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LJ70 Build Thread!
- Thread starter Ben
- Start date
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Maverick said:
has it been that long.
trouble is after working 10 hours on a building site, in this lovely hot weather. i get home and dont feel like doing anywork on my truck, and instead sit on the patio with an ice cold bottle of Peroni or 3!
bscene-drinkingcheers: but saying that................................
i have been doing a few bits tonight, trying to get the truck ready for what will be an awesome trip this weekend!
IISY?
Indeed, Saturday and Sunday cannot come quick enough for me ... it seems to have been ages since my last '4x4 outing' (its the hobby that keeps me sane, in my mad mad world) ... actually it was 16/17June (another weekend away)...
This weekend in Lancashire and Cumbria we will be doing everything - FORD's, ROCK's, Climbs UP, nice decents, Sadgill, some nice Green Lanes, a few Tight Lanes (just for Ben) and few miles on the Tarmac, oh and a few beers on Saturday evening, then a nice Full English Breakfast on Sunday -- Bring It On!!
Oh, and soon maybe this year or maybe early next year, I want to do every single FORD, BOAT and UCR in Cumbria (all 182 of them) - I reckon I can do all of them over a long-weekend (Friday-Monday) ...
This weekend in Lancashire and Cumbria we will be doing everything - FORD's, ROCK's, Climbs UP, nice decents, Sadgill, some nice Green Lanes, a few Tight Lanes (just for Ben) and few miles on the Tarmac, oh and a few beers on Saturday evening, then a nice Full English Breakfast on Sunday -- Bring It On!!
Oh, and soon maybe this year or maybe early next year, I want to do every single FORD, BOAT and UCR in Cumbria (all 182 of them) - I reckon I can do all of them over a long-weekend (Friday-Monday) ...
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Same here Brett, Ive been looking forward to this trip all month!
Im well up for 4 days laning in the Lakes, driving everything drivable!
shame i never got to drive Walna Scar.
that lane looked amazing!
anyway..................................
I hadnt washed my truck since i had an afternoon of solo laning a few weeks ago, so i decided to give the truck a quick wash tonight.
had a few deliveries over the last few weeks.
this is what £100 worth of dinitrol looks like.
works out a lot cheaper buying shutz cans instead of the aerosol ones. just need to borrow my mates compressor now.
since modifying my exhaust to clear the 37"s, the end of the exhaust now stuck out of the back bumper.
so out with one of my favourite tools, the "recip saw"
made light work of the stainless pipe.
the stainless exhaust straight connector arrived a week or so ago.
the bit of tin can had held up well.
but it does look like it had been blowing slightly, not that id noticed. certainly didnt sound like it was blowing.
new one fitted.
ignore the dodgy exhaust mounts.
the rip off garage who charged me over £500 for the exhaust, thought that 2 mounts was sufficient on the whole system.
maybe that sort of thing is acceptable in there home country of Pakistan.
dam i hate letting anyone work on my truck.
anyway......................managed to adjust it, so that the exhaust is almost perfectly centred in the bumper, not that its very clear in the pics.
its only a matter of time till i have the whole exhaust system ripped off and scrapped, and i have a new system made and fitted properly by the guys at Beaudesert.
few more jobs to do before this weekend, want to sort the washer jets out, and check the oil level in the front diff.
going to go and pick up 100litres of veg oil tomorrow. currently running 85% veg oil. if this weather continues i will be running on 100%!
Im well up for 4 days laning in the Lakes, driving everything drivable!
shame i never got to drive Walna Scar.
that lane looked amazing!
anyway..................................
