Topic: Truck Haven

[SoCalXTerry]

I will probably not be able to attend this event.  I just back from a weekend of wheeling at Superstition Mountain south of the Salton Sea near El Centro.   I am actually very lucky that I got back.   During the first run (A VERY bad one a 4+ on the 1-4 scale of these wheelers I was with)  I think I met my match while trying to get up this very thin loose BIG rock gully I in one fell swoop broke my drivers side coilover AND did something very bad to my front axle as in no front wheel drive even though the drive shaft was turning.   Well the recovery crew (Thank god for them)  with this event spent nearly three hours getting me out of my predicament and back to camp.   One of the recovery personnel said ah no problem and welded the shaft of my coilover (Which I'm being told you can't do) and we spent about the 5-6 hours last night figureing how a coilover is put together  , welding, grinding, reassembling the coil over back together and installing it back in my X 3 inch droop and all.
So today a drove and drove  200 miles starting out at about 20 miles per hour waiting for the coilover to break again or my front axle to seize up because of all the spare parts now swimming around in my diff.

So if anybody asks of my weekend there it is.   Now the repairs begin.

[Toro]

Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaym!!

[FrankB]

Sorry to hear that Terry.

[shi819]

Oh man that sucks. Sorry Terry. :/

[HEVAK]

BUMMER!!! Get well soon Terry

[RockinX]

Now the repairs begin.

Usually people would say now you can build a bigger and better rig.  But you've already done that.  I hope the repairs go well.

[xxSVxx]

I am sorry to hear that Terry..

What brand of coilovers were they....if you don't mind my asking?!

[SoCalXTerry]

They are Radflos

[Lava]

Wow that sucks, sorry to hear.

As far as welding a drive shaft to a coil over?! That crazy. They are two separate components that do different jobs. Sounds like you may have been hoppping the front end up and down (hence braking the coilover) and when you made contact with mother earth, your driveline was still spinning and one end, probably on the differential side was stripped out of the toothed gear ring inside the Diff. Or inside one of the CV joints, since those are also geared and held in by snap rings.

If the diff isnst the issue and its just a CV joint, then you're good to go, since new CVs and axles are not to much, but you are Titan Swapped so the cost could be a bit higher. Let me know if you need any help and I'll make some movements in my schedule to come help. 

(Do me a favor and punch that welder in the forehead for me! Weld a coilover to Drive Axle, haha Lol)

[SuperSlideStyle]

The book California Trails shows Truckhaven Trail (SC#26)W to be NE of Borrego Spriogs but N of Ocotillo Wells and directly E of the Salton Sea along the main S22 road.  It also crosses three other trails, SC#27, SC#28. and SC#29.  Expect to do around 11.5 trail miles and a difficulty rating of 5 (a detour around the washout is rated a 7 in reverse, an 8 going forward and is the only way around).  There is a possibility of damaging the sides of your vehicles if you slip sideways on the loose surface.  Its a short pinch that is very steep.

That damage you got really sucks.  I have a shop accoumt set up with Fontana Nissan parts dept. and if you want to save big on replacement parts, let me know.  I might be able to help.

[RockinX]

Looking at Backcountry Adventures Southern California, it looks like you can avoid the 8 rated section by jumping down south to the Arroyo Salado Trail SC#28 if you find the recent rains make it such that you want to avoid the tougher section.  If you are starting at S22 near Inspiration Point Wash, you will have already done most of Truckhaven Trail SC#26 by then.  Here is what makes me think you can choose the alternate trail (head right instead of left).  Keep in mind, the book I have was published in 2002.

"Turn left up unmarked Truckhaven Trail #26 and zero trip meter.  South Coast #28 Arroyo Salado Trail is on the right.  Intersection is easy to miss in this direction."

Here's what the trail guide says if you continue north on Truckhaven Trail SC#26,

"The official road is washed out and impassable; there is a difficult loose, alternate route immediately upstream before the main trail junction.  It is very difficult in this direction because of the loose surface.  Care is needed on this ascent at a tight twist on top of the short rise."

I think that is the section shown in the video.  I certainly don't mean to discourage anyone, but just thought I would offer a possible alternate route if needed.  Here is a map of the area.

http://www.desertusa.com/anza_borrego/abphoto/ABDSPmap.pdf

[Lava]

I'm out. 

Last minute stuff came up I can't get out of. Have fun Fearless Leader!

Remember: you are not lost, you are on an Adventure! 

[dan826]

Wow that sucks, sorry to hear.

As far as welding a drive shaft to a coil over?! That crazy. They are two separate components that do different jobs. Sounds like you may have been hoppping the front end up and down (hence braking the coilover) and when you made contact with mother earth, your driveline was still spinning and one end, probably on the differential side was stripped out of the toothed gear ring inside the Diff. Or inside one of the CV joints, since those are also geared and held in by snap rings.

I don't think he meant the driveshaft. I think he's just talking about welding a broken piston shaft back together.

[SoCalXTerry]

Wow that sucks, sorry to hear.

As far as welding a drive shaft to a coil over?! That crazy. They are two separate components that do different jobs. Sounds like you may have been hoppping the front end up and down (hence braking the coilover) and when you made contact with mother earth, your driveline was still spinning and one end, probably on the differential side was stripped out of the toothed gear ring inside the Diff. Or inside one of the CV joints, since those are also geared and held in by snap rings.

If the diff isnst the issue and its just a CV joint, then you're good to go, since new CVs and axles are not to much, but you are Titan Swapped so the cost could be a bit higher. Let me know if you need any help and I'll make some movements in my schedule to come help. 

(Do me a favor and punch that welder in the forehead for me! Weld a coilover to Drive Axle, haha Lol)

Justin  We welded the shaft of the coilover(No inference to the driveline). The shaft of the shock was literally broken just above the lower shock mount and this guy welded the shaft and we re-assembled the coilover.   I'm hoping it is the axle/cv joint   I crawled under the rig this afternoon and could literally wiggle the entire axle/cv joint on the passenger side.  So I hope that means that I am in the market for a complete axle for the passenger side for a non-titan swapped R180.  If anybody out there might have one.

[dan826]

  So I hope that means that I am in the market for a complete axle for the passenger side for a non-titan swapped R180.  If anybody out there might have one.

I have a pair off the R180 in my frontier before I t-swapped, they are the same right?