I had a great time! I was in Moab, Utah, this past week with my friends at 'Zu Zoo VI, which is an annual Isuzu gathering. I was a friend to many of them and riding as a passenger/spotter/photographer with them long before I bought my 4Runner.

Before you all freak out in search of pics, I did take a lot of pics, but they're on film. I'll get the good ones online in a week or two and I'll update this thread then. Meanwhile, lots of Isuzu folks will be adding pics from the event on the Isuzu Talk forum. There's some video of me that's currently on DV tape. I'll try to get that online too.

I led Steel Bender and Poison Spider Mesa. I also did Behind the Rocks and all of Pritchet Canyon. Last year I did Behind the Rocks, but this year it was more difficult since it was raining that day. I still did High Dive and White Knuckle Hill again. After you do those the first time, they're just fun. This was the first time I've made it up Upchuck. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Big Grin]" src="images/icons/grin.gif" /> I'm very happy that I completed all of Pritchet Canyon, which is rated 5 on a scale of 5. I had to winch 3 times (Rocker Knocker, Rock Pile, and the last obstacle of the ascent). I was the only one in our group with puny 33" tires. I also accomplished my goal of doing the optional gully about 1/3 through Pritchet. That gully wasn't as hard as I had expected, but the front locker certainly helped. I did destroy an MT/R sidewall on a sharp rock near there -- it was my first flat with an MT/R in 60K miles.

After a few failed attempts to get up Rocker Knocker on Pritchet, I broke the outermost axle shaft of the front right axle. This is a Newfield axle for manual hubs. It definitely seems like it withstood a lot of torque before it died. The CV's survived fine, but the axle had a nice torsional break (45 degree split) that started just at the edge of the splines for the manual hub. This is the narrowest section of a manual hub axle. I was locked front/rear and powering into it at the time. I think I had a slight bounce on that wheel. It's cool you can see how deeply the heat treating penetrated the axle. I'll need to compare it to pics of Steve Hunt's breakage of the same outer axle shaft with manual hubs when he attempted Double Whammy.

I had a complete spare axle shaft with me. I swapped it on the trail in about an hour. I intentionally beached my 4Runner on a large rock instead of using a jack and jack stand during the fix. The only problem is that the axle breakage also mangled the needle bearings that help to center that axle shaft inside the hub assembly. I had no choice but to remove those needle bearings and continue in 4L without them. I still did a lot of hard wheeling after that. Toyota doesn't sell the needle bearings separately from the full hub assembly, so I'm now looking for a replacement for them. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="images/icons/frown.gif" />

This time I ramped a 755 on a 20 degree ramp. It was the 4th best IFS RTI at the event. I also checked my weight at a truck weigh scale - I was 5360 pounds total, which is over the GVWR. Good thing I have a lot of aluminum mods. But after I took out the camping stuff and some spare parts and tools, I was probably at 4900-5000 lbs on the trail.

On the last day, I also did part of Lower Helldorado. A friend in a Dodge Ram broke a U-joint, so we ended up turning around instead of completing the trail. But I still walked on foot through the trail. Looks like a fun trail that can be challenging, but do-able.

My new mods in the last 6 months: Performance Coatings ceramic on TRD headers, re-modified custom 1/4" aluminum skidplates, custom steel gas tank skidplate from ORS, Ace Hardware diff drop (now about 0.6" due to skidplate interference), totally re-mounted rock sliders on one side so far - bolt-on style bracket around 3 sides of the frame somewhat like Dandeman's but a little different, lug nut mount spare tire instead of Rockstomper giant wingnut, Spidertrax aluminum Hawse fairlead to go with Rockstomper winch rope, and revised version of a Ruari e-locker motor skidplate.

I've been busy, so now I can get back to continuing to plan for CO4RJ. A 4Runner trip to Moab would be fun, too. Sometime in the Fall would have cooler temperatures. We have to stay under 50 vehicles to avoid BLM permits, so that shouldn't be a problem for our crowd.

Whew, I'm out of breath just reading your post!! Sounds like you had a good time despite the damage. Can't wait to see some pics!

John

Good trail report. Thanks for posting! I would be interested in attending a Moab trip for the group.

Personally, I'm leaving for Moab this Thursday. Come back Tuesday. I can't wait! (And I hope I don't have to use my spare axle.)

