Mike, I hope this isn't out of line, but in the large scheme of things Jeeps are quite a small subset of current vehicles, and they are now Stellantis vehicles, which makes them a subset of a subset. Exclusivity works both ways.
ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0
- Thread starter zmotorsports
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OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thom, I merely used a densifier on my shop floor and it sweeps up excellent. It does a fair job of repelling stains as long as the fluids are cleaned up rather quickly, but let them sit overnight and they'll stain.
ntsqd
Well-known member
Right out of HS I worked in Patagonia's warehouse. That concrete floor was sealed and it was my first exposure to a sealed concrete floor. Just the lack of concrete dust was huge to keeping the place clean. The warehouse manager was involved in the sealing process and he sealed a quarter to the floor right outside of his office. We used to have so much fun watching the NuuB's try to pick it up!
My former Vintage Racing & Touring car prep employer swore by Rice Hull Ash for cleaning up liquid spills. It did work amazingly well, but I've only ever found one source for it, and it was prohibitively expensive. The price per 40-50 lbs sack wasn't too bad, but you had to buy a pallet of it at a time.
My former Vintage Racing & Touring car prep employer swore by Rice Hull Ash for cleaning up liquid spills. It did work amazingly well, but I've only ever found one source for it, and it was prohibitively expensive. The price per 40-50 lbs sack wasn't too bad, but you had to buy a pallet of it at a time.
I used Eagle seal from Home depot on my 30x50. Its held up pretty well. Gas will instantly soften it, it will stain if you leave stuff on it over night, but its done quite well for a well used shop floor over the last few years. Price was a consideration as well and for under 300 dollars I did 2 coats on the whole shop.
Jarhead0408
Well-known member
@zmotorsports
Mike, I hope you'll check out this YouTube Short.
I wanted to reach back out and say thanks. I tought two of my sons what you were getting at regarding how a healthy bearing behaves versus one that is on its way out. They enjoyed the lesson as well.
Thanks again.
Mike, I hope you'll check out this YouTube Short.
I wanted to reach back out and say thanks. I tought two of my sons what you were getting at regarding how a healthy bearing behaves versus one that is on its way out. They enjoyed the lesson as well.
Thanks again.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
John, that was an excellent side by side comparison and example of what I was trying to explain. Your video did a much better job of explaining what I was trying to say than I did. Thank you very much for the video and thank you for the comments, I'm glad I was able to help.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
The wife and I took off last week for a little vacation. We ended up in the big metropolis of Worland, WY for the first half of the week.
As we were traveling we discussed stopping in Farson, WY and grabbing an ice cream cone. This was something I remember as a kid when traveling through the area and after introducing it to my wife a couple of years ago on one of our vacations, it has now become a tradition with us.
I wasn't brave enough to get the "big cone", so we just got normal ones. They do have a nice quality of ice cream, which I distinctly remember.
We stayed at a nice smaller family run campground in Worland and then the next morning headed east on Highway 16 and up into the Big Horn mountains to explore. The trees were quite thick in the area and temperatures were nice being in the high 70's.
The next morning we headed north up into the badlands of Wyoming to explore a little more desolate area. We did come across some cattle grazing in the open range, but other than that really didn't see anyone else the whole day.
As we were traversing up the hillside, I started to detect a slight noise from my new power steering pump. So rather than do the full trail that I had planned, I saw a "faint" trail leading across some open range where according to my tablet showed mating up to a higher traffic dirt road. The wife didn't think I was on a trail, but I had to prove to her that "slight" was the key word here.
She started getting anxious as she couldn't see another trail, but according to the tablet and Gaia, it was there, somewhere. I could see water below and tried convincing her it had to be next to the dirt road.
After being a bit further than I thought, we went over another hill and came to another body of water. This one "had" to be near the trail.
As we gained sight of the trail, it appeared that there was a gate that also came into sight. Just as we approached the heavily traveled dirt road, we found the "slight" trail we were coming off of was gated off with a small marshy area to the side. I really didn't want to go all the way back, but also didn't want to be disrespectful of any private property. I got out and walked along the fenceline and gate and saw no markings or postings, so I opted to drive through the creek/marsh area and around the gate against the wife's protest.
Upon finally making it onto a highly traveled dirt road, she relaxed a bit.
So upon getting back to town we ordered a pizza from Sally's and took it back to the coach to relax. I was going to test a theory on the Jeep, but with the engine too warm, I thought I would wait until morning.
Going over my 4 C's, I think I defined my "condition" as the pump was cavitating, but it seemed to only do it when hot because after dinner when I went to wash the nasty mud off the Jeep and it had cooled down enough that the noise was gone. However, the two days prior it was quite evident once we had been away from camp a bit. My thinking was if the pump was failing, I doubt it would have been intermittent, nor coming and going so heat must have been a factor and after a little run time, maybe it was sucking in some air which was causing the cavitation issue. On the supply side there is only one hose, but I had moved the constant tension clamps a few times over the course of the work I did the week before, so maybe they lost some tension. With not wanting to dump the fluid or lose any, I was able to slide the constant tension clamps back just enough to allow me to put a couple of worm clamps on and test my theory. That day the pump no longer cavitated and steering seemed normal so that must have been my issue. When I get time I will dump the fluid, remove the constant tension clamps from the hose and install better worm clamps to prevent any air intrusion in the future.
Stay tuned for many more pictures.
As we were traveling we discussed stopping in Farson, WY and grabbing an ice cream cone. This was something I remember as a kid when traveling through the area and after introducing it to my wife a couple of years ago on one of our vacations, it has now become a tradition with us.
I wasn't brave enough to get the "big cone", so we just got normal ones. They do have a nice quality of ice cream, which I distinctly remember.
We stayed at a nice smaller family run campground in Worland and then the next morning headed east on Highway 16 and up into the Big Horn mountains to explore. The trees were quite thick in the area and temperatures were nice being in the high 70's.
