After returning from my latest Baja run, I found quite a few problems with the old Jeep Rubicon. When breaking down, Tijuana is a great place to be -
repair work is affordable and so is lodging.
My mechanic Luis does great work at an unbeatable price. U2U me if visiting Tijuana and in need of a reliable, hard-working Baja mechanic.
Luis installing my Currie Motor Mount Lift - February 2013
Luis helping me align my winch cable - November 2013
Originally posted by John M
Other stuff, like Toyotas? How would someone find him.....?
John M
John, repairs after every run are the reason you and I no longer own Jeeps ...!
Thanks for your posts Ken, you know I have full sympathy for what you have to do... and at least you get to go to Baja, in any vehicle!
David - If you could follow my Jeep, you could say what you say.lol But, you would have to drive your 4 doors through Mano Canyon and make it up the
stairsteps and ball-bearing rock hills to say that. Jeeps are some of the most rugged vehicles you can buy on the market today. Their reliability is
well-known.
Ken, there is nothing quite like a Jeep... I agree with you. My Tacoma gets me to Mission Santa Maria, and that is my benchmark for as tough a road as
there is. That road did snag my rear bumper, dropping off a rock ledge... and a Jeep's shorter wheelbase and steep angle of approach/ departure make
it pretty amazing and well designed (dating back to the concept vehicle created by American Bantam, in 1940).
The issues I express (my opinion from experience owning Jeep, Toyota, Plymouth, Subaru, VW, Mitsubishi and Mazda vehicles) have to do with quality of
construction and quality of materials... In both cases, (many) American brands are sadly lacking, especially when compared to equivalently priced
Japanese brands... In the case of my Tacoma, it is Mexican made, too! Viva Toyota de Baja California (located along Hwy. 2 between Tijuana and
Tecate).
My winch cable problem had more to do with running washboard roads as the nut/bolt that fell out prevented the full extension of the winch cable.
Luis was able to help me tighten the cable down with appropriate-sized hardware and the painstakingly slow job of winding in the winch cable.
Packing up the winch cable in lower Mano Canyon
The front end problems I am experiencing have to do with aftermarket steering geometry and running 35" tires - a challenge when running a 4WD vehicle
on long distance runs like this one. The problem will eventually be solved with the installation of longer, adjustable front control arms. I am
going through lower Polyurethane track bar bushings at the rate of about 1 per month, now.
The problematic track bar bushing (right) creates a wobbling sensation after every long 4WD run.
The fuses need to be checked to see why the Extreme Viair double compressor system won't compress air.
One of the features that Ken and I appreciate about our vehicles is traction control system that greatly enhance a vehicle's ability to climb or cross
uneven or steep terrain, deep mud, etc. Baja is a land with many places that can be visited easier in 4WD, with less damage to the road. Slow,
crawling does the least amount of damage to road and vehicle. 2WDs need momentum to surge up or through difficult place, and their spinning tires
cause damage to roads.
4WD is usually enough traction off the highway, as it doubles the traction of 2WD vehicles.
However, if one tire on either axle gets off the ground or in a slippery surface, it will spin and the other tire on that axle does nothing... this is
typical open differentials at work (Open differentials permit easy steering on solid ground). The comedy film 'My Cousin Vinny' is great at explaining
this. Limited slip differentials are better than open in off road conditions. 'Locker differentials' have been the ultimate way to get through.
A locking differential connects both tires together, so if one goes in the air, all the power is not lost to it and you can keep driving. The Jeep
Rubicon has selectable front and rear locking differentials, and when employed, the Rubicon is nearly unstoppable. To negotiate tight trails, like the
road to Mission Santa María, the differentials need to be unlocked.
Toyotas with the Off Road package have a selectable locking rear differential, and that has really helped get one's vehicle to nearly everywhere. The
rear is where weight transfers when climbing, so that is the most advantageous one to lock, and has the least issue with steering.
A few years ago, Toyota introduced the A-TRAC system in the Off Road TRD models. A-TRAC senses wheel spin and uses the brakes to automatically match
wheel rotation across the axle... so both receive near equal power to keep the vehicle moving... and this works on the front and rear axles. The
really neat part of A-TRAC is that your differentials remain open, so there are no steering issues or need to turn A-TRAC off all the time you are in
low range 4WD.
In the following video, first see a Jeep CJ-7, with open differentials have a tough time... then see a Toyota 4Runner (also open differentials) have a
go, then try again with the A-TRAC button pushed. A Jeep Rubicon follows it, and with lockers it is easy.
The spotter is shouting directions ('driver'/'passenger'/'straight') to help wheel placement in the blind zone as one climbs.
In the following video, first see a Jeep CJ-7, with open differentials have a tough time... then see a Toyota 4Runner (also open differentials) have a
go, then try again with the A-TRAC button pushed. A Jeep Rubicon follows it, and with lockers it is easy.
The driver of the CJ-7 could lower his tire pressure from 30+ psi down to about 10-12 psi and handle most of that trail without lockers.
"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen.
The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back
if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt
"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes
"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others
cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn
"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law
Thankyou to Baja Bound
Mexico InsuranceServices for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.
Emergency Baja Contacts Include:
Desert Hawks;
El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
