Brian Riggs' Labor Day Moab Trip

I finally got a minute to write up a quick trip report for my weekend in Moab. It's been an extremely hectic week filled with both good and bad happenings.

First of all let me start with the trip report:

Got off work at 4pm. Headed to the Bank to get some cash, on the way there I turn a corner, the jeep dies, and smoke starts coming out from under the hood. I pull off the road as much as possible and pop open hood with extinguisher in hand and thoughts of BBQ FSJ and all my gear going up in flames in my head. Can't see anything wrong except for the battery holder is broken and the negative cable has melted insulation. Upon closer inspection I find arc marks on my hood right over the Positive terminal on the Battery. When I turned the corner the Battery bounced up and spot welded itself on my hood shorting it out. Grabbed a heavy duty Rubber strap out of the back and tied the Battery back down, got my cash and headed over to meet the person I was convoying down with. I realize now that this was just a hint of things to come and that I should've just stayed home, but hey, I have a thick skull and it takes a while to pick up on hints like this.

The trip went pretty smoothly from there until we were about halfway to Moab then the real fun started. I was cruising along at about 65 MPH when all of the sudden I feel a vibration then a loud bang. My first thought is that I've lost a u-joint which is no big deal, I have 3 spares in the back. Well I get it pulled over hearing a loud scraping sound the whole time. upon getting out and looking underneath My first suspicion is confirmed and my driveline is dangling from the xfer case. But then I notice something else. Gear lube is literally pouring out of my xfer case. I get under there with a flashlight to find a brand new modification to my new(to me) Dana 300, a nice big Crack!!! AAAARRRGGGHHHHH!!!!!!!!

I had a cousin that lived about 10 miles away so we put on my towbar, removed the driveline, hooked up to greg, towed it to my cousins, dropped it off, and headed to Moab with all three of us in greg's f250. Let's just say that two of three of us are not small guys so it was very cozy. I had to just ride with other people the whole weekend but I still had a pretty good time.

Now for the Good things that have happened this week. I found another Dana 300 for $200 and will pick it up this weekend and start rebuilding it. I also picked up my one ton axles finally. These were the last major parts that I needed to start working on my "new" '78 Chief project. I got a GM 14 bolt rear with 4.56 gears and a locker, and a Dana 60 Front with 4.56 gears and a Trac-Lok for $1300.

Well, I think this post is getting a little long so I'll just end it now.
Brian (Hang on a second here...Yep, that's my Beer_Pager, calling me.)

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     |  briggs@genetics.utah.edu  | Web Page Development  UtahFWDA |
     |                            | Storm Mountain  4X4    SLC  Ut |
     |  Salt Lake City, Utah      | Red Rock 4Wheelers     Moab Ut |
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     |1979 Cherokee Chief S: AMC 360, NV 4500, Dana 300, Dana 44's |
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                                            w/Custom Crack

     |front and rear with 4.56 gears & Lock-Rites, 35" BFG M/Ts, 4"|
     |SkyJacker SoftRide Lift, Some rust, And lots of dents.  =8)  |
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