singletrack

In order of merit: USMB

All of them? It's hard to beleive they all went out at once, it's prolly wiring, or the dimmer. The last time my instrument lights went out, I gave the dash a good open handed whack and they came back on!

I dunno what the hours are, but they're literally like 100 feet from work so I can drop off or pick stuff up for you if needed. Lemme know. I haven't done the motor yet, it still adourns the coffee table. I need my tax refund to get a clutch, and I was gonna wait till spring break (middle of March) to do it anyway. Working in the driveway sucks right now. Hell yeah! Time to get stupid!

So there's a offroad shop near the bicycle shop where I work, place called Barney Brothers Offroad. They've been there a while, have a good reputation, and certainly aren't hurting for bussiness. My boss is a Jeeper, and he was picking up his truck the other night and introduced me to the welder. He checked out the Subie, I told him I wanted to get my diff welded and he says no problem. So I tore it down and took the clump-o-gears in to him yesterday, today I pick it up. The damage? $15. That wasn't the end, before I could leave he brings everybody in the store out to look at the Wagon, there was much crawling about and questions asked. It was generally agreed that 20 year old Japanesse station wagons are cool. All this whilst I'm parked in a row of Jeeps, all of which could easily run my car over. Anyway, he's gonna weld my diff hanger for me now too, and anything else I need. SOOOO.... if you happen to be in Western Colorado and you need work done, that's the spot.

I've done this trail more times then I can count on two wheels and I can't for the life of me picture what you're talking about. Maybe there's a variation between Flat Pass and Steel Bender proper that I'm not aware of? Regardless, if we started at Ken's Lake the obstacle would be downhill, and I'm not worried about going down what stock trucks can drive up. Pritchett on the other hand, is definetly off limits. I usaually hike-a-bike from Kane Creek to the top of Hunter Canyon, past the ruins to the top of Pritchett, then bomb down. I personally can't carry my car up a 400 foot cliff, so that's not really a good route for us....

Mine too! My diff is getting welded as we "speak" . I've got spare axles, but I need spare stub shafts.

I've never had to remove anything but the control arm / cross member bolt to get an axle out, even when I had a swaybar. Changing axles is way easy, after the first time it should take less than an hour. I'd go so far as to say it's harder to install a split boot than it is to change an axle, not to mention the split kit costs like a third of what you're ultimately gonna hafta spend on an axle anyway. Split boots suck. Wise man once said, "If you don't have time to fix it right, how are you ever gonna find time to fix it twice?"

We can do Little Canyon rim as well. It shares some of it's route with Metal Masher, although the route I know (the bicycle route) will climb us up some ledgy but doable jeep road to the rim and view point, and then we'll descend Mirror Gulch and the slick rock field. Descending I don't think we'll have any problems. That'll dump us on Gemini near Gooney Bird, and we can hit Gold Bar from there. We could do PS in the morning out and back, then go up Longs Canyon to the NP, then catch Little Canyon Rim from the upper Gemini Trail head. I think Flat Pass [steel Bender] is doable, although there may be an obstacle I'm forgetting. Porky is cool to run up to the viewpoint, but would be short. Something we could do there would be to shoot up sandflats to catch Porky out and back, then continue up Sand Flats, do a snow run through the La Sals, then drop back down to Spanish Valley RD and catch Flat Pass, ending basically back in town. Edit: That would be Flat Pass south-north. Also the bicycle route, it's more down hill that way.

Lookin' good! Now it's time to beat the snot out of it!

The pump on my 85 Sedan was hanging by the lines, and on my Wagon it's zip-tied to the crossmember. I've never had any kinda issue, and I'm pretty hard on cars. Extra protection isn't a bad idea, but prolly not needed.

The suggestion that it would didn't make any sense to me anyway. Thanks. On the exhaust thing, I'm looking for torque. So I guess my question is: Am I losing low end without a muffler?

I read here somewhere that cutting the SPFI air box will reduce torque. Any opinions on this? Furthermore, I ditched my muffler altogether. Pipe ends at the diff hanger. Most of the "scavenging" occurs in the y-pipe, right? The exhaust is otherwise stock. (including the cat, for now) Any opinions on that?

Sweet! We don't get enough creek crossings out here.

I was thinking I'd melt some candles on the top, maybe wrap some xmas lights around it.

Thanks CCR!

It'll also put us by the river, so maybe John can catch us some dinner. I've got a CB, installing it is on the to-do list. Strangely enough, cell phones work very well in Moab too. I once checked my voice mail from the middle of Canyonlands NP, just because I could. (No messages) Hey Roc, what book didya get?

I knew somebody was gonna suggest 1wd!

Here's a good question. Running a t-case means no locked diff, right? ...as the car becomes RWD on pavement.

That's SCARY power. Is that how Carnies run the Ferris Wheel or something? I have a 105 in my van, which charges my marine engine battery, and the two Trojan golf cart batts in the back. Those pushed a 1400 watt inverter, plus a DC piezzo cooler, all interior lighting, vent fans, drinking water pump, crock pot and of course the coffee maker. Desktop computer, fullsize monitor, Playstation, VCR, too. Plus the 50 or so amps it takes just to run the friggin van itself. I could turn everything on at once and the system would just suck it up. I guess what I'm saying is what in the hell are you doing that you need more power than 100A?

Did anybody else see the "news" tab - it says they have locking diffs and d/r's available. I wonder what the diff they're using is like...

Well, ok, but the Toyota hasta stay back 300 yards at all times.

Sheet, I never see that guy anymore... and he lives upstairs! Yeah, during that year I spent there living in my van, I guess I found some OK spots.

Where are we going? I'm so there. Dave too I guess, but he's not into planning.

Too bad Gimli carries an axe and not a HATCHet..... Har har... time for bed.

Hodaka Rider and Vanislru: Thanks, I'll drop yinz a line when its closer to go-time. BTW, does anybody know when and where wcss7 is?