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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
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Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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BIR
IS THAT THE SAME AS A CV-JOINT WITH EP GREASE ???
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
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Similar - I'm not an axle guy but I understand it to be the solid axle equivalent of the CV joint you find on IFS setups. Tougher than a CV joint but
not invincible.
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
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Charmed Living in Ensenada
Full post with photos: http://www.wideanglewandering.com/2012/08/charmed-living-in-...
2012-08-29
Ensenada Marina and Sky by WideAngleWandering, on Flickr
My days in Ensenada have settled into an easy routine with few disruptions. This doesn't sound like vacation because really, it's not. It is charmed,
privileged living and while pleasant, I am ready for some sort of challenge. Something to struggle with. Some kind of tension.
I've settled on the best place for machaca (dried shredded beef or fish with peppers, onions, beans and hash browns at Cazuelitas). The best place
for fish tacos (the first stand on the left as you walk down Miramar past the 7-11 and towards the fish market). The best place for seafood coctail
(raw octopus, clams, oysters, scallops, fish with onions, peppers and avocado in a spicy tomato lime broth at the stand on Lazaro Card##ás and
Avadero). I'm still undecided on Tijuana draft beer at La Taberna or Negra Modelo on tap at Louie's Tequila Bar. I have yet to find a decent coffee
but at least it's not all nescafe like I remember from previous trips.
Pleasant, easy, sometimes dull. Fácil.
In the afternoons I walk the town. Outside of the tourist district I haven't found much in the way of distinct neighborhoods or enclaves. Ensenada
strikes me as a town that may have grown up quickly, fueled by fishing and tourism. From the marina, it seems to have sprawled in a homogeneous
fashion as far as the land would permit. Away from the bars and restaurants near the malecón, I found houses interspersed with hair salons, tire
shops, schools, taco stands and used junk stores in every direction. One one walk I passed a woman carefully sweeping and grooming the dirt in front
of her house. On another, a bride posing for photos in front of the graffiti along the dried out estuary (avante garde?). Most people are simply
going about their daily business - shopping, paying the bills, shepherding the kids.
The tourist district changes character towards the end of the week. The shopkeepers that are snoozing in chairs on the street on Tuesday are
determined to get your business on Friday. The streets that were quiet, with occasional Mexican and expat families in the cafes and restaurants,
start to fill with tourists by the weekend. The hotel prices double. The conversations around me become more staccato, more insistent. Pudgy kids
wear their giant, gaudy sombreros with red uppercase print "MEXICO" as they walk back to the cruise ship.
In the evenings I walk the malécon until twilight fades to dark. This is my favorite time for photography and for people watching, as the sun, and
it's reflection from the white pavement, is far too bright during the day. It also gives me a chance to walk by my favorite fish taco stand, where
they call me amigo and make small talk. "Do you live in Ensenada?" No, I'm visiting while I have my car repaired. "Do you like it?" The people are
friendly, and the weather is nice. "Where are you from?" California. "Aren't the people friendly there? I think it must be different, people don't
really live together in the states." Sometimes that's true.
I often spend a couple hours in one of the bars nearby. There is some good beer to be drunk and my most interesting conversations have started here.
On my favorite topic, what is there to do in Ensenada, the conversation follows one of two themes: boredom or enthusiasm. Boredom if you're not
easily entertained by nightclubs and enthusiasm if you are. Extra enthusiasm for whoring.
At all my favorite spots they ask, "Hola amigo/joven, are your parts here yet?" My answer is always the same - not yet, but maybe tomorrow. "God
willing, but I hope you like Ensenada!"
[Edited on 2012-9-1 by WideAngleWandering]
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18386
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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Crikey! Not another toyota-worshiping travelogue! The header and first pic are car porn! Nothing worse than a photog who spends time photographing
their car! You lost me after first page view -- i hit the back button ASAP!
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | | Crikey! Not another toyota-worshiping travelogue! The header and first pic are car porn! Nothing worse than a photog who spends time photographing
their car! You lost me after first page view -- i hit the back button ASAP! |
Good riddens eh? I worship no man, god or vehicle and I'm not a photog - just a guy with a camera.