The next morning we headed north up into the badlands of Wyoming to explore a little more desolate area. We did come across some cattle grazing in the open range, but other than that really didn't see anyone else the whole day.
As we were traversing up the hillside, I started to detect a slight noise from my new power steering pump. So rather than do the full trail that I had planned, I saw a "faint" trail leading across some open range where according to my tablet showed mating up to a higher traffic dirt road. The wife didn't think I was on a trail, but I had to prove to her that "slight" was the key word here.
She started getting anxious as she couldn't see another trail, but according to the tablet and Gaia, it was there, somewhere. I could see water below and tried convincing her it had to be next to the dirt road.
After being a bit further than I thought, we went over another hill and came to another body of water. This one "had" to be near the trail.
As we gained sight of the trail, it appeared that there was a gate that also came into sight. Just as we approached the heavily traveled dirt road, we found the "slight" trail we were coming off of was gated off with a small marshy area to the side. I really didn't want to go all the way back, but also didn't want to be disrespectful of any private property. I got out and walked along the fenceline and gate and saw no markings or postings, so I opted to drive through the creek/marsh area and around the gate against the wife's protest.
Upon finally making it onto a highly traveled dirt road, she relaxed a bit.
So upon getting back to town we ordered a pizza from Sally's and took it back to the coach to relax. I was going to test a theory on the Jeep, but with the engine too warm, I thought I would wait until morning.
Going over my 4 C's, I think I defined my "condition" as the pump was cavitating, but it seemed to only do it when hot because after dinner when I went to wash the nasty mud off the Jeep and it had cooled down enough that the noise was gone. However, the two days prior it was quite evident once we had been away from camp a bit. My thinking was if the pump was failing, I doubt it would have been intermittent, nor coming and going so heat must have been a factor and after a little run time, maybe it was sucking in some air which was causing the cavitation issue. On the supply side there is only one hose, but I had moved the constant tension clamps a few times over the course of the work I did the week before, so maybe they lost some tension. With not wanting to dump the fluid or lose any, I was able to slide the constant tension clamps back just enough to allow me to put a couple of worm clamps on and test my theory. That day the pump no longer cavitated and steering seemed normal so that must have been my issue. When I get time I will dump the fluid, remove the constant tension clamps from the hose and install better worm clamps to prevent any air intrusion in the future.
Stay tuned for many more pictures.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Continuing on.
Now feeling pretty confident I had addressed the cavitating pump, we headed back up into the badlands area to do some more exploring. As we left Greybull, we headed north and east and the terrain became quite desolate. There were Bentonite areas, much like in southern and central Utah, which I was surprised to see.
We had been driving for about 90 miles on dirt and hadn't seen another person and then out in the middle of nowhere, the wife shreeked when she saw a sign for a dinosaur tracksite. Holy ****, out in the middle of nowhere there was this very nice area marked off.
And wouldn't you know it, the only other people we saw all day just happened to be having lunch out in the middle of nowhere where our paths crossed.
This area is called "the ballroom" because there are over 1100 dinosaur tracks in this relatively small area.
They may be hard to see but there are so many it was hard to focus on one set and try to follow it. We were actually able to walk right down amongst the tracks which was kind of neat. I would think this would be a great place to bring kids to enjoy.
As we left the dinosaur tracksite, it became apparent why this area is called the badlands. There is nothing for many, many miles.
This was kind of a neat opening in the rock, but this was about as close as we could get to it as I couldn't find a trail leading over to it.
Being so very disappointed in the Mexican food we had on our first night in Worland, and not having a lot of options, we decided to try another place that was a bit smaller, but the owners of the campground said their food was awesome, so we gave it a try. Sure enough, the food was awesome. Much better than the place we ate at a couple of years ago and had such a good meal, but this year was a huge disappointment and I don't think we'll go back. This little place was great and the people were very nice and hospitable.
With the last day in the Worland area, we opted to head over towards Meeteetsie and go up into the mountains to the ghost town of Kerwin. This year I was armed with a few more data points so I wanted to see if we could locate Amelia Earhart's cabin that she was having built in 1934 when she went missing.
Upon airing down we had a flock of wild turkeys walk across the trail right in front of us.
As we began to climb, the trees got thicker and the views became richer.
Stay tuned for more.
Now feeling pretty confident I had addressed the cavitating pump, we headed back up into the badlands area to do some more exploring. As we left Greybull, we headed north and east and the terrain became quite desolate. There were Bentonite areas, much like in southern and central Utah, which I was surprised to see.
We had been driving for about 90 miles on dirt and hadn't seen another person and then out in the middle of nowhere, the wife shreeked when she saw a sign for a dinosaur tracksite. Holy ****, out in the middle of nowhere there was this very nice area marked off.
And wouldn't you know it, the only other people we saw all day just happened to be having lunch out in the middle of nowhere where our paths crossed.
This area is called "the ballroom" because there are over 1100 dinosaur tracks in this relatively small area.
They may be hard to see but there are so many it was hard to focus on one set and try to follow it. We were actually able to walk right down amongst the tracks which was kind of neat. I would think this would be a great place to bring kids to enjoy.
As we left the dinosaur tracksite, it became apparent why this area is called the badlands. There is nothing for many, many miles.
This was kind of a neat opening in the rock, but this was about as close as we could get to it as I couldn't find a trail leading over to it.
Being so very disappointed in the Mexican food we had on our first night in Worland, and not having a lot of options, we decided to try another place that was a bit smaller, but the owners of the campground said their food was awesome, so we gave it a try. Sure enough, the food was awesome. Much better than the place we ate at a couple of years ago and had such a good meal, but this year was a huge disappointment and I don't think we'll go back. This little place was great and the people were very nice and hospitable.
With the last day in the Worland area, we opted to head over towards Meeteetsie and go up into the mountains to the ghost town of Kerwin. This year I was armed with a few more data points so I wanted to see if we could locate Amelia Earhart's cabin that she was having built in 1934 when she went missing.
Upon airing down we had a flock of wild turkeys walk across the trail right in front of us.
