It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Pizza (LA to Moab -- Trip Journal)

[wibornz]

DAY 3: Elephant Hill (an all day event)

This day started with a long drive out to Elephant Hill. Super fun trail. There's a great hike at the end that we managed to finish just as the hail started coming down.

We took a bit of a detour to check on Confluence Overlook where the Green and Colorado rivers meet.

We finished up right before the sun started to set. The last climb out is a bit of a nail biter for sure. A lot of backing up to go forward nonsense.

.

Trail complete! Now this is where things get a little SadRobot-y. I went to re-connect my Rock Krawler swaybar links and the bushings on both sides were missing. I have no idea how this could have happened. I've been running these quick disconnects for a couple years now and never had an issue.

With no other option I headed back to Moab with the swaybar disconnected. Tomorrow's mission is to call around town and see if any shop has these bushings in stock. I'd rather not drive back to California with a disconnected swaybar.

If anyone knows of a shop in Moab who can help me out please let me know.

Elephant Hill is a cool trail. Did you have a hard time securing a pass via the Recreation.gov app? That app has pissed me off to the point I came close to rag ripping my phone in half.

I wish I could help you with a shop, but the one I used last time I was there is not showing up on Google.

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[Dale's Jeep]

Oh man you have some crappy luck at times. Traffic or repair items. But you never give up so go for you.

 

[Willys41]

DAY 3: Elephant Hill (an all day event)

This day started with a long drive out to Elephant Hill. Super fun trail. There's a great hike at the end that we managed to finish just as the hail started coming down.

We took a bit of a detour to check on Confluence Overlook where the Green and Colorado rivers meet.

We finished up right before the sun started to set. The last climb out is a bit of a nail biter for sure. A lot of backing up to go forward nonsense.

.

Trail complete! Now this is where things get a little SadRobot-y. I went to re-connect my Rock Krawler swaybar links and the bushings on both sides were missing. I have no idea how this could have happened. I've been running these quick disconnects for a couple years now and never had an issue.

With no other option I headed back to Moab with the swaybar disconnected. Tomorrow's mission is to call around town and see if any shop has these bushings in stock. I'd rather not drive back to California with a disconnected swaybar.

If anyone knows of a shop in Moab who can help me out please let me know.

If it was me I would go to a hardware store and find some hose with the right OD and find another hose to slip in to reduce for the ID bolt and large fender washers.
It will be sloppy put will get you home.

 

[SadRobot]

Elephant Hill is a cool trail. Did you have a hard time securing a pass via the Recreation.gov app? That app has pissed me off to the point I came close to rag ripping my phone in half.

I wish I could help you with a shop, but the one I used last time I was there is not showing up on Google.

We ended up going in person to the visitor center. We also had recreation.gov issues.

 

[Terrymo]

@SadRobot great pics as always. Thanks for sharing your adventures even if they include pepperoniless pizza pics.

 

[roaniecowpony]

DAY 3: Elephant Hill (an all day event)

This day started with a long drive out to Elephant Hill. Super fun trail. There's a great hike at the end that we managed to finish just as the hail started coming down.

We took a bit of a detour to check on Confluence Overlook where the Green and Colorado rivers meet.

We finished up right before the sun started to set. The last climb out is a bit of a nail biter for sure. A lot of backing up to go forward nonsense.

.

Trail complete! Now this is where things get a little SadRobot-y. I went to re-connect my Rock Krawler swaybar links and the bushings on both sides were missing. I have no idea how this could have happened. I've been running these quick disconnects for a couple years now and never had an issue.

With no other option I headed back to Moab with the swaybar disconnected. Tomorrow's mission is to call around town and see if any shop has these bushings in stock. I'd rather not drive back to California with a disconnected swaybar.

If anyone knows of a shop in Moab who can help me out please let me know.

If you can't find something right for it, go to a good hardware store and rummage through their grommets. Find something that will push into the link and have about the right size hole for the bolt, even if you have to stack a couple of them and put a piece of hose in the middle to fit the bolt better. Find a couple fender washers that are larger than the link diameter, but fit the bolt. This fender washer biz is the important part to keep all the rubber from squirting out. Get a real bolt, preferably a higher grade, and bolt it together to keep it all together. You could also get pieces of heater hose and some other hose that slip inside each other and make a bushing, big fender washers, bolt, etc.

This is a test of your "McGyver skills" and it's for a grade, since you posted here about it.

Stop in Cedar and have a cup of coffee, or french fries with @3TV . He'll be leading the Rubicon trip in the summer.

 

[roaniecowpony]

@SadRobot great pics as always. Thanks for sharing your adventures even if they include pepperoniless pizza pics.

I can eat fries without ketchup, a hotdog without mustard, and slam some whiskey without "rocks". But, I draw the line on the pepperoni.

 

[SadRobot]

Thanks all for the advice. I learned today that if you are going to have a mechanical issue the worse place to have it is in Moab on a weekend.

I’ll check the hardware store tomorrow and if I can’t find anything I’ll just drive home disconnected. No time to order bushings and have them delivered here by Monday.

I’ve lost faith in these RK disconnects. I can’t be replacing bushings every time I disconnect them. Now it’s time to decide between anti-rocks, autolynx or a manual Rubi swaybar.

 

[Willys41]

Thanks all for the advice. I learned today that if you are going to have a mechanical issue the worse place to have it is in Moab on a weekend.

I’ll check the hardware store tomorrow and if I can’t find anything I’ll just drive home disconnected. No time to order bushings and have them delivered here by Monday.

I’ve lost faith in these RK disconnects. I can’t be replacing bushings every time I disconnect them. Now it’s time to decide between anti-rocks, autolynx or a manual Rubi swaybar.

I installed a stock Rubicon sway bar with a pneumatic cylinder. Works great. Requires on board air compressor.
Push a button and I am disconnected.
I made my own set up put you can buy a kit.

 

[SadRobot]

I installed a stock Rubicon sway bar with a pneumatic cylinder. Works great. Requires on board air compressor.
Push a button and I am disconnected.
I made my own set up put you can buy a kit.

I was going to get the EVO manual disconnect. Hard to find a used Rubi swaybar under $700 though. At that point might as well get anti-rocks.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I was going to get the EVO manual disconnect. Hard to find a used Rubi swaybar under $700 though. At that point might as well get anti-rocks.

Get some spare bushings for now. Go wheeling.

 

[3TV]

Stop in Cedar and have a cup of coffee, or french fries with @3TV . He'll be leading the Rubicon trip in the summer.

I do have the stock sway bar links for a JT Mojave you can have. Put them on in Cedar and at least part of your trip would be with a working sway bar.

And, ... speaking of the Rubicon trip this summer ... My 392 had a calf today. I don't know if the calf will be ready for the Rubicon by then, but I can always bring the proud ma ma.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I do have the stock sway bar links for a JT Mojave you can have. Put them on in Cedar and at least part of your trip would be with a working sway bar.

And, ... speaking of the Rubicon trip this summer ... My 392 had a calf today. I don't know if the calf will be ready for the Rubicon by then, but I can always bring the proud ma ma.

Bring them both. Jake can drive the baby.

 

[Matanzas]

You could try reaching out to the local club, the red rock 4 wheelers. Friendly, knowledgeable group.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I was going to get the EVO manual disconnect. Hard to find a used Rubi swaybar under $700 though. At that point might as well get anti-rocks.

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