Wow,
I wont tell any stories, just trust me, I feel your pain.
You already got the new tires, you still have an excuses for a good air pump, a highlift jack, and of course some good rock sliders to hook the jack to. 
Glad it all ended well.
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| Ever done several STUPID things, one right after the other? http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=13140 |
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| Author: | Starcrwzr [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:02 am ] |
| Post subject: | Ever done several STUPID things, one right after the other? |
First of all, I'm new at this, but a couple of the things I'm going to tell you have nothing to do with knowledge of off-roading, they were just plain stupid. The sad part is, it could have been life-threatening. Here's my tale... My wife and I make our first visit to Death Valley this week. I've got my new 2005 KJ Sport and want to see some of the sites that the tourists don't get to see. I decide that the "Racetrack" would be a pretty easy trip for the KJ, and since we only have one full day, I want to do it quickly. That was my first mistake. We head out and reach the start of the 26 mile dirt road that leads to the Racetrack. I have read here and on several other pages that airing down the tires is a good thing for this road. I look at the road and it appears pretty decent, and airing down is a pain, so we start off without airing down the factory tires. That was my second mistake. The first several miles the road is pretty bumpy, filled with grapefruit size rocks and smaller, but we make it through OK. About 19 miles in, the road improves, so I kick up the speed. That was my third mistake. My wife says "Do you hear a hissing sound?" Yup, back left tire is rock punctured. We pull over and I get out the factory jack. Now, it's been years since I've had to jack up a car, which is no excuse, but this next mistake is really stupid on my part. I put the jack under the rear suspension, looking like it's on solid ground, and never set the parking brake. Fourth mistake. I jack it up and the jack, resting on a large smooth rock, just under a thin layer of soft dirt, slides out and forward, bending the jack screw. Jack is wasted and pinned under the axle. I drive the KJ forward to clear the jack and the desperation sets in, we're 20 miles from nowhere with a flat and no jack. At this moment, a couple on a motorcycle comes by. They offer to find a Ranger and tell them where we are. OK, not so desperate now, but still feeling like a complete idiot. My wife and I just have to sit and wait. The good news is, it's only about 75 degrees out here, if it were 110, it could have been deadly. We did have several gallons of water, which was one smart thing I did do. So we wait and wait. I decide to remove the lug nuts off the tire, to speed things up when the Ranger gets here, or another vehicle comes by with a jack. Stupid mistake number five. Several more hours go by and my wife, bless her heart, has an idea. Why don't we drive the KJ up the side of the embankment at the side of the road, block up the axle with rocks and dig out the flat tire! Wonderful idea! Why didn't the macho male think of this? I hop in the KJ and drive over to the side of the road, totally forgetting about the removed lug nuts. I drive up the embankment, when it dawns on me, THE LUG NUTS! Yup, the tire is cantered over, barely hanging on the hub. NOW I REALLY FEEL STUPID. I sit there beating my head with my hands trying to figure out what to do now. I'm worried that if I even touch the jeep it will fall off the rim. At this moment, our guardian angels arrive, seven guys on antique motorcycles come up and ask if we need any help. We manage to get the axle blocked up and the tire changed. They wouldn't take any money, but were grateful for some water. They continued on while I air down the tires and turn around and head back. Seven miles back, we encounter the Ranger, going like a bat out of hell in a full size Hummer, looking for two people with a flat. We explained our situation and he smiles, says "take it slow" and he heads back in front of us. We make it back without incident. We didn't get to see much else of Death Valley on this trip, it was dark by the time we got back to our hotel. We'll have to make another trip someday. I learned some valuable lessons on this little trip, I hope newcomers here who read this, also learn from my mistakes. The only good thing about this was my wife let me buy some better tires, I now have a set of Goodrich T/A's on the KJ. I probable paid WAY to much for them, having to buy them in Bishop, California, but we're planning on doing some more off-roading in Mammoth, where I'm typing this from now. |
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| Author: | Jeger [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:17 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Wow, I wont tell any stories, just trust me, I feel your pain. You already got the new tires, you still have an excuses for a good air pump, a highlift jack, and of course some good rock sliders to hook the jack to.
