Trail Report: Mid-week Trail Run

[Roger]

So I get a text message form Mitch (great88) about playing in the mud & water on the Johnson Rd Trail. Heck yeah! I'm up for mid week runs. So yesterday we met at the Valero Station in Lucerne Valley and headed North on Hwy 247 towards Barstow. We checked out several side trails. It's interesting because there are virtually no mines in this area. Not until the very western edge of the Granite Mtns.

Recently, Mitch has been hearing a 'funny' noise from the rear of his Jeep. Well, it turns out that the weld on his left rear shock mount was cracking and yesterday, it gave out completely. So we removed the shock completely and continued on with our run.

Here's a few photos:

Mitch removing the shock:














Here's a guzzler we came across. These were built and maintained by Quail Unlimited, a hunting club in cooperation with the BLM & US Fish & Wildlife Service. Please respect them and don't camp too close to one. These guys are our desert brothers and they have the same issues and more that we have.


One final note, we didn't see anyone all day. Can't beat mid-week runs!

Hey Mitch thanks for the call! Let's do it agian!

[Mike]

Looks like fun! I wish that I could get free during the week.
Hey Mitch, If the shock mount tore, I recommend that you check your bumpstops. I tore mine off on both sides before I discovered that the shock was bottoming out before the bumpstop took the impact. Just my :2:

[Mitch]

Thank you Roger for a fun mid week trip. After Roger's flop in Borrego, he takes all the hard lines now. So there I am trying to keep up with Roger and I tear off a rear shock mounts. LOL! What a interesting change from a few days prior with all the snow. Beautiful day!

Looking down at Lucerne Dry Lake from the north/west



Hmmmm....



Kevin and John would have loved all of the Chuckar running around



A little mine shaft off the main trail



Fun in the mud





Spectacular scenery!







Fairview Valley

[Mitch]

Mike,

I think you are right about the bump stop. I'll look into that at Kens over the weekend. Thank you.

[aw12345]

Nice pics Mitch, instead off adding more bumpstop, have Mr Ken install the shocks properly so they do not bottom out. Why give up wheel travel, he should have checked and mounted the shocks correctly to begin with.

[Mitch]

Art,

We relocated the bottom shock mount to the level position, and installed a upper relocator mount that moved it exactly the same distance. Shocks are from the Rubicon Express lift I bought a couple of years ago, as a complete kit.

[aw12345]

Here is the thing when you install shock brackets, you use a measuring tape to make sure the shock do not bottom out on suspension compression. you leave some shock travel after the suspension bottoms out say somewhere between 1/2 " to 1" depending on how soft the bump stops are. None of that got done in this case. So in other words fixing it right should be a freebee.