So you're on the Rubicon Trail, and BAM!!!

...something breaks and you have no replacement part. Where do you go? Where are the local(-ish) part stores near the Rubicon Trail/South Lake Tahoe? If any?

I'm planning a trip to the Rubicon, and of course I'm going to try and bring as much spare parts as humanly and logically possible. But I was wondering if there are any "Go-to" off-road shops or part stores nearby? I did my Google research and couldn't find anything much closer than Carson City NV, Reno NV, Auburn CA, and just outside Sacramento CA. With all the visitors the Rubicon Trail sees, I just assumed there would be a parts store closer. Maybe I'm wrong. And if worse comes to worse, I'm confident my buddies and I will figure way to limp to the trail head and call a flat bed.

Thanks! :beer:

There are parts stores in both Placerville and Tahoe. If it's dealer specific your looking at Carson city.

All you really need is to have the means to hobble back to the trail head. From there, you can always get a flatbed to take you to where you need to be. As Adam said, if you need a dealership part, Carson City will be your closest bet. There is a 4wheelparts in Reno and one down in Sacramento but really, I rarely see a break that needs the help of a new aftermarket part to get you home.

I recommend placerville. The offroad community there is awesome and I think they have more than Carson city.




My ride- 2001 power wheel, 11" plastic tires, upgraded battery, boat sides, custom bumpers, tow hooks, new paint.

David1tontj said:

I recommend placerville. The offroad community there is awesome and I think they have more than Carson city.




My ride- 2001 power wheel, 11" plastic tires, upgraded battery, boat sides, custom bumpers, tow hooks, new paint.

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Don't you have a donor vehicle stashed up there? Lol

ridg3runner said:

Don't you have a donor vehicle stashed up there? Lol

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Haha. Well- those guys and the other people I talked to when I needed help, all recommended placerville for parts. More stores and better choices. Also closer to the loon lake end of the trail.


My ride- 2001 power wheel, 11" plastic tires, upgraded battery, boat sides, custom bumpers, tow hooks, new paint.

Got it! Thanks everyone. :thumb:

I'm doing more research and putting together a list for myself of parts stores, dealerships and 4x4 shops nearby with Addresses, phone numbers and hours. WAL/Moderators, is this something that is OK to post and share with the group?

Charlie Mike said:

Got it! Thanks everyone. :thumb:

I'm doing more research and putting together a list for myself of parts stores, dealerships and 4x4 shops nearby with Addresses, phone numbers and hours. WAL/Moderators, is this something that is OK to post and share with the group?

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Post away. I'm sure there will be people who will appreciate the info.

Ok, this is what i've collected so far. See below. Anyone else have any other parts stores or 4x4 shops local to the Rubicon to add?

O’Reilly Auto Parts - South Lake Tahoe
2317 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
(530) 544-1974
Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30am - 9:00pm, Sun 8:00am - 8:00pm

NAPA Auto Parts - Lakeside Auto Parts Inc
1935 Lake Tahoe Blvd.
South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150
(530) 541-1850
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00am - 7:00pm, Sat 8:00am - 5:00pm, Sun 8:00am - 4:00pm

O’Reilly Auto Parts - Pollock Pines
6446 Pony Express Trail
Pollock Pines, CA 95726
(530) 647-2144
Hours: Mon-Sat 7:30am - 8:00pm, Sun 8:00am - 8:00pm

4 Wheel Parts - #227
40 Victorian Ave.
Sparks, NV 89431
(775) 386-2100
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am - 6:00pm, Sat 9:00am - 3:00pm, Sun Closed

4 Wheel Parts - #31
1900 El Camino Ave.
Sacramento, CA 95815
(916) 646-4979
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am - 6:00pm, Sat 9:00am - 3:00pm, Sun Closed

Carnage Off Road
3943 Missouri Flat Rd.
Placerville, CA 95667
(530) 410-0485
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm, Sat & Sun Closed

Carson Chrysler Jeep Dodge - Parts & Service
3059 S Carson St.
Carson City, NV 89701
(775) 883-2617
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30am - 5:30pm, Sat 8:00am - 3:00pm, Sun Closed

Folsom Lake Chrysler Dodge Jeep - Parts & Service
12545 Folsom Blvd.
Folsom, CA 95630
(888) 572-9141
Hours: Mon-Fri 7:00am - 6:00pm, Sat 7:30am - 5:00pm, Sun Closed

This is great info for a noob to the area! Out of curiosity: what are you planning on bringing for spare parts? Also, what usually falls into the category for "means to hobble back to the trailhead"? Just someone pretty green trying to learn! Thanks!

Not to piss on your Wheaties, but I would say you have mega-jinxed yourself. :doh:
Call it being prepared, call it “just in case”, call it what you will … I call JINX! :crazyeyes:

mcpuck said:

Not to piss on your Wheaties, but I would say you have mega-jinxed yourself. :doh:
Call it being prepared, call it “just in case”, call it what you will … I call JINX! :crazyeyes:

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:cheesy: I was thinking the same.

mcpuck said:

Not to piss on your Wheaties, but I would say you have mega-jinxed yourself. :doh:
Call it being prepared, call it “just in case”, call it what you will … I call JINX! :crazyeyes:

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In that case, I better not bring any tools or extra parts at all. Maybe even uninstall my winch. That'll definitely un-jinx me for sure. lol. :crazyeyes:

Charlie Mike said:

In that case, I better not bring any tools or extra parts at all. Maybe even uninstall my winch. That'll definitely un-jinx me for sure. lol. :crazyeyes:

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I recently went through with a similarly equipped 2-door. Keep off the skinny pedal and you will likely be fine without spare parts, but I did use the winch once on the steps leading away from Buck Lake. I think they were just too tall for 35" tires.

If you plan to be aggressive, maybe your drive shaft u-joint is the weak spot and you might want a spare? On the Wayalife Rubicon run one member broke the steering box. This week was saw a guy limp out that appeared to have broken a ring gear tooth (lots of clicking in the differential when moving). In my group one guy lost control of his lockers and sway bar disconnect for reasons unknown. We had to delay a couple times for breakdowns ahead of us on the trail. One was a drive shaft u-joint and the other was a tire knocked off the bead. Who can predict what you will break aside from the more likely: drive shaft, axle, battery,...
I have a 1310 shaft so I took a spare u-joint.
There were folks on the trail that had welders. Everyone we met on the trail was pretty friendly and would likely offer to help. As mentioned, I think the more experienced guys would see your breakdown as a challenge to them. There was also help available at Rubicon Springs.
Mid trail we ran into a member of the Rubicon Trail Foundation (?) and they are reachable by HAM radio. Check their web site for frequencies and lots of other information about the trail.