Baby Blue
- Thread starter Duredel
- Start date
Most of my runs in 2020 were with friends, none of whom have anything beyond a few inches of lift and a one size larger AT. I did get to go on a more hardcore run with the 4x4 club I'm in up here.
There was a really good mix of vehicles- there's a few Isuzu guys up here, several yotas, and a ranger with a SAS and a 5.0 Coyote. Despite being one of two vehicles with only 33s, Baby Blue held her own!
There was a really good mix of vehicles- there's a few Isuzu guys up here, several yotas, and a ranger with a SAS and a 5.0 Coyote. Despite being one of two vehicles with only 33s, Baby Blue held her own!
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After the run with the "big boys", I decided that I needed a locker. I've had an Aussie in the rear end of my XJ for 60,000 miles and love it, but the rear Dana 44 carrier in Baby Blue is a limited slip carrier, which doesn't work with lunchbox lockers. I didn't want to swap carriers, as the chain reaction of "if I'm switching carriers, I may as well regear - but if I regear one axle, I have to do both - if I'm regearing both anyways, I may as well put full-case lockers in both" starts in fast. That left putting a lunchbox in the front, which is not ideal in snowy climates. I did it anyways, as it isn't really my DD.
The install went really easy.
The locker worked great, but it was kind of harrowing to drive on icy roads. Between non-siped mud tires, a short wheelbase, no abs, and the locker, it was really exhausting to drive.
The install went really easy.
The locker worked great, but it was kind of harrowing to drive on icy roads. Between non-siped mud tires, a short wheelbase, no abs, and the locker, it was really exhausting to drive.
For my birthday that year, my amazing girlfriend (soon to be fiance, don't tell anyone 
) got me the RockHard 4x4 rear bumper/tire carrier. Some of the bolts were kind of a pain to get through, but the thing is pure beef. The optional (but highly encouraged) frame tie-ins really tie the bumper to the frame, and stiffen everything up. The tire carrier is easily opened and closed with one hand, and there are ZERO rattles from it. They are made in a tiny town in Nebraska, about 10 miles from where my great-great-great-great grandfather homesteaded, and where some of my extended family recently moved back to. Such a coincidence! I can't recommend the bumper enough.
) got me the RockHard 4x4 rear bumper/tire carrier. Some of the bolts were kind of a pain to get through, but the thing is pure beef. The optional (but highly encouraged) frame tie-ins really tie the bumper to the frame, and stiffen everything up. The tire carrier is easily opened and closed with one hand, and there are ZERO rattles from it. They are made in a tiny town in Nebraska, about 10 miles from where my great-great-great-great grandfather homesteaded, and where some of my extended family recently moved back to. Such a coincidence! I can't recommend the bumper enough.
In early January, the whole offroad community up here starts going out to "the glacier," which is the Knik Glacier. After the trail has been broken after every new snowfall, the vast majority of it is a trail ride on packed snow. There are a few frozen river crossings, which get broken through by larger rigs (Power Wagons usually) every now and then. As long as the rivers are all frozen over, most any stock 4x4 can make it all the way to the glacier, and I've even seen Subarus and a Porsche Caymen make it out.
This is the group of friends I mostly wheel with, even though my rig is a bit more capable. Always nice to have someone in the group who won't get stuck as easily!
Also nice to have a few extra rigs to bring your family out- my parents would rather not risk taking their Quigley-converted 4x4 van!
Once you're out there, there is a huge frozen lake in front of the glacier, with icebergs frozen in place. They make really interesting obstacles.
The glacier has also pushed up huge mounds of gravel, which offer awesome vistas.
This is the group of friends I mostly wheel with, even though my rig is a bit more capable. Always nice to have someone in the group who won't get stuck as easily!
Also nice to have a few extra rigs to bring your family out- my parents would rather not risk taking their Quigley-converted 4x4 van!
Once you're out there, there is a huge frozen lake in front of the glacier, with icebergs frozen in place. They make really interesting obstacles.
The glacier has also pushed up huge mounds of gravel, which offer awesome vistas.
Congrats and I won't let it slip.... When is the D Day? Best wishes and she sounds like a keeper.
I was finally fed up with the pathetic stock headlights and upgraded to LEDs. What a difference they make! I went out and ordered a set for my XJ not 15 minutes after putting the TJ's in. I had also been suffering from a broken radio, broken since I had bought the jeep. I installed a new radio and new dash speakers, and they sounded really good in my garage! I drove over to my parents' house right after installing it, when disaster struck...
A minivan completely blew a stop sign in front of me and I tboned him hard going about 25mph. My girlfriend and I were a little shook up, but had at most bruised shins from hitting the dash. The airbags did not go off- I'm not sure if it was the aftermarket front bumper or the fact that the airbag light was on. The minivan kept going down the road for a few hundred yards- I thought he was seriously injured, but he was just sitting in the minivan a bit shell-shocked when we ran up to him. He seemed a bit senile, and there was a strong language barrier. His son ended up showing up, and took care of exchanging insurance information and taking him home.
Baby Blue looked a lot better than the minivan, but was still damaged. The front bumper had been pushed into the right fender, and the passenger front LCA axle-side mount had folded over. The axle tube also looked twisted- the passenger and driver side knuckles were no longer aligned. We were lucky to be mostly unharmed.
We were going in this direction, and he came from the right. That's his vehicle all the way down straight ahead- he rolled all the way down there!
His airbag blew glass all over. I'm still picking glass out of the cowl.
The bumper punched all the way through into the passenger compartment, and pushed the B piller in several inches.
The icy roads probably contributed to the severity of the accident, but it would have happened anyways. He rolled straight through the stop sign at full speed, not slowing down or skidding. I don't think he even saw us before we hit him. Thankfully, when I filed the insurance claim, the agent let me know that he had already admitted fault.
Baby Blue looked a lot better than the minivan, but was still damaged. The front bumper had been pushed into the right fender, and the passenger front LCA axle-side mount had folded over. The axle tube also looked twisted- the passenger and driver side knuckles were no longer aligned. We were lucky to be mostly unharmed.
We were going in this direction, and he came from the right. That's his vehicle all the way down straight ahead- he rolled all the way down there!
His airbag blew glass all over. I'm still picking glass out of the cowl.
The bumper punched all the way through into the passenger compartment, and pushed the B piller in several inches.
The icy roads probably contributed to the severity of the accident, but it would have happened anyways. He rolled straight through the stop sign at full speed, not slowing down or skidding. I don't think he even saw us before we hit him. Thankfully, when I filed the insurance claim, the agent let me know that he had already admitted fault.
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The control arm mount buckled completely over.
The insurance adjuster thought that this was frame damage from the frame buckling together. I didn't bother telling him I was 99% sure it happened on the most recent glacier run.
This bolt on the front bumper was the only evidence of the frame moving around that I could find. I think the tire and axle took most of the force.
The accident happened on a Saturday night, and I was scheduled to fly up to Nuiqsut on the North Slope on Monday morning. Talk about bad timing. On the bright side, I did get to drive one of these around for 3 weeks:
When I got back from Nuiqsut, I crawled all over it looking for frame damage, but I couldn't find any. I took it on the highway to get to the insurance adjuster, and it seemed to drive better after the accident.
Insurance quoted ~$6000 worth of damage, plus suspected frame damage. They never bothered to actually measure it, and the inspector spent literally 5 minutes looking at the entire jeep. They quoted a ridiculous $2000 for the front bumper, which the previous owner probably put together with $200 worth of steel. $3000 to replace the axle, and $1000 for body work.
They ended up totaling it on suspicion of frame damage, which I was over the moon about. As the "spicy flu" had driven up prices of everything outdoorsy, TJs were going at a premium. They weren't able to find a manual TJ in Alaska, so they had to go down to Washington, which tacks on a transport fee. They ended up giving me $13,500 for a jeep I had bought for $3000 a year earlier. They sold it back to me for a hair over $2600.
I put Baby Blue in the garage, and there she sat.