I hadnt washed my truck since i had an afternoon of solo laning a few weeks ago, so i decided to give the truck a quick wash tonight.
had a few deliveries over the last few weeks.
this is what £100 worth of dinitrol looks like.
works out a lot cheaper buying shutz cans instead of the aerosol ones. just need to borrow my mates compressor now.
since modifying my exhaust to clear the 37"s, the end of the exhaust now stuck out of the back bumper.
so out with one of my favourite tools, the "recip saw"
made light work of the stainless pipe.
the stainless exhaust straight connector arrived a week or so ago.
the bit of tin can had held up well.
but it does look like it had been blowing slightly, not that id noticed. certainly didnt sound like it was blowing.
new one fitted.
ignore the dodgy exhaust mounts.
the rip off garage who charged me over £500 for the exhaust, thought that 2 mounts was sufficient on the whole system.
maybe that sort of thing is acceptable in there home country of Pakistan.
dam i hate letting anyone work on my truck.
anyway......................managed to adjust it, so that the exhaust is almost perfectly centred in the bumper, not that its very clear in the pics.
its only a matter of time till i have the whole exhaust system ripped off and scrapped, and i have a new system made and fitted properly by the guys at Beaudesert.
few more jobs to do before this weekend, want to sort the washer jets out, and check the oil level in the front diff.
going to go and pick up 100litres of veg oil tomorrow. currently running 85% veg oil. if this weather continues i will be running on 100%!
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looks very extreme in your pics.
such a shame we cant drive it.
will be interesting to see if all the rain weve had in the last month has changed the lanes much since are last trip.
i can think of one lane that i hope is a little more washed out. cant remember the name of it now.
the one where you gave those ramblers a lift across the river because all the stepping stones were submerged.
is a huge shame Dave has had enough Andy. 
but he will be back........................
i think most people who have decided theyve had enough, sell there truck, usually come back!
So with Dave not present, i will have an excuse to take hundreds of pics and post a trip report.
even borrowed a decent camera for the trip.
EDIT. Brett beat me to it.
such a shame we cant drive it.
will be interesting to see if all the rain weve had in the last month has changed the lanes much since are last trip.
i can think of one lane that i hope is a little more washed out. cant remember the name of it now.
the one where you gave those ramblers a lift across the river because all the stepping stones were submerged.
AndyCook said:
is a huge shame Dave has had enough Andy.
but he will be back........................
i think most people who have decided theyve had enough, sell there truck, usually come back!
So with Dave not present, i will have an excuse to take hundreds of pics and post a trip report.
even borrowed a decent camera for the trip.
EDIT. Brett beat me to it.
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stocked up today!
100 litres of fuel for this weekend, and a few cold beers.
the guy at the cash and carry where the oil has come from, has said that after speaking to his supplier, its looking like veg oil will double in price, and by this winter will be selling at £2 a litre.
this is due to the fact it rained almost every day for the last month, which has severely effected rape seed harvesting, and has meant a lot has rotted before theyve been able to harvest it
might buy a few thousand litres while its still 90p a litre.
the prospect of having to fill my tank with diesel costing £1.40+ per litre might really effect how often i choose to go 4x4ing.
100 litres of fuel for this weekend, and a few cold beers.
the guy at the cash and carry where the oil has come from, has said that after speaking to his supplier, its looking like veg oil will double in price, and by this winter will be selling at £2 a litre.
this is due to the fact it rained almost every day for the last month, which has severely effected rape seed harvesting, and has meant a lot has rotted before theyve been able to harvest it
might buy a few thousand litres while its still 90p a litre.
the prospect of having to fill my tank with diesel costing £1.40+ per litre might really effect how often i choose to go 4x4ing.
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Update time.
Last Saturday I left my house at 8AM, met Mitch in his landy, and went and picked up Mike. We then headed North up the M6.
A few hours later and we were in Broughton, which is near Blackpool.
We met Phil in his shogun.
landrovers broken down again!
Only joking. Mitch showing Mike his engine.
the 37"s dont seem that big to me anymore, but sat next to Phil's 33"s they do look huge.
We soon met up with Brett, and parked up to say hello and have a quick chat about the days plans.
We were soon off and hitting the lanes.
first lane of the day.
dropping down to a nice ford.
a steep climb up the other side, and were out into open countryside.
and through the gate and back onto the tarmac.
The next ford is one of my favourites. Garstang!
Brett dropping down into the river, before turning sharp right and driving down stream.
really is a huge ford.
Phil behind.
I just managed to drive though and get up onto the foot bridge in time to take a few pics.
The lunatic in the landy was next.
Brett's video of Garstang.