As we began to climb, the trees got thicker and the views became richer.
Stay tuned for more.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Continuing on.
Still climbing we came across the water crossings, although a couple of years ago there was a lot more water.
Continuing to climb in elevation and as we passed 8k feet, the underbrush started showing signs of fall.
Then as we approached the 9k foot level, the colors really became vibrant.
Reaching the old ghost and mining town of Kerwin. With the clouds thickening and threatening rain, we didn't dare get the chairs out so we sat in the Jeep and had our snacks for lunch and watched the clouds roll through.
As we started heading down, we came across the same cabin we saw last time and I was fairly certain this was Amelia Earhart's cabin at the time. However, I learned that she was having a pool put in as well as had a detached garage on her property so that means this was not hers.
I had marked the tablet with the GPS coordinates that I was able to acquire online and as we got nearer, the clouds began to produce some rain. Not a downpour, but enough I didn't necessarily want to get caught along the river in a heavy rain.
Then we found it. Amelia Earhart's cabin. I tried to envision what this would be like had it been completed and maintained all these years and I would bet it would have really been something, and an amazing view she would have had.
The starting of the pool. I don't understand the pool though, there was a nice river nearby, but a pool in this area just seems a bit "much" in my opinion, but to each their own.
Stay tuned for more.
Still climbing we came across the water crossings, although a couple of years ago there was a lot more water.
Continuing to climb in elevation and as we passed 8k feet, the underbrush started showing signs of fall.
Then as we approached the 9k foot level, the colors really became vibrant.
Reaching the old ghost and mining town of Kerwin. With the clouds thickening and threatening rain, we didn't dare get the chairs out so we sat in the Jeep and had our snacks for lunch and watched the clouds roll through.
As we started heading down, we came across the same cabin we saw last time and I was fairly certain this was Amelia Earhart's cabin at the time. However, I learned that she was having a pool put in as well as had a detached garage on her property so that means this was not hers.
I had marked the tablet with the GPS coordinates that I was able to acquire online and as we got nearer, the clouds began to produce some rain. Not a downpour, but enough I didn't necessarily want to get caught along the river in a heavy rain.
Then we found it. Amelia Earhart's cabin. I tried to envision what this would be like had it been completed and maintained all these years and I would bet it would have really been something, and an amazing view she would have had.
The starting of the pool. I don't understand the pool though, there was a nice river nearby, but a pool in this area just seems a bit "much" in my opinion, but to each their own.
Stay tuned for more.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Continuing on.
Just after leaving the cabin and heading towards the main trail the wife spotted Bullwinkle in the willows along the river.
It was quite late when we arrived back to camp and neither of us felt like going out for dinner, although we contemplated hard on having Mexican again as it was so delicious the night before. Instead the wife broke out the sandwich maker and I sliced some tomatoes and we had grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches along with some tomato soup. Delicious.
I'll have to post the rest of the trip later.
Thanks for looking.
Just after leaving the cabin and heading towards the main trail the wife spotted Bullwinkle in the willows along the river.
It was quite late when we arrived back to camp and neither of us felt like going out for dinner, although we contemplated hard on having Mexican again as it was so delicious the night before. Instead the wife broke out the sandwich maker and I sliced some tomatoes and we had grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches along with some tomato soup. Delicious.
I'll have to post the rest of the trip later.
Thanks for looking.
Jarhead0408
Well-known member
Yes sir. You're welcome. Thanks again and great pics of that last trip.
Boosted1
Well-known member
Cool trip. Thanks for sharing.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Continuing on with our adventure from last week.
This brings us to Wednesday and a travel day. We uprooted our camp in Worland in the morning and with coffee in hand, we hit the road heading north out of Worland up to Greybull, then west on Highway 16/20 towards Cody, Wyoming and eventually through Yellowstone National Park via the east entrance towards West Yellowstone where we would setup camp for the remainder of the week.
The wife and I love Yellowstone NP and have many fond memories over the years, especially when our son was younger. We would visit Yellowstone at least once and many times twice a year, so we know the area well and have certain areas where we like to spend our time. However, with the crazy amount of volume of visitors to Yellowstone NP over the past 5 years we have opted to refrain from adding to that volume, so we were itching to get back.
As we were entering Yellowstone NP from the east entrance we heard some unsettling news of an incident that happened in Utah. Seeing as how my wife and I are huge fans we were saddened by not only what took place, but now how Utah was put on the map. At first we had hoped that it wasn't a native Utahn and was a transplant or an outsider in some manner, but that wasn't to be the case. Upon hearing the news, we pulled off in a wide spot and just sat and reflected on things, our own lives, the lives of people we care about and even those lives of people we care less about, but mainly the direction of our country and we were just numb.
Continuing on into Yellowstone the views were as breathtaking as we remember.
Our camp for the remainder of the week.
We love the food in West Yellowstone and have a few favorites. I had been craving pizza from our favorite pizza place for five years now so we ventured into town and discovered that they were packed and had an hour wait. So we wandered across the street for BBQ at another of the places we've frequented over the years. BBQ isn't my favorite type of food, but I do crave their ribs and the wife loves their pulled pork sandwich.
As we were sitting and enjoying our dinner and neither of us ready to go back to camp and definitely not wanting to turn the TV on and listen to the news, we opted to head into the park and head to the Lamar Valley. It was quite late when we hit the entrance, being around 5:30pm, but the good news is that no one was going in and it appeared everyone was stacked up at the exit leaving, so we made the right call. Traffic was backed up approx. starting around 4 or 5 miles into the park as we headed to Madison Junction. There was a small elk herd that was holding traffic up exiting the park. Traffic was backed up all the way to Madison Junction, and then in either direction for another couple of miles. We've seen some "bear jams" and slow traffic due to bison or elk on the road before but nothing as crazy as this. I have never seen traffic backed up for 10+ miles before, so we were glad to be heading in the opposite direction and just breezed right through.