Glad it all ended well. |
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| Author: | dog_party [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:30 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
That was pretty bad man. Glad it all turned out okay though! Jeger might not, but I'll tell a story... My brother and I spent half-day in the Nevada desert in a relatively similar situation. We were behind schedule and my bro (God love him) is a stickler for his schedule, so we were flying down this forgotten ghost town road that shouldn't be flown down...especially when you're driving an 89 Escort loaded with a month's worth of camping gear (we camped around the country in a month). So we're flying down this road, dodging rocks and potholes when WHAM! we missed a pothole. The car shut off and we coasted to a stop. We got out and the left rear was so flat, it was actually threatening to become a black hole and start pulling air IN. The impact had flipped the fuel-shutoff switch, so we had no power. The spare and the fuel-shutoff switch were, of course, under all of our camping gear. So we unloaded EVERYTHING (and when I say "unloaded" I mean that my brother was flinging our stuff all over the Nevada desert in a rage, and I was picking it all up and bringing it back to the car) and then, after all that...we couldn't reach the fuel shutoff button. We changed the tire, but couldn't go anywhere. Looonnnnng story short(er). We hoofed it out of that desert and got a ride back with a ranger that had smaller hands than my brother and I. He flipped the fuel-shut off back on for us and we limped out of that desert on the Escort donut spare. In other words, you're not alone. Just be glad you're both okay and, hey NEW TIRES!! WOOHOO! |
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| Author: | Starcrwzr [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:46 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Jeger wrote: Wow,
I wont tell any stories, just trust me, I feel your pain. You already got the new tires, you still have an excuses for a good air pump, a highlift jack, and of course some good rock sliders to hook the jack to. Glad it all ended well. Does a Hi-lift jack work on a KJ without sliders? Where do you place it if you don't have them? I called around in Bishop, looking for one, but had to settle on a NAPA scissor jack as a replacement for my factory jack. |
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| Author: | Edvalencia [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:47 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
Have you checked the KJ West board? Mario, from Adventure Trailers, is leading a run to Death valley. We are leaving Saturday the 14th early AM, going through the race track and camping at the hot springs. It's a 3 day run, but you can make it a 2 day run, which is what I'm doing. |
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| Author: | nolakj [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 11:49 am ] |
| Post subject: | |
No matter how careful or "smart" you get through experience, the lessons will keep coming. Don't feel bad and thanks for sharing your experience. Glad you and the wife made it out OK and ran into some of the other good people that share the great outdoors with us. |
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| Author: | Starcrwzr [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 12:00 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
nolakj wrote: No matter how careful or "smart" you get through experience, the lessons will keep coming. Don't feel bad and thanks for sharing your experience. Glad you and the wife made it out OK and ran into some of the other good people that share the great outdoors with us.
Those seven guys on the antique motorcycles are another whole story. They told me they were going to make the loop through the racetrack and up to Panamint. I knew from reading on the web that that was a very tough 4WD drive road and I thought they had bit off more then they could chew with those bikes. Plus they only had one small bottle of water each and no other supplies. We refilled their bottles, but I was worried about them as they roared off. Turns out I saw one of them the next morning at the gas station in Stovepipe, he was just coming back! They had made a wrong turn and ran out of gas. Another good samaritian in a truck came by and gave them some gas, but about 2 AM one of them hit a rock which tore off the bikes front end, sending him over the handlebars. He broke his collar bone, but his helmet saved him from serious injury. They finally made it to the Panamint resort at 4AM. We left that way and stopped in to see the one who was injured. He was all smiles but felt they had made a serious mistake trying that road on those bikes. |
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| Author: | Jeepjeepster [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:02 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Wow, those guys had more troubles than you did! Dont feel bad about that dude, Ive done so many stupid things its not funny! And Im only 19! The stock jack, yea, I crushed that poor thing many weeks ago. A bottle jack is the best thing to get b/c you can run over it and it still works great.. No, you cannot use a hi-lift on a stock kj unless you have sliders.. Someone posted some pic of a block of wood they used under the rockers to jack it up with a hi-lift, but those things are kinda dangerous and shouldnt be used to change a tire.. Something I thought about, if you could of found a place to flex the jeep really good, maybe you could of lifted a rear tire and changed it that way..
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| Author: | dirtykj [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 1:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Oct. 14 - 16, LOST KJ West will have a run to Death Valley, be there 
We'll go down through the salt marshes, racetrack playa, end up at Saline Valley hot springs for the night. Next morning we'll take the mine roads on up to Papoose flats for the second night of camping. Need extra gas and water. |
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| Author: | Bakerkj [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:34 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
At least you didn't lock your keys in the kj! |
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| Author: | JJsTJ [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 2:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Great story, glad you made it out ok and nobody got hurt., Really cool of you to admit your mistakes and share them so others might learn. Look forward to meeting and wheeling with you.
