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Z
05-13-2007, 09:14 AM
Yesterday Matt, Keith and I hit Slaughterhouse Gulch in Colorado for a diagnostics run. Keith wanted to check out his new TNT lift, I had a few noises I wanted to fix before GSW and Matt just kinda got sucked into Keith's wake.

Prior to the run I derided SHG as a wimpy run (but with a couple good spots for full flex). We were in for a bit of a surprise. The trail is really chewed up and full of mountain snow runoff. The one or two optional spots has grown significantly to quite a few spots where a flexy lift and bigger tires are mandatory.

There's one spot on the trail that involves an off camber mud pit that forces your right side into the right side of the pit. Keith and I both got pretty wide, long paint scrapes on this obstacle. There is an off-camber bypass for this obstacle if you don't want to scrape the paint.

Keith's TNT setup worked really well. He's got a bit of bumper and fender trimming to do, but that's about it.

Keith and Matt helped me diagnose my minor annoyances.

It was an alright outing. The trail is MUCH more challenging than when I ran it a few years ago. Nothing to worry about for our well-built rigs, but we did see a lifted Cherokee (do major damage to his control arm mounts and ball joints - we saw him on the trail and then passed him on the way home on the highway. He was doing 50 MPH and his front tires had a hideous outward lean. Also, an F150 completed trashed its front bumper cover. Our damage was limited to a bit of scratched paint.

Dave - if you're thinking of taking a non- or slightly modified ZJ on this trail, you might be in for a very long day. Then again, I didn't really consider any of the bypasses - many of them seemed pretty off-camber, but might not be bad for a slightly modified ZJ.

BigDaveZJ
05-13-2007, 10:03 AM
Hmmmm . . . we're headed up there today, my ZJ, mom and dad's ZJ with 3.5" of lift and 31's, and my sister's stock UC ZJ. I guess we can always just turn around if it gets too nasty.

Matt
05-13-2007, 02:00 PM
WATCH THE MUD HOLES/PUDDLES on the road back to the main trailhead of Slaughterhouse. I hit one on the left side and it swallowed my 35"s and front end. Thats where the cherokee messed up their front end due to stock mounts (completely bent).

I'd figure I'd tag along for a pretty boring day and see how the welds held up on my track bar (thanks Corey), but it ended up being pretty fun. I'm glad I didn't take my stock cherokee up there like I was planning, that would have been pretty eventful.

On another note, Dakan Rd is open. There were some spots where you need to put it in 4WD, but it's 99% 2WD and pretty tame. Fun road though and pretty fair camping. :)

I have a couple poser shots (from my phone) I'll post up in a bit.

Thanks for letting me tag along guys. I'm glad I was able to see the TnT kit Keith, looks like you're plenty happy with the results.

Tom, it'll be fun to see just how much purple paint you'll need in the fall. :D

Z
05-13-2007, 02:19 PM
Tom, it'll be fun to see just how much purple paint you'll need in the fall. :D


Hmmm, I just made the connection...many years without any significant paint damage, then 2 trails run with Matt and bingo, time to repaint my entire ZJ. Coincidence?

Mtn WJ
05-13-2007, 07:54 PM
Yep had a good time yesterday. I need to tim a couple of areas to fit the 33s under full stuff. That is the problem it flexes so much now I need to trim more. VERY pleased with the TnT set up.

Thanks Tom and Matt for helping with checking things out. Slaughterhouse is a very different trail than earlier last year. The mud pits are closed but that does not matter much with the ones created on the trail this year. I couldnt understand what Matt was talking about on the CB until I came down into mud as tall as my tires.

Fun day and I am still planning on OCG next Sunday.

BigDaveZJ
05-13-2007, 09:45 PM
Well we definitely know the spot you guys were warning us about!! I was able to get my parents through the bypass but had Pam drop in there. Drug the whole pass side along that wall, it was pretty sweet, except now she's done more body damage to my ZJ than I have!!

And Matt, I know the mud hole you're talking about. There was a K5 stuck in there all day today.

Matt
05-13-2007, 10:42 PM
Hmmm, I just made the connection...many years without any significant paint damage, then 2 trails run with Matt and bingo, time to repaint my entire ZJ. Coincidence?


That's because you need 35"s! :smt044 :yawinkle:

Z
05-13-2007, 10:51 PM
That's because you need 35"s! :smt044 :yawinkle:

I know you're joking, but you do have a point - kind of. Not for the Pickle, but your wider tires probably did keep your body away from the spot that hit Keith and I with our narrower tires.

Matt
05-13-2007, 11:14 PM
I know you're joking, but you do have a point - kind of. Not for the Pickle, but your wider tires probably did keep your body away from the spot that hit Keith and I with our narrower tires.

Yes I was joking of course. Sometimes I wish I still had my 33's (didn't have to trim), but most the time I'm happy with the 35's.

Here's the pozer shots.

2605

2606

Both Keith and I had a bit of travel left (mainly in the rear axle).

AgitatedPancake
05-14-2007, 12:17 AM
the droop on the front of both your guys's trucks is crazy...my damn shocks are too short to do anything like that =(

Colorado 5.9
05-14-2007, 02:07 AM
Boy now I know I'm going to need longer shocks!

Matt
05-14-2007, 02:17 AM
You don't NEED them, but you'll want them. :D

Good ol' snow ball effect. (ask Keith)

Colorado 5.9
05-14-2007, 02:42 AM
LOL, yea I'll want them. I already figured I'll have to get something diff. The sad thing is I have MX6's on now & I really like them but the next step in length will be too long probably. I'm only going to be at 6.5" I think.

Mtn WJ
05-14-2007, 06:57 AM
And Matt, I know the mud hole you're talking about. There was a K5 stuck in there all day today.

Dave as deep as that mud hole was you could have driven over the Blazer.


Scott did you drop your Jeep off at TnT yet? When you get it back with your new LAs you will be shopping for shocks. Its all about the greed for more flex now. I am very happy with the flex I am getting. I may lengthen my rear sway bars a couple of inches. My Jeep is a new machine now but with new tweaks to get everything right.

BigDaveZJ
05-14-2007, 09:36 AM
Stole a pic from one of the guys on CO4x4:
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b289/cewtwo/IMG_3149.jpg

As we were headed towards the start of the loop a guy in a YJ told us this guy was stuck, told me to offer any "insight" I may have to him, lol. They had just gotten him out after we finished the loop. Apparently he grenaded something in the hub because his front right was completely locked up. Him and his gf were just sitting there exhausted in their camp chairs when we got to them. There was already a significant bypass cut through the trees around them, which in all actuallity is probably better than people trying to go through the mud pit.

I didn't head out to the actual mud pits, but I saw quite a few people who appeared to be headed out that way. If they were ANYWHERE near as goopy as some of the stuff we ran into on the trail there's probably 4 or 5 rigs buried in the mud up there right now.