What have you recently learned?

[lgottler]

You've been wheeling for a while, thinking you had stuff figured out relatively well. But there's always something you didn't ever think about or ever encounter before. Anyone have any tips or stories to share about something you learned, even if it seems like common knowledge, it wasn't to you!

Mine is to air down two or three times. I've always dropped my tires down at the trailhead figuring the tire warmed up and isn't going to get any more pressure from heat...but on the past two runs, I was struggling more towards the end of the run or even over obstacles I didn't think would be an issue. So, I checked my tire pressures multiple times and found the results quite surprising!

On the trailer and to the trail they checked about 10psi, once at the trail head, dropped to 3psi and wheeled around for about an hour, checked again and they reinflated to 8 psi!! Brought them back down to 3psi and wheeled another couple hours and they seemed to be right around 3-4psi. Left it on the trailer, get home and all 4 tires register at 1 or less, not quite flat.

Winter run in the UP, set 'em at 4-5psi and was struggling, checked near the end of the day and they were at 10 psi!

That was new to me! Made a huge difference once I could keep them at the desired PSI. I plan on checking them multiple times in the future....

Lucas

[keithshotrodshop]

I've learned a few things:

1. Camp food, mud, and various unknown trash will make the interior of a truck smell like death.

2. In case of seatbelt failure in a rollover situation, Timbercruiser makes an excellent airbag.

3. T-way is not a gracefull swimmer.

4. Cigar smoke makes an excellent bug screen.

5. Eating McDonalds leftovers found under the seat is usually not a good idea.

6. If Jim Kitson is in front of you in a muddy area, invest in good wipers and a 55 gallon drum of washer fluid.

7. The deeper into the woods Jim Mazzola gets, the deeper the shade of red gets on his neck.

8. The further north in Canada you get, the more Canadians forget they use the metric system (a la signs that say "resturant 8 kilometers ahead, right at light, then three miles on the left")

9. You can insult the Canadian government all you want to a Canadian, but mention that his pizza tastes like cardboard, and you are in for a fight.


And lastly, I finally figured out the Lucas Gottler direction/time equation. How ever long he says you will be on a run, times it by three, and whatever direction he goes, only follow him if you don't mind being shot at by moose poachers!

[WhiteRhino]

Wow........... great input from Keith. :lmao:

Lucas, yeah, I air down multiple times & never thought to share it. I have to think on your request & will get back to you.

For the moment tho......... If you end up having to lug a full size F250 out of the woods up hill in the mud......... you will probably spin your tires.

[mitrail400ex]

I can't compete with Keithshotrodshop on his list (which I'm still giggling at), but I'll add a couple.

1. If you want to ensure that Middle Michigan doesn't get snow, even in January, plan an offroad trip based around wheeling in the snow.

2. If you do something impossibly cool in or around your jeep, there will be no one with a camera nearby. However, the moment you do something stupid, everyone in the area becomes a news reporter.

3. Buffalo wild wings is a perfectly acceptable place to hold a meeting, provided you don't mind barbeque sauce on the meeting minutes and the fact that you'll accomplish nothing (except maybe winning at Trivia).

[joe_jeep]

jim told me about multiple air downs at the silver lake meeting last year. this was news to me also. i went down to 10psi on my own, as low as my gauge went. he told me to go to 6psi. when i went down to 6psi, he told me later i might wanna go down to 4 or 5 psi. i didnt, but i checked later and it was up to about 9psi and i lowered it to 6psi again. thx jim.

i also learned when at the mounds and your strap is hooked up, everyone around you will need to be pulled out. even those people in dodge dually diesels. the weight of a truck like that stuck in mud is i little much for my jeep. i think next time ill look the other way, and he can flag down the next fullsize by. i got him out, but it took quite a few full throttle assualts to jerk him out!

i also learned ari needs bigger tires! lol

[phittie1100]

Practice makes perfect

I get weird looks from my neighbors, but every time I bring new goodies home for the first time, I practice in the safe confines of my back yard. I am relatively new to the sport, so even things like a hi-lift, snatch block and tire deflators were novelties when they came home for the first time. But that way I know how things will act when I use them on the trail.

My wife made me promise that when I get the locker installed this summer that I will practice with that in someone else's yard!

[Evil_E]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(keithshotrodshop &#064; Mar 26 2007, 08&#58;38 PM) 23630</div>

4. Cigar smoke makes an excellent bug screen.
[/b]

Every trail needs a Jarhead&#33;&#33;&#33; :lol: :lol:

[RockyTop]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MuddyPaws &#064; Mar 27 2007, 03&#58;28 PM) 23650</div>
:unsure: Don&#39;t flat tow in the winter. No matter how nice or warm the day is. :unsure:
:idea: Unless you want a new tow rig and can&#39;t find a way to tell the wife.[/b]

http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/dirtbox/pics/muttley.gif

[Kixx007]

I have learned a whole lot over the last couple years. I don&#39;t think I could top Ketihs. Nor MiTrails (however number 3, I will call BS on).

One of the things I have learned however, is that Marv (Grandman) is a lifesaver. He has bailed us out on to many occasions.. I think more occasions that we should ever have.

[timbercruiser]

I have learned to spot for Keith when traveling downhill. Or at least hope the truck rolls the other way&#33;&#33;

If you have vehicle that no one else has, bring your own parts.

[keithshotrodshop]

I forgot a couple:

10. Brian Dow spots in the past tense.

11. Bruce&#39;s Chili will make your farts light themselves on fire.

12. Lucas has a secret love for middle aged men who wheel white Yj&#39;s and will frequently write them letters to let them know.

