Safety; Keep an eye on those steering components

[Joe Dillard]

Last Saturday afternoon I decided to join a local group of Jeepers to run a trail or two at Corral Canyon OHV which is near my home in San Diego.

We decided to run Bronco Peak and started the run ~4:30 PM. It's not a terribly long trail, distance wise, it's actually not very long unless you go down the back side.

Anyway, after running the trail to the top, we started going back down and got to the place where things are a bit nasty and you have several lines to take going down hill. Lots of nice big loose boulders are tossed about which can provide for an interesting run.

Now for the safety issue:

I did not know that my drop pitman arm had been damaged for some time. If I would have given it a close inspection - I could have avoided this trail repair and a potentially far more dangerous outcome.

My drop pitman had developed a serious crack and was living on borrowed time. As I was going down hill, ~1/2 mile an hour, my front left tire came upon a steep rock and the shock load was transferred to the pitman arm. Normally, I would have driven over it without issue - but this time was a different story.

All the sudden I heard a sharp pop & clang, then I totally lost my steering. The drop pitman arm broke completely in 1/2, ~1/2 way down the drop. I've seen my share of drop pitman carnage, but this was the first I've seen where the pitman broke ~1/2 way down the drop.

Two of us carried spares (StvDiego & I). He found his first, it was a TJ drop pitman & fit just fine, so we used his for time sake. Everybody on the run was quick to lend a hand & everybody chipped-in in some fashion to get me back going quickly. It was outstanding teamwork to say the least. Thanks everybody!

Here's a few pics:





The pickle fork we had was a bit too narrow - so we traded using it back & forth of the sector shaft attempting to get the pitman off. Steve had a long pry bar with a wedged end that ended up doing the trick along with a sledgehammer.



Steve's TJ drop pitman arm has much more beef. My old drop pitman was whimpy in comparison. TJ pitman arm installed:



Drop pitman crack (rusty area) and breakage:

[Larry Nickell]

Nice that it was an easy fix Joe. I carry 2 spares after Moab 2006. I have a stocker and a drop.

[Jerry Bransford]

Bronco Peak is developing quite the reputation. 3-4 guys in my club ended up spending a very cold night up there waiting for parts, they said it was a pretty miserable night without enough warm clothing. Reading this, I realize I should have never given my old Pitman arm away. Is the TJ's Pitman arm beefy enough over that of a YJ's that a busted Pitman arm would be more common on a YJ than a TJ?

[Joe Dillard]

Yep Larry, carrying a spare is a dang good idea.

Jerry, my old drop pitman that broke was an aftermarket item that I installed ~12 years ago when I put a SUA lift on my YJ. The bumpsteer was horrible - so I installed a drop pitman. IIRC, it was a Superlift drop pitman. That Superlift drop pitman was whimpy compared to a stock YJ pitman, as well as the TJ drop pitman that Steve let me borrow. I believe the pitman Steve let me borrow is an aftermarket drop pitman that came with a TJ lift kit.

A stock YJ drop pitman is ~2". The Superlift drop pitman was ~3.5" drop & far less beef. The pitman Steve let me borrow has a 3" drop & works excellent and looks just as strong as a stock YJ pitman.

Hope that makes sense.

[Tumbleweed]

I have a post run checklist that I go over after every run. Anything that I have ever had come loose or needed repaired is on the list. From checking lug nuts, to u bolts, to tie rod ends, to steering box bolts, to hub studs, to fluids and leaks.
This list takes me about an hour or so to check. It serves me well and gives me great piece of mind. I know that all I need to go out for a rescue or run is fuel and an ice chest, and appropriate clothes. Also gives me a good chance under the rig to look things over. I print off the page, and highlight as I complete items.

[Joe Dillard]

^^^Checklists are a good thing. ^^^

[zman]

Originally Posted by Larry Nickell

Nice that it was an easy fix Joe. I carry 2 spares after Moab 2006. I have a stocker and a drop.

Me too.

[ABQ TJ]

Joe always has the coolest breaks!

[Iceman]

and I'll have the good tire plugs with me this Turkey Day run

[Jerry Bransford]

Originally Posted by Iceman

and I'll have the good tire plugs with me this Turkey Day run

In last weekend's 6-run day at Big Bear, we had a guy that had to plug his old MT/Rs six times before lunch, and none were from trail punctures.

They were leaking from cracks in the tread where tires shouldn't leak, I never saw a set of MT/Rs cracking and leaking like his did. Has anyone ever heard of a bad batch of MT/R tires?

[Britain]

Broncos like Gilligans Island...2 hr tour...yeah right....Looks easy not. You wouldnt be the only one Joe, to break a pitt on that hill.