mizedog
04-12-2010, 02:21 PM
Hey all,
Haven't posted in a while as I've been working my fingers to the bone on the basement refinish job - the Mother-in-law visited for Easter. You know that meant my wife put the fire under me...
As my reward for hard work done, I met friends from my old California club at Moab. Here's the schedule:
Tuesday - Hell's Revenge
Wednesday - Poison Spider Mesa to Golden Spike to Gold Bar Rim, Gemini Bridges
Thursday - Killer Kane Mine - (washed out), Kane Creek
The Cherokee, with only a rear locker and 33s, did great in a crowd of TJs and JKs. They even commented on how well it did. What did I learn? XJ's do steep uphills better than my old CJ. My XJ didn't like going down ledges - AT ALL. The springs and shocks were too soft (shock may have been faded - even at the highest setting). My front bumper did hit on a couple ledges but held up great - only nicks in the paint. The rear trailer hitch saved my bumper, and gas tank. No rubbing at all on Hell's Revenge. I didn't do Hell's Gate, the tubs, or the Escalator. After the trail we did Baby Lion's Back. Easy up, but I almost rolled it coming down the 5' high ledge on the back side. I was way too far to the right which is a larger drop (following the more radical TJ drivers). Once the back tires crossed over the edge, the Jeep just slid down and planted the bumper hard enough that the back end shot airborne, and swung to the right about two feet and started to roll the Jeep over fast. Luckily, I stabbed the gas in time to pull the front end forward enough. Nearly peed my pants on that!
No problems anywhere on Poison Spider/Spike/Bar Rim accept for using my nerf bars, bumper, and hitch. Going up the tilty ledges of Poison Spider was more comfortable in the XJ than the CJ. Did the Golden Staircase so smoothly it surprised me and got cheers from the group (the JK on 35s ahead of me had more trouble). Didn't try Double Whammy.
Tried to do Killer Kane Mine trail, but sections were washed out preventing us from going up the cliff. On to Kane Creek.
Kane Creek was easy except for one tough ledge climbing out of the canyon (made it). It's amazing how the trail makes its way up the cliff face where it seems no trail could be!
I'll add some pics.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010112.jpg
Hell's Gate:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010132.jpg
Devil's somthing hot tub:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010138.jpg
The Escalator - one brave XJ on 36s tried this, but got stuck and needed a hook.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010152.jpg
Hell's Revenge overlook (over Colorado River)
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/HellsRevengeLookOutpoint.jpg
The view:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010130.jpg
Beginning of Poison Spider Mesa - ledges above the river:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/PoisonSpiderpano.jpg
The Wedgy:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/PoisonSpiderWedgy.jpg
Going up canyon to lunch spot:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010016.jpg
Lunch in the canyon above some ledges:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010045.jpg
Pano of the lunch spot:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/LunchonPoisonSpidertrail.jpg
Another Poison Spider cliff shot:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010011.jpg
Turtle Rock near the beginning of Golden Spike:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010006.jpg
Golden Spike ledges:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010051.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010053.jpg
Jeep Arch:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010055.jpg
Pano view from Golden Spike looking back toward Poison:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/GoldenSpikeLaSalsbackdrop.jpg
Video of the Golden Crack:
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/th_P1010062.jpg[/IMG"]Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket
Golden Stair Case - do the "Moab Bump"!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010063.jpg
Gemini bridge near end of Gold Bar Rim trail:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010076.jpg
Me on the cliff overlooking the bridges:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010081.jpg
What would I change?
More lift! Just a couple inches would have helped me keep off the nerf bars.
Stiffer springs and shocks! The Rusty's springs seems to have lost some lift and I swayed all over and the springs compressed waaaay too easily coming off ledges causing me to hit the nerfs and bumpers.
Front locker - This would have been nice, on the Golden Crack and some of the undercut ledges. However, I was able to do all those open in the front.
More fender trimming!!! Darn it! I cracked up at least three of the Rusty's flares due to the 33's eating away at them. I'm seriously looking at the new ones from Iceland offroad.
What worked well?
From bumper was good and stout. I think it gave great approach angles.
Tires stuck like glue! The siping may have helped this.
JKS Super Nerfs - very tough.
Rear axle w/ locker - I saw another XJ with a Dana 35 that broke on him - sucked getting off Golden Spike for him!
4.56 gears - worked fine. I notice another XJ and JK with taller gears having to bounce through rather than idle through. 4.88s would not have been too deep.
