Cutting the New Log Trail for 4 Wheeling

[mangoridge]

Here's a few pics from last weekend. I had to check on the progress on cutting the new log trail for 4 wheeling . The new trails the skids creating are killer! I will have to go back after he finishes and fill in the trail drifts. The logger has to trench the trails to minimize erosion. You can see the drifts in one of the photos. The trails are at a pretty good grade which makes a really fun hill climb.

A view of the Blue Ridge Mountains

A little stump action!

Looking down one of the trails, pretty steep!

Here's one of the trail drift's I mentioned.

Looking back up at my cart, I chickened out going down due to the fun mud and being alone. Didn't have a place to turn around at the bottom yet, a bit too off camber.

 

[HotRodCarts]

Looking good!! It looks like the trails have come a long way since the first pics you posted.

 

[gornoman]

Great pix mango!

Educate me. What is a trail drift?

Go easy, I'm a city boy!

 

[mangoridge]

It's my mind drifting off the trail!

It's my own little discriptive name I made up for a trench the logger must cut in the log trails they create. They use the skid blade to dig an angled trench every 50' or so to divert water from going directly down the log trail so it doesn't wash out. The correct term for this is "logging slash" or "filter strip", but I like trail drift for some reason. When he moves off that piece of land and the Va dept of forestry forester checks to be sure the drifts are there, I'll get my neighbor with his bobcat to fill them back up so I can use the trail. I'll do some sort of other trench to divert water if needed later.

I can' t wait to get back out there. It rained today & it sure will be muddy this weekend. Plus it's supposed to be in the 50's tomorrow and high 50's Sunday. I'll do something with the wife tomorrow,,,,, and probably get out there Sunday morning. To bad no forums members are close, they could join me.

 

[gornoman]

Thanx for the info. I kinda figured from the pix what it was but didn't want to assume. I am very familiar with the process from both hiking and Jeeping in the mountains. The trail drifts on the route to the bottom of the Grand Canyon collect donkey urine and feces. When it rains, walking that trail can be a whole new adventure!

 

[mangoridge]

I run into another kind of them wheelin on the National forest trails where they dig a ditch across the traill creating a dirt hump about 4' tall to keep 4 wheelers out, I call these "berms", I hate berms.

shew, that Grand caynon trail sounds stinky!

 

[OlBoy]

Nice pictures

I wish I had somewhere to ride with the beautiful background scenery you have there.

 

[mangoridge]

Thanks for the replies.

I went out there yesterday, had a blast. Took the wife out today. Got there. Had a low tire on the rr, aired it up. Took off up the ridge, stopped & the rf was flat. Pumped it up, went back to the jeep to put the doors back on, kinda cool out, and the rf was flat again. Hmmmmmm........it must have a pretty good hole in it. Found the hole, plugged it and got back on the trail. I still have to find the smaller hole in the rr. It will probably be flat tomorrow

. Had a blast, I'll post a few pics later.

 

[gornoman]

Mango, are you running 6-ply tires???

 

[mangoridge]

Nope, 3 ply which came stock on it. I need to wear these out and go 6 ply. They are not very puncture resistant. This will be the third flat I had on it. What do people replace with, 6 ply radials, or 6 ply bias?

 

[mangoridge]

Dooh, my carlisle at489's are 4 ply not 3. I guess I just had a bad tire day

With fresh cut timber on the ground, I was tearing it up powering over that stuff.

I'm going to go get a internal patch kit and patch the holes from the inside. I hate plugs. I used to work in a BF Goodrich tire shop in the late 70's in a school work thing and always patched holes. Plugs IMO might let air in between the plys causing a seperation. I checked out the Carsilse home page and they only offer 4 ply, I did see other tires that offer 6 ply but they cost 80-100 bucks per tire. I need to get tires on my jeep 1st.

 

[Fairlane]

How much pressure are you running?? When offroading I run 3-4 psi in my 489's and have not had a flat in the 3 yrs I've had them. I run in the desert with cactus and in the forest up north without any trouble.
Looks like some fun riding.

I love riding in the forest.

Glen

 

[mangoridge]

No kiddin!! huh, that's probably the reason. I was running 11 psi. 12 is the max. I'll run the same 3 to 4 psi. Thanks Glen, I think you solved my problem. That's the input I was looking for.

 

[Fairlane]

It will feel soft on the road. I air mine up for pavement use but not often. Almost all my riding is offroad. With the pressure you have been running I would think they will be penetrated easier than at low pressure. I hope this helps. It'll give you much better ride quality & traction in the mud and stuff with a larger footprint. Mine goes good in sand or mud. Your cart is heavier than mine so you may need to play with the pressure. Here is a pic of mine with 4 psi and you see they stand up very well. Good luck. Let me know how it works.

 

[mangoridge]

Thanks Fairlane! Nice cart!!

It's pretty slow on the forum so here are a few pics of the logging project. I can't wait to get out to play again.

Stump Man is watching!

 

[gornoman]

A 2-Jeep family! Lucky guy!

That thing got a HEMI???......SWEEEEEET!

 

[mangoridge]

I'm proud to say, we are a three Jeep family. My son drives an 02 Grand Cherokee with an I-6. The Liberty is mine. the Commander is the wifes and its got the 4.7. Hemi's are sweet, but I couldn't talk her into it although it gets about the same mpg.

 

[gornoman]

That 4.0 I6 HO was some stump puller. We had one in our old Cherokee Sport. Great wheelin' motor unless you need hard-core power for rock crawlin'.

It's a Jeep thing....

 

[Fairlane]

A friend of mine has a rock crawler with the 4.0 I-6 with 4.56 gears and ARB lockers and it will go with the best of them.

Glen

 

[gornoman]

What's the top speed of that Jeep, 70mph?