WJ - first trail ride

I took my new WJ out 4-wheeling on Sunday for the first time. My 6 year old nephew Gavin and his father came along. I choose the Sykes Ridge trail north of Lovell, WY for the maiden voyage. This trail climbs up the southern flank of East Pryor Mountain in Montana. The entire route is within the Pryor Wild Horse range. See this link:

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It was Gavin's first experience jeeping and he was thrilled. He couldn't stop laughing he was so excited. No bump was too big and no mudhole was too deep for this little guy. He really wanted to "get stuck really bad", "blow out all four tires", and "roll over"!

Despite having 'soccer mom' highway tires (Goodyear Eagle LS), the jeep was unstoppable. The H.O. 4.7 V8, Quadra Drive transfer case, and progressive locking axles are a great combination. We encountered lots of melting snow and huge mudholes on top of the mountain. No problem for this jeep!

The grand finale was a giant 100' long mudhole on the Sage Creek road. I gunned the engine and roared through it with a huge wave of muddy water totally enveloping the jeep. Couldn't see a thing out the windshield.

After dinner, Gavin's father asked me to read him a book at bedtime. Tossed aside the kiddy books and pulled out Foster's "The Story of Jeep". Looks the future of jeeping is secure, with another fanatic joining our ranks.

Reply to
cactuscowboy
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Nice link - I think I would like to visit that area. See any horses?

Not really smart, especially with a little kid along.

ALWAYS investigate a significant mudhole with a stick or by wading if you are unsure of how deep it is or what lies beneath. Hitting a "sippy hole" or submerged rock or log at speed will ruin your truck and your day.

ALWAYS proceed at a reasonable (slow) speed so the water does not drown the engine electrical system or cause major hydrolock destruction. The Jeep commercials do not represent correct offroad driving, as fun as they are to watch.

Glad you had a good time tho. Keep the kid interested. Maybe he'll want to restore a beater Rubicon when he becomes a teenager.

John Davies

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'96 Lexus LX450 '00 Audi A4 1.8T quattro Spokane WA USA

Reply to
John Davies

Fun eh!

You should check where your air intake comes in before too many water crossings.

Some have a ram air scoop just below the headlight. This means if water comes that high, the engine will ingest it.

If you are running at high rpm and the engine takes in water, BLAM, no more engine. If you are running at low rpm and the engine takes in water, it will just hydrolock and stop hopefully without blowing any pistons out.

This Jeeper was running at low rpm and only got hydrolocked, no damage once we emptied the water out.

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Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

cactuscowboy wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

We did see about 20~30 wild horses, including some frisky newborns running around. It's always fascinating to watch them.

The big mud puddle was shallow and predictable. Hit it at the right speed and water sprays over the top of the jeep. No worry about choking the engine and destroying it.

My brother-in-law (a very uptight and overly serious individual) was definitely freaked out during the entire trail ride. My nephew was thrilled beyond words. Lots of fun!

Gavin has spotted the '62 Willys pickup in the garage. He's insistent upon helping me "take apart Willy" tomorrow night. I'm sure his little fingers will be stained with grease by the time we're done.

Best regards, Dave Rose Cactus Cowboy Big Wonderful Wyoming '49 Willys Pickup (parts truck) '62 Willys Pickup 4WD 226 '98 XJ Sport '04 WJ Limited 4.7 H.O. O|||||||O

Reply to
cactuscowboy

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