I derive no benefit from sharing posts with strangers - I post on three forums because I was asked to.
Of course I welcome substantive criticism, of which you offer none.
[Edited on 2012-9-1 by WideAngleWandering]
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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lol! I hit the back button, then I hit the post reply button!
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
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Awww come on let's not dogpile on the poor mountain goat just for going out of his way to make a ******y comment about my personal travel journal 
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
Member Is Offline
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Oooh, I found an epithet that bypasses the censorware. We should sticky a thread with a list of names we can get away with calling people, ya know,
for community reference.
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Wide Angle Wandering
Aww come on let's not dogpile on the poor mountain goat just for going out of his way to make a ******y comment about my personal travel journal |
my apologies, theres nothing funny about
this!
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
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I rarely LoL at the internet or spill my beer but damn if this trip isn't just full of firsts.
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2802
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
Member Is Offline
Mood: Waiting
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Great post. Keep them coming.
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
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Locating Toyota Birfields in Mexico
Full Post with Photos: http://disassemblyrequired.wideanglewandering.com/2012/09/lo...
A year ago I decided to drive my HJ60 Land Cruiser to México and start my great Latin Roadtrip. I spent the last year working out my plans, upgrading
and modifying the vehicle and doing maintenance.
I considered upgrading the axles but decided against it. It just didn't seem necessary for my style of driving. In hindsight, after experiencing my
first broken birfield, I realize that was a mistake.
Birfields by WideAngleWandering, on Flickr
This is my story and my advice. Don't do what I did, unless you really like fish tacos and beer.
The first piece of advice I can offer is - upgrade before you leave. It's pretty easy to break a stock Toyota birfield joint, especially if reversing
in 4WD with the wheels turned and obstacles in your way. Unless you're the sort of person who enjoys breaking things on the trail for the challenge
of fixing them, upgrade before you leave.
If you are the sort of person who enjoys breaking and fixing things in remote locations, then you already have a spare birf in your kit and you've
swapped out birfs at trail-side a few times before.
I neglected to upgrade and didn't carry a spare so I had two choices at thas point - find one locally or order one from the states. Finding the part
locally is entirely possible but I had trouble locating one searching by make & model. The 60 series was never sold in México so there are very
few of them around. My initial search turned up one wrecked 60 in a yonke (salvage yard) but they would only sell the complete front-end.
At this point I decided to order parts from the states. That led me to my next decision - ship to México or make a border run? I chose the former.
That was a poor decision.
While waiting for shipping, I talked to some knowledgeable Land Cruiser folks in the states and learned that the outer axle on a 60 series is the same
as you find on '81-85 Toyota mini trucks (before they moved to independent front suspension in '86). This vehicle was sold in México and parts are
plentiful. I gave this information to my local mechanic, along with the part number (43405-60015), and he quickly located a new unit which he could
get within a day. Since the parts from the states were already on their way, I called this Plan B.
If you've opted to get your parts from abroad and you can get yourself to the border, the best thing to do is to import them yourself and not rely on
the post office or private shipping. In my case, I could have gone from Ensenada to Tijuana, walked across the border, picked up the parts from a
friend willing to hold them for me and returned to Ensenada in a day. Walking across the border you're unlikely to have your belongings inspected by
customs and even if you are, it's unlikely that any duty would be imposed.
In Baja, there are many people traveling back and forth from San Diego. I turned down several offers from people willing to bring the parts down here
to me, which would have saved me from even having to take the bus trip.
My parts were shipped via USPS Priority Mail with delivery confirmation. When I first heard this I figured I would never see that package. I talked
to many folks in Baja, both locals and expats, and no one had any confidence that the package would arrive, or if it would, when it would be here.
The consensus is that USPS Priority is hit or miss, Express is more reliable and DHL/UPS is the best way to go.
