BajaNomad - Project "Rebuild Four Baja" underway

Project "Rebuild Four Baja" underway

Ken Cooke - 12-29-2008 at 11:52 AM

Baja Grande 2008 was a trying experience for my '03 Jeep Rubicon. Although the drivetrain is fully intact, several issues crept up making for repair work necessary - hence, "Rebuild Four Baja".

Tires:

The Interco TrXus MT is a quiet, smooth tire with good road manners. If it weren't for their difficulty in balancing, I would continue buying these dependable Baja tires.

On the beach in Gonzaga Bay, I realized they are not impervious to small, sharp sticks.

The passenger rear tire now also has a leak. A very slow leak, but a leak. This was item 1 on "Rebuild Four Baja".

The passenger rear tire is going to be repaired -- after the Viair Extreme airtanks' bleeder valve is replaced so that the airtank can hold air.

Hook - 12-29-2008 at 12:27 PM

These tires succumbed to a stick on a sandy beach????????????????

And you call them dependable? :?:

[Edited on 12-29-2008 by Hook]

Ken Cooke - 12-29-2008 at 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Hook
These tires succumbed to a stick on a sandy beach????????????????

And you call them dependable? :?:

It was an extremely narrow and sharp stick. The people at Goodyear Tire pulled out the stick to show it to me. The stick slid in between the tread lugs along the outter edge of the passenger-side rear tire.

I meant to say the drivers-side rear tire now has a slow leak. This is the first problem I have had with these tires in the 92,000 mi. that I have used them.

Barry A. - 12-29-2008 at 04:26 PM

Hook and Ken------

Personally I have never seen the tire that could stand up to a well placed "stick", and have had litterally dozens of "stick punctures" over the years. The last one last summer was in Owens Valley driving near the river to get in some fishing-----BFG AT tire Load range "C" had a stick right thru the sidewall, near the tread, and the tire had only 2300 miles on it------BFG (actually America's Tire Co.) replaced it for free with a new tire.

If the puncture is on the face (tread) of the tire, a plug usually does the trick, but on the sidewall, you pretty much always have to replace the tire. Green slime plus a plug will usually get you home, tho, even on the side wall puncture.

Barry

Gadget - 12-29-2008 at 04:34 PM

I don't get it Ken???
You have a couple of punctures.
Whats with the rebuild? Sompin else busted?
That seems real easy compared to what I'm facing.
Wanna trade tasks?

Hook - 12-29-2008 at 05:51 PM

BFG, Barry? Say no more.

I think someone should do an analysis on the composition of that stick that managed to get the best of steel belts.

I'm a Michelin man...........THREE belts of steel under the tread for me.

Never had a sidewall intrusion. But I drive on dirt roads; prefer not to drive off road. I watch the surface constantly for likely sidewall soldiers. It seems to work.

Barry A. - 12-29-2008 at 05:54 PM

Hook---------and a little luck helps----------I love my BFG's, but you have a point--------all my problems have been just the last few hundred yards getting into some campsite off the beaten track, or someplace I probably shouldn't be going-------there is a lesson there, I am sure.

Barry

Hook - 12-29-2008 at 06:18 PM

All your problems have been with BFGs, Barry. Look no further.

The litany of questionable punctures and blowouts with BFGs, amongst my friends, is lengthy.

Ken Cooke - 12-29-2008 at 07:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gadget
I don't get it Ken???
You have a couple of punctures.
Whats with the rebuild? Sompin else busted?
That seems real easy compared to what I'm facing.
Wanna trade tasks?

Next on the table is repairing my Garvin Wilderness Rack. After a grueling run from Bahia de los Angeles to El Arco, this rack is ready for retirement. Cracked mounts, stress cracks, and a busted frame crossmember all must be repaired for safe, worry-free driving with my Coleman Extreme, 2 Gerry Cans, a 33" spare tire, and a Hi-Lift jack all mounted in place. Photos of the rebuild to follow....

BAJACAT - 12-29-2008 at 09:44 PM

No wonder you need to do so manny repairs Ken, if you drive your Jeep like the little guy and your Avatar drives his. :coolup:

bajalou - 12-30-2008 at 08:53 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gadget
I don't get it Ken???
You have a couple of punctures.
Whats with the rebuild? Sompin else busted?
That seems real easy compared to what I'm facing.
Wanna trade tasks?

How you coming on the rebuild of your's Will?