As we we passed Tower Falls and nearing Roosevelt area a herd of bison came down off the hillside and crossed the road right in front of us. Several were sparring as they crossed so it was fun to just sit and watch, although a couple of cars got impatient and tried to inch their way through the herd.
We turned around at the northeast side of the Lamar Valley before hitting the northeast entrance and being as it was dusk, we knew we'd have to be extremely careful heading back to West Yellowstone. I was able to get a shot of the new bridge being built to cross the river where the bank was washed out last year when the flooding occurred. The bridge is something to see and the pillars along the riverside were impressive. I also pulled over here and removed the covers from my KC driving lights to assist in seeing animals as we still have a long drive to get back to camp.
Stay tuned for more.
This brings us to Wednesday and a travel day. We uprooted our camp in Worland in the morning and with coffee in hand, we hit the road heading north out of Worland up to Greybull, then west on Highway 16/20 towards Cody, Wyoming and eventually through Yellowstone National Park via the east entrance towards West Yellowstone where we would setup camp for the remainder of the week.
The wife and I love Yellowstone NP and have many fond memories over the years, especially when our son was younger. We would visit Yellowstone at least once and many times twice a year, so we know the area well and have certain areas where we like to spend our time. However, with the crazy amount of volume of visitors to Yellowstone NP over the past 5 years we have opted to refrain from adding to that volume, so we were itching to get back.
As we were entering Yellowstone NP from the east entrance we heard some unsettling news of an incident that happened in Utah. Seeing as how my wife and I are huge fans we were saddened by not only what took place, but now how Utah was put on the map. At first we had hoped that it wasn't a native Utahn and was a transplant or an outsider in some manner, but that wasn't to be the case. Upon hearing the news, we pulled off in a wide spot and just sat and reflected on things, our own lives, the lives of people we care about and even those lives of people we care less about, but mainly the direction of our country and we were just numb.
Continuing on into Yellowstone the views were as breathtaking as we remember.
Our camp for the remainder of the week.
We love the food in West Yellowstone and have a few favorites. I had been craving pizza from our favorite pizza place for five years now so we ventured into town and discovered that they were packed and had an hour wait. So we wandered across the street for BBQ at another of the places we've frequented over the years. BBQ isn't my favorite type of food, but I do crave their ribs and the wife loves their pulled pork sandwich.
As we were sitting and enjoying our dinner and neither of us ready to go back to camp and definitely not wanting to turn the TV on and listen to the news, we opted to head into the park and head to the Lamar Valley. It was quite late when we hit the entrance, being around 5:30pm, but the good news is that no one was going in and it appeared everyone was stacked up at the exit leaving, so we made the right call. Traffic was backed up approx. starting around 4 or 5 miles into the park as we headed to Madison Junction. There was a small elk herd that was holding traffic up exiting the park. Traffic was backed up all the way to Madison Junction, and then in either direction for another couple of miles. We've seen some "bear jams" and slow traffic due to bison or elk on the road before but nothing as crazy as this. I have never seen traffic backed up for 10+ miles before, so we were glad to be heading in the opposite direction and just breezed right through.
As we we passed Tower Falls and nearing Roosevelt area a herd of bison came down off the hillside and crossed the road right in front of us. Several were sparring as they crossed so it was fun to just sit and watch, although a couple of cars got impatient and tried to inch their way through the herd.
We turned around at the northeast side of the Lamar Valley before hitting the northeast entrance and being as it was dusk, we knew we'd have to be extremely careful heading back to West Yellowstone. I was able to get a shot of the new bridge being built to cross the river where the bank was washed out last year when the flooding occurred. The bridge is something to see and the pillars along the riverside were impressive. I also pulled over here and removed the covers from my KC driving lights to assist in seeing animals as we still have a long drive to get back to camp.
Stay tuned for more.
Last edited:
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Continuing on.
Thursday we decided we would get up at O'dark thirty and head over towards Lake Hebgin to have breakfast at another one of "our spots". They have a nice breakfast and if you don't get there early you standing for a very long time awaiting a table. It's a small place right on the Madison river and with on and off rain, I figured it would be packed. Thankfully I thought enough to call ahead for a table so when we arrived and found the parking area packed with cars and trucks, we were able to walk right in and sit down.
I love their ham and eggs as well as their pancake, but can't eat it all, so the wife and I did a mix and match. Look at the size of their pancake, and some people order a short stack which is three of these bad boys.
After breakfast we headed back to Highway 191 and then headed north along the Galatin River towards Bozeman. I don't care for the town of Bozeman so the goal was to get through it as quickly as possible and then over to the Paradise Valley and down into Yellowstone via the north and original entrance. Just as we were approaching Gardner, we spotted a huge elk herd in a field.
Then a couple miles further there was a smaller herd of about a dozen or so right alongside the road.
Going through Gardner and approaching the north entrance.
The original arch constructed in 1903 still stands and is a beautiful sight. The main road now bypasses this arch, but there is a side turn that will allow you to still go through the arch, but there's a lot of foot traffic of picture takers. We opted to drive through the arch and wait our turn.
Again we headed to the Lamar Valley and was able to get a better view of the new bridge in the daylight. The old bridge is deteriorating badly and the road is under construction for a couple miles in either direction.
As we left the Lamar Valley and headed to the Haydan Valley the skies again began to darken.
We were getting back to West Yellowstone later than we intended but I was still craving my Pete's Rocky Mountain Pizza fix, so we called it in as we got cell service and we picked it up and headed back to the coach to enjoy it.
The next morning we headed back into the park and were greeted by this guy and his friends soon after entering the park from the west.
Stay tuned for more.
Thursday we decided we would get up at O'dark thirty and head over towards Lake Hebgin to have breakfast at another one of "our spots". They have a nice breakfast and if you don't get there early you standing for a very long time awaiting a table. It's a small place right on the Madison river and with on and off rain, I figured it would be packed. Thankfully I thought enough to call ahead for a table so when we arrived and found the parking area packed with cars and trucks, we were able to walk right in and sit down.