13. Jarhead carries a 12 foot shoehorn in the back of his Hummer (that&#39;s the only way I can figure out how he fits in spots I&#39;ve seen him go&#33;)

14. Ironman can hear metal before it breaks and has his welding helmet before it does.

15. 460&#39;s don&#39;t run well underwater (my three year old reminds me of this weekly).

[Jarhead]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Evil_E &#064; Mar 27 2007, 04&#58;08 PM) 23649</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(keithshotrodshop &#064; Mar 26 2007, 08&#58;38 PM) 23630

4. Cigar smoke makes an excellent bug screen.
[/b]

Every trail needs a Jarhead&#33;&#33;&#33; :lol: :lol:
[/b][/quote]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(keithshotrodshop &#064; Mar 28 2007, 09&#58;48 PM) 23685</div>

I forgot a couple:

13. Jarhead carries a 12 foot shoehorn in the back of his Hummer (that&#39;s the only way I can figure out how he fits in spots I&#39;ve seen him go&#33;)

[/b]

:lmao: :laughing2: :hysterical: :hysterical: :laughing2: :lmao:

[phittie1100]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(keithshotrodshop &#064; Mar 28 2007, 09&#58;48 PM) 23685</div>

12. Lucas has a secret love for middle aged men who wheel white Yj&#39;s and will frequently write them letters to let them know.
[/b]

I now have a white YJ for sale (cheap)....need to sell before I become middle aged and attract groupies&#33;

[WhiteRhino]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(phittie1100 &#064; Mar 29 2007, 07&#58;50 AM) 23696</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(keithshotrodshop &#064; Mar 28 2007, 09&#58;48 PM) 23685

12. Lucas has a secret love for middle aged men who wheel white Yj&#39;s and will frequently write them letters to let them know.
[/b]

I now have a white YJ for sale (cheap)....need to sell before I become middle aged and attract groupies&#33;
[/b][/quote]

Hang in there Paul. After a while they start calling you "old" instead of middle aged.

[WhiteRhino]

OK, Back to the serious side of Lucas&#39;s question. It&#39;s pretty hard to think of things that we take for granted but here&#39;s a couple.

1) Always start your day with a full tank of gas. Speaking from experience, your fuel gage may be malfunctioning. "what? we still have 3/8 tank"

2) Regardless of the time of year or location you are wheeling, a change of clothes tossed into a duffle bag is a good thing. You never know when you may have to crawl under your (or someone else&#39;s) rig. Wheeling with your favorite t-shirt is a shure bet to get it ruined.

3) For some reason, I have had my lug nuts come loose multiple times. More frequently with aluminum wheels. Good idea to double check.

4) Get your piece of S&#036;it CB working right. There is nothing more frustrating than either trying to talk without gettin out or listening to someone snap and crackle. It will cost you a whopping &#036;50 to put a whole new antenna and coax on your rig.

5) Most of you know that I carry way more stuff with me than necessary. My spares and tools have come from a variety of mishaps over the years. For instance, I know my fluids were full, but low and behold when SilverXJ rolled (at the mounds of all places), guess who had the funnel to fill his trans back up? Yup........ me. I have tried hard to stop carrying too much stuff. Especially the heavy stuff. Rags, waterless hand cleaner, an extra quart of oil & trans fluid should be pretty much mandatory. Also, if you have purchased a special tool (IE spindle nut wrench) that is not common to the typical tool box, you should carry it.

6) I try to run extrememly light at the dunes. But I still have a small zippered tool bag that has: a couple cresent wrenches, channel locks, 8mm and .50 wrenches for driveshafts, a universal screw driver, a sharp knife and a roll of electrical tape. Ever seen someone there with a blown driveshaft that they can&#39;t get removed to drive out in 2 whl drive, a burned spark plug wire, something hanging, etc? It fits under the seat and weighs about a pound.

7) You can never have too much water. For you, your dog, an overheated (insert here), rinsing the waterless hand cleaner, etc.

8) And most important of all: If Keith is with you, a video camera is a must&#33;

[keithshotrodshop]

I have to agree with the list that Jim came up with. I have personally run on fumes to a gas station after a long days wheeling. Also, the special tool thing is important. I don&#39;t know how many times someone has needed something I carry in my ammo cans. I&#39;ve lent out pickle forks. ball joint tools, and electrical equipment. Also, even if it isn&#39;t for you, if you have small extra parts, bring them along. I carry an assortment of U-joints and bolts with me at all times.

Being Serious, there is a few tools that I find you always need. Duct tape, a hammer, and some wire. Those three things can get you out of alot of trouble.

Also, I carry a small tire plug kit. They are real cheap, and real small. I&#39;ve used mine twice.

As for things that I have learned, one biggee is to keep things dry. That goes for the extra clothes and such as well. I wheel vehicles that aftermarket snorkels aren&#39;t availble for. For less than 20 bucks and a few hours time, you can fab up a PVC snorkel for almost any vehicle. The two times I didn&#39;t follow this rule resulted in water in the engine. One engine survived, the other didn&#39;t.

[keithshotrodshop]

Oh, and somthing I found to be really true, Wheel with people you not only enjoy being around, but also someone you can trust. Our hobby can be a dangerous one if people with the wrong attitude are around. I refuse to wheel with anyone who is drinking, and if I don&#39;t feel comfortable with someone&#39;s spotting or other judment, I get someone I trust.

As you can see, I poke fun at Lucas a bit, but I&#39;ll tell you what, I&#39;d trust that man with my life. He is probably the most down to earth and carefull person I know. That is why I wheel with him alot. He has introduced me to a good group of people that I enjoy being around and wheeling with. Our personalities clash at times, and we don&#39;t always agree on everything, but if he tells me to take a certain line, I take it because I know I can trust him. If only he did more spotting for me, my Jimmy might be a little less dented&#33;