[youtube:1al02ivj]cdOAAPwn8Xg[/youtube:1al02ivj]
next lane.
nice little ford.
Few road miles next. We drove straight through the middle of Lancaster.
We pulled in so i could air down. running 30psi in the big heavy tyres was making for quite a hard bumpy ride. So dropped them down to 20psi.
Hazelslack was the next lane, which turned out to be quite tight and scratchy.
[youtube:1al02ivj]xZ2HzRYtWfo[/youtube:1al02ivj]
[youtube:1al02ivj]IDXTA2Q-hT8[/youtube:1al02ivj]
I thought that lane was tight, but the next one would prove to be even tighter.
Hale was the name of the next lane.
The farm have knocked down the original stone wall, which can be seen in the pic below, and built a new block wall that juts out into the UCR, creating a very tight pinch point.
[youtube:1al02ivj]E_rNTnELgW0[/youtube:1al02ivj]
[youtube:1al02ivj]WUVeb8t44bo[/youtube:1al02ivj]
This was the view for most of the lane.
And finally were out the other side.
A few more road miles next.
1st gate of the day at the start of the next lane.
After the next lane, Phil tells me over the CB radio that my NS rear tyre is looking flat.
I pulled over and checked, and my tyre was looking quite flat and air could be heard leaking between the tyre and the rim.
So i blew the tyre up to 45psi, to re-seat the tyre bead on the rim, and then dropped it back down to 20psi.
That worked well, and i had no more problems with it for the rest of the trip.
The next lane.
It looked very tight, so we decided to give it a miss.
We soon came to the other end of it, so Brett reversed in to see if his truck would fit, which it did, just.
A mile or 2 later and we came around a bend and spotted a caravan stuck in a field, and loads of people trying to push it out.
Time for my good deed of the day.
Snatch strap attached, front and rear air lockers engaged, 1st low, and slowly i dragged the bogged disco and caravan out of the muddy field.
[youtube:1al02ivj]ksix6Qi0WIs[/youtube:1al02ivj]
A few more road miles and we were at the next lane, a byway near Eversley.
The start of the lane, which resembled a footpath more than a road.
and were off.
started getting tighter.
[youtube:1al02ivj]0xyyE8-2EDQ[/youtube:1al02ivj]
[youtube:1al02ivj]aETpou2jlx8[/youtube:1al02ivj]
possibly the tightest lane ive ever driven.
We had to cut quite a few trees out of the way to get my truck through. One of which was quite a big tree. no pics unfortunately, as was too busy sawing and axing.
after using Brett's winch to winch the huge tree wed cut down out of the way, his battery was flat.
so out with the jump leads and he was soon going again.
a view back to where all the trees had been.
The big tree we cut down was on the left in the pic below.
i like this video.
shows how stupidly tight that lane was.
[youtube:1al02ivj]QANzSlq9_bw[/youtube:1al02ivj]
off the lane and time to assess the damage.
wing mirror broken off, and piece of chrome roof trim lost.
sirio aerial snapped off.
piece of plastic hinge trim ripped off and lost.
and top of snorkel cracked.
+ a load more scratches and a few more dents.
2 hours to drive 1 mile!
Were soon back on the road, and one of my favourite lanes next.
Nibthwaite!
[youtube:1al02ivj]HEh3fGf21Vs[/youtube:1al02ivj]
Phil made this section look very easy.
That was the interesting bit done, so we stopped for a quick break, before turning round.
Dropping back down the way we had come.
A few more scenic lanes.
flexing.
Another interesting lane next, with 2 nice ford. Rushland Pool.
last time we came, the barriers were across here because Cumbria CC had forgotten to remove the seasonal barriers on time.
[youtube:1al02ivj]reKwp77TY6E[/youtube:1al02ivj]
Phil making a splash.
Mitch making an even bigger splash.
A few more lanes and we boarded the Ferry to take us across Lake Windemere.
We then drove to Kendal, checked into our B&B's, had a quick shower and then walked into town for a few beers and a curry.
So that was Saturday. Will get Sundays pics and vids up soon.
Sunday turned out to be quite eventful, and ended with 2 recovery trucks being called.
