Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
robert j. yates said:
Sounds like if you stayed you would have had even more memories.:Wow1: I wouldn't want to try to drive that trail with 10" of snow on it. :elkgrin:
Old run from 1987 on the Dusy Ershim Trail
- Thread starter Tucson T4R
- Start date
Sounds like if you stayed you would have had even more memories.:Wow1: I wouldn't want to try to drive that trail with 10" of snow on it. :elkgrin:
Redline
Likes to Drive and Ride
I'm very interested in doing this trail. I had the perfect rig for it (05 Rubicon LJ) but now with my Mall Crawlin' 4Runner I'm not sure that we are up for it (we being, me, the 4Run, and the Chaser 
If the trail is not much more difficult than the photos of Brad’s 1987 trip I think I would do it with just the ATRAC and all the armor I have, but the Chaser might be too much. One of the pictures shows the front axle of the CJ with very little articulation and a tire in the air, not very different than my IFS Toyota in my mind. I would surely like to try with the right group (small) of drivers and rigs. I was hoping for 2008 but this year is looking pretty packed already.
James
If the trail is not much more difficult than the photos of Brad’s 1987 trip I think I would do it with just the ATRAC and all the armor I have, but the Chaser might be too much. One of the pictures shows the front axle of the CJ with very little articulation and a tire in the air, not very different than my IFS Toyota in my mind. I would surely like to try with the right group (small) of drivers and rigs. I was hoping for 2008 but this year is looking pretty packed already.
James
Redline said:I'm very interested in doing this trail. I had the perfect rig for it (05 Rubicon LJ) but now with my Mall Crawlin' 4Runner I'm not sure that we are up for it (we being, me, the 4Run, and the Chaser
If the trail is not much more difficult than the photos of Brad’s 1987 trip I think I would do it with just the ATRAC and all the armor I have, but the Chaser might be too much. One of the pictures shows the front axle of the CJ with very little articulation and a tire in the air, not very different than my IFS Toyota in my mind. I would surely like to try with the right group (small) of drivers and rigs. I was hoping for 2008 but this year is looking pretty packed already.
James
James-I've run that trail several times recently, and the 4Runner is not the best choice for it. You might get through the trail with care and a lot of extra time. Breakage on this trail is a major issue. There are no spares within days of where you are. Unfortunate, but true.
Run the Rubicon first. The degree of difficulty is about the same, but Dusy is much more remote, and much longer. A major breakage is a real issue on this trail, so go prepared to fix anything. We had a guy break a sector shaft in his steering box this year. If you think about it, that isn't really a fixable problem. Broken axles are also common on this trail.
Just to relate one other story-we ran into a group of 3 guys in early Broncos 3 years ago. One of them had broken his transfer case on Thompson Hill. They had been there 4 days trying to fix it, and were out of gas, food, water, and beer. They had a plan to drive one rig down to a junk yard in Fresno, get a t-case, then return, fix the truck and drive out. We gave then some water and some food. I assume they got out since we didn't see any skeletons this year!
If you took an IFS truck through there, it might be the first one in the modern era. Good luck, but don't think it will be easy.
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Redline
Likes to Drive and Ride
Well that is the kind of real world friendly caution I needed to read. The Rubicon is very close to me.
I have friends that have done it the Rubicon so if I can get them to go and take their time maybe mid week some time when it is not so crazy. (The crowds and craziness is one of the reasons the Dusey Ershim is more appealing). I've got the armor, but don't care to wreck or break my 4Runner, it's a very nice ride and there are so many other trials Maybe I need lockers, or I’ll just wait for the next Jeep I buy ☺
James
I have friends that have done it the Rubicon so if I can get them to go and take their time maybe mid week some time when it is not so crazy. (The crowds and craziness is one of the reasons the Dusey Ershim is more appealing). I've got the armor, but don't care to wreck or break my 4Runner, it's a very nice ride and there are so many other trials
Maybe I need lockers, or I’ll just wait for the next Jeep I buy ☺ James
AndrewP said:
MaddBaggins
Explorer
Very cool Brad! Thanks for sharing.