I just talked to CV Unlimited about replacing my broken Newfield axle. In case anyone else deals with them, definitely always work through George. He seems like the only one there that actually knows their Toyota products and replacement policy. I'll get one free replacement and 50% off the following one. But it would have been like pulling teeth to get any replacement if George wouldn't be there.

I found Steve Hunt's broken axle pic again. His failed in a perpendicular line that sheared across the axle at the same general location as mine did. From a web search on metallurgy, I just learned that that's called a brittle failure. Mine is split at 45 degrees for about a 2" length, which is more of a ductile failure. So this is the first time that I actually have any evidence that CV Unlimited really did do heat treating of the outer joint and axle to make it flex more to withstand shock loads. Ductile failure good. Brittle failure bad.

One interesting point is that the ADD outermost axle shaft is thicker in that location since it's also under constant tension and helps hold the hub together so the wheel doesn't fall off. I had noticed this and wondered if ADD axles are stronger because of that - depending on where's the weakest point along the half-shaft. George mentioned that there isn't much they can do to improve the strength of the outer axle where I broke it, so the ADD axle can be made stronger than the manual hub axle, as long as the CV joint is stronger than that section of axle. CV Unlimited does make Newfield axles for ADD 4Runners, if anyone's interested in that tidbit. But if you break an ADD outer axle shaft instead of the outer CV joint, you need to have a trail spare or you'll be hurtin'.

Jeff,
Good job on completed Pritchet and stuff. And I'm impressed you drove down White Knuckle and Nose Dive again. Those are soo much steeper that I thought, and have huge drop-off's at the bottom.

You didn't drive up any of those did you?

Too bad you couldn't complete Lower Helldorado. I think that trail is the most technical, yet doable trail I did out there.

I posted my trail report and pictures on the YotaTech tail report section this time. In case you didn't see it. Moab

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by JadeRunner:
<strong>You didn't drive up any of those did you?</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Nope, I didn't want to try going back up High Dive in the rain. It looks really tough even if it would be dry. White Knuckle Hill wasn't as bad this year partly due to lots of rock stacking by other groups before we got to it. But we wouldn't have been able to get back up to the obstacle since the mud below it was insanely slick - possibly trickier than going down the obstacle itself.

One of the tougher climbs I did was the very first hill on Behind the Rocks because it was raining pretty good then. I'm glad I had front and rear lockers. But I still wasn't able to truly pick my line since I slid around a bit.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Originally posted by JadeRunner:
<strong>Too bad you couldn't complete Lower Helldorado. I think that trail is the most technical, yet doable trail I did out there.

I posted my trail report and pictures on the YotaTech tail report section this time. In case you didn't see it. Moab</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Yes, I had seen your trail report just before I went out there. It was good to hear your description of Lower Helldorado before I went out there. I was surprised that there were actually a couple of bypasses in there, too.

Congrats on doing Hell's Gate. I walked it about 4 or 5 years ago, but haven't driven that one.
Jeff

Hey, I just noticed a few pics are up. Not my pics yet, but some friend's pics.

Here's a pic of my broken Newfield (sitting next to the Taco spare axle). I broke that on Rocker Knocker.

And for comparison, here's Steve Hunt's axle breakage from Double Whammy on Golden Spike.

Pritchett pics here: http://trailseeker.com/4x4/moabzuvi/Pritchett/index.htm

<small>[ May 21, 2003, 12:53 PM: Message edited by: Jeff the marmot ]</small>

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans"> One of the tougher climbs I did was the very first hill on Behind the Rocks because it was raining pretty good then. I'm glad I had front and rear lockers. But I still wasn't able to truly pick my line since I slid around a bit. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">Good job in the rain! That obstacle was difficult for me also. And it was dry. The only way I made it up was by taking the high line and having people stand on my uphill sliders to keep my wheels down and prevent me from sliding down to the rock ledges. One of the FJ40's had to winch up.

Yes, I had seen your trail report just before I went out there. It was good to hear your description of Lower Helldorado before I went out there. I was surprised that there were actually a couple of bypasses in there, too.
</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans"> </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Tahoma, Arial, Helv, Helvetica, Sans">I think there was about 3 bypasses. I took one of the first bypasses that was a bit of a wedgy and looked like it could take out the whole side of your truck. But, none of the others.