Last Saturday I left my house at 8AM, met Mitch in his landy, and went and picked up Mike. We then headed North up the M6.
A few hours later and we were in Broughton, which is near Blackpool.
We met Phil in his shogun.
landrovers broken down again!
Only joking.
Mitch showing Mike his engine. the 37"s dont seem that big to me anymore, but sat next to Phil's 33"s they do look huge.
We soon met up with Brett, and parked up to say hello and have a quick chat about the days plans.
We were soon off and hitting the lanes.
first lane of the day.
dropping down to a nice ford.
a steep climb up the other side, and were out into open countryside.
and through the gate and back onto the tarmac.
The next ford is one of my favourites. Garstang!
Brett dropping down into the river, before turning sharp right and driving down stream.
really is a huge ford.
Phil behind.
I just managed to drive though and get up onto the foot bridge in time to take a few pics.
The lunatic in the landy was next.
Brett's video of Garstang.
[youtube:1al02ivj]cdOAAPwn8Xg[/youtube:1al02ivj]
next lane.
nice little ford.
Few road miles next. We drove straight through the middle of Lancaster.
We pulled in so i could air down. running 30psi in the big heavy tyres was making for quite a hard bumpy ride. So dropped them down to 20psi.
Hazelslack was the next lane, which turned out to be quite tight and scratchy.
[youtube:1al02ivj]xZ2HzRYtWfo[/youtube:1al02ivj]
[youtube:1al02ivj]IDXTA2Q-hT8[/youtube:1al02ivj]
I thought that lane was tight, but the next one would prove to be even tighter.
Hale was the name of the next lane.
The farm have knocked down the original stone wall, which can be seen in the pic below, and built a new block wall that juts out into the UCR, creating a very tight pinch point.
[youtube:1al02ivj]E_rNTnELgW0[/youtube:1al02ivj]
[youtube:1al02ivj]WUVeb8t44bo[/youtube:1al02ivj]
This was the view for most of the lane.
And finally were out the other side.
A few more road miles next.
1st gate of the day at the start of the next lane.
After the next lane, Phil tells me over the CB radio that my NS rear tyre is looking flat.
I pulled over and checked, and my tyre was looking quite flat and air could be heard leaking between the tyre and the rim.
So i blew the tyre up to 45psi, to re-seat the tyre bead on the rim, and then dropped it back down to 20psi.
That worked well, and i had no more problems with it for the rest of the trip.
The next lane.
It looked very tight, so we decided to give it a miss.
We soon came to the other end of it, so Brett reversed in to see if his truck would fit, which it did, just.
A mile or 2 later and we came around a bend and spotted a caravan stuck in a field, and loads of people trying to push it out.
Time for my good deed of the day.
Snatch strap attached, front and rear air lockers engaged, 1st low, and slowly i dragged the bogged disco and caravan out of the muddy field.
[youtube:1al02ivj]ksix6Qi0WIs[/youtube:1al02ivj]
A few more road miles and we were at the next lane, a byway near Eversley.
The start of the lane, which resembled a footpath more than a road.
and were off.
started getting tighter.
[youtube:1al02ivj]0xyyE8-2EDQ[/youtube:1al02ivj]
[youtube:1al02ivj]aETpou2jlx8[/youtube:1al02ivj]
possibly the tightest lane ive ever driven.
We had to cut quite a few trees out of the way to get my truck through. One of which was quite a big tree. no pics unfortunately, as was too busy sawing and axing.
after using Brett's winch to winch the huge tree wed cut down out of the way, his battery was flat.
so out with the jump leads and he was soon going again.
a view back to where all the trees had been.
The big tree we cut down was on the left in the pic below.
i like this video.
shows how stupidly tight that lane was.
[youtube:1al02ivj]QANzSlq9_bw[/youtube:1al02ivj]
off the lane and time to assess the damage.
wing mirror broken off, and piece of chrome roof trim lost.
sirio aerial snapped off.
piece of plastic hinge trim ripped off and lost.
and top of snorkel cracked.
+ a load more scratches and a few more dents.
2 hours to drive 1 mile!
