ALMOST A DISASTER IN THE DESERT

While at this location, 30.208962 -114.953829, (Google Earth), I destroyed my right rear brakes. The story is that I put on my parking brakes while parked on an incline with my four wheel drive still engaged. Later, when I moved my truck I forgot to disengage the handbrake and took off. Well in four wheel drive I was not stopped by the handbrake. I took off and drove a distance of about 50 to 100 feet when I heard a loud popping sound followed by metal on metal noises in the back. I looked under my truck and noticed brake fluid leaking from the right rear wheel area. Thank goodness I had my 3-1/2 ton jack with me. I think the pictures below speak for themselves. The brake backing plate was bent and all of the brake parts were loose in the brake drum.

With help from Paco we removed all the brake guts and at the suggestion of Paco we used a cut nail to tap one end of the brake line to plug the line. With that and a little brake fluid Sany had I at least had three working brakes and cautiously drove back to El Rosario. My brother Jimmy sent me to San Quintin to a place called Frenos Unicos. It is located across the street from a school at the very south end of town. Manuel, the owner drove me to the junk yard to locate a right rear brake backing plate but they wanted to sell me an entire differential just for the part I needed. I did not buy it so Manuel had them remove the brake backing plate and tap the brake line junction box above the differential with a nail.

Manuel had to open up my differential to remove the right rear axle to get access to the brake backing plate then reinstall everything. He even put a new set of brake pads on my left rear wheel all for 300 Pesos. I can recommend Frenos Unicos and Manuel to anyone needing break repairs while down in that area. I went back to El Rosario then back out into the mountains where I spent another night under the stars. The repairs got me home safe and sound with plenty of braking power.

Normal appearance of rear brake backing plate


My right rear wheel without rear backing plate (YIKES NO BRAKE)



Brake line junction box above rear differential. The screw in piece on the right had a nail inside blocking the fluid from escaping


The pieces


First Night camping before brake problem


Sany sleeping by his Cat. On the left you can see my air mattress and sleeping bag in the back of my truck


Paco's bed on the side of the cat. I did bring two cots for them but only Paco used it.


Sany sleeping on the ground at second camp site.


Paco sleeping on the ground at the second camp site.

Of course I am comfortable on my air mattress in the back of my truck


This is also near 30.208962 -114.953829, (Google Earth)



[Edited on 4-6-2009 by ELINVESTI8]

Thanks, great story , good people ...

I always love a good breakdown story. I remenber the days looking for parts going from place to place.

"does it go soft every night like my coleman does?"

Yep, mine does, always has.

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja "does it go soft every night like my coleman does?" Yep, mine does, always has.

I'm not laughing at you...just with you.

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja "does it go soft every night like my coleman does?" Yep, mine does, always has.

so THAT'S what you call it?

David,

That CAT looks like a great camping vehicle

Quote:

Originally posted by woody in ob Quote: Originally posted by Sharksbaja "does it go soft every night like my coleman does?" Yep, mine does, always has. so THAT'S what you call it?

Wha?? Oh, I have a Truckbedz mattress. Very comfortable till around 4am.

Ron that Cat is as old as Sany, 62 years old. It has been modified from its original cable operated blade to its current hydraulic configuration. I cannot believe that Sany has kept it going for the 15 or so years he has had it. Sany's wife Lili says she is jealous of the Cat and calls it Sany's "Other woman" because he spends more time with it than her. What a road maker it is. I was amazed. It can go anywhere!

Let's get that CAT and finish the road east from Puertocitos/Gonzaga over to Catavina....and push a few rocks off the Widowmaker grade as well....

Woody I highly recommend it. I used it three times in Baja. I just used it again in October 2009 while I was "Ghost Busting" at San Juan De Dios and it kept the air. It’s a great mattress and it custom fits the bed of your truck. Like anything else though it can be damaged.

