Rear Bumper Install, Day 2

Terry was able to finish installing the rear bumper. He ended up using a grinder and cut off the bolts that we couldn't reach. I helped him position it into place and tighten some of the bolts underneath. Now, we just have to finish up the tire carrier and install the mud flap brackets. Once that is complete, I will be able to drive the Jeep again.

Reiter Run Report

Karl posted a run report onto our club website. I loved one of the blurbs, it describes what happened perfectly (I bolded what was going thru my mind as I lay on my side):

"Instead of getting warmed up on some easy stuff, Tom and I had conspired to head straight for the stair step. I hung back in the group and helped get folks psyched to try it out. I watched many a folk try it, but the majority of the group ended up winching. Amy seemed a bit worried about the obstacle, but after some words of wisdom from myself that went something like “I’ve only seen two rigs roll on this obstacle, one was an ass over teakettle to the bottom, the other was a mild flop. If you follow Tom’s direction you will be fine.” Amy seemed a bit timid but I assured her it would be fine. After getting the main group up, I moseyed my Jeep up the first part of the stair step and walked back down to help others with their fears. As Amy started into the obstacle, I was confident in the brief tutorial I gave her that she would pass the obstacle with flying colors. This was not to happen. As I was mingling, I heard Terry SCREAM: BACKUP! BACKUP! And I looked up as Amy’s Jeep came to rest on the passenger side. Whoops. Now it’s cowbell time as there was no way she was driving out of it. I do have a good point here. Most folks in the club tell everyone not to listen to my spotting advice, and also not to follow me. As I had not driven up it the rock yet, and also I was not there to spot. Therefore I am in a no harm no foul status for this particular portion of Reiter Trails. I drove up as the main winch to Tom’s expert rigging advice and we got Amy back on her feet. Amy’s Jeep came away with a broken mirror and also a little wrinkle in the passenger door. Due to some expert rigging by Tom and Ruthie, the rig was righted quickly and efficiently. Though to Amy it probably seemed like a lifetime. On with the fiasco, the group on top of the stair step we moseyed on with hopes of flatter ground and greener pastures. "

If you want to read the entire events of the day and see some more pictures, go to: http://timbertamers.org/reports/2009/3_21_ReiterTrails/Report.htm

Rear Bumper Install, Day 1

Today, the rear bumper arrived for the Jeep. Terry and I spent the afternoon starting the install. We removed the original back bumper without much of an issue. I had a custom made skid plate covering the gas tank that we had to remove and will have to get it custom fitted again once the new bumper is on the Jeep. We hit our first issue when trying to remove the factory tow hitch. There are two screws that we have to remove, but there isn't much room between them and the gas tank. I am just praying we won't have to drop the gas tank.

The old bumper

Removing the old bumper with Zeus supervisor

The new vs. the old

The three impossible bolts. The gas tank is in the top of the photo and the hitch receiver is pictured in the bottom of the picture. The bolts are hex head, so we can't even get a wrench around them. Any ideas??

Carnage

Luckily, the Jeep wasn't too damaged from my flop on Saturday. You can see some dents in the door, the mirror is busted and the door handle itself is gone.

Reiter Run

On Saturday, Terry and I did took our first 4-wheel drive trip to Reiter with our club. We got lucky with the weather and about 12 rigs made it out for the run. The first trail we did was called the Stair Step and after about 8 years on wheeling, I finally managed to lay the Cherokee on its side. It was scary and I am glad that no one was in the Jeep with me. Also, there was relatively minor damage once we got back on all fours; the passenger side mirror broke and the door got a little dented. Luckily, someone from our club has an extra door to give us and a friend at church works at a body shop so can get it painted to match the rest of the Jeep.

After the flop, we hit some more fun trails and didn't have much issue. The front ARB, which we were having leaking issues, seemed to be fixed. There seems to be a small leak when the front is flexed and they seem to think it could be due to the front flexing too much and actually flexing the axle housing. So, our option is to truss the front and luckily if that is something we decide needs to be done, we know a great fabricator.

Overall, we had a good trip, but in all honesty, I will be a little skittish in any off-camber situations for a while. I did get back in the Jeep after the roll and continued driving for a few hours. Finally, I wanted to enjoy the fresh air and walked a little bit of the trail with Zeus.

We stopped with some other club members in Sultan for dinner and a beverage before heading home. The Jeep is now in the garage where I want to get the inside cleaned out and hope to get the new door on before our next run in April.

To see the rest of my pictures at Reiter, click here!

A Break in the Rain

Today started cold but ended up being a nice sunny day. Zeus and I both decided to take advantage of the weather. After work, I did some minor pruning and then mowed the back lawn. I also put down some Moss Off as we have been having an issue with moss growing in the lawn. While I mowed, Zeus relaxed in the sun supervising. I loved how he decided to bring a toy out with him to lay in the sun. It was hard to believe that we had snow earlier this week, but there is proof of that still on the ground in the shady spots. I am definitely ready for spring to be here!

Swap Meet Weekend

Last weekend was our annual 4x4 swap meet that our club participates in every year. It is normally a crazy, busy weekend. It starts on Friday night with our monthly Board of Directors meeting. We met at Mark & Lori's house and had spaghetti dinner and our meeting. Then, on Saturday morning the trucks and trailers are loaded and brought down to the fairgrounds and set-up begins. Terry went and helped set-up while I stayed back with some of the other wives and chatted. Normally, there is a club run on Saturday night, but this year only Mark and I were ready with our Jeeps, so it didn't happen. Terry and I did hang out and have burgers with the club on Saturday night before heading home.

On Sunday after church, Terry and I headed back to the fairgrounds. I stopped at Costco on the way and surprised our club with some pizza for lunch. They all seemed to appreciate the food. Terry and I didn't spend much at the Swap Meet. We did get my dad's Father's Day gift and Terry found some little things for himself.

The spending started after we got home. I have been wanting a rear bumper for the Cherokee for over 5 years and once we got home, I got the okay to order one. The one I originally wanted is now discontinued, but I did find a similar, if not better, one from Rock Hard 4x4. I can't wait to get it on the Cherokee. I also ordered some bolt on mud flaps so I don't have to worry about getting pulled over every time I hit the highway. I can't wait to get my parts and will post some pictures once they are installed.