I love their ham and eggs as well as their pancake, but can't eat it all, so the wife and I did a mix and match. Look at the size of their pancake, and some people order a short stack which is three of these bad boys.
After breakfast we headed back to Highway 191 and then headed north along the Galatin River towards Bozeman. I don't care for the town of Bozeman so the goal was to get through it as quickly as possible and then over to the Paradise Valley and down into Yellowstone via the north and original entrance. Just as we were approaching Gardner, we spotted a huge elk herd in a field.
Then a couple miles further there was a smaller herd of about a dozen or so right alongside the road.
Going through Gardner and approaching the north entrance.
The original arch constructed in 1903 still stands and is a beautiful sight. The main road now bypasses this arch, but there is a side turn that will allow you to still go through the arch, but there's a lot of foot traffic of picture takers. We opted to drive through the arch and wait our turn.
Again we headed to the Lamar Valley and was able to get a better view of the new bridge in the daylight. The old bridge is deteriorating badly and the road is under construction for a couple miles in either direction.
As we left the Lamar Valley and headed to the Haydan Valley the skies again began to darken.
We were getting back to West Yellowstone later than we intended but I was still craving my Pete's Rocky Mountain Pizza fix, so we called it in as we got cell service and we picked it up and headed back to the coach to enjoy it.
The next morning we headed back into the park and were greeted by this guy and his friends soon after entering the park from the west.
Stay tuned for more.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
With this being our last day, we decided to go counterclockwise through the park vs. our normal behavior of just heading to the Lamar and Hayden Valleys.
We hit Old Faithful for a brief stop, then up past West Thumb and towards the falls which we haven't seen in a few years. They were as spectacular as always, but the crowds were crazy, and I was feeling claustrophobic, so we didn't stay long.
We hit the Lamar Valley again and saw several large herds of bison. We just found a wide spot in the road and pulled over, shut the Jeep off and watched them for about a half hour.
We turned around at the northeast entrance and headed back and wanted to give Dunraven Pass another try as we usually don't get skunked. We were going around a turn and the wife spotted something across the road and sure enough it was a grizzly. We were shocked because usually when bears, especially grizzly bears, get near one of the roads the rangers are there almost immediately and before others because the bears are collared and they get notices on their locations. We saw no rangers, park service employees or anything so we either got there before they did, or maybe this one wasn't collared. He wasn't a huge grizzly, but fair size and just digging in the dirt looking for something to eat.
We sat and watched him for about 20-minutes and by this time cars were stacking up and people were coming out of the woodwork, so I was done and ready to be out of the crowds.
We decided to pull into Canyon for a restroom break and when I got out I heard air hissing. I thought it was the truck next to me, but nope. It was us.
All I can think of is we must have hit something through the construction area, because we hadn't been off-roading for several days and this was a clean cut in the sidewall.
I backed out of the parking spot I was in and drove over to a larger area where I would be out of the way from others so I could change the tire. The Jeep is also covered in that damn magnesium chloride that they put on the roads for dust control through the construction zone. It had rained on us during this days drive so that **** got everywhere on the Jeep. Fortunately, the rain had stopped just before we pulled into Canyon, so I wasn't having to change the tire in the rain.
Spare installed and torqued to spec. Then I about blew a nut lifting that heavy tire back up onto the tire carrier.
There was a large Foretravel coach at the far end of the parking area and the guy came over to ask if I needed a hand, but I thanked him and afterwards wished I would have had him help me lift the tire up onto the carrier. The wife stated the obvious that I'm not one to ask nor accept help, so I had to listen to that lecture.
We no sooner pulled out of Canyon and the skies opened up for about an hour as we headed back through Norris, then Madison Junction and West Yellowstone. With it being our last night we decided to try someplace new that we had talked about going to last time we were in West Yellowstone, but didn't.
The wait was quite short, only about 10-minutes, but it was a great dinner to round out our vacation.
Thanks for looking.
We hit Old Faithful for a brief stop, then up past West Thumb and towards the falls which we haven't seen in a few years. They were as spectacular as always, but the crowds were crazy, and I was feeling claustrophobic, so we didn't stay long.
We hit the Lamar Valley again and saw several large herds of bison. We just found a wide spot in the road and pulled over, shut the Jeep off and watched them for about a half hour.
We turned around at the northeast entrance and headed back and wanted to give Dunraven Pass another try as we usually don't get skunked. We were going around a turn and the wife spotted something across the road and sure enough it was a grizzly. We were shocked because usually when bears, especially grizzly bears, get near one of the roads the rangers are there almost immediately and before others because the bears are collared and they get notices on their locations. We saw no rangers, park service employees or anything so we either got there before they did, or maybe this one wasn't collared.
He wasn't a huge grizzly, but fair size and just digging in the dirt looking for something to eat. We sat and watched him for about 20-minutes and by this time cars were stacking up and people were coming out of the woodwork, so I was done and ready to be out of the crowds.
We decided to pull into Canyon for a restroom break and when I got out I heard air hissing. I thought it was the truck next to me, but nope. It was us.
All I can think of is we must have hit something through the construction area, because we hadn't been off-roading for several days and this was a clean cut in the sidewall.I backed out of the parking spot I was in and drove over to a larger area where I would be out of the way from others so I could change the tire. The Jeep is also covered in that damn magnesium chloride that they put on the roads for dust control through the construction zone. It had rained on us during this days drive so that **** got everywhere on the Jeep. Fortunately, the rain had stopped just before we pulled into Canyon, so I wasn't having to change the tire in the rain.
Spare installed and torqued to spec. Then I about blew a nut lifting that heavy tire back up onto the tire carrier.
There was a large Foretravel coach at the far end of the parking area and the guy came over to ask if I needed a hand, but I thanked him and afterwards wished I would have had him help me lift the tire up onto the carrier.
The wife stated the obvious that I'm not one to ask nor accept help, so I had to listen to that lecture. We no sooner pulled out of Canyon and the skies opened up for about an hour as we headed back through Norris, then Madison Junction and West Yellowstone. With it being our last night we decided to try someplace new that we had talked about going to last time we were in West Yellowstone, but didn't.