Someday I'd like to get over to Cal for a couple trails. Andrew P, how would a locked 80 on 35's and 4:88's handle that trail?
Someday I'd like to get over to Cal for a couple trails. Andrew P, how would a locked 80 on 35's and 4:88's handle that trail?
Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
MaddBaggins said:
I defer to Andrew for more current trail condition experience but as I remember it, there were several places that the trail squeezed between two trees or a tree and a large bolder. Some of the sqeezes were so tight my friend's CJ7 Jeep and my little Toyota truck would almost get it's mirrors folded in. I'm not sure a full size Cruiser would be narrow enough.
For the rest of the trail a locked up Cruiser on 35s with 4:88s would do fine. Expecialy with your driving experience. Just have to be sure the width would not be too much for some of the tight squeezes.
We ran through this year with 3 80 series set up as you describe, plus one FJ62 SOA, and one FJ40. The 40 and the 62 had the easiest time of it due to the gear reduction. The 40 was at 80:1 and the FJ62 was at 125:1.
One of the 80s sheared the sector shaft as we were leaving Ershim Lake-2 days in both directions from the trail head. That's the last time we travel without a spare steering box. The amazing fix was a complex trail repair detailed on ih8mud. One of our guys welded the sector shaft together-I thought it would last 10 minutes, but we babied the truck and got it to Kaiser Pass.
The rocks and trees make this a tough trail. Click on the map on this link for an idea of what it's like. The link is from Jim B.'s site (Pismojim of surf and turf fame) This was the second time I ran that trail. The first time I had an engine fire! Lots of stories from there.
http://realcruiser.com/dusy04/index.html
One of the 80s sheared the sector shaft as we were leaving Ershim Lake-2 days in both directions from the trail head. That's the last time we travel without a spare steering box. The amazing fix was a complex trail repair detailed on ih8mud. One of our guys welded the sector shaft together-I thought it would last 10 minutes, but we babied the truck and got it to Kaiser Pass.
The rocks and trees make this a tough trail. Click on the map on this link for an idea of what it's like. The link is from Jim B.'s site (Pismojim of surf and turf fame) This was the second time I ran that trail. The first time I had an engine fire! Lots of stories from there.
http://realcruiser.com/dusy04/index.html
Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
Andrew, that website is the best write up and picture documentation on the Dusy trail I have seen. Very nice. Thanks.
adventureduo
Dave Druck [KI6LBB]
Thanks for sharing. It's a breath of fresh air seeing rigs on smallers tires and not rock buggies that have become the norm. :26_7_2:
robert j. yates
Explorer
AndrewP said:
I agree with most of what you have said but speaking of trailers.....I think I can get my Horizon up Thompson Hill....not sure about the Kaiser Pass side but I think Thompson is doable as long as I am slow and methodical about it. I'd bring plenty of spares LOL.
Tucson T4R
Expedition Leader
robert j. yates said:
When we did it 20 years ago I remember a red jeep pulling a trailer up Thompson hill. He made it back then, just had to take his time.
alvarorb
Adventurer
Doing the Dusy with no lockers would be very hard. The first time I went on the Dusy I was running 33" tires, a medium lift and a rear locker. It was tough.
Last year was my 3rd time on it. 35" tires, 4" lift, locked front and rear. And it was a lot tougher.
Here are some pics of my first run on the Dusy:
http://homepage.mac.com/alvarorb/PhotoAlbum51.html
Here are some pics of last year's trip:
http://tlcwagons.org/Norcal_Wagons/Photos/Pages/Tails_from_the_Dusy.html
Regards
Alvaro
Last year was my 3rd time on it. 35" tires, 4" lift, locked front and rear. And it was a lot tougher.
Here are some pics of my first run on the Dusy:
http://homepage.mac.com/alvarorb/PhotoAlbum51.html
Here are some pics of last year's trip:
http://tlcwagons.org/Norcal_Wagons/Photos/Pages/Tails_from_the_Dusy.html
Regards
Alvaro