Time for a shakedown run for the newly improved trooper! Last week I replaced the original tires with 265/75r16 Mickey Thompson MTZ's, these are taller and much more aggressive than the original tires. Then over the weekend with the assistance of Graham Jackson I installed OME springs and shocks, performed the ball joint flip, and put in Independent4x's heavy duty tie rods.
The install was definitely one of the easier lift installs i've done. The only difficulty i ran into was getting the ball joints to pop out so i could do the flip. :ar15: I started off pounding on it with a 3 lb hammer trying to get the joint to pop out but no luck, switched to an air hammer but realized there was no chance at that, I began eyeing the pickel fork because i knew that would work but it would also destroy the rubber boots which wouldn't exactly help me out.
Graham had mentioned lunch earlier and this was sounding like it would be a good time so off we went with Connie to a local Mexican resturant. I can't remember the name of the place but my burrito was quite tasty and filled me up....ahh...nap time...oh wait...no time to nap!
With new found energy from lunch i proceeded to beat the crap out of the knuckel with the 3 lb hammer and after a few minutes....SUCCESS! :victory: The ball joint popped free and in just a couple minutes i had it relocated to the bottom of the knuckel! Thankfully the drivers side was a bit intimidated from the beating i had given the passenger side and it didn't put up as much of a fight allowing me to finish up the suspension.
For the test run I decided to check out Ptarmigan Pass and McAllister Gulch Loop which is off Shrine Pass Road in between Vail Pass and Redcliff. According to "4wd Adventures: Colorado" this loop is rated a 4 out of 10 for difficulty, which essentially means a high clearance 4x4 is recommended and with one you should be able to complete the trail without any body damage or problems with getting stuck. I found this to be right on. There were a few shallow stream crossings and a few hill climbs that were rutted, rocky, and put a smile on my face but at no point was i worried about body damage or getting stuck.
The loop is kind of broken down into three parts, the trail from Shrine Pass Road to Ptarmigan Pass, the forest service road from Ptarmigan Pass to McAllister Gulch, and then the McAllister Gulch trail back to Shrine Pass Road. The first and last part are what would be rated a 4 out or 10, the forest service road that you take from the Shrine Pass Summit down to McAllister Gulch trail is in pretty good shape and could be driven in a car if taken slowly. At the top of the pass there's room to park and of course the views from the top are amazing. I hiked up to the top of a peak that was just next to the pass summit to check out a small building on top which turned out to be a solar powered weather station...free solar panels! just kidding
Overall it was a pretty fun trail and very scenic although i wouldn't have minded if i was able to skip the forest service road.
I have to say i was really impressed with how well the Trooper did. It just crawled right up and down anything i pointed it at, the suspension was very comfortable and the truck felt very solid and stable. Much better than the original setup that could make you carsick driving through a parking lot! haha Two thumbs up for the Trooper and i'm ready for the next trail!
Here's a few pics...
The full set of pictures can be viewed here
Side note...anyone up for doing any trails this weekend?
The install was definitely one of the easier lift installs i've done. The only difficulty i ran into was getting the ball joints to pop out so i could do the flip. :ar15: I started off pounding on it with a 3 lb hammer trying to get the joint to pop out but no luck, switched to an air hammer but realized there was no chance at that, I began eyeing the pickel fork because i knew that would work but it would also destroy the rubber boots which wouldn't exactly help me out.
Graham had mentioned lunch earlier and this was sounding like it would be a good time so off we went with Connie to a local Mexican resturant. I can't remember the name of the place but my burrito was quite tasty and filled me up....ahh...nap time...oh wait...no time to nap!
With new found energy from lunch i proceeded to beat the crap out of the knuckel with the 3 lb hammer and after a few minutes....SUCCESS! :victory: The ball joint popped free and in just a couple minutes i had it relocated to the bottom of the knuckel! Thankfully the drivers side was a bit intimidated from the beating i had given the passenger side and it didn't put up as much of a fight allowing me to finish up the suspension.
For the test run I decided to check out Ptarmigan Pass and McAllister Gulch Loop which is off Shrine Pass Road in between Vail Pass and Redcliff. According to "4wd Adventures: Colorado" this loop is rated a 4 out of 10 for difficulty, which essentially means a high clearance 4x4 is recommended and with one you should be able to complete the trail without any body damage or problems with getting stuck. I found this to be right on. There were a few shallow stream crossings and a few hill climbs that were rutted, rocky, and put a smile on my face but at no point was i worried about body damage or getting stuck.
The loop is kind of broken down into three parts, the trail from Shrine Pass Road to Ptarmigan Pass, the forest service road from Ptarmigan Pass to McAllister Gulch, and then the McAllister Gulch trail back to Shrine Pass Road. The first and last part are what would be rated a 4 out or 10, the forest service road that you take from the Shrine Pass Summit down to McAllister Gulch trail is in pretty good shape and could be driven in a car if taken slowly. At the top of the pass there's room to park and of course the views from the top are amazing. I hiked up to the top of a peak that was just next to the pass summit to check out a small building on top which turned out to be a solar powered weather station...free solar panels! just kidding
Overall it was a pretty fun trail and very scenic although i wouldn't have minded if i was able to skip the forest service road. I have to say i was really impressed with how well the Trooper did. It just crawled right up and down anything i pointed it at, the suspension was very comfortable and the truck felt very solid and stable. Much better than the original setup that could make you carsick driving through a parking lot! haha Two thumbs up for the Trooper and i'm ready for the next trail!
Here's a few pics...
The full set of pictures can be viewed here
Side note...anyone up for doing any trails this weekend?
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