, go Trader you can do it!!

Maybe just a little help : )

TanaJ

Betsy

BigBadFj, almost but not quite

Such a nice looking beast!

Nice wheel stand

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

TanaJ no problem

Betsy, your turn

Another steep one at the playground

Betsy didn’t make it

Think it’s a bit dugout

Drive back from the trail, again beautiful scenery in Moab

On to another trail we decided to have a trip to the top of the world. Montana Tailgunner who is 12 became trail leader for this one

Not such an easy trail either

Great job Montana!!!

Montana and his father Phil at the top of the world!!!

Such a spectacular view

Rich AKA trader on top

Heading back down, what a long day almost 12 hours of wheeling.

The next day was total carnage, here is a good pic with all the rigs that came to Moab Mayhem

Yep you guessed it

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

The beginning!

Yep and the tires do a great job of sticking, thank god!!!

Unfortunately this is where we lost BigBadFJ, he broke his rear going up this hill but he was so quick I didn’t even get a picture. Here is the trail team going right up

I did it just fine!!!

Black and blue

Good shot of the group listening to Dan’s crazy stories

Dan, AKA Sonic the crazy storyteller (he’s gonna hate me for this one, I know it)

Hells gate, Stagecoachco, flawless!!! I think that inchworm is some form of cheating : )

Sonic, beautiful as always

TanaJ just a bit scary

And of course very scary!!! I can’t believe there was not a scratch on Betsy

Sonic and Stagecoachco winching me out (Sonic was slipping by himself)

My girl was freaking out by now!!!

Not again

Time to put the wheels back on the ground and calm down : )

I wasn't the only tippy 2 wheels

Here is the video of hells gate yikeeees!!!



Here you go enjoy!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDWdOTd8D3A


This is the rest of my group that did the Gate

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOnE-o8hul0

After that we took the easy routes. I only watched

Trail team broke their rear on this obstacle

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

Hot tub anyone?

The last big hill on Hell’s Revenge, this is very hard to come down because it is so steep, you just line up your wheels and go

Tip over challenge

Rich (the owner of FJCCentral trying to jump of ledges

A Toyota we picked up along the way, look it’s voodoo blue even

The third day was Poison Spider, a little drop down

Myself doing the Wedgy

This 40 had no problems with articulation

More Wedgy pics

Montana (12 years old) riding the Wedgy, up and down!!!

Rich and the trail team, what a great event!!!

Myself and Rich aka Trader @ the raffle the last day, he hooked my girlfriend (TrAiLbUsTy1) and I up with a bunch of stuff!!!! Everyone who attended won something!!!

We had so much fun!!! Can’t wait to see everyone again, it was such a great experience. Thanks again to Rich for making this possible, thank you BigBadFJ for being the best Trail boss ever, and thanks to the trail team for being there especially at such short notice.

 

[Tools R Us]

Very nice pucker there on the 'Gate! Did you have to clean your shorts?

I had hoped for a fall Moab run, but not going to make it this year, next up Cruise Moab '08!

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

I had to use a pry bar to release the seat from my arse after that one, you should have seen my machine gun legs during that ohhhh man that's why i was having issues with keeping my acceleration down on the rest. I got out and kissed the beautiful red rocks under my feet after that..so thankful to be on flat ground. My rear tire on the passenger side fell off after my front passenger went up too high...causing that to happen. I really should have not been running it also with the shape my tires are in...very bald and battered I learned some valuable lessons that day..that i will never forget...just glad to be alive and able to post ya know and i don't think next year i will be trying that one again


I really loved Moab and the trails/views were amazing, can't wait till next year The FJc's really did well, on poison spider where the arch is...well we climbed that hill like nothing...I was standing up top there and heard a bunch of commotion, went over to the edge to see a new Rubi almost flip on what we went up.... he took the bypass thankfully..but it was nice to be able to see the difference between vehicles there!!!! So many unbelievable rigs..there were plenty of 40 hoppers there too. drool drool drool!!!!

 

[phoenixrider]

makes miss MOAB. will have to go backsometime, this time in the 60. I only ran some of the 'easier' trails, the steep uphills were fun, but it was those downhills that can really make you pucker. Brake pedal mashed to the floor - and you're still sliding downhill!

slideshow of our adventure in my 'KIA Sorento'
http://www.shadowlakes.com/moab/pages/001.htm

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

Wow kIa said it was the most capable kia yet...but man i didn't know it could wheel like that sorry to laugh but that is awesome!!!! is it stock??? there is only 1 pic to the slideshow?? I want to see more now!!!

Thanks for posting guys!!!

 

[phoenixrider]

let the slide show play. it'll refresh every 5 seconds

Don't have it anymore - totaled it a couple years back (not offroading)

Not alot you could do to those things. Virtualy 0 aftermarket support. I had a OME lift in it, and had to some custom work to the front just to get about a 2.5 lift out of it, then 32in tires. Of course, whacked the whole front end to get the winch in there

The sorento had some good elements for a offroader - body on frame, LSD solid axle in the rear, part time 4wd, but other areas sucked. Front suspenion had very little travel (even by IFS standards) ground clearance marginal. Body lift impossible. But I beat the Sh** out of that thing!

It used the older Mitsu engine, good power, but had an un-resolved defect - the crankshaft pulley could break off. Well, it did. When I was about 40 miles out in the backcountry. Had to leave it there, go back next weekend, pull the AC condensor, radiator, drill out, tap the crankshaft, unstall a new pulley, and put it all back together to be able to drive it (had to pull a piece o crap Ford Explorer up a hill on the way out) out so it could be taken to a dealer for proper service

 

[splitshot]

Holy s**t! I just left a ridge in my office chair

Great pics, thanks for sharing

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

let the slide show play. it'll refresh every 5 seconds

Don't have it anymore - totaled it a couple years back (not offroading)

Not alot you could do to those things. Virtualy 0 aftermarket support. I had a OME lift in it, and had to some custom work to the front just to get about a 2.5 lift out of it, then 32in tires. Of course, whacked the whole front end to get the winch in there

The sorento had some good elements for a offroader - body on frame, LSD solid axle in the rear, part time 4wd, but other areas sucked. Front suspenion had very little travel (even by IFS standards) ground clearance marginal. Body lift impossible. But I beat the Sh** out of that thing!

It used the older Mitsu engine, good power, but had an un-resolved defect - the crankshaft pulley could break off. Well, it did. When I was about 40 miles out in the backcountry. Had to leave it there, go back next weekend, pull the AC condensor, radiator, drill out, tap the crankshaft, unstall a new pulley, and put it all back together to be able to drive it (had to pull a piece o crap Ford Explorer up a hill on the way out) out so it could be taken to a dealer for proper service

Still cool!!! a freaking kia man so were you the first to bust out some OME on there?

Holy s**t! I just left a ridge in my office chair

Great pics, thanks for sharing

YOu should have been there, freaking scarier in person!!!!1

 

[DSRTRDR]

ENVY

but I will be there next week ;p (not in the cruiser, though)

for the nice pics

 

[DBAX]

Holy s**t! I just left a ridge in my office chair

Great pics and writeup .
I didn't get up this year to wheel (4 Mo old to take next year ), but scrolling through there was like a trip up memory lane.. Awesome.

 

[splitshot]

Did you get a chance to talk to the dude in the 40? I'd kinda like to pick his brain on his suspension.

 

[ratchet]

Thats me in the 40. The truck is sprung over with hybrid XJ/Chevy/Fj40 springs reversed on FJ60 axles. If you have any specific questions or want pictures of anything let me know.

This Moab trip was my first run on the new set up and it seemed to do pretty well.

Thanks for the sweet pic Trailbus.

Richard

 

[splitshot]

Thats me in the 40. The truck is sprung over with hybrid XJ/Chevy/Fj40 springs reversed on FJ60 axles. If you have any specific questions or want pictures of anything let me know.

This Moab trip was my first run on the new set up and it seemed to do pretty well.

Thanks for the sweet pic Trailbus.

Richard

Thanks, I'm impressed with the articulation...

I've been toying with the idea of some 4" springs from MAF or downey, and just getting info before I just dive in. Don't think I'll have the funds available to do a SOA with different axles.

Hopefully, I'll see you at one of the meets and do some pickin'

 

[ratchet]

I live in Yuma and don't make it to the meets very often but I am gonna try to make it up there in the next couple of months.

MOAB ROCKS!!!!

Richard

 

[TrAiLbUs1]

Thats me in the 40. The truck is sprung over with hybrid XJ/Chevy/Fj40 springs reversed on FJ60 axles. If you have any specific questions or want pictures of anything let me know.

This Moab trip was my first run on the new set up and it seemed to do pretty well.

Thanks for the sweet pic Trailbus.

Richard

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot i can't believe that is you, very cool!!! My pleasure about the pic...what a small world!!!!! Nice freaking 40 bro OMG!!!!! come to Tucson to play!!