A few other photos can be seen here
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Cub day out at Rallywoods
On Saturday 2nd May a number of vehicles from Off Road Express took members of the Belmont Cub Pack, and their parents, for a fun time on the tracks of Rallywoods. I think that some of the parents had more fun than the cubs. A great day weatherwise, and funwise. Only damage was the rear taillight, the same one I have now broken several times, still have the parts tho'
A few other photos can be seen here
A few other photos can be seen here
Monday, January 26, 2009
Odlins Road 25th Jan, 2009
What a beautiful day - after a picnic with out church out at Kaitoke a small group of us re-grouped at Jules' place and headed for the Akatarawa Road summit. Andy in his Terrano, Jules in his Mistral, Callum with his quad in the back of his van and me and my trusty jeep. Jules and Andy had friends riding along with them.
After a play on the hill at the carpark we headed off along Odlins Road. A great trip to the summit carpark near the Renata Hut. Some tricky bits saw Andy and Jules having to have several goes with limited articulation, and some great views to be had.
After a rest we headed back out, this time we were able to see both Mt Taranaki & Mt Ruapehu from one view point, amazingly clear evening, beautiful light on the ranges - definitely worth the drive.
Back to the Akatarawa Road to air-up and head for home. After leaving Stokes Valley at 4:50 pm, I got back home at 10:10 pm. A neat evening.
Photos can be seen here.
After a play on the hill at the carpark we headed off along Odlins Road. A great trip to the summit carpark near the Renata Hut. Some tricky bits saw Andy and Jules having to have several goes with limited articulation, and some great views to be had.
After a rest we headed back out, this time we were able to see both Mt Taranaki & Mt Ruapehu from one view point, amazingly clear evening, beautiful light on the ranges - definitely worth the drive.
Back to the Akatarawa Road to air-up and head for home. After leaving Stokes Valley at 4:50 pm, I got back home at 10:10 pm. A neat evening.
Photos can be seen here.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Happy New Year
Doesn't time fly, it is now January, 2009 and the jeep has been operational tho' the latter half of 2008 didn't see much action due to impending redundancy at Gen-i. Now that is in the past and I am happily employed again the Jeep has a new warrant & registration.
On Boxing Day I spent a few hours in at Rallywoods with Tony (Taz01) trying some steep tracks, in the downhill direction and getting well and truly stuck on the rubbish dump track. LUckily Tony's winch was working and he was able to get us both out of the mud & ruts. Only damage was a broken rear taillight assembly.
Trying to get parts shipped from the States has been interesting, the parts themselves are cheap, the shipping is not. At the moment I am looking to use a friend as an intermediary as I know she will sort out the cheapest shipping arrangment.
I have just wired up some switches that will give me more control over the automatic gearbox in the jeep, more ability to choose 1st and 2nd, and to lock up the torque convertor.
This weekend will hopefully see me in the Akatarawa's with the CCVC.
Take care, and have a good one
Cheers
Ian
On Boxing Day I spent a few hours in at Rallywoods with Tony (Taz01) trying some steep tracks, in the downhill direction and getting well and truly stuck on the rubbish dump track. LUckily Tony's winch was working and he was able to get us both out of the mud & ruts. Only damage was a broken rear taillight assembly.
Trying to get parts shipped from the States has been interesting, the parts themselves are cheap, the shipping is not. At the moment I am looking to use a friend as an intermediary as I know she will sort out the cheapest shipping arrangment.
I have just wired up some switches that will give me more control over the automatic gearbox in the jeep, more ability to choose 1st and 2nd, and to lock up the torque convertor.
This weekend will hopefully see me in the Akatarawa's with the CCVC.
Take care, and have a good one
Cheers
Ian
Monday, April 14, 2008
On the road again !
Another month passes and the news is all good on the Jeep front. About 3 weeks ago I retraced my route up Akatarawa Rd, and along Odlins Road with NO problems from the jeep. I had my eldest son, and a friend from church along for the ride and we got all the way to the carpark at the summit of Odlins Road with no problems.
Odlins Road itself has certainly deteriorated since I first went in there with the Mazda MPV 4WD about 4 years ago, but the Jeep had no issues - I certainly wouldn't take the Mazda in there. It is the first 2 - 3 kms that are the worst, it all gets better after that.
