ingenious trail repairs you have seen/performed

[leiniesred]

Following up on the topic of how to handle breakdowns on the trail, I'd like to ask for the forum's input on some of the clever tricks used in the past to get everyone off the trail safely after a breakdown.

Example: Many years ago we had an 1976 FJ55 break down before the climb-out on Kane Creek. Turns out the aftermarket coil gave up. Towing the 55 up the steep ledges wasn't working so Cheeseman, Red Fox and I boogied to the end of the trail, Red Fox ran on into the Napa in Moab for a coil before they closed. I pulled the coil from my 1989 4runner in the parking area at the end of the trail and Cheeseman drove me and my coil back to the FJ55 while the other trucks worked up the steep section on the shelf road. We installed the 1989 4runner coil on the 1977 pig and drove it out. We caught up to the rest of the pack on the way out with the FJ55. By the time we got to the parking area, Red Fox was back in the parking area with the new coil from NAPA for the FJ55.

What's the point? swapping parts just long enough to clear the hard parts of the trail might be safer/faster than trying to strap, winch, and stack rocks so you can drag a dead truck out.

 

[treerootCO]

A standard hitch pin can replace the control arm bolts for an 80.

 

[RockRunner]

Gorilla tape and clevis hooks, that is what got Steve Brady out of Cliff Hanger. I did not do the fix but Steve, Scott Yoder and ........my memory fails me most likely Randy. They fixed the broken tie rod by shoving the stud back in the hole and putting some shackles around it with tape to keep it in place. It worked all the way to get him on the top plateau so we could get him on a trailer and back home.

I am sure those guys will jump in to give better details but it shows what you can do with Duct tape and some shackles.

 

[LXBRADY]

Gorilla tape and clevis hooks, that is what got Steve Brady out of Cliff Hanger. I did not do the fix but Steve, Scott Yoder and ........my memory fails me most likely Randy. They fixed the broken tie rod by shoving the stud back in the hole and putting some shackles around it with tape to keep it in place. It worked all the way to get him on the top plateau so we could get him on a trailer and back home.

I am sure those guys will jump in to give better details but it shows what you can do with Duct tape and some shackles.

Randy, man of many talents, was not at work on this trail fix. Credit goes to the inginuity of Farnham and Corbet.

Broken piece of tie rod held together with a d-ring, clamp and Scott Yoders Gorrilla tape. Did not budge the whole way out.

 

[Uncle Ben]

My favorite trail repair has been replacing a lost tie rod nut with a flattened beer bottle cap with a hole in it and wire "borrowed" from a nearby fence!

 

[arthog]

On the Rubicon trail I got a crack in my gas tank and was leaking gas at a fast rate. I took a bar of soap and worked it in the crack. It stopped the leak and I made it all the way back to San Diego. Drove it that way for months, until I had the time to drop the tank and fix it right. The rain would wash it out and I just add some more. always cary a bar of soap for a clean fix.

 

[RockRunner]

Randy, man of many talents, was not at work on this trail fix. Credit goes to the inginuity of Farnham and Corbet.

Broken piece of tie rod held together with a d-ring, clamp and Scott Yoders Gorrilla tape. Did not budge the whole way out.

No more memory left need another 8GB to function well

 

[Romer]

when I broke my birf, TreerootCO had the idea to take the drive flange off and drive out with the broken birf. Saved us from doing the tear down on the trail and was able to do it back at camp

 

[nakman]

One time my roast was still very rare, despite about a 5 hour night run, only measured 132°F by the in-cab thermometer. So had this idea to cut it up into slices, then put it on his grill for about 30 seconds per side.. Eureka!! the brisket sandwiches were saved, and everyone got off the trail happy.



now that was a trail fix!

 

[nuclearlemon]

Daryl surface and i sliced up.some coke cans and duct taped.them together when a kids carb caught fire and melted the carb spacer.

I used shreds of someones pringles can to shim my steering after wheeling Chinaman

 

[Romer]

I remember treerootCO bending his tie/steering rods on the high side of whale rock on chinamans

Gary, Oleg and Robbie used a winch to straighten them out

 

[treerootCO]

when I Broke My Birf, Treerootco Had The Idea To Take The Drive Flange Off And Drive Out With The Broken Birf. Saved Us From Doing The Tear Down On The Trail And Was Able To Do It Back At Camp

i Remember Treerootco Bending His Tie/steering Rods On The High Side Of Whale Rock On Chinamans

Gary, Oleg And Robbie Used A Winch To Straighten Them Out

 

[waggoner5]

Lost a mechanical fuel pump on Chinaman's years back and took an extra gas can, duct taped it to the hood and gravity fed the carb. Drove the whole trail.

 

[Inukshuk]

I used shreds of someones pringles can to shim my steering after wheeling Chinaman

That's one more reason I always carry Pringles. It was snowing too.

An 80 tow hook bolt has the same thread as a front caliper bolt.

 

[farnhamstj]

I had a good one a few years ago on PS at the arch. Broken spider gear in rear dif. Took diff cover off. Drove 20 ft with cover off and the broken pieces spit out. Cover back on refill with oil and drove it out with only 1 spider gear.

 

[Hulk]

We fixed Perry's 4Runner's broken steering on Spring Creek one year by duct taping a wrench to the two halves like a splint. I think we used some hose clamps, too.

 

[bh4rnnr]

We fixed Perry's 4Runner's broken steering on Spring Creek one year by duct taping a wrench to the two halves like a splint. I think we used some hose clamps, too.

Actually, it was a steal rod, bailing wire and duct tape. Man, forgot about that repair. Sketchy driving down Saxton Mt like that, but even more sketchy driving on the highway home.....

 

[Cheeseman]

One of the first times I did Kane Creek we were wheelin' with some of the early Wasatch Cruiser guys. I think it was Darren who had a red 60 and his coil went out just at the bottom of the big climb out from the bottom towards the end of the trail. No spare coils anywhere so we did this. We sent a couple of guys into town to get a coil. In the mean time when a similar vehicle got to the top of the climb we would take his coil and put it into the 60 so Darren could get up the hills. We switched back and forth until almost out when the new coil arrived. Worked pretty good.

 

[Red_Chili]

Actually, it was a steal rod, bailing wire and duct tape. Man, forgot about that repair. Sketchy driving down Saxton Mt like that, but even more sketchy driving on the highway home.....

It was rebar and I had a hand in that one... LOL
Uh... you had some toe-out issues...

Then there was the time Marco welded your frame back together using my welder (because he is good and I am... not so much) after some Baja-style driving on Wipe Out Hill. It was God speaking to you about your need for a SAS I think.

Same Wipe Out that took out my R&P the prior year, disconnected the flanges and driveshaft and drove back to camp in FWD, put in a borrowed diff from Rock Dog/ Squeaky Toy/ Neil in camp and I was good to go. Discovered I liked 4.88s better too.

I still think welding Cheeseman's front frame back on (it was held on only by the body mounts... ), on Engineer Pass, was classic though. I never needed a welder for trail repairs until I bought one... LOL

 

[Old40Dog]

Vice Grips are very versatile tool to have along.

Father's Day Run 2010, Kenny's Jeep tore a rear brakeline in the rock garden on Spring Creek and we used two vice grips to clamp off the lines. Hairy ride down Saxon Mountain, but it held up to get us off the trail and home!