The wait was quite short, only about 10-minutes, but it was a great dinner to round out our vacation.
Thanks for looking.
ScepterToad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2023
- Messages
- 357
What a great trip Mike! It's awesome that you're out there relatively close to Yellowstone and other places like it.
Stinks that you lost a tire. I've been watching a bit on your thread and looking at pictures of your tires as these are the ones I'm leaning heavily towards. Seems like you got quite a bit of life out of them and probably could've gotten a bit more. Do you think you'll go back at it with the Mickey's, or do you have something else in mind?
Stinks that you lost a tire. I've been watching a bit on your thread and looking at pictures of your tires as these are the ones I'm leaning heavily towards. Seems like you got quite a bit of life out of them and probably could've gotten a bit more. Do you think you'll go back at it with the Mickey's, or do you have something else in mind?
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks Keith.
Funny you ask whether I'll try something else or go with these again. I've been so impressed I have five new Mickey Thompson Baja Boss A/T's arriving today.
They advertise these as a 50k mile tire. I have 39k driven miles on them right now and about another 18k being flat towed, so they've held up well and worn even. I do rotate them often though. That being said, I have abused them in the rocks and off-road and have a couple of pretty good nicks and gouges in them so I was waffling on replacing before winter or waiting until spring, but this pretty much made my mind up for me.
They still have probably another 10k miles left in them so I will put them up for sale and see if someone can use them, my last ones had less tread than these and I had people blowing up my phone when I listed them for $150 for all five. I think these have a little more tread remaining than my Nitto's did.
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
We arrived home around 4pm on Saturday and I immediately tackled the yardwork. My son was gracious enough to mow the lawns mid-week, but by now they were so thick and long again, I pretty much figured it would be about a 4 hour job. The lawn is sure looking good though.
Saturday night just as the sun was going down the wife and I sat and enjoyed the view. I sure love traveling in our coach and being with the wife, but I also sure love being home.
Sunday morning after a few cups of coffee, it was time to tackle the cleaning duties on the coach. It was quite filthy as we hit a pretty good thunderstorm between Island Park and Idaho Falls on the drive home.
All dried off and backed into the shop.
Parked until next trip.
Thanks for looking.
Saturday night just as the sun was going down the wife and I sat and enjoyed the view. I sure love traveling in our coach and being with the wife, but I also sure love being home.
Sunday morning after a few cups of coffee, it was time to tackle the cleaning duties on the coach. It was quite filthy as we hit a pretty good thunderstorm between Island Park and Idaho Falls on the drive home.
All dried off and backed into the shop.
Parked until next trip.
Thanks for looking.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Last night upon arriving home, I tackled the Jeep cleaning duties. The magnesium chloride that they put on the roads for dust control is terrible when it's wet and gets into everything.
After a trip to the car wash to pressure wash the undercarriage off, then the body, it was time to chamois the whole thing, then turn to the interior to blow out the dust and vacuum the floor. I actually slowed down a bit last night to just enjoy the process rather than trying to hurry through it just to get done.
She still looks pretty good for a 14-year old Jeep with 170k miles on the clock. I do have a couple of scratches and a ding to address when I have time.
After a trip to the car wash to pressure wash the undercarriage off, then the body, it was time to chamois the whole thing, then turn to the interior to blow out the dust and vacuum the floor. I actually slowed down a bit last night to just enjoy the process rather than trying to hurry through it just to get done.
She still looks pretty good for a 14-year old Jeep with 170k miles on the clock. I do have a couple of scratches and a ding to address when I have time.
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks Mike. Yes, having a dedicated parking spot for the coach is a Godsend. We've been so blessed to be able to build this place to fit our needs and desires. Having the coach out of the elements sure protects it, hoping it has a lot more life left in it by keeping it indoors when not in use.
OutlawDrifter
Well-known member
Definitely a bummer on the tire, Mike...but looks like a good trip outside of that!
It sure does prolong the life of them. My dad has gone on/off of storing his inside, anytime he did, it was renting a spot, which then meant it was inconvenient to use when the time came to go get it out of storage, which usually meant it didn't stay there as much. Unfortunately, the long term UV exposure and general exposure to the elements took its toll on more than just the exterior is seemed.
ScepterToad
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 9, 2023
- Messages
- 357
One more question, if you don't mind Mike...
Your crossfires on the duals, do you happen to have a picture of how you mounted them? After this trip, I should be prepped to get my Cat Eye's installed, but the provided brackets are at least 1/8" thick and the ears on my center caps seem a little flimsy. Curious how yours are mounted.
Your crossfires on the duals, do you happen to have a picture of how you mounted them? After this trip, I should be prepped to get my Cat Eye's installed, but the provided brackets are at least 1/8" thick and the ears on my center caps seem a little flimsy. Curious how yours are mounted.
signcrafter
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- May 9, 2012
- Messages
- 12,629
Thanks for sharing your vacation with us Mike. Love the pictures, especially the food places you have found over time. ***** about the tires but guess the good in it is they were getting to end of life and not brand new. Still ***** though.
I've only been to Yellowstone once when we took the kids many years ago. Words don't describe all you take in there. Just an amazing experience that pictures and words can only start to describe it. Something that must be experienced to soak in the feelings of it. You are lucky to have so much beautiful scenery close to you. Thinking we need to take another trip out there in the next couple years before I'm too old to hike all the trails. Lol. My favorite part was tent camping and the temps were around 40 degrees at night and 80s during the day. I sleep really good in the cold, probably helps when you're out hiking all day too. We stayed at Mammoth Hot springs and took the kids in the river everyday. Really cool how you can move closer to the hot spring for warmer water and then into the cold river. Like changing the water temp in the shower. Thanks for bringing back those memories Mike!
I don't remember reading about it but what kind of fertilizer or treatments do you do to your yard to keep it looking that good?
