IntrepidXJ's Adventure Weblog

Just some more pictures…

I picked this up from a Farm & Fleet while downstate this weekend.

measured up and marked for the receiver

drilled holes at all four corners all the way through so that both sides line up

cut out

after some time with the die grinder

nice tight fit all around

I just need to get the steel for the mounts. I’m going with 2×3x3/8″ angle iron.

I’m also going to flush mount the receiver to the bumper by turning around the receiver tube I have and cutting it down.

I’m starting a welding class tonight at the local community college

Pretty much most new parts for my Jeep are gonna be built by me from this point on…..like once the rear bumper is complete, I’m gonna need a new front bumper with a better approach angle

Well, started on my new rear bumper last week. Got the main pieces cut, but I’m going to need to get my welder fixed and buy some steel for the mounts before I can finish.

old rock rails cut up

the main bumper

The smaller pieces will fit under where I cut off the lower quarters.

I also will be adding a 2″ receiver in the middle of the bumper.

More pics as I work on it….

OK, so after hitting the trails at TRL WGN’s place in the morning, I drove over to Rockport to hit some trails in the afternoon. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find anyone there to wheel with, so I headed off on my own. Since it had rained the night before, I stuck to the medium-type trails. Rockport was very muddy and slick from the rain/ice the night before! I did manage to cover quite a bit of the park myself.

Here’s a few pics I snapped.

an easy leisurely drive

oops….slid off the trail. had to winch myself back on and up over the hill….you can see my slide tracks below

up at the top after winching

kinda like this one

played in the rocks before the day was over

i wasn’t supposed to slide over like that

Since I was down in Springfield this weekend, I decided to drag my XJ along and do some wheeling. I met up with TRL WGN and What Rd from NAXJA. TRL WGN has some private trails on his land that he showed me around today. We had a great time. It was your normal type terrin for Illinois wheeling.

Here’s a few pics.

ready to hit the trails

What Rd dropping into the creek

in the first section of the creek

did i mention there was a rain/ice storm the night before. made things extra slick

TRL WGN giving it all he’s got on “winch hole” (we all had to winch up it)

dropping in the creek again

clearing a tree that had fallen across the trail

we even cut a new section of a trail

super tall rigs need not apply

…and the last climb out of the trail system before we headed out

Some pics from today at the Badlands. It was a good day for wheeling.

Sunrise

aric coming down the ledge on orange

Paul climbing on orange

nozzleram taking my line thru the rock garden on orange

aric in the quarry

denied by rockface again

me in the quarry

zach dropping off a ledge

and the winner is…..

Sunset

Just got home a little while ago, and had a great time today at The Badlands, even though a few people I was supposed to go with, bailed at the last minute. Here’s a few pics I got, once some of the other guys get there’s up, there should be a few more good ones that I’ll post. Here ya go:

Posing on the new rock gargen section of Orange

Damn low hanging bumper….need to do something about that

Grabbing some air

I kinda like this one

Then my day was cut short when this happened:

completely stripped out the threads…..that is a JKS arm!