Lessons Learned: A Story of a Stick versus a Rubicon

[JAGS]

That is a crazy experience. So fluky to say the least. Glad you and the family are fine and good thing you had a friend with you. I have the trans skid and the oil pan skid as added insurance. You just never know.

 

[2nd.gunman]

Glad to hear you caught it without suffering major damage or worse. As stated in the other thread I had a similar experience in my WJ. It's one of the reasons the EVO pro tek engine & trans skid were one of the first mods on my JK. I gave them a quick coat of red paint when I put them on so that I could see any contact that happened and 18 months later there is quite a few scratches

 

[MR.Ty]

Glad to hear that you and your family made it out ok. I imagine that it was definitely a scare. I'll certainly be more cautious around branches and sticks as well.

 

[OverlanderJK]

Maybe it's just me being an asshole but I fail to see how your rubicon is at fault for your poor decision making abilities on the trail with your family.

Carry on.

 

[Exodus 4x4]

Maybe it's just me being an asshole but I fail to see how your rubicon is at fault for your poor decision making abilities on the trail with your family.

Carry on.

I must be an asshole too cause I don't get it either. That could've happened regardless of what you were driving.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Maybe it's just me being an asshole but I fail to see how your rubicon is at fault for your poor decision making abilities on the trail with your family.

Carry on.

I must be an asshole too cause I don't get it either. That could've happened regardless of what you were driving.

No, let's discuss a little bit. I mean if you guys want to be assholes, that is completely up to you. But help me out here. Here are some more photos:



These are photos of the fire road that we were on. You will find QuicksilverJK pulling me out and towards the main dirt roadway. Please show me where the danger is and how I should have proceeded. Please explain to me how I was the second JK to go threw the trail and yet QuicksilverJK got threw fine and I was not. It more than likely had something to do with him having a manual transmission, but please help a total newbie so I can avoid "poor decision making abilities on the trail".

Face it, the Rubicon design is inherently flawed when it allows such vital equipment to become exposed to simple sticks and stones. The transmission cooler line, the oil pan, the ATF fluid pan (among others) are all exposed and ready for being ripped out by the next rock or branch. How is that a good design?

 

[mudmobeeler]

Face it, the Rubicon design is inherently flawed when it allows such vital equipment to become exposed to simple sticks and stones. The transmission cooler line, the oil pan, the ATF fluid pan (among others) are all exposed and ready for being ripped out by the next rock or branch. How is that a good design?

All JKs are like that. Not just the Rubicon.

 

[OverlanderJK]

No, let's discuss a little bit. I mean if you guys want to be assholes, that is completely up to you. But help me out here. Here are some more photos:

View attachment 200455 View attachment 200456 View attachment 200457

These are photos of the fire road that we were on. You will find QuicksilverJK pulling me out and towards the main dirt roadway. Please show me where the danger is and how I should have proceeded. Please explain to me how I was the second JK to go threw the trail and yet QuicksilverJK got threw fine and I was not. It more than likely had something to do with him having a manual transmission, but please help a total newbie so I can avoid "poor decision making abilities on the trail".

Face it, the Rubicon design is inherently flawed when it allows such vital equipment to become exposed to simple sticks and stones. The transmission cooler line, the oil pan, the ATF fluid pan (among others) are all exposed and ready for being ripped out by the next rock or branch. How is that a good design?

This is the first I've heard of such an incident. How is it a bad design?

 

[Exodus 4x4]

No, let's discuss a little bit. I mean if you guys want to be assholes, that is completely up to you. But help me out here. Here are some more photos:

View attachment 200455 View attachment 200456 View attachment 200457

These are photos of the fire road that we were on. You will find QuicksilverJK pulling me out and towards the main dirt roadway. Please show me where the danger is and how I should have proceeded. Please explain to me how I was the second JK to go threw the trail and yet QuicksilverJK got threw fine and I was not. It more than likely had something to do with him having a manual transmission, but please help a total newbie so I can avoid "poor decision making abilities on the trail".

Face it, the Rubicon design is inherently flawed when it allows such vital equipment to become exposed to simple sticks and stones. The transmission cooler line, the oil pan, the ATF fluid pan (among others) are all exposed and ready for being ripped out by the next rock or branch. How is that a good design?

So in your mind a Rubicon should look something like this?
Point being the design doesn't suck, it's just not bullet proof.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

This is the first I've heard of such an incident. How is it a bad design?

I'd really appreciate it if you could show me where I made a "poor decision" on this trail?

How is it a bad design? Please explain to me how one has to upgrade their JK to avoid these kind of incidents? Please explain how there are kits specifically designed to fix the design? Are you saying that the design is perfect and needs no upgrade?

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

So in your mind a Rubicon should look something like this? View attachment 200459
Point being the design doesn't suck, it's just not bullet proof.

That is funny. That was a good laugh.

I agree, it is not bullet proof.

 

[HighwayTrout]

This can and does happen actually sorta often. Seen a few gruesome punctures in person.
Don't drive over downed logs, sticks, rebar, guard rail, shovels etc etc

 

[Moochie]

My Rubicon has 140,000 miles on it with no aftermarket skid plates. Never had a branch cause any chassis damage. Carnage is always a possibility due to the nature of driving off road.

I would never blame my Jeep for damage caused by driving off road. Sometimes bad things happen.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

This can and does happen actually sorta often. Seen a few gruesome punctures in person.
Don't drive over downed logs, sticks, rebar, guard rail, shovels etc etc

Thank you and I agree, my lesson learned. Thus the title of the thread. But I am having a hard time people telling me that the trail was clearly a poor decision. I only asking for help here to learn more.

 

[thardy]

Thank you and I agree, my lesson learned. Thus the title of the thread. But I am having a hard time people telling me that the trail was clearly a poor decision. I only asking for help here to learn more.

The part you're missing is that this accident was not the Jeep's fault, and I wouldn't blame you either. It was a freak according that happened on the trail and nothing more. You blaming the design of the Jeep itself is what has people giving you a hard time. Would skids have kept this from happening? Probably. But saying that the Jeep should have prevented it by having a different design, is like saying that it's the Jeep's fault if you rock crawl without sliders and dent up the pinch seam and body.

 

[Exodus 4x4]

Thank you and I agree, my lesson learned. Thus the title of the thread. But I am having a hard time people telling me that the trail was clearly a poor decision. I only asking for help here to learn more.

It's not the jeeps fault. Shit happens. If I take my rubicon out on a trail and dent the oil pan, I'm not going to say the rubicon design sucks. I in fact did take it out on a trail and dent the pan and I did it because I wasn't aware of my surroundings. I never once thought that the jeep could've been designed better, I just owned that shit. Next mod after that was the protek system.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

The part you're missing is that this accident was not the Jeep's fault, and I wouldn't blame you either. It was a freak according that happened on the trail and nothing more. You blaming the design of the Jeep itself is what has people giving you a hard time. Would skids have kept this from happening? Probably. But saying that the Jeep should have prevented it by having a different design, is like saying that it's the Jeep's fault if you rock crawl without sliders and dent up the pinch seam and body.

Okay, I get what you guys are saying now. Thank you for that explanation. I see your points. I guess anyone might be upset if they dropped a bunch of coin and then this happened. So sometimes I just need to vent.

However, I learned a great deal from this experience and mostly how inexperienced and unprepared I was, which was the point of this thread. So I am all ears regarding suggestions and assistance. I really appreciate all of the help the members on this forum have given me. I really do appreciate it. I just never found this level of support on any other forum and for that, I say thank you in the past and in advance. Thank you.

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Next mod after that was the protek system.

Exactly. You and I are on the same page here. The nice thing is that it was a simple phone call to Drew at ORE and it will be fixed and, hopefully, will be avoided next time. My biggest worry was how I was unprepared for the results after, the being stuck in the forest. That will happen again, next time I will be prepared and ready. Thank you for your help.

 

[OverlanderJK]

Poor design. JK's shouldn't have lug nuts.



Poor design. U-joints should have indestructible caps on them.



Poor design. Aftermarket drive shafts should be welded to the transfer case so they cannot spin and break.



Poor design. Jeeps should not use gear oil because it can leak out.



Poor design. Jeeps should not use steel drag links that can bend. They should use plastic so it can bend back.




Difference between my breaks and yours, I was prepared for each one. (That's not even all of them. Some are even repeats)

 

[NevadaZielmeister]

Poor design. JK's shouldn't have lug nuts.

View attachment 200460

Poor design. U-joints should have indestructible caps on them.

View attachment 200461

Poor design. Aftermarket drive shafts should be welded to the transfer case so they cannot spin and break.

View attachment 200462

Poor design. Jeeps should not use gear oil because it can leak out.

View attachment 200463

Poor design. Jeeps should not use steel drag links that can bend. They should use plastic so it can bend back.

View attachment 200465


Difference between my breaks and yours, I was prepared for each one. (That's not even all of them. Some are even repeats)

Thank you Adam for those photos. That is some amazing and awesome carnage. No, I get it, there will be breaks. But was there an element of your decision making that contributed to these breaks?