Hey, David.. thought it was a new thread took me couple lines to figure out that someone had put up a new post..and brought it back up... then I re-read it and this time it made me laugh big time .. the first time I was going OH, my.. really hard cheese there.. but, man... he as able to it torn down, and all the way over to SQ to get parts and get the sucker back on the road... great job.. cool

This time when I read it I started laughing at what you must have been doing and saying, when you got out of the truck and took a good look at what you had done ...

Then I really started laughing who in the world would be taking PICTURES OF IT, I would have never thought to take of picture of it.. as, I would most likely been throwing rocks and telling myself "real good job" ... that's when I thought, no body but a trained investigator from the Marines.. by the book..

But, you got it done, had and a well written report on the event.. well documented, excellent pictures, identity of "players" .. and the narrative is really very good, that you knew all these folks was really neat.... one thing.... how did all the others get the "dirt" and you get an excellent air matters that doesn't lose air

What's more, you highly recommend it

Really like the shot of you in the truck on the nice soft air mattress and the other guys sleeping in the dirt..

Its all good, not a high jack, just an observation on a great story on what you must do when you tear your tuck apart down in the Baja..

Me.... I would die...... they would find me by all the buzzards circle my corps..yeah, i know, but even with the knowledge, I'm a goner.. if I took a sat phone, I would drop it on a rock and break it.. if I got a spot device, it would be one that would not get signal, were I broke down.. plus it would most likely rain, and have a real low heavy cloud cover..

As you can imagine, I tend to stay close to the house... keep the stories coming there greatc

Oh, my.. just looked it up.. what were you doing in Beverly Hills on Redo Dr... you were out in the boonies.. man.. you looking for gold?

And would have to agree with you.. it will just tear the hell of it.. but, it is one strong vehicle you got there.. can't stop them 4 X 4's with just a parking brake..

And on the air mattress, I bet Paco and Sany both thought it to be the most comforable thing in miles to sleep on that they could see, as they were on the rocks with hormigas and escorpión and other crawling critters .. suprised they just didn't pull the blanket over your head and use entrenching tools or a cresent wrench on you.. oh, that's right they are family.. your lucky mine would have made use I was as uncomfortable as they might have been..

Your adventure to the out back servers one to remember to go really slow.. and take ones time.. it only take a second.. and there you are.. sleeping on your air mattress

[Edited on 2-3-2010 by wessongroup]

It's all good, just playing with an old Marine.. couldn't you tell "entrenching tool"

And you are right, it would have been pretty hard to find those guys where they were... and you were lucky to find the tracks.. as they must have had that cat out there for a while.. given their location, a little to the east of bum flock Egypt..

I liked the part on the inflator.. don't remember that, but it could have been from laughing to hard... still a good story.. and you got some good folks there...

[Edited on 2-3-2010 by wessongroup]

The White Mountain range is the next range east of the High Sierras separated by the Owens Valley. The oldest living trees in the world are there. Called the "Ancient Bristlecones", they live at a very high altitude and are many thousands of years old.

40 years ago a 4X4 was needed to ascend the mountains. Now you can drive a regular vehicle up there. You can get back in those mountains on dirt roads and is a very beautiful place. We liked to go in May. We usually four-wheeled in the Sierras but when the snowpack was too deep we would go into the White Mountains because the snow melted earlier.

That trip was scary when I broke the line. I did not have brake fluid so I used water. Worked great but caused me to eventually replace ALL the lines, cyls etc.

I always bring tons of repair parts(and brake fluid), nails included.


My matt-ress still leaks.

Quote:

Originally posted by Sharksbaja That trip was scary when I broke the line. I did not have brake fluid so I used water. Worked great but caused me to eventually replace ALL the lines, cyls etc. I always bring tons of repair parts(and brake fluid), nails included. My matt-ress still leaks.

Sharks you're the man - Water!

I now include nails in my tool box along with extra brake fluid and starting fluid, and the list goes on and on and on. That starting fluid makes a good flame thrower if you need one for some reason!

[Edited on 2-3-2010 by ELINVESTIG8R]

I swear my truck sits 2 inches lower after I load my tools jacks and parts!




......actually, it already looks loaded when it's empty.

[Edited on 2-3-2010 by Sharksbaja]

Vise Grips