We've definitely gotten around, but we don't mean it in the same way as when we think about that popular chick we all knew in high school. We've traveled and wheeled all over this great country of ours and have seen our fair share of carnage. People often joke that their Jeep doesn't break until we're around.
It takes equal parts ingenuity, preparedness, and experience to fix stuff while on a trail. If you don't carry the correct assortment of spare parts, a repair just isn't going to be possible, but carry too many parts and you have a Jeep that weighs 10,000 pounds. The key is to balance the fine line between too many and too few spares. Carry spares for the things you won't be able to fix, and carry a few extra things to make repairs possible.
Sometimes guys have great ways to fix the problems, and sometimes we are the ones guiding them through the fix. Whatever the case is, we are often there with our cameras when things break as well as when they get put back together again. So here are some cures for the carnage that we commonly see and some hints on what spare parts you should keep on hand.
A pretzeled tie rod or drag...
A pretzeled tie rod or drag link is one of the most common breaks we see. The fix shown here obviously involved a welder, but you can also fix it by sliding a piece of tube over the bent section after it is straightened. A Hi-Lift handle works great, but you sometimes need to carry a hacksaw or something similar to cut it to length. We like to carry a 2-foot section of tubing with us. It works for drag link repairs and can be used for prying stuff and increasing the leverage on wrenches.
Even though we have a spare...
Even though we have a spare tire for most of our Jeeps, we've gotten in the habit of carrying a plug kit with us since it's often easier to plug the tire than swap on the spare.
We see fewer and fewer AMC...
We see fewer and fewer AMC 20 axles actually making it to the trail, but many of the ones we do see have the nut welded to the hub if they are still running the stock two-piece shafts. If you spin a hub, there usually isn't a fix unless you've got a welder, and even then it won't be 100 percent. Keep that nut tightened down or tack-weld it down at home.
Locking hubs are another part...
Locking hubs are another part that tends to grenade. Sometimes the splines strip out because the bolts have worked loose, and sometimes they blow up like this one. If you have lockout hubs, bring at least one spare. This owner knew that he has a problem eating hubs, so he actually swapped two spares onto the Jeep that day.
We've seen a few busted sector...
We've seen a few busted sector shafts. We've seen guys try to weld them and get off the trail, but they almost always break again. In this case, there was no welder in the group and the Jeep had to be left until a replacement steering box could be found. Carrying a replacement box in the event of breakage is just ridiculous unless you break them often.
Most of the front axles we...
Most of the front axles we see broken were the result of loose U-joint caps or stretched axleshaft ears. Unfortunately for this guy, the only fix possible is to swap out the shaft. Some guys carry the shafts assembled, and some carry two inner shafts and one outer and assemble it on the trail when needed.
This one was an oddball. What...
This one was an oddball. What you are looking at is a busted valvespring. If you blow a valvespring up you'll probably hear knocking. If this ever happens to you, the key is to immobilize the valve and pull the plug wire for the affected cylinder. This is the best you can do when out in boonies.
If the motor mount ever blows...
If the motor mount ever blows up on a 4.0L, the motor will move around but the engine will stay in place. On many V-type engines, if you lose a motor mount the whole engine can be in danger of coming out of the frame and it's best to immobilize it as soon as you can. We carry a small length of chain with us as well as some high-strength rope.
In this case, Hazel had a...
In this case, Hazel had a Premier Power welder in Project Hatari! and was able to weld a short length of chain from the frame to the motor mount so that this Toyota driver could keep wheeling.