Haven't posted in a while as I've been working my fingers to the bone on the basement refinish job - the Mother-in-law visited for Easter. You know that meant my wife put the fire under me...
As my reward for hard work done, I met friends from my old California club at Moab. Here's the schedule:
Tuesday - Hell's Revenge
Wednesday - Poison Spider Mesa to Golden Spike to Gold Bar Rim, Gemini Bridges
Thursday - Killer Kane Mine - (washed out), Kane Creek
The Cherokee, with only a rear locker and 33s, did great in a crowd of TJs and JKs. They even commented on how well it did. What did I learn? XJ's do steep uphills better than my old CJ. My XJ didn't like going down ledges - AT ALL. The springs and shocks were too soft (shock may have been faded - even at the highest setting). My front bumper did hit on a couple ledges but held up great - only nicks in the paint. The rear trailer hitch saved my bumper, and gas tank. No rubbing at all on Hell's Revenge. I didn't do Hell's Gate, the tubs, or the Escalator. After the trail we did Baby Lion's Back. Easy up, but I almost rolled it coming down the 5' high ledge on the back side. I was way too far to the right which is a larger drop (following the more radical TJ drivers). Once the back tires crossed over the edge, the Jeep just slid down and planted the bumper hard enough that the back end shot airborne, and swung to the right about two feet and started to roll the Jeep over fast. Luckily, I stabbed the gas in time to pull the front end forward enough. Nearly peed my pants on that!
No problems anywhere on Poison Spider/Spike/Bar Rim accept for using my nerf bars, bumper, and hitch. Going up the tilty ledges of Poison Spider was more comfortable in the XJ than the CJ. Did the Golden Staircase so smoothly it surprised me and got cheers from the group (the JK on 35s ahead of me had more trouble). Didn't try Double Whammy.
Tried to do Killer Kane Mine trail, but sections were washed out preventing us from going up the cliff. On to Kane Creek.
Kane Creek was easy except for one tough ledge climbing out of the canyon (made it). It's amazing how the trail makes its way up the cliff face where it seems no trail could be!
I'll add some pics.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010112.jpg
Hell's Gate:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010132.jpg
Devil's somthing hot tub:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010138.jpg
The Escalator - one brave XJ on 36s tried this, but got stuck and needed a hook.
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010152.jpg
Hell's Revenge overlook (over Colorado River)
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/HellsRevengeLookOutpoint.jpg
The view:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010130.jpg
Beginning of Poison Spider Mesa - ledges above the river:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/PoisonSpiderpano.jpg
The Wedgy:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/PoisonSpiderWedgy.jpg
Going up canyon to lunch spot:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010016.jpg
Lunch in the canyon above some ledges:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010045.jpg
Pano of the lunch spot:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/LunchonPoisonSpidertrail.jpg
Another Poison Spider cliff shot:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010011.jpg
Turtle Rock near the beginning of Golden Spike:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010006.jpg
Golden Spike ledges:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010051.jpg
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010053.jpg
Jeep Arch:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010055.jpg
Pano view from Golden Spike looking back toward Poison:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/GoldenSpikeLaSalsbackdrop.jpg
Video of the Golden Crack:
[IMG]http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/th_P1010062.jpg[/IMG"]Image hosting, free photo sharing & video sharing at Photobucket
Golden Stair Case - do the "Moab Bump"!
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010063.jpg
Gemini bridge near end of Gold Bar Rim trail:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010076.jpg
Me on the cliff overlooking the bridges:
http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y272/Mizedog/Jeep%20pics/Moab%202010/P1010081.jpg
What would I change?
More lift! Just a couple inches would have helped me keep off the nerf bars.
Stiffer springs and shocks! The Rusty's springs seems to have lost some lift and I swayed all over and the springs compressed waaaay too easily coming off ledges causing me to hit the nerfs and bumpers.
Front locker - This would have been nice, on the Golden Crack and some of the undercut ledges. However, I was able to do all those open in the front.
More fender trimming!!! Darn it! I cracked up at least three of the Rusty's flares due to the 33's eating away at them. I'm seriously looking at the new ones from Iceland offroad.
What worked well?
From bumper was good and stout. I think it gave great approach angles.
Tires stuck like glue! The siping may have helped this.
JKS Super Nerfs - very tough.
Rear axle w/ locker - I saw another XJ with a Dana 35 that broke on him - sucked getting off Golden Spike for him!
4.56 gears - worked fine. I notice another XJ and JK with taller gears having to bounce through rather than idle through. 4.88s would not have been too deep.