Old Chinamans Gulch Run

[Nay]

We had a great run this weekend on Old Chinamans Gulch with Rising Sun and the Toyota FJ Cruiser team. Got to watch two FJ Cruisers handle a pretty tough trail, and many of us got a chance to drive including my who got about 20 minutes of wheel time at the end of the day. There ended up being 38 rigs in total, which was crazy. The FJ Cruisers didn't do too badly for stock rigs...this was a tough trail for any stock vehicle and they came through with very little assistance and a couple of mangled front skid plates.

This was a perfect trail to test out OME 2.5 (medium) and 33's on some pretty serious optional obstacles. Front and rear bumper clearance was an expected issue...dragged the rear on some big rocks and ledges, hit the tow loops on a few steep climb approaches, got high centered due to driver over-confidence on "double slab" and leaned her into a tree...so we have some character now in the rear quarter panel

I'll have to say that suspension travel was never really a major issue with the lockers...it was clearance. Definitely reinforced my plans to pull the bumpers in and up with a tube style, and 4" of lift and 35's (or just 35's) would have given the sliders a much easier day...but we went through a lot of optional stuff that more built 80's bypassed...it's awfully capable at just OME 2.5. The 100 series on OME did very well, too.

We had all four kids aboard, and they had a blast. Here's a couple of pics.

Nay

FJ Cruiser getting stuck on the wrong line (you have to go all the way up on the righthand side - offcamber- from the driver's perspective)

60 coming up the waterfall

That's me (all four kids in back )

 

[sc40]

nice pictures

 

[green_machine]

nay, I made that line like the fj tried. I did get a scratch though. I don't know if anyone took a pic or not though, I was leading the group behind you.

 

[Isotel]

Nice, i love that trail! Makes me want to finish the Truck

 

[Romer]

Man - If you expect it not to get moved, you should post a pic of the moderator wheeling his red FJ40.

Of 80's note. Here is Mr. Headgasket, if you have to get your hedgasket replaced, this is the guy everyone wants to do it. Robbie (Powderpig) as part of the official FJ Cruiser Team. he took a better line than the silver FJ

Hants did a great Job in his Pink Panty mobile and was able to do things I could not in my FJ40. I moved one of our club members rigs on the trail and then went over the same terrain in my FJ40. I wished I had brought my LX450 at that point.

 

[Nay]

Man - If you expect it not to get moved, you should post a pic of the moderator wheeling his red FJ40.

That's funny, wanted to include that pic...I was wondering how on earth anybody got that camera angle

That last obstacle is the sleeper...it looks like you should just be able to walk right up the middle. Robbie ended up coming up the right side to get up...they couldn't get it up the middle line.

Nay

 

[NorCalDoug]

hey! no fair bribing with mod pics.


looks like y'all had a great time.

 

[Nay]

nay, I made that line like the fj tried. I did get a scratch though. I don't know if anyone took a pic or not though, I was leading the group behind you.

I hadn't thought much about the offset diffs on the 80 helping there, but that line is so much worse than it looks because it wants to hang the rear diff on a centered diff. I don't think I've ever been on a Chinamans run where that spot didn't cause the most problems of the day, and it hardly looks worse than the initial rock garden.

Nay

 

[Hants]

I didn't get far enough right on that last one... ended up sliding left and went up the middle... put a candy-cane stripe on my rear driveshaft and scuffs on the flange through rear-diff.

I then got to be winch-anchor for the rig right behind me. I wasn't sure what was expected/required of me... thanks to the spotter(s!) and helpers we got'm up and out without any drama.

Earlier in the day I high-centered (all 4 rubbers off the ground) playing on an optional obstacle... I can now vouch that Slee's transfer case skid plate will support the entire weight of an 80! However, I'm not sure I could remove it and get it back on now, though.

I did Metal Masher, Steel Bender, Gold Bar Rim and a few other trails in Moab a month ago. At that time I had only the 2.5" and slider steps (stock bumpers). The receiver hitch was the biggest "hangup".

With Slee's front and rear bumpers, I never dragged my arse or bumped my nose. I can now get into serious trouble!

It was very impressive seeing the near-stock FJ's hang'n with the built rigs!

P.S. It was GREAT meeting a bunch of members in person! Romer, PowderPig (Robbie), Nay, GreenMachine, Kipper, Hulk (and more I don't remember the names/handles of...)

 

[reffug]

Man - If you expect it not to get moved, you should post a pic of the moderator wheeling his red FJ40.

Oh it could still get moved..................

 

[MTNRAT]

So thats where he is hiding.
Cheers,
Sean


Of 80's note. Here is Mr. Headgasket, if you have to get your hedgasket replaced, this is the guy everyone wants to do it. Robbie (Powderpig) as part of the official FJ Cruiser Team. he took a better line than the silver FJ

 

[Waggoner5]

Chinamans is still one of my favorite trails. I took a group of Pinzguers there several years ago and had a blast.

 

[concretejungle]

Great pics. Nay, how you like those truxus?

 

[Nay]

Great pics. Nay, how you like those truxus?

Trxus would be the perfect tire if they stayed balanced and lasted forever. I love 'em because they handle this stuff and rock in the snow all at the same time. Perfect Colorado tire.

Nay

Sweet Runner...makes me miss some simple leaf springs...I did get the 80 through this optional garden on a line a few feet to the right...

Back to Slee's t-case skid being able to support the 80...yes it can, and when it does, the 80 will stay right in place. I had walked up this obstacle and got hasty on the top ledge and cut it too far to the right, sliding the left front off the ledge and dropping the entire rig onto the skids/sliders. Tried to work it down to the right, and then lodged against a tree that clearly sees a lot of love. Hey, 80's are big

That strap was to pull from the left to get it off the tree, and then we winched from the front. The Slee receiver mounted in the stock bumper and through the crossmember held up to extraction use...it's solid.

 

[Nay]

Oh it could still get moved..................

You have to leave it as a counterbalance to the suspension travel thread. Otherwise this forum may implode

 

[green_machine]

heres a slideshow for your enjoyment:

linky

 

[Riad]

heres a slideshow for your enjoyment:

linky

I could only play for first 20 sec. then I get "file currupted" error message.

Looks pretty sweet in the beginning though

 

[alia176]

Good looking rig John, haven't seen it up close until now.

Ali

 

[green_machine]

Good looking rig John, haven't seen it up close until now.

Ali

thanks.

I am still not used to the extra wheelbase, and the extra length. I also think I could have made the sliders a bit different, and I still might. I think I will take some tube and run some outriggers about 1.5" out from the 2x3 that's there now.

The bodies on these things are too damn fat!

 

[TiredIronGRB]

Great pics, I would love to wheel out there some day. That wedge and rock garden look perfect for portals