broke down on the trail...

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Redneckn

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Last weekend, we (me, wife, friends) went to AlbertPike Arkansas for a bit of camping and romping the Bronco. We had a good time. Things went south Sunday before we left for home, but was still fun.

Saturday problem: We were on a rock trail, meaning rocks about softball to bowling ball size. It weaved all over the moutain side. We were on a pretty good incline and I shifted down into 4L to making pulling the hill a little easier. About half way up, transfer case pops out of 4L. When I grabbed the shifter to put it back, nothing. I had to crawl under the truck to inspect. The linkage had come loose...odd. I put it back and got it back into gear and continued on.

Saturday afternoon: We sent the women off into the little town near there to shop and poke around. Buddy and I went on a 4wheeler trail. We had fellas on 4wheelers at every tough spot placing money on the Bronco making it or not. We completed the entire 8 mile trail. I only had to back up and get a run at one spot. There was a tree in the trail that was too high up for me to get my tires to bite and crawl over. We went around following the 4wheelers. This seemed to tickle some folks. To get around, I had to make some hellish turns to miss tree. Radius is a word I've to come to appreciate. The bronco will make a circle similar to a zeroturnmower. Great. Coming back onto the main trail, is a steep hill that was basically mud and gravel with some large rocks mixed in for good measure. I managed to leave my little air compressor at home, so tires were not aired down. I had to back up and get about a 15 foot head start to make up up that. Halfway thru the trail my buddy informs me that he wants a Bronco and I need to help him bring his wife around to his way of thinking. turns out, she wants one too. We are currently looking for one for them to have.

Sunday problem. We were on a gravel road. 2wd about 15mph. I shift into low because of the incline down. Truck just dies. I have that hot starter problem so i let it cool for a little bit before trying to restart. no start. spins good, no start. I had basic tools with me only. I suspect my fuel gage. Passerby stops and gives me some gas. No start. Then I determine I have no spark. This had me worried. My distributer, coil, wires, and plugs are all less than 3 months old. I had to have the truck towed to the closed town. $160. Had to get a hotel for the night. $59. Next day (monday) tow truck/shop guy sends his dad to come and get us from hotel. The distributer was bad. So for $140, I got a used dist., a bolt that holds front right axle section to lift kit tightened, and 2 yours labor.

On the 3 hour drive back home, the truck seemed to be going all over the road. I chalked it up to the high wind. Now that I'm back home and driving to school and such. It is NOT the wind. Something is wrong with me truck.

I can't see anything that looks odd on the front stuff. But it will go all over the road. I have to be really careful on little country blacktops because it will just **** into the other lane or towards the shoulder. This weekend, I'm going to jack the truck up and check all my ball joints and stuff for problems. I cant keep driving it like this.

Also, I noticed that my tires get knawed pretty good from the rocks. is that normal?

Anyway. I gotta give props to A&A wrecker and repair of Glenwood Arkansas for getting back on the road as quickly as possible and having a great attitude about it.

 

Yardape

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Sounds like you had a great weekend. Thats what memories are made of. Live it up.

 

Roadkill

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Sounds like you had a good time even with the troubles. On your steering/wandering I would check all the components of your lift and steering for damage or looseness; if everything checks out, you probably knocked it out of alignment during all that fun. Rocks can really chew up your tires, specialy if the rocks are very rough or you spin your wheels a lot. On my trip to New Mexico back in Febuary, I chewed my tires up something awful on the lava rocks that cover the NM desert. Check out these missing chunks and chewed up sidewalls:

P2240073.JPG

I bought a cheap set of all terains from Pep Boys rather than chance the 700 mile trip back home on those damaged tires. If I'd had a functioning locker, I would not have had to take those running shots and spin the wheels to get over things and probably would not have chewed up the tires so bad.

 
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Redneckn

Redneckn

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Ok, my tires arent that bad...haha... Here in Louisiana about the only time we see rocks is when we're pulling into the driveway....(gravel..haha..) so I just wasnt sure if it was normal. I didnt spin the tires too terribly much. My Bronco rides pretty rough and both the womenfolk on the trip are uh.. *trying to be tactful*. they are both put together... uh... they have large breasts... so anyway.. I was taking it pretty slow on the trail. When my buddy and I were on the trail without them, we still took it pretty slow... I'm still getting used to the truck and how it's going to react offroad. but I do know that it's a rough ride... To the point where I'm considering some of those fancy-pants shocks that you can adjust...

the repair fella said that a bolt was loose on my lift kit and he tightened it but that the hole was "waller'd" out a little bit. Maybe that's my problem. I'm going to try and check it all over this weekend because I cant keep driving it like that...Some of you may recall me making noise about the truck wandering on the road when I first got it.. Then I put the stablizer on and it cleared up. Well, the stabilizer is still there and it's worse than what it was before I put it on. Way worse...

I won't complain too much though. we had a great time and are already making plans to go camping again. Next time we're going to go someplace around here where I can have some mud to play in. I'll try to have pictures and/or video next time...

 

hoghappy

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Yip...sounds like a good time to me.

BTW...my bronco rides nice and smooth...still has the factory suspension.

One thing that continues to amaze me though is the number of people that offer to buy it. I tell them "I love my Bronco and it ain't for sale"!

As for future Broncos....I hope they never build another....makes what we have all that more special.

 

Robert

Goin to relace them headlamp assemblies this weekend....then maybe I will be able to see where I'm goin...lol

BTW....any thoughts on how to readjust the new ones...backyard mechanic style?

 
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Roadkill

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Goin to relace them headlamp assemblies this weekend....then maybe I will be able to see where I'm goin...lolBTW....any thoughts on how to readjust the new ones...backyard mechanic style?
Aiming the headlights is pretty easy. Here is a flyer from Advance Auto Parts that explains how to do it.

AimHeadlghts.pdf

 
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Redneckn

Redneckn

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I've gotta get the ride a little softer on mine...I like my suspension to have a little squish to it... When I had it completely loaded down with camping gear, it road pretty good. It really makes me think about the difference between driving around town and pastures with the 3/4 ton truck and then doing the same thing with 5Klbs of feed in the back...I think I may seriously start to consider new shocks... It has dual shocks in the front. I dont know enough about shocks to determine if that would make it a rough ride or not...

Update on friend getting a Bronco...This is really sad...He calls me earlier today and says: "Dude I found me a romp'n ride". I says: "really?" *we were s'posed to go to Texas in the morning to look at one...* So I asked him where and what it is... Brace yourselves... This peckers says: "It's a bright red jeep". *long silence as I wait for him to start laffing or something...* He says: "you there?" I say "yes. I thought you said the "J" word. " He laffs a little and says: "I did. We're getting a red jeep". I hung up on him and went on with my day...

So if anyone is interested there's a good Bronco, its on Ebay and is located in College Station Texas...It's blue and white.. I think it's a 90 model...

 

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