Extreme takes its toll
Sunday April 19
For everyone - a great day! For some trucks however, not so good...