On the 2nd business day, the package was in San Francisco. On the 3rd, the confirmation number showed the package had been handed over to México. I
assumed it was in Tijuana and had only to make the short trip to Ensenada. The 4th, 5th and 6th days showed the package in Mexico to clear customs.
I didn't realize it at the time but the package was sent first to Mexico City. The status didn't update again until the end of the 8th business day.
Earlier that day I had given up and ordered the local part. The final update showed that delivery had already been attempted on the 7th business day.
Priority Mail International Parcels Attempted Delivery Abroad MEXICO
No further updates appeared on the USPS site and there was no sign of the package at the hotel where it was destined. I took this as validation of my
decision to order the local part. On the 11th business day, on a whim, I tried plugging the USPS confirmation number into the SepoMex web site.
AP Ensenada, B.C. Puesta en ventanilla
While I speak conversational Spanish, I also rely on pitiful looks and wild gestures to get my point across. That wasn't working on the phone so I
turned to the hotel receptionist for help. After several phone calls she gave me directions to the Mex Correo office on Lazaro Mateos and Florestra,
only a few blocks away.
It seems I had been lounging around Ensenada waiting for a box that was in fact waiting for me just down the road.
Outside the office an old man sat on a chair with a typewriter, taking dictation from people who wanted to send letters but couldn't write themselves.
Inside, they located my package and after showing an ID, signing a bunch of forms, and handing over 800 pesos in import duties, I finally had the box
- two weeks after I'd ordered it, one week after it arrived in Ensenada and the day after I'd already installed the local part.
The package made it to Ensenada remarkably quickly. I can't say whether or not the expected $60 USD in import duties helped it along but I don't
imagine it hurt.
[Edited on 2012-9-6 by WideAngleWandering]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64854
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Bravo... another lesson learned, and shared so that others may benefit from you experience.
Thank you!
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bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
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WideAngleWandering's repaired '84 Land Cruider makes it to the "Pub" at Colonia Puerto Escondido/Punta Banda, Fri 7 Jul 2012.
WideAngleWandering at the Pub for happy hour Friday afternoon.
Fun meeting him and enjoyed hearing more about his adventure. Told W.A.W. that he had brightened up the Nomad site with his vehicle parts challenge.
He also made several attempts to buy me beverages past 2 weeks, but, I was unusually busy. W.A.W. was able to figger out how to find my house on his
own, which isn't that easy. The Pacificos are always cold and in plentiful supply here.
The Land Cruiser missing parts/mail story is nothing compared to his future adventure plans. Will let him share that info as needed here. BUENA
SUERTE, W.A.W.!!!
[Edited on 9-10-2012 by bajadock]
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13048
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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looking forward to more adventure posts from you....anyone who use the word "******y" is worth reading!!!hahahahaha
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Rides2Little
Newbie
Posts: 21
Registered: 9-9-2012
Location: Wish\'n I was back in Baja
Member Is Offline
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Great read, thanks for sharing. And keep it coming.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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Very entertaining reading WideAngleWandering.....
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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captkw
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3850
Registered: 10-19-2010
Location: el charro b.c.s.
Member Is Offline
Mood: new dog/missing the old 1
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C V joints
MUST USE EP GREASE !!! AND BELLOWS NOT CRAKED ,LEAKING, OR F.U.******KNOW WAT I'M SAYING VERN ??? *************** K&T
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
Member Is Offline
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No boots - these are entirely enclosed within the solid axle / housing / knuckle / hubs but yeah, I hear ya. I'm hoping Monchie used the right grease
cuz I'm not opening it up to find out
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WideAngleWandering
Nomad
Posts: 414
Registered: 3-13-2012
Location: US-Based but traveling
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9/7/12
Full post: www.wideanglewandering.com/2012/09/escape-from-ensenada.html
Forbidden Cargo by WideAngleWandering, on Flickr
The past few weeks were a blur of walking around town, eating in cafes and restaurants (a reprieve from my usual camp stove fare) conversations with
strangers, oddballs and new friends and finally my escape from Ensenada.
