[Dragon]

I'm going to post this on the maintenance tech section as well.

TIE ROD ISSUE

I suspect that for many who are running near-stock rigs this won't be an issue but those of us who are exceeding Toyota's design parameters need to at least pay attention.

I ran the Kokopelli Trail with TCAO, JESHUA, FROGEYE, etc. last week. At one point I hit a dip a bit "hard". Thereafter I had some "squirly" steering, as if I'd removed the front sway bar. I stopped and looked at the front end, checked for obvious problems and didn't see any. DRAGON and SHADOW-WARRIOR walked up and I ran it past them. We had dipped into some gooey mud a half mile previously and we counseled that it might have something to do with mud in the wheel.

The steering was still "wrong" and all the way home, there was wandering, erratic steering on the highway. It still felt loose. Not linkage loose, just loose. Somehow wrong.

I'll make a longer story short. The tie rods weren't bent but the inner ends of the tie rods were shot. Therefore the erratic wandering track on the highway.

The explanation is straight forward. I have wazoo Icon suspension, Light Racing jounce shocks, and run the truck with heavier wheels and tires. The tie rods are the weak link in the system. They're stock. Modifying this part and that part without completely redesigning the vehicle cause these sorts of maintenance issues.

I suggest you check the tie rods every so often. Mine survived 32K miles and then gave up the ghost.

It's nice to find out what it was. Thanks for sharing and thanks for the info.

 

[Dragon]

 

[Air2air]

I think inner tie rod end damage can be caused by an overly buff driver manhandling the wheel - imagining it is the neck of somebody asking if his daughter is single

 

[Shadow-Warrior]

I think inner tie rod end damage can be caused by an overly buff driver manhandling the wheel - imagining it is the neck of somebody asking if his daughter is single

:rofl: So true Todd! :lol:

 

[Teotwaki]

I'm going to post this on the maintenance tech section as well.

TIE ROD ISSUE

snip-snip-snip
I'll make a longer story short. The tie rods weren't bent but the inner ends of the tie rods were shot. Therefore the erratic wandering track on the highway. ...snip....

made it shorter..... :lol:

Anyhow, same experience with my full-sized Bronco after some hard trails out near Nellis AFB. Hard use, stiff suspension and large tires accelerate the wear. Tie rods are a good item to place on the yearly maintenance checklist!

 

[uphill]

I think inner tie rod end damage can be caused by an overly buff driver manhandling the wheel - imagining it is the neck of somebody asking if his daughter is single

Dead tie rods tell no tales...

HAR!​

 

[Teotwaki]

Combine the two (tie rods and skull) and you have a members-only sticker for your next off-road epic adventure!!

​

​

 

[uphill]

Scorpion Rack Update:

The original Scorpion Rack prototype (two photos below)

View from Passenger Compartment

View from Cargo Compartment

Survived it's first expedition run, Moab and the Summit with flying colors. Having had it on the trail I have been discussing minor changes with COWBOY4X4 which will make it stronger (though it's already over-built), more functional and less expensive (though there will be more steel than on the rack some of you may have seen on the prototype).

I know that a few of you think that this is something you might like to have, but let me assure you all that this particular item is being built first and foremost for my personal use. That means that it is built to survive the life cycle of several FJ Cruisers unless they're tossed like a tin can by a tornado or are driven off a high cliff...and at that they might survive to operate as a gear storage rack in another FJ.

A couple people have asked about the rack. Thanks (you know who you are). Getting things right means field testing. Sorry, there's no other way to do it. The present prototype is plenty tough and worked flawlessly. In an operating environment the more elegant the design, the more simple and rugged the concept, the better it is. I just came up with a few more ideas.

 

[wrigman]

OK Larry, I sold! How much do you want for the shotgun??? :lol::lol::lol:

I hope I don't get this thread deleted by saying this, and Larry, don't take this the wrong way but,,,,, Nice rack!:bandit:

 

[FJDave]

Yeah, it is pretty sweet! Oh, and the rack is too.... Nice job Larry and Cowboy!

 

[uphill]

A brief update on the Scorpion Rack for those of you who may have some interest. We originally planned to manufacture in China but the economy of scale necessary to make that happen was about 500 units. I don't see that happening - I don't see the market here on the forum for that sort of quantity with many of you uncertain about employment next month.

