Shakedown Moab run....

[06 H3]

With all the recent mods I have done and Moab 19 days away a quick shakedown was in order. Remember all those crazy bizarre late night trail runs I used to write about? Here is another...it rained in so cal and the mud was that good ole thick clay. We went to a local trail and it got muddy quick. We get about halfway and we turn back because it was bad. That time it was me my brother in his JK and my buddy in his bronco. He drops off the bronco and we head back with 3 passengers in the hummer 2 in the JK we had some decent help to get us out safely. I was leading and what's about to happen would happen to any rig and any driver...just some bad luck. By a ledge the mud gave out, it was a sinkhole. I was way off camber and just one moment away from a rollover if that mud gave out, regardless of lift or not. As I am calling friends no one is answering. Luckily after 3 other calls my buddy Kevin answers. His YJ has a winch which was perfect. We had to have a winch pull me from the back so my rear end doesn't fall in while my brother winched me forward...they got as far as they could and I punched it...one shot to get out and I did. We're all home safe after a 3 hour extraction. Everything held up well...I am especially pleased with the deavers and steering rack seeing it didn't fail regardless of weird noises...worst I've ever been stuck and I can guarantee anyone else in my position would be stuck too.

 

[06 H3]

Post pics tomorrow

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[Pappibri]

Sounds like you ran into some wicked stuff.. Awaiting the pics....:corn:

 

[ReconH3]

...worst I've ever been stuck and I can guarantee anyone else in my position would be stuck too.

That's because you didn't have a PullPal and a Warn winch.



"Ex Umbris Venimus"

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[HUMMER INVESTMENTS]

ics: Seems like quite and exciting night:wink:

 

[alrock]

Glad you got out safely. Sounds like some bad mud.

 

[06 H3]

Here I am, slid off the trail. My rear driver tire was the one that gave out

As the sinkhole went deeper in front of my rear tire one winch slid me over while the other pulled me forward

Sitting here saying how the hell am I gonna get out

A winch jumped up in terms of importance on my mod list

Testing rancho kit, deavers and COG concerns in mud [X]
Moab [ ]

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[06 H3]

That's because you didn't have a PullPal and a Warn winch.



"Ex Umbris Venimus"

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I was begging for a pullpal yesterday. Lol

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[ReconH3]

Never leave home without it.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

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[06 H3]

For some bizarre reason my passenger side sway bar end link was disconnected this morning....look at the pic does it look like it was disconnected at the time I had this happen or did the bolt come off after I got out?

I can't tell and find it interesting seeing that no matter how tight I made the bolt it would still come loose,I was planning on loctiting the bolt but didn't before this run.

Assuming I wasn't connected in this picture do u feel my chance of a rollover been much greater seeing the weight of the tire would have been much higher?

Hmmm....

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[WarMongur]

I can guarantee anyone else in my position would be stuck too.

Well you mean ... anyone else that offroads with AT tires :giggle: ...

 

[Hunner]

If you have not been stuck in mud in no matter what type of vehicle it is, you just have not been off-roading much or in difficult situations involving MUD. So don't feel bad, you were out there doing it!
We used to call it "winching" instead of "4 wheelin" when we ran power lines and pipe lines and EVERYBODY got stuck at some point. My old Warn 8000 in the 70's was worth it's weight in gold, which now would be alot. In fact, I carried a spare motor.
First purchase when I got my 06 was a winch. All the rest of that stuff won't get you home.
Sounds like some creative winching going on there.
I just carry boat anchors:whaa:


If you are going to continue all these posts about your mods and adventures, that have a large following we may have to request you get a real camera!:giggle:
Night always adds a bit of intrigue to getting stuck, so it needs a powerful strobe too.:shifty:
Just messing witya!

 

[3Hummers]

Glad it worked out Chris. FYI, not much mud in Moab.

 

[autumn walker]

Looks like a good stuck and a good recovery.

I took the deuce on a shakedown run. Mud got deep and my friend got stuck; I pulled him out, went home and ordered a winch cradle mount for the truck. I won't wheel without it.

 

[3Hummers]

By the way, for anyone in the SoCal crowd I have a Pull Pal. I have never had occasion to use it but if anybody is going to go to the desert or mudding and wants to take it along just let me know.

 

[06 H3]

hey I love my duratracs! The problem wasnt really traction, If it was day light out and I saw the hole I would of went more to the right. I didnt see it and sunk thats when I went off camber. Sitting there with MT's or AT's on the throttle would of made it worse as I would of sunk more and rolled down the hill.

Hunner, That was my friends phone camera so quality is far from good but I have been contemplating getting a DSLR camera seeing I do have a lot of trail run reports

Winch and a pullpal are next on my list. It has gotten very important now lol...Mud is just so damn sketchy especially on tight trails where the so cal dirt cant handle much rain...MUDSLIDE!!

In the end I gotta give the credit to my buddy Marc who really got me out of there safely. With 8 of us there, everyone has different plans and different ideas on what to do and I had to sit in the cab with my foot stomped on the brake and keeping the steering wheel straight. He really took charge and came up with a great plan, took his time and did it safely. Props to him :cheers:

 

[06 H3]

By the way, for anyone in the SoCal crowd I have a Pull Pal. I have never had occasion to use it but if anybody is going to go to the desert or mudding and wants to take it along just let me know.

Thanks, I plan on purchasing one, When my brother winching he kept sliding from the mud...if we attached him to one of those it would be a lot safer then nothing or the random pole that was about 100 feet away. lol I also wanna look into the big wheel chocks Portager has.

As you can tell I am kind of on a roll now with getting recovery gear. I have done many rescues in the past but now that I was the one being rescued I realize you can never have too much recovery gear.

 

[cbetts]

That mud in your area is slicker that elephant snot! I have had two run-ins with it in my truck.

The first time, I was able to recover. The left rear dropped off the trail when the back drifted over. I was able to recover with some throttle.

The next time, I was able to stay on the trail . . . just barely!
[video=youtube;gfvvBPnRil4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfvvBPnRil4[/video]

 

[Timgco]

I don;t think an MT tire would have made much of a difference. Sound slike you hit a washout and the ground gave way.

Those AT tires you have are pretty aggresive for an AT tire IMHO (not sure on how much tread you have on them, but they should do fine in the mud if they are not bald). If the mud gets like slime, the MT's will do better, but once any tire gets packed full of slime, not much you can do. MT's are easier to clean out mud with wheel spin. I think if you had some Rigid's you might have seen the hole. JOKE!:giggle: LOL.

I had a pullpal collecting dust for 4 years and finally sold it. they are bulky to haul around. not a bad idea if you go solo or in open desert. If you don;t have something to anchor to, your winch is useless without something to attach to. you cal always dig a huge hold and throw your spare in there anchored to a strap worst case. can be dangerous though.

I can see a nice Warn VR8/10 or M8 in your future. Don;t stress about getting before Moab though. pleanty of people will have them on hand. If I get my bumper before this trip, I'll have one as well. I know at least 4 trucks will have them mounted though.

looks like you were ready to slide more or roll the drsd more. hard to tell from that pic.

 

[3Hummers]

Not much mud in Moab and we will have some 12000# winches on hand.

 

[06 H3]

I don;t think an MT tire would have made much of a difference. Sound slike you hit a washout and the ground gave way.

Those AT tires you have are pretty aggresive for an AT tire IMHO (not sure on how much tread you have on them, but they should do fine in the mud if they are not bald). If the mud gets like slime, the MT's will do better, but once any tire gets packed full of slime, not much you can do. MT's are easier to clean out mud with wheel spin. I think if you had some Rigid's you might have seen the hole. JOKE!:giggle: LOL.

I had a pullpal collecting dust for 4 years and finally sold it. they are bulky to haul around. not a bad idea if you go solo or in open desert. If you don;t have something to anchor to, your winch is useless without something to attach to. you cal always dig a huge hold and throw your spare in there anchored to a strap worst case. can be dangerous though.

I can see a nice Warn VR8/10 or M8 in your future. Don;t stress about getting before Moab though. pleanty of people will have them on hand. If I get my bumper before this trip, I'll have one as well. I know at least 4 trucks will have them mounted though.

looks like you were ready to slide more or roll the drsd more. hard to tell from that pic.

I have two anchors then :mock: Nice sales tactic on the rigids LOL....While a pull pal is heavy I think its beneficial for me to carry around in the winter months. This mud gets nasty and I have been called out on recoveries before. Try going to save people who try and do this stuff on bald street tires, I had a recovery in this type of mud last year. He had bald street tires on a grand cherokee, hit an embankment, slid and landed his jeep on the side. Winch and recovery equipement are now a priority. I also wanna get a cradle with a winch too. Dual winches when needed and can even throw one on the back of another truck with me if need be. Call me hamster Jr. I guess atleast I will be prepared.

Simple little fire roads are turned into disasters from this crap!

Not much mud in Moab and we will have some 12000# winches on hand.

Good! I am sick of this mud lol

That mud in your area is slicker that elephant snot! I have had two run-ins with it in my truck.

The first time, I was able to recover. The left rear dropped off the trail when the back drifted over. I was able to recover with some throttle.

The next time, I was able to stay on the trail . . . just barely!
[video=youtube;gfvvBPnRil4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfvvBPnRil4[/video]

Glad you posted up, you know what this mud is all about! The word to describe this mud is sketchy...any situation can be turned into a nightmare with this mud...idk whats so different about it then other places. Btw do you use 4 lo for the mud or 4 hi to keep the wheel speed up and cleaning the tread?

 

[cbetts]

Btw do you use 4 lo for the mud or 4 hi to keep the wheel speed up and cleaning the tread?

I use 4-Lo. I found keeping a slow, steady pace kept me on the trail better. I have even used my starter to pull me though a mud pit (manual trans FTW!).

 

[3Hummers]

I have been in mud that was almost as slick as ice. In Oklahoma, mid winter with that red clay, some freeze/thaw, rain and cold and you have yourself the slickest goo imaginable.

 

[skeptic]

Just to expand on that a little, I've been wheeling in both mud and snow where people have wanted to see how far they could get before getting stuck. Not a question of if, but when.

 

[Hunner]

On that slick surface mud, heavy tire chains helps. A mess to do but...........
Here we have "Gumbo" mud. It builds up no matter how big a lugs you got until it fills the wheel wells. Carrying a large cooking spoon helps!!
This guy sort of has hinted about some of this and had some ideas that might help.
Out of the way, no mess in the vehicle when muddy. Strong, can set two in a "Bahamian" style mooring at 45 degrees or attach two winches.
Sure, might not look purty, to some just like an exposed winch rather than one buried in a bumper, or buried in mud and you get lots of questions, but they have worked. One has held a 10,000 lb boat in high seas and high winds from dragging in the sand. Mud, they will dig down and provide resistance. You may have to winch them up when close to them.
I tried that burying the spare idea and after a grueling digging, apparently not deep enough, it just pulled up. A heavy chain will help keep the winch cable low and help some. Whatever it is a mess, fun????
You won't care as much about approach and departure angle with a winch in this situation in mud or sand. Rocks, yea some.
I swap between rollers and hawze depending on which winch has the most angle. I used front and rear on this recovery to keep from sliding down a ravine. Overkill? Maybe not.

Yeah it adds weight, yu wanna get home or leave the vehicle.
Friends with a winch and a sense of adventure are always nice to have also.