My first 4wheeling trip after the East Coast Xterra Challenge, I bend a tie rod. I would have expected it to happen on the rocks in Shamokin than a mud puddle in the Pine Barrens.

Fortunately we were able to get the tie rod straightened enough that I could get home. Although I did manage to bend it a bit more on my way out of the woods (about 2 miles), it wasn't enough to stop me from moving straight.

I hadn't seen the pics of it bent, just heard about it.

Yikes! Must have been quite a mudhole.

It really wasn't that bad. Here's a picture of a stock X stuck in the same hole. I was going the other way when I bent the tie rod.

http://www.avaloninternet.net/users/bythebay/images/P7150004.jpg

Here is another picture of the Swampwrecker after we had straightened the driver's side wheel so we could get the tie rod off.

http://www.avaloninternet.net/users/bythebay/images/P7150007.jpg

I really think the reason I bent it had very little to do with the mud hole. I had been bouncing the front end around on a rutted hill just before hitting the mud hole. I think whatever resistance there was in the mud hole just was too much for a tie rod on the brink of failure.

It's probably best that it happened when it did, because the next obstacle we hit (I left the X behind) was this obstacle, which would have put too much stress on the tie rod and that would be a bad place to bend a tie rod:

http://www.xterra-trail.net/pinebarrens/willandoleg001.jpg
photo taken by Mobycat, linked without permission :devil:

-Michael

Yeah, it's probably a good thing it DID happen before that spot...you do recall the first time you hit those, don't you?

Momentum is my friend...my A**!

:D

Did that blue Xterra hit that tree in the last picture?

That *black* Xterra didn't hit the tree. :cool: That's Will in front and Oleg behind him. Sitting there taking pics, and didn't even notice this lineup until Mr. T pointed it out.

Oleg may not have hit that tree, but he was DAMN close to rolling his truck (which would have made him the only Xterra owner to have rolled 2 Xterras). I was right behind him (the silver X parked behind him) and all I heard was Oleg shouting for me to come and put some weight in the back of his X so he doesn't roll. He almost had me strap him up and pull him backwards, but he managed to make it down without any complications. Whew! :eek:

Sounds like you guys found some serious trails! I never did four wheel when I lived in Fayetville, NC. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.......:flash:

Originally posted by Mobycat
Yeah, it's probably a good thing it DID happen before that spot...you do recall the first time you hit those, don't you?

Momentum is my friend...my A**!

:D

I've never hit that spot! You guys hit it after we ate lunch and if you recall, after I ate lunch I spent the next 12 hours helping my buddy fix his Blazer!

In scouting out the trails I never made it past the ruts, so I didn't even know it existed until I saw the pictures!

Originally posted by KillerX
Oleg may not have hit that tree, but he was DAMN close to rolling his truck

When a few of us from NJAX went back to scout out more trails for our July trip Rich almost flipped over at the same spot. He hit it with too much speed and both rear tires left the ground :eek:

Originally posted by swampwrecker


I've never hit that spot! You guys hit it after we ate lunch and if you recall, after I ate lunch I spent the next 12 hours helping my buddy fix his Blazer!

In scouting out the trails I never made it past the ruts, so I didn't even know it existed until I saw the pictures!

Are you sure? I recall you dropping into the hole (the one Will is in) a little too fast, and your back end lifting quite high. Much like Rich apparently did recently.

Wasn't me. I spent less than 2 hours on the trail that day and most of that time was spent stuck in mud holes or pulling people out of mud holes although I did hit a few ruts.

What you might be thinking of is the spot where my front passenger side dipped down as I was exiting the big rut and Todd & Jason had to help level the truck out (see the 2 Point Stance thread in Extreme X's or the picture on the home page of my web site.)

Hell of a wheel hang fellas, gotta be one of the greatest pics of that sort that ive seen. :alien2: