COMPLETED: Canyon Sin Nombre / Diablo Dropoff

[The Roadie]

Leaving in a few minutes with Michael/Dirty Bacon for the trip he SHOULD have taken last week. But even this one is much safer with two vehicles and a SPOT beacon. Follow our progress:

[gotspeed1]

I had to learn the hard way about the importance of a two vehicle trip as well at Steelbender (damn kids!!). You guys have fun and be safe out there. Will look forward to the pics.

[DirtyBacon04]

Well, my dumbass forgot the memory card for my camera, but Bill got a lot of good videos and pics. So we'll have to wait for him to upload them. I had an AWESOME time! The trails were at the perfect level of "oh shit" and "guess i'll try it". A bit more comfortable knowing that Roadie was there. Also he led the way which deterred me from trying shit thats not recommended... Had quite a few challenging spots, but no one got stuck and got a chance to work on my spotter skills.
I'll let Roadie tell y'all what delayed the trip almost 2 hours.
So i worked my truck to the limit all day and not a single issue. Until........ I was turning into the parking lot on base, i could hear my driver side CV joint or hub bearings give out. REALLY?!?! Yup. I didnt bother with further investigation because i was tired. BUT i'll figure it out tomorrow.
STILL a great day, though. Looking forward to Bill's pics.

[fishsticks]

Well, my dumbass forgot the memory card for my camera, but Bill got a lot of good videos and pics. So we'll have to wait for him to upload them. I had an AWESOME time! The trails were at the perfect level of "oh shit" and "guess i'll try it". A bit more comfortable knowing that Roadie was there. Also he led the way which deterred me from trying shit thats not recommended... Had quite a few challenging spots, but no one got stuck and got a chance to work on my spotter skills.
I'll let Roadie tell y'all what delayed the trip almost 2 hours.
So i worked my truck to the limit all day and not a single issue. Until........ I was turning into the parking lot on base, i could hear my driver side CV joint or hub bearings give out. REALLY?!?! Yup. I didnt bother with further investigation because i was tired. BUT i'll figure it out tomorrow.
STILL a great day, though. Looking forward to Bill's pics.

You need lockers.

Why? Because I can tell that you look at terrain the same way I do. "I bet I can get over that..."

I want to see what you can do with lockers...

[Trail X]

Lockers just allow you to get stuck in more remote places.

[fishsticks]

Lockers just allow you to get stuck in more remote places.

Always wheel with at least one person who has a better rig than yours.

These words have served me well...

[DirtyBacon04]

Well according to your philosophy, Roadie is ////... See, i found a hole in your theory!

[fishsticks]

Well according to your philosophy, Roadie is ////... See, i found a hole in your theory!

Bill and I have differing missions...

[DirtyBacon04]

Too shay, good sir.

I'm trying to be the first TrailVoy on the moon... few more mods required

[DirtyBacon04]

You need lockers.

Why? Because I can tell that you look at terrain the same way I do. "I bet I can get over that..."

I want to see what you can do with lockers...

thats the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me!

Oh its funny that you say that because mid-trail Bill compared me to the fish. With my aggressive approach on a steep incline, i used momentum to make up for my lack of lockers.
I then said "Those who dont lock, speed"

[The Roadie]

Man, all the way on pavement until our paths diverged, I was thinking about the way Teebes and I wheeled hard at Truckhaven Hills, then his upper control arm broke at low speed after ten miles on PAVEMENT! Was hoping you'd make it back unscathed.

The video is fantastic. When I complete it. Spent the night watching the Survivor Finale. If you're into it, you know the attraction. If not, you wouldn't understand.

Teaser - the trip was delayed when Michael noticed THIS within a half mile of leaving my house:

What's wrong with this picture?



No clues yet, but the scenarios are very limited.

Basically, by spotting this, Michael's debt for the Rescue, whatever they might be, are erased. 100% erased. The trip would have gone very poorly if he didn't know my vehicle better than me. At least the proper appearance of its ass end.

[The Roadie]

Massive amounts of fresh rockfall blocked our path in two major points. More text tomorrow. Pics now for Michael to describe as he gets time.

[The Roadie]

[chevycrew]

It looks like the bolts were removed to change the gear oil, but something interrupted.

So were they removed before or after the bacon rescue trip?

[fishsticks]

It looks like the bolts were removed to change the gear oil, but something interrupted.

So were they removed before or after the bacon rescue trip?

Let's hope for after.... or else I cry for those bearings.

[The Roadie]

My Purple Cranium Spider (first one in the US) was either stolen or fell off in the last month or so. The bolts that come with it were metric hex recessed, and should have been difficult to remove for the random nighttime driveway thief or vibration. I'm stumped. I'm on a long private driveway, and have no real enemies locally. Certainly nobody who would see value in a Spider that fits no other vehicle compared to a pile of other stuff I leave out that has more value.



There was almost full diff oil in there when I loosened the top bolts.

[fishsticks]

The 8.6" cover fits just about every half ton Chevy out there.

[v7guy]

that's some beautiful country you fellas have out in the west. Haven't seen anything like that since I was in the Dakotas.

It seems pretty random that someone would steal a diff cover. I mean out of all the things to take... a diff cover? Really?

[The Roadie]

That's why I think the bolts loosened and it fell off, but I can't see all five departing the vehicle without me noticing it, even if I (big mistake here) didn't make a formal inspection for it before major trips.

There's a lesson in here.

I also can't remember using loctite on them when I installed it with the new axle install. Could be a flawed process, or bad memory.

[Trail X]

Bill, I don't think there's any way that all 5 bolts could have worked loose. Even if some did, there would be a couple that would have snapped before rattling out all the way.

Nothing else missing? No bolt studs left in the axle housing?

Oh yeah... good looking trip. You guys meet up with a group?