The following weekend I joined up with a charity run starting at Totara Park run by the Wellington Family 4x4 club. They were raising funds for Child Cancer and did a great job. They had run the same trip several weeks prior and conditions were bone dry and dusty. This time it was wet forcing a change in course as the river was too high. I had the exchange student hosted by our Rotary club along for the ride and it was a full day. Meeting at 8:00 am we didn't get home until 6:45 pm. We went through Rallywoods and all over the Akatarawa Forest regrouping in the Maungatukutuku Valley mid afternoon. On the way back the track got quite slippery resulting in a number of vehicles having to be towed up one particular section of track, of course the jeep had no problems at all.
I am looking to join the CCVC trip into the Orongorongo's on the 4th May for my next trip, though may help the ORE group with the work they are doing on the Green Hut at Rallywoods this weekend. They have put in a huge effort and it is looking a lot better there. Watching two 350 Chev powered Toyota's pulling a loaded truck up a slick clay slope was quite amazing, a shame nobody got any video of it.
Take care
Ian
Odlins Road itself has certainly deteriorated since I first went in there with the Mazda MPV 4WD about 4 years ago, but the Jeep had no issues - I certainly wouldn't take the Mazda in there. It is the first 2 - 3 kms that are the worst, it all gets better after that.
The following weekend I joined up with a charity run starting at Totara Park run by the Wellington Family 4x4 club. They were raising funds for Child Cancer and did a great job. They had run the same trip several weeks prior and conditions were bone dry and dusty. This time it was wet forcing a change in course as the river was too high. I had the exchange student hosted by our Rotary club along for the ride and it was a full day. Meeting at 8:00 am we didn't get home until 6:45 pm. We went through Rallywoods and all over the Akatarawa Forest regrouping in the Maungatukutuku Valley mid afternoon. On the way back the track got quite slippery resulting in a number of vehicles having to be towed up one particular section of track, of course the jeep had no problems at all.
I am looking to join the CCVC trip into the Orongorongo's on the 4th May for my next trip, though may help the ORE group with the work they are doing on the Green Hut at Rallywoods this weekend. They have put in a huge effort and it is looking a lot better there. Watching two 350 Chev powered Toyota's pulling a loaded truck up a slick clay slope was quite amazing, a shame nobody got any video of it.
Take care
Ian
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
I finally ordered 2 new CPS's from discountjeepparts in the US, including shipping it still cost me less than 1 bought locally. They arrived safely 1st week of March, Andrew Farmer installed one last Friday (7th). So far I have had a few drives around the Hutt Valley, but nothing long enough to build up enough heat in an attempt to reproduce the original problem. Time will tell. At least it is running again.
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Crank Shaft Position Sensor blues
Over the Christmas break I had a couple of half hearted trips in the Jeep. One into Rallywoods with my brother-in-law, and the other up Odlins Road with my mother and the youngest two kids of my brother. Both times the jeep had problems, in Rallywoods it wouldn't start for about 20 minutes, turning over but no fire. In Odlins Road twice it just stopped dead for about 20 minutes or so.
After a lot of research I believe it is the Crank Shaft Position Sensor, a common failure point on Jeeps. So the old one is out, and now I am just deciding where to get a new one from. NZ - $235 + GST, or the US $NZ150 delivered to the door.
When the sensor gets hot it stops functioning correctly and gives a false signal to the computer, I thought it was an over-heating problem at first, but found others had exactly the same issue.
In the meantime all the carpet is out of the jeep, surface rust patched, four eye bolts secured through the rear floor and the spare & plastic storage box securely held in by ratchet straps.
What a great summer we are having
Cheers
Ian
After a lot of research I believe it is the Crank Shaft Position Sensor, a common failure point on Jeeps. So the old one is out, and now I am just deciding where to get a new one from. NZ - $235 + GST, or the US $NZ150 delivered to the door.
When the sensor gets hot it stops functioning correctly and gives a false signal to the computer, I thought it was an over-heating problem at first, but found others had exactly the same issue.
In the meantime all the carpet is out of the jeep, surface rust patched, four eye bolts secured through the rear floor and the spare & plastic storage box securely held in by ratchet straps.
What a great summer we are having
Cheers
Ian
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Passed WoF
The Jeep is legal again. Pit Stop at Melling fixed the handbrake, seems a clip had slipped on one of the brakes but they cleaned it out entirely, removing all traces of mud etc and took it back to VTNZ who issued the WoF. It seems the small inspection hatch on the back of each drum should have a rubber seal, neither have one. The rubber seal should stop the mud getting in, something to keep an eye out for.
Have a great Christmas everybody
Have a great Christmas everybody
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