Were soon back on the road, and one of my favourite lanes next.
Nibthwaite!
[youtube:1al02ivj]HEh3fGf21Vs[/youtube:1al02ivj]
Phil made this section look very easy.
That was the interesting bit done, so we stopped for a quick break, before turning round.
Dropping back down the way we had come.
A few more scenic lanes.
flexing.
Another interesting lane next, with 2 nice ford. Rushland Pool.
last time we came, the barriers were across here because Cumbria CC had forgotten to remove the seasonal barriers on time.
[youtube:1al02ivj]reKwp77TY6E[/youtube:1al02ivj]
Phil making a splash.
Mitch making an even bigger splash.
A few more lanes and we boarded the Ferry to take us across Lake Windemere.
We then drove to Kendal, checked into our B&B's, had a quick shower and then walked into town for a few beers and a curry.
So that was Saturday. Will get Sundays pics and vids up soon.
Sunday turned out to be quite eventful, and ended with 2 recovery trucks being called.
Red Oktober
Well-Known Member
Excellent trip report Ben ...
wobbly
Well-Known Member
It also shows what a load of rubbish it is that evil 4x4's are ruining the countryside, those lanes cant have been driven for ages to be that overgrown, it would certainly be no fun on a horse or bike, possibly not even on foot.
I believe that's the casesae70 said:I think you'll find that there's someone on here that can repair the twig for you
If you still have the whip with the broken bit on the bottom Ben don't scrap it, we can make it better than new 
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Sunday morning we got up and had breakfast at 8am.
At 8.30am we set off.
first lane started off as a track to a farm.
past the farm the lane gets a bit more interesting with a steep climb.
before opening out.
few road miles to the next lane.
the next few lanes didnt look like they had been driven recently.
was quite boggy in places, as it weaved its way across open moor land.
over a strange bridge, that didnt appear to have a stream underneath.
and through a tight gate.
opening out again.
a few more road miles, and we came to a gate, and 1 of our favourite signs.
normally we drive this lane from the other end, and turn around and drive it back the other way.
Cumbria CC ROW officer had informed us that this lane that had recently being graded, was now a bit washed out in places due to the recent rain.
It was washed out in places, but no where near as interesting as it was before they graded it.
dropping down the other side, we saw an attractive blonde girl lying next to the lane. bit random?
Mike drove my truck on this lane, so i jumped out to open the gate and take some pics.
The stepping stones were completely under water last month, so Dave and Gary gave some ramblers a lift across.
next lane, and one of my favourite signs.
very tight.
[youtube:z2ngry8w]Kpx8zxNZ_ss[/youtube:z2ngry8w]
few more road miles next.
one of my favourite lanes next.
June was the wettest recorded month in the UK ever, and that month of constant rain had done a huge amount of damage to the lane since we were last here!
non of us could believe how much it had changed since we were here a month ago.
this huge trench that has appeared in the middle of the lane, was 4ft deep in one spot!
looks like work had already begun to repair the damage.
after driving that great lane that was badly washed out, i got excited about the prospect of what the next lane would be like!
last month the next lane, which leads to the locked gate at the bottom end of Gatescarth Pass, was very challenging and washed out in places, so i knew it would be even more challenging this time.
definitely badly washed out.
i lost count of the amount of times i was lifting wheels off the ground on this lane.
it got progressively worse, and at this point Brett pulled over and decided it was a little bit too extreme. Well there was a huge bomb hole in the middle of the lane.
so what did i do..........................................well i had to try and drive it!
couldnt get up it even with both lockers in and the 37"s!
And with nothing to winch off the only option was going back.
Phils video:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76138394@N04/7693201376/
(not sure how to embed it like the youtube ones? )
so Brett cleared some rocks, so my rear light wouldnt get smashed.
I was a little worried about reversing back down, as it felt like the truck could tip over.
Mitch then told me an awesome technique that hed been shown on an off road driving training day.
This involved applying the brakes, and turning the steering wheel left to right, lock to lock. To my amazement the truck gently walked its way down the steep climb, the loose rocks moving as the tyres turned.
This worked so well and felt very controlled and safe!