I've only been to Yellowstone once when we took the kids many years ago. Words don't describe all you take in there. Just an amazing experience that pictures and words can only start to describe it. Something that must be experienced to soak in the feelings of it. You are lucky to have so much beautiful scenery close to you. Thinking we need to take another trip out there in the next couple years before I'm too old to hike all the trails. Lol. My favorite part was tent camping and the temps were around 40 degrees at night and 80s during the day. I sleep really good in the cold, probably helps when you're out hiking all day too. We stayed at Mammoth Hot springs and took the kids in the river everyday. Really cool how you can move closer to the hot spring for warmer water and then into the cold river. Like changing the water temp in the shower. Thanks for bringing back those memories Mike!
I don't remember reading about it but what kind of fertilizer or treatments do you do to your yard to keep it looking that good?
Great travel posts Mike. Thanks for taking the time.
I volunteer hiking the trails in the Grand Canyon.
I’ve heard it said by the rangers concerning the crowds,
”We love our National Parks but we are loving them to death”
I volunteer hiking the trails in the Grand Canyon.
I’ve heard it said by the rangers concerning the crowds,
”We love our National Parks but we are loving them to death”
That is such a bitter sweet statement, and the solution will become much like ski resorts these days. Either straight up limit access/number of passes daily or raise prices to detour people.
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Thanks Marc, yes, bummer indeed. Other than the slight issue with the power steering pump and the flat tire, a great trip and it was nice to spend it with the wife just cruising around, sightseeing and exploring.
I know what shuffling the RV around is like Mike and it is stressful as well as time sucking. At our last place I couldn't keep both the coach and the enclosed race trailer at our home, so one or the other was at an outside storage lot about 2-miles from our home. Granted it was only 2-miles and easy to access, but it still required time to move things around just to go get one of them and get them ready to leave town. I think I wasted more time shuffling vehicles and trailers around sometimes than actually time enjoying them. Many people cover their RV's in the winter to protect them, but other than if they have a leak somewhere, I think the summer UV is actually harder on them than the little bit of snow.
Keith, I will try to take a picture if I can remember tonight. I think I show my drive axle torn apart earlier in this thread when I was repairing a leaking axle gasket, but I didn't care for the mounting brackets that were provided by Crossfire. To me it mounted the central unit too far outboard, and I didn't like mounting it under a lugnut. I ended up drilling a 3/8" hole in my center hat and mounting the central unit directly to the center hat to keep the mass as centered in the rotating assembly as possible. This is how I have mounted them to all three of our coaches and it has worked out well.
Thanks Scott. Maybe you guys think all we do it eat and after looking through the pictures it almost appears that way.
We seriously don't eat like that all the time, but we do splurge when we travel. We like to seek out those places that are off the beaten path and not "touristy" and is more of where the locals prefer to eat. The tires actually caught me a little off guard as I thought I could nurse them through to spring. I made another purchase a couple of months ago (more to come on that), but had I known I'd be needing tires, I think I would have waited on the other purchase. Oh well, too late to worry about it now. Fortunately, I have a very understanding and amazing wife. She didn't even hesitate when she saw the gash, she told me to order new tires when we got home and I was thinking I could probably patch the one enough to use solely as a spare and get us through another six months, but she wasn't having it.
Thank you. I feel the same way over the past few years, our parks are being "loved to death". Too damn many people in them and unfortunately, many of them don't share the same appreciation and respect for the gifts we've been given.
We were at Tower Falls sitting outside enjoying an ice cream when I witnessed a young couple dump their fries and the rest of their hot dog out over the railing without giving it a second thought. I got up and walked over (with the wife pulling at me to mind my own business) and confronted them. I thought I did so in a polite manner, just mentioning that not only is it unsightly to look at, but reminded them that it can and will draw animals in closer and by doing so it puts their lives at risk because if some of them get too close to people they usually end up getting relocated, or worse, euthanized. So please be mindful and keep food and debris in proper receptacles. The guy was pretty understanding and open minded, he simply didn't realize, however, the woman was less than appreciative that I said something and certainly let me know it.
Yellowstone, like many other National Parks actually limits visitors much of the season, hell, Arches National Park requires you to make reservations a few weeks in advance during prime season. Fortunately, I had called the park service at Yellowstone NP a couple weeks before to make sure we weren't going to be met with these limitations and were told we were past the high-volume season and would be fine.
Thank you. Are you in the West Yellowstone, MT area or the Worland, WY area? I'd love to meet up with fellow forum members and break bread.
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Nice, been through there many of times. We actually disconnected the Jeep in Lovell a few years ago after going over the Burgess Junction (Highway 14A) and went up into the Pryor Mountains exploring for the afternoon trying to get a view of the wild horses. Beautiful country up through there.
signcrafter
Well-known member
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- Messages
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Not at all Mike and I'm the same way. I'll eat sandwiches or hot dogs and be fine but when we go somewhere I like to explore and try and find some good or different food. sometimes you strike out but sometimes you stumble onto some really good food.Thanks Scott. Maybe you guys think all we do it eat and after looking through the pictures it almost appears that way.
The tires actually caught me a little off guard as I thought I could nurse them through to spring. I made another purchase a couple of months ago (more to come on that), but had I known I'd be needing tires, I think I would have waited on the other purchase. Oh well, too late to worry about it now. Fortunately, I have a very understanding and amazing wife. She didn't even hesitate when she saw the gash, she told me to order new tires when we got home and I was thinking I could probably patch the one enough to use solely as a spare and get us through another six months, but she wasn't having it.
Looking forward to the details on the new purchase!