Insurance quoted ~$6000 worth of damage, plus suspected frame damage. They never bothered to actually measure it, and the inspector spent literally 5 minutes looking at the entire jeep. They quoted a ridiculous $2000 for the front bumper, which the previous owner probably put together with $200 worth of steel. $3000 to replace the axle, and $1000 for body work.
They ended up totaling it on suspicion of frame damage, which I was over the moon about. As the "spicy flu" had driven up prices of everything outdoorsy, TJs were going at a premium. They weren't able to find a manual TJ in Alaska, so they had to go down to Washington, which tacks on a transport fee. They ended up giving me $13,500 for a jeep I had bought for $3000 a year earlier. They sold it back to me for a hair over $2600.
I put Baby Blue in the garage, and there she sat.
I got to thinking: I had basically a free 10k to spend on upgrades. I started getting quotes from various offroad shops around for a new axle, lockers, tires, etc. I usually like to do the work myself- the learning process is most of the enjoyment for me, but the lure of having 10k to throw at the jeep was strong.
I had been renting a nice 3bd/2ba apartment with my girlfriend and her brother. It was nice enough, but the garage was tiny and the landlord was cranky. The three of us had been talking about trying to rent a large house with 2 of our good friends. The five of us hung out together and ate dinner together a few nights a week already, and wanted to get a place with a 3 car garage. However, the "spicy flu" had driven the rental prices for large single family homes into the stratosphere.
Long story short, I did the responsible thing with the 10k, and one of my buddies and I bought a duplex together, at a reasonable price- it seems multi-family homes haven't seen the same price increases as single family. He and the other friend live on one side, and my girlfriend, her brother, and I live on the other.
The bonus from all this is... each side has a 2 car garage. Instead of a 3 car garage, the 5 of us collectively have a 4 car garage.
I had been renting a nice 3bd/2ba apartment with my girlfriend and her brother. It was nice enough, but the garage was tiny and the landlord was cranky. The three of us had been talking about trying to rent a large house with 2 of our good friends. The five of us hung out together and ate dinner together a few nights a week already, and wanted to get a place with a 3 car garage. However, the "spicy flu" had driven the rental prices for large single family homes into the stratosphere.
Long story short, I did the responsible thing with the 10k, and one of my buddies and I bought a duplex together, at a reasonable price- it seems multi-family homes haven't seen the same price increases as single family. He and the other friend live on one side, and my girlfriend, her brother, and I live on the other.
The bonus from all this is... each side has a 2 car garage. Instead of a 3 car garage, the 5 of us collectively have a 4 car garage.
Wow that is a great story. Bummer about the wreck but it really sounds like you came out a head on the deal.
My dog team when I was a kid in Barrow.
My dog team when I was a kid in Barrow.
So here is where the "real" build thread starts. I've given my 33s to my girlfriend's brother, as they look way better on his XJ than they do on the TJ. Here are my goals for this build:
Get it re-titled - still a salvage title
Swap in a HP 30 out of an XJ
4.56 gears and ARBs F/R
35s
Remove heater from between seats and restore stock HVAC system
Better ride quality- it rides like a dump truck
Restore interior - sound deadening, carpet, center console w/ sub, E-brake
New belly pan, add rockers and an engine skid
Get it re-titled - still a salvage title
Swap in a HP 30 out of an XJ
4.56 gears and ARBs F/R
35s
Remove heater from between seats and restore stock HVAC system
Better ride quality- it rides like a dump truck
Restore interior - sound deadening, carpet, center console w/ sub, E-brake
New belly pan, add rockers and an engine skid
I made out like a bandit. I still can't believe I got thrown 10k. Even with the crazy prices right now, I probably could have gotten 6k at most.
How did your parents end up in Barrow? Military?
No my dad was a minister. He'd come up for the Presbyterian college in Sitka and people from Barrow were there and asked him to come check out the church. Funny part is that we lived in a town called OnAlaska in southwestern WA at the time. And when we'd moved there my dad had jokingly said well it's onto Alaska from here.
So I lived up there 1970-73 and gave the dog team demonstration to the tourists one summer. Had wheels on my sled.
This was the house I lived in.
This was my dads church.
It was a great experiance being up there as a kid.
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