After taking a different line, around the bomb hole we were moving again. Phil and Brett left their trucks by the bomb hole and me and Mitch continued.
Mitch, who was clearly eager to get moving, overtook me, and then drove into an even bigger hole!
lockers engaged, Mitch was able to reverse out and take a different line.
We turned around before the locked gate and continued back down the lane.
We got to the bottom and met up with the others who were waiting for us.
Without a shadow of a doubt that was one of the most challenging lanes ive ever driven!
i doubt it will be like that for long though. If you look closely at the pic above you can just see a digger that has been brought into repair the lane.
The amount of damage that the constant rain had done was amazing. In places entire sections of stone wall had been washed away by the shear force of the water rushing down the mountain side!
Next we drove back up Sadgill.
[youtube:z2ngry8w]bqQ9rPdX6dc[/youtube:z2ngry8w]
my go next.
[youtube:z2ngry8w]NVJBx2EEiGc[/youtube:z2ngry8w]
followed by Phil.
[youtube:z2ngry8w]y31VBj_IzOw[/youtube:z2ngry8w]
[youtube:z2ngry8w]xXbA0_N5b38[/youtube:z2ngry8w]
And finally Brett.
[youtube:z2ngry8w]rpPI1TLCkWw[/youtube:z2ngry8w]
On our way to the next lane, i could hear a horrible noise coming from the back of my truck.
rear ns wheel bearing was knackered.
I decided to keep going, drive the next few lanes, then get it recovered home. but on the way to the next lane it got louder and louder and i decided I didnt feel safe driving it any further.
So we decided to call it a day.
I called Britannia rescue and 90 minutes later my recovery truck arrived.
The driver then informed he was going to have to relay me, as he didnt have a tacho, so couldnt drive more than so many miles from his depot.
so we pulled in at Warrington services.
And truck number 2 arrived.
And finally home.
Despite the wheel bearing failure it was an awesome weekend, and the last 2 lanes were amazing to drive!
When i changed the other rear wheel bearing, the other side had a small amount of play, so i decided not to change it. It lasted a few more thousand miles before failing on this trip.
So i guess if i was doing a big overland trip, I would have replaced the bearing with the slight play in it, and then would have avoided a breakdown. But i decided id risk it and try and get a few more miles out of it, which i did.
So yes the mighty landcruiser broke down, BUT it was avoidable if id been a bit more strict with the maintenance.
I think i cursed myself, by asking Mitch if he thought his landy would actually make it to the lakes, given its legendary reliability record.
Ive got a load more pics still to come, off Phil.
Time to get the truck fixed and ready for the next trip out.
Weve got an interesting trip coming up in September, titled "The Lost Lanes". This trip will involve opening up and driving lanes that are currently not drivable, some of which havnt been driven for 20+ years. So chainsaws and spades will be essential.
Were also hoping to have the County Council's rights of way officer with us, which should make things interesting if any landowners try to tell us theres no right of way!
Weve also applied for permits for Gatescarth Pass, so i trip back to the lakes before the end of the year is looking likely.
At 8.30am we set off.
first lane started off as a track to a farm.
past the farm the lane gets a bit more interesting with a steep climb.
before opening out.
few road miles to the next lane.
the next few lanes didnt look like they had been driven recently.
was quite boggy in places, as it weaved its way across open moor land.
over a strange bridge, that didnt appear to have a stream underneath.
and through a tight gate.
opening out again.
a few more road miles, and we came to a gate, and 1 of our favourite signs.
normally we drive this lane from the other end, and turn around and drive it back the other way.
Cumbria CC ROW officer had informed us that this lane that had recently being graded, was now a bit washed out in places due to the recent rain.
It was washed out in places, but no where near as interesting as it was before they graded it.
dropping down the other side, we saw an attractive blonde girl lying next to the lane. bit random?
Mike drove my truck on this lane, so i jumped out to open the gate and take some pics.
The stepping stones were completely under water last month, so Dave and Gary gave some ramblers a lift across.
next lane, and one of my favourite signs.
very tight.