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
So last year when we replaced the engine in my son's WJ I had started contemplating engine hoists, again. I have a pretty good one, however, one of the things I love about my engine hoist I have is the squared off/parallel outriggers vs. the angled variety that seems to be the majority of the units out there. I swore I would never have angled outriggers ever again and after having my engine hoist for a couple of decades now, I have found little fault with it nor any times when the paralleled legs are a detriment. That being said, last year someone posted a thread here on Garage Journal inquiring about engine hoists and one caught my eye, so I started doing more research and fell in love with the specs. I have also discovered that over the past couple of years I find myself using my engine hoist much more frequently than in years past, mainly because I am working alone and need the hoist for either moving things around the shop or loading unloading items from client's vehicles. Unfortunately, the brand and design I have been drawn to are quite expensive and therefore have very few reviews, along with the fact that this brand is made in Denmark and not many vendors here in the states.
I have been waffling back and forth over this engine hoist for better than a year now, and then a couple of months ago when my son sold his milling machine we used our engine hoist to disassemble it and place it on the buyer's trailer. My engine hoist did the job, but it struggled a bit due to the required height and the fact that at full extension it reduced the capacity to 1k pounds (1/2 ton). Those two factors again led me to doing more research on the AC Hydraulic engine hoist. I broke down and made a few phone calls and inquiries here a few months back and finally pulled the trigger a couple of months ago. Seeing as how no one in the states had one in stock, at least for the price I was willing to pay, I ended up ordering one and then waiting for it to ship from Denmark and then arrive through customs.
Well, it arrived last week while the wife and I were on vacation, so I picked it up last night and got it setup in the shop. I am very impressed with the design characteristics and overall build quality upon first impressions. I think it will be a nice addition to the shop and be much quicker to be ready to lift and therefore I may find myself using it more than my previous engine hoist. The previous lift is very stable and easy to maneuver around the shop, but it does take some time to extend each outrigger the correct length and pin according to the job at hand. I think this one being easier to lower the outriggers and being ready to use will aid in the usability, plus it folds up to a much smaller footprint when not in use. Knowing I now need tires on the Jeep, maybe I should have waited to purchase.
Here is my new AC Hydraulics WJN10-EUR engine hoist/crane. It has a 2400 lb. capacity and even has 1540 pound capacity with the arm fully extended.
The jack is a high quality jack with a dedicated handle and deadman style release knob, not a multi-sectioned sloppy handle found on similar models and use a bottle jack assembled handle.
The outriggers fold up easily and are pinned into the upright position to avoid accidentally falling and damaging something.
Relatively small footprint when folded. I only wish that it would fit through the doorway between the RV/storage bay and the body of the shop, but it's not a big deal to open the overhead doors to move from one area to the other, just would have been nice to fit through the doorway. If I angle it and maneuver or walk it through it might fit, but not worth damaging a door or doorway.
In its new home in the storage bay. Takes up much less space than the previous hoist.
Old engine hoist for comparison. The height alone should be worth it, especially on lifted vehicles.
Time will tell if this was a good investment or not, but I do like the build quality. Now to get the old one sold.
Thanks for looking.
I have been waffling back and forth over this engine hoist for better than a year now, and then a couple of months ago when my son sold his milling machine we used our engine hoist to disassemble it and place it on the buyer's trailer. My engine hoist did the job, but it struggled a bit due to the required height and the fact that at full extension it reduced the capacity to 1k pounds (1/2 ton). Those two factors again led me to doing more research on the AC Hydraulic engine hoist. I broke down and made a few phone calls and inquiries here a few months back and finally pulled the trigger a couple of months ago. Seeing as how no one in the states had one in stock, at least for the price I was willing to pay, I ended up ordering one and then waiting for it to ship from Denmark and then arrive through customs.
Well, it arrived last week while the wife and I were on vacation, so I picked it up last night and got it setup in the shop. I am very impressed with the design characteristics and overall build quality upon first impressions. I think it will be a nice addition to the shop and be much quicker to be ready to lift and therefore I may find myself using it more than my previous engine hoist. The previous lift is very stable and easy to maneuver around the shop, but it does take some time to extend each outrigger the correct length and pin according to the job at hand. I think this one being easier to lower the outriggers and being ready to use will aid in the usability, plus it folds up to a much smaller footprint when not in use. Knowing I now need tires on the Jeep, maybe I should have waited to purchase.
Here is my new AC Hydraulics WJN10-EUR engine hoist/crane. It has a 2400 lb. capacity and even has 1540 pound capacity with the arm fully extended.
The jack is a high quality jack with a dedicated handle and deadman style release knob, not a multi-sectioned sloppy handle found on similar models and use a bottle jack assembled handle.
The outriggers fold up easily and are pinned into the upright position to avoid accidentally falling and damaging something.
Relatively small footprint when folded. I only wish that it would fit through the doorway between the RV/storage bay and the body of the shop, but it's not a big deal to open the overhead doors to move from one area to the other, just would have been nice to fit through the doorway. If I angle it and maneuver or walk it through it might fit, but not worth damaging a door or doorway.
In its new home in the storage bay. Takes up much less space than the previous hoist.
Old engine hoist for comparison. The height alone should be worth it, especially on lifted vehicles.
Time will tell if this was a good investment or not, but I do like the build quality. Now to get the old one sold.
Thanks for looking.
OP
zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
We did not see the ice caves while in the Pryor Mountains. I agree that 14A is not for the faint of heart and should be taken serious. I tell people that if they are not comfortable with mountain driving in large RV's to avoid this route. We've done it about 7 or 8 times now over the past 30 years of owning motorhomes and always have had a Jeep in tow.
The only time we didn't take this route was about 9 years ago coming back from South Dakota towing our 26' enclosed trailer with our Jeep and Harley. I felt like the tight turns and switchbacks may be a bit too much @ 72 feet overall length, so we opted to take Highway 16 out of Buffalo over to Cody instead. I think the wife appreciated my decision.
Even then, 16 has some grade to it, but much more manageable and easier to negotiate with a large trailer in tow with the passing lanes available.
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I've been working on dropping some weight over the past year and the wife and I joke about eating light throughout the day so we can splurge a bit for a nice dinner. We then have to joke about whether it was "worth the calories" or not.
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zmotorsports
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Eeeek. If he survived, I'll bet he needed a change of undergarments afterwards.