I went on a laning trip today, to be quite honest I forgot about it until last week, it was with Northwest4x4 organised by the infamous GED (who will never be a member here) he is my mate and Ive told him, so its cool
Well where do I start, ole Phil Sir Doris was leading a group, a few tricked up Discos and a standardish Isuzu pick up, totally standard SWB Shogun V6 another Pajero LWB V6 tricked up Jiminy a Vitara a couple of Fronteras and a rather special V8 Disco with a Jag engine and supercharged pushing 490bhp.
We split into groups at the Ponderosa on the horseshoe pass, all went well till we the first group got to White Stones.
I hit a few failed attempts to get through the snow, so we/GED dug out some routes, the SWB Shogon, on road tyres but with lockers locked got up after half a dozen attempts, we then let a group of LR's though, they where seriously tricked up, struggled but did it.
The v8 supercharged Disco went for it but to be honest with fat tyres and to much power kept spinning out, even near tickover, then the power steering hoses split (A brand new goodrich hose too) so her was homeward bound.
The pick up and jimny kicked like hell and got through, had a go and it sailed, noisy but fun, poor engine
We then went onto splashy lane, where another group had problems at a junction with snow so we bunched our two groups up, we got to the end of that then split again only to bunch up at a fantastic lane, I was leading but we hit a problem, there was a slope to the end of the lane and at least a three foot bank of frozen snow that seemed to have been dumped at the end buy a plough or something.
After a few attempts it was clear I wasnt getting over it and it was hollow so the wheels just dropped into a hole.
After lots of digging and packing and a couple more attempts I made it over, a couple of other cars followed with much roar of engines and catching of air and bumper bashing onto the ice but made it, then poor old Phil hit the bump wrong and as the passenger side wheel landed it was on lock and there was a horrible bang, my first thought was a diff blown but as soon as I saw the wheel it was a very very bent track rod, we tried to straighten it but Phil had to be towed to level ground and it then snapped, he has parked it up safe and is repairing it in pure Phil style tomorrow
Phil and Merely joined me and GED in my car for the remainder of the afternoon (they learnt a GED lesson, sorry guys I did warn you ) and did some more fantastic lanes, oh and it was great having three navigators in one car
Damage score.
Disco, smashed rear window,
A red Frontera, snapped tie rod,
My Frontera, major incident with a dodgy drivers window (fixed)
Disco rear light guard and spot light ripped off.
Jimmny squiffy spot light.
Disco blown steering hose,
Jeep silly diff (dint make the start)
Thanks to all and Phil you took the set back like a man...I would have cried, but when you break it you do it spectacularly
Pics, didnt take many.