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| Author: | auggy [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:17 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
darn! I would have flipped out being in the desert that long |
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| Author: | Cacher123 [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 3:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I woulda rode the 20 miles or so on the rim! 
I always tell my GF, if we get a flat somewhere dangerous, I'm gonna ride the d@mn thing till we get somewhere safe! I've seen too many people get a flat then dead stop in the left lane or some such and get creamed by another car. Obviously, in this situation the best thing to do was wait for the help but I figure in a road situation I'd rather destroy a wheel than take a chance of getting killed. |
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| Author: | Burchie [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
I wonder why they call it "death valley"? Glad you all made it out ok. Check this out..... You don't need it all at one time, or all the stuff. But it's a good starting point. http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... php?t=8632 And KJ West Death Valley trip. http://www.lostjeeps.com/forum/phpBB3/vie ... hp?t=12247 |
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| Author: | Burchie [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Edvalencia wrote: Have you checked the KJ West board?
Mario, from Adventure Trailers, is leading a run to Death valley. We are leaving Saturday the 14th early AM, going through the race track and camping at the hot springs. It's a 3 day run, but you can make it a 2 day run, which is what I'm doing. Ed, How's that battery? |
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| Author: | Edvalencia [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 4:32 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Burchie wrote: Edvalencia wrote: Have you checked the KJ West board? Mario, from Adventure Trailers, is leading a run to Death valley. We are leaving Saturday the 14th early AM, going through the race track and camping at the hot springs. It's a 3 day run, but you can make it a 2 day run, which is what I'm doing. Ed, How's that battery? You just had to bring that up din't you 
Ok, I did something stupid too. I went to Death Valley without first checking my battery, which was getting pretty old. Well, the wasboard roads caused an internal short in the battery casuing it to completely die at the racetrack (miles from civilization). Even jumping it din't help. Luckily, Alex had a dual battery set up, so we took one of his. This also happened to be the one time when I convinced my wife to go with me. She, like Burchie, now rubs it in every chace she gets. 
Ed "The battery slayer" |
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| Author: | dirtykj [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:36 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
Edvalencia wrote: I went to Death Valley without first checking my battery, which was getting pretty old.
How long is the OEM battery expected to last? My wife's KJ ('03) is doing fine until now, and yours was '02 model right? We went to DV in 2005 so that's 3 years ... sounds about right? |
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| Author: | Edvalencia [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
dirtykj wrote: Edvalencia wrote: I went to Death Valley without first checking my battery, which was getting pretty old. How long is the OEM battery expected to last? My wife's KJ ('03) is doing fine until now, and yours was '02 model right? We went to DV in 2005 so that's 3 years ... sounds about right? Be afraid.... Be very afraid....
I'm not sure if it was totally due to age. I think vibration from the washboard roads played a major role. I needed to let more air out of my tires. |
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| Author: | tskalil [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 5:53 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Mistrakes |
I enjoyed your story and it's great everything came out alright. Just one thing: you said your first mistake was to try to do the run quickly. To me, doing it alone was the first. Don't ask how I know this. 
Also, if you carried a tire plug kit, there's a more than good chance you wouldn't have had to change the tire in the first place. That is, if you had an inflation device too, highly recommended. But those can be pretty simple, like a CO2 device with a few cartridges. Or a manual pump. In a pinch, with double ended hose, you can bleed some tire pressure from each of the good ones into the bad. And the list goes on. |
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| Author: | nolakj [ Thu Oct 05, 2006 6:03 pm ] |
| Post subject: | |
dirtykj wrote: Oct. 14 - 16, L.O.S.T. KJ West will have a run to Death Valley, be there
We'll go down through the salt marshes, racetrack playa, end up at Saline Valley hot springs for the night. Next morning we'll take the mine roads on up to Papoose flats for the second night of camping. Need extra gas and water. Man!! Y'all do it up right. I wish I could afford to live out west and go on these kind of runs. Here's some cool satelite imagery of Saline Valley. http://asterweb.jpl.nasa.gov/gallery-de ... ame=Saline |
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