With the general state of uncertainty in financial markets, COWBOY 4X4 and I may make some for those of you who really want them on a case-by-case basis. This is not an offer to sell and when we do, there will be a forum sanctioned group buy and we'll make appropriate arrangements so that happens.

 

[tibaal89]

Hahaha, yea that would be kind of weird if you had to ban yourself for illegitimate vendor dealings. :lol:

It's a cool rack, best of luck with getting them out there!

 

[uphill]

Death Valley Three - the third and last in an expedition series covering Death Valley and its environs. The run was planned by NEVADAESH and I didn't take a lot of photos, but here are a few:

The Scorpion with Mt. Whitney in the background. I'm parked at the Baxter Mine Ruins east of Lone Pine and am looking (camera view) west.

NEVADAESH at Nelson's Cabin

Nelson's Cabin from above.

Nelson's cabin (interior). The cabin is available for anyone traveling through Death Valley. It's remarkably nice inside when you consider the exterior and the bleak surroundings.

SPERTIERRA at Bat Rock, near Warm Springs.

More of the Bat Rock bat.

TARGA88 came down from Canada to join us on the run.

A sharp rock shredded the sidewall of TARGA88's tire. A good reason for a capable spare. On reflection, group members have lost tires on each of the last 5 runs I have been on. I'm not talking about a flat, I'm talking a ripped sidewall.

 

[Wiz-of-Awd]

Off topic apology, but...

Let's get Uphill's replies to break the 1000 mark...
(very close already)

A.W.D.

 

[Shadow-Warrior]

Cool run, I wish I could have been there. I like the cabin, the inside is pretty nice considering the area and the outside of it. It's nice to see people keep it intact.


Mike

 

[FJDave]

Wow Larry! That is really cool....the cabin being available for anyone that needs it. As SW said, it's nice that everyone keeps it as nice as it is. I would expect differently. Great pictures as well!! Man, I would LOVE to hit that area at least once in my life. Good job!

 

[uphill]

Cool run, I wish I could have been there. I like the cabin, the inside is pretty nice considering the area and the outside of it. It's nice to see people keep it intact.

You may be surprised to know that there are well over a dozen or so of these small miner's cabins scattered throughout Death Valley that you can use and that people keep up. Death Valley National Park is 3000 square miles. "Larger Death Valley" which includes the park is over double that size so knowing where to find them becomes the issue. Charles Manson used the Barker Ranch (a nice location in Death Valley actually) as a hide out. There is sweet water in a number of these locations, though not Nelson's Cabin. The place is so very remote, so forbidding and vast that careful and detailed exploration is the key to finding cool locations to camp and visit.:bigthumb:

 

[FJDave]

What's "sweet water?"

 

[uphill]

What's "sweet water?"

A lot of the water in the desert is alkaline, which is not only not drinkable, but it will kill you quickly. Some of it flows in streams, so it's not an issue of standing water or running water. Essentially, "alkaline water" is water with dissolved salts, sometimes arsenic, calcium, magnesium and other metals incorporated in it. Copper is abundant in Death Valley and it's a potent poison if you ingest it. Mining released a lot of these minerals into various water tables.

To put it crudely, drinking water you're not sure of in the desert is not all that different than eating yellow snow and hoping that it's food coloring...

Sweet water is potable water and perhaps I should have used that term.


---XXX---

Shifting gears, there is a snake oil thing out there called "Ionized water" that people would have you drink to cure your ills. Sometimes it's also referred to as "alkaline water".

Most water that is fit for drinking is too unconductive to undergo signficant electrolysis. Pure water can never be alkaline or acidic, nor can it be made so by electrolysis.

Groundwaters containing metal ions such as calcium and magnesium can be rendered slightly alkaline by electrolysis, but after it hits the highly acidic gastric fluid in the stomach, its alkalinity is gone. The idea that one must consume alkaline water to neutralize the effects of acidic foods is ridiculous; we get rid of excess acid by exhaling carbon dioxide.

There is nothing wrong with drinking slightly acidic waters such as rainwater. "Body pH" is a meaningless concept; different parts of the body (and even of individual cells) can have widely different pH values. If you really want to de-acidify your stomach (at the possible cost of interfering with protein digestion), why spend hundreds of dollars for an electrolysis device when you can take calcium-magnesium pills, Alka-Seltzer or Milk of Magnesia?

Electrolysis devices are generally worthless for treating water for health enhancement, removal of common impurities, disinfection, and scale control.

 

[Dragon]

Great photos. Thanks for sharing.