[youtube:z2ngry8w]Kpx8zxNZ_ss[/youtube:z2ngry8w]
few more road miles next.
one of my favourite lanes next.
June was the wettest recorded month in the UK ever, and that month of constant rain had done a huge amount of damage to the lane since we were last here!
non of us could believe how much it had changed since we were here a month ago.
this huge trench that has appeared in the middle of the lane, was 4ft deep in one spot!
looks like work had already begun to repair the damage.
after driving that great lane that was badly washed out, i got excited about the prospect of what the next lane would be like!
last month the next lane, which leads to the locked gate at the bottom end of Gatescarth Pass, was very challenging and washed out in places, so i knew it would be even more challenging this time.
definitely badly washed out.
i lost count of the amount of times i was lifting wheels off the ground on this lane.
it got progressively worse, and at this point Brett pulled over and decided it was a little bit too extreme. Well there was a huge bomb hole in the middle of the lane.
so what did i do..........................................well i had to try and drive it!
couldnt get up it even with both lockers in and the 37"s!
And with nothing to winch off the only option was going back.
Phils video:-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/76138394@N04/7693201376/
(not sure how to embed it like the youtube ones?
) so Brett cleared some rocks, so my rear light wouldnt get smashed.
I was a little worried about reversing back down, as it felt like the truck could tip over.
Mitch then told me an awesome technique that hed been shown on an off road driving training day.
This involved applying the brakes, and turning the steering wheel left to right, lock to lock. To my amazement the truck gently walked its way down the steep climb, the loose rocks moving as the tyres turned.
This worked so well and felt very controlled and safe!
After taking a different line, around the bomb hole we were moving again. Phil and Brett left their trucks by the bomb hole and me and Mitch continued.
Mitch, who was clearly eager to get moving, overtook me, and then drove into an even bigger hole!
lockers engaged, Mitch was able to reverse out and take a different line.
We turned around before the locked gate and continued back down the lane.
We got to the bottom and met up with the others who were waiting for us.
Without a shadow of a doubt that was one of the most challenging lanes ive ever driven!
i doubt it will be like that for long though. If you look closely at the pic above you can just see a digger that has been brought into repair the lane.
The amount of damage that the constant rain had done was amazing. In places entire sections of stone wall had been washed away by the shear force of the water rushing down the mountain side!
Next we drove back up Sadgill.
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my go next.
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followed by Phil.
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And finally Brett.
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On our way to the next lane, i could hear a horrible noise coming from the back of my truck.
rear ns wheel bearing was knackered.
I decided to keep going, drive the next few lanes, then get it recovered home. but on the way to the next lane it got louder and louder and i decided I didnt feel safe driving it any further.
So we decided to call it a day.
I called Britannia rescue and 90 minutes later my recovery truck arrived.
The driver then informed he was going to have to relay me, as he didnt have a tacho, so couldnt drive more than so many miles from his depot.
so we pulled in at Warrington services.
And truck number 2 arrived.
And finally home.
Despite the wheel bearing failure it was an awesome weekend, and the last 2 lanes were amazing to drive!
When i changed the other rear wheel bearing, the other side had a small amount of play, so i decided not to change it. It lasted a few more thousand miles before failing on this trip.
So i guess if i was doing a big overland trip, I would have replaced the bearing with the slight play in it, and then would have avoided a breakdown. But i decided id risk it and try and get a few more miles out of it, which i did.
So yes the mighty landcruiser broke down, BUT it was avoidable if id been a bit more strict with the maintenance.
I think i cursed myself, by asking Mitch if he thought his landy would actually make it to the lakes, given its legendary reliability record.
Ive got a load more pics still to come, off Phil.
Time to get the truck fixed and ready for the next trip out.
Weve got an interesting trip coming up in September, titled "The Lost Lanes". This trip will involve opening up and driving lanes that are currently not drivable, some of which havnt been driven for 20+ years. So chainsaws and spades will be essential.
Were also hoping to have the County Council's rights of way officer with us, which should make things interesting if any landowners try to tell us theres no right of way!
Weve also applied for permits for Gatescarth Pass, so i trip back to the lakes before the end of the year is looking likely.