Gadget - 12-30-2008 at 05:39 PM

Copy that Ken
Need some welding done?

Thanks for asking Lou
Its parked in the garage.
Waiting for a settlement with Qualitas through Lewis and Lewis.
We carry a stated value policy with them on GSB.
Everyone was very nice to us when we trailered it to TJ to meet with the adjuster.
Keeping our thoughts positive on the payout.
Will update when I know something.

[Edited on 12-31-2008 by Gadget]

Ken Cooke - 12-30-2008 at 06:47 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Gadget
Copy that Ken
Need some welding done?

On Saturday, I paid a guy in Lakewood to fabricate mounts that would box in the section that was compromised. The mounts connected with welded on tabs that attached to the frame rails for additional strength. Although, difficult to remove, the bumper is now super strong.

Back from Tijuana. The Jeep is now back in service!!

Ken Cooke - 1-6-2009 at 03:54 PM

:bounce:

Disc brake job = $90 :bounce:

The service at Willy's Taller in Playas de Tijuana was 2 hours, while you wait. I waited on the corner of the main drag where I bought 2 Fish tacos for $2.50. The discs were turned, and Duralast pads were installed. Great deal all around. I helped Willy since business in Tijuana is off/inflation is up, and Willy's great prices helped me save 2/3rds over what I would have been charged here in Riverside, CA.

Busted shock mount/bushing...FIXED.

Ken Cooke - 1-6-2009 at 03:57 PM

Willy is holding my Pro-Comp MX-6 shock. The upper mounts are notorious for breaking under heavy shock loads on the Jeep. A useful upgrade would be the bar pin eliminator kit. This would eliminate the weak pressed steel part that often breaks at the eye. Here is Willy holding the shock and the broken bar pin.

Shock Installed!

Ken Cooke - 1-6-2009 at 04:06 PM

Thanks to the guys at Willy's in Playas de Tijuana, I spent very little having this installed, and didn't have to get under the Jeep.

Broken Garvin Wilderness Bumper...fixed!

Ken Cooke - 1-6-2009 at 04:16 PM

:!:

I've already lost 2 tires on the highway, and I know this would be a serious danger, so I had it worked on immediately. :!:

Welded, Gusetted, Painted, Rebuilt Four Baja!

Ken Cooke - 1-6-2009 at 04:18 PM

Super-strong mounts with new Grade 8 hardware in place.

Boxed and rewelded, this Garvin Wilderness Bumper/Rack system is ready to get me and my food & gasoline across Baja and back without any issues.

DeMinimis - 1-13-2009 at 05:22 PM

Willy looks unimpressed with your shock choice Ken. :lol:

Ken, I say convert your mounts to eyelet mounts and your problems will be solved. My rig, loaded, was around 12k pounds, we caught air south of Puertocitos, the shocks and mounts were the one thing we didn't have to worry about. Damn fridge quit working though, along with leaking high-pressure oil lines, and grease with the consistency of dried toothpaste in my hubs after that water crossing, and that two-weeks-lived-in-smell, oh that cursed smell, the smell of feet and dirty clothes....but the suspension held up. Bilstein 7100 with rezies. I loved that run from SF to El Acro.

BajaGringo - 1-13-2009 at 05:30 PM

Ken - where did you get that "No Ensucies Baja" bumper sticker?

Ken Cooke - 1-13-2009 at 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaGringo
Ken - where did you get that "No Ensucies Baja" bumper sticker?

Pablo Ramirez @ Triple AAA 4x4 (664)689 4286

He might have additional stickers available. Tell him you spotted this sticker on my Jeep, and that will break the ice.

Steve&Debby - 1-22-2009 at 01:21 PM

Ken,

Where was that run that you had posted a while back with all the rocks ? Looked like a pretty good run. Are you going again in the near future? If so,want some company?

David K - 1-22-2009 at 01:42 PM

Ken's two Baja 'Jeep Rubicon' group trips are

a) Pole Line Road (lots of rocks to drive over) and

b) Baja Grande (which includes a trip into Mision Santa Maria, where you drive on rocks!).

You can search Nomad to find his trip report photos...

Ken Cooke - 1-25-2009 at 10:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Steve&ebby
Ken,

Where was that run that you had posted a while back with all the rocks ? Looked like a pretty good run. Are you going again in the near future? If so,want some company?

That must be the Pole Line Road. I'm hoping to do this run in April. $$Money$$ permitting, I will try and get a run together, but no guarantees right now...

-Ken