On Thursday, I was sitting in the last table at a bar, listening to the Santana-ish cover band, drinking a beer and wondering what it would be like to
spend the rest of my life in Ensenada waiting for auto parts to come in the mail. While I sat and pondered, the waiter came by and asked if I'd
mind having some people sit at my table.
Mind? Hell no I wouldn't mind. Please, for the love of your favorite deity or natural process, put some people here. What's the worst that could
happen? I have to listen to more advice about giving bribes and finding the best hoars in Mexico?
The waiter came back with a group of people, some software developers from a Mexican IT company and a guy from Canada. They were here on business but
I kept them distracted from IT talk as well as I could. A few minutes into the conversation and my story, the guy from Canada looked at me and said:
"Hey, are you the guy that George sent those axles to?"
This is how I met Ritchie, a 60-series Landcruiser owner from Canada who happens to be living and working in California and uses the same mechanic
that I do in back in the states. George told Ritchie to keep an eye out for a guy in Ensenada with a broke down hi-line 60 and I just happened to be
occupying the last table at the bar that he and his coworkers chose. Serendipity.
The following Saturday I joined them for a trip to see the Bufadora (a natural water spout / blow-hole), Ensenada's most famous tourist attraction. I
will spare you any photographs. The Bufadora is a carnival of all that is terrible about Mexican culture and tourism, all packed into a small street
at the end of Punta Banda. The blowhole does it's job and is a reasonably interesting natural phenomenon but the aisles of cheap Chinese caricatures
of Mexican handicrafts, the pushy Viagra salesmen, the awful restaurants and the caged animals subjected to loud club music in those restaurants
really turned me off. You can pet a baby tiger, however, and that's kind of cool. I am told the people running the tiger booth are the real deal,
genuinely raising money for animal protection, but who knows.
I had fun, but only because I was hanging out with some good people. After we visited the blowhole, we stopped at several beaches along the way.
Most of them wanted a ridiculous amount of money to access their beach, so we didn't actually hit the water until the public beach just outside of
Ensenada. It wasn't all that bad for a public beach - minimal trash and no touts - but the water is chilly up here and the waves have some energy.
On Sunday I joined Ritchie, Gabby and several others from the software company for a little Labor Day party. Being so close to the border, every
three-day weekend in the states brings the bars and clubs in Ensenada to life. The night started off easily enough but ended, several bars later,
with me going on drunkard auto-pilot back to my hotel, via one or more taco stands. The smartest thing I did that night was discarding the uneaten
bag of tacos on the floor when I collapsed into bed.
On Tuesday, once recovered from Monday's cruda, I walked out on the malecon to photograph the ships again. This time I was ordered off by the
security guards for taking photographs that were "too serious." For your enjoyment, I've included the forbidden photo on the cover of this post.
The following Thursday, as I was packing up and preparing to leave town, seeming to have learned a hard lesson about finding auto parts in Mexico, I
decided to make one last stab at finding my axles. This time, with the help of the hotel receptionist, I learned that they had been at a local post
office for over a week, waiting for me to come and pay the exorbitant import duties.
Once that was sorted, I made arrangements with Monchie Fernandez, champion Baja racer and mechanic, to have them installed. I settled back into the
hotel for one more night.
Today I drove back out to Punta Banda, gave the axles to Monchie, and lounged around Campo La Jolla until the job was done. Monchie made quick work
of it and by early afternoon, I was free to head up the hill to buy a drink for Baja Doc, who put me in contact with Monchie and was generally very
helpful in negotiating the local scene. At Baja Doc's place, I enjoyed the hospitality and conversation with Doc and his Japanese neighbor. I didn't
even have to buy him a drink as his box of Pacifico was nearly full.
I really enjoy meeting people who've abandoned or avoided the rat race and this part of Baja is full of folks like that.
After a couple of hours of cold beer, tasty almonds and enjoying the view from Snob Hill, I headed back down to La Jolla to find a camp site for the
night, determined not to go back to Ensenada.
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