
This picture is from today. Actually it was mostly a hiking day, about 10 mi. But at the end of the day we checked out a trail head that was at the end of a short but very pretty 4WD trail, and this picture is from that trail.
Then on the way back I spotted a Forest Service 4WD trail and we went down that for a few miles. It was more difficult and nice, but not as nice. If we'd been going up I would have needed lockers or a limited slip. But going down was fine open diff.
On the way back something bad happened with I think the half shafts. We almost made it back home, but on the highway we heard some bad sounds all of a sudden from the front wheel. I think it's a half shaft, as the Jeep has over 96,000 miles on the original half shafts (CV axles). I'd been meaning to replace them. We managed to limp to a garage. The only thing that makes me thing it's not a half shaft is when I jiggled them they seemed solid.
Part of me was hoping it's the front diff, because then I'd have an excuse to buy a steel front diff and put in 4.56 gears. Seems unlikely though. Only thing that makes me think it might be more than a CV joint is I couldn't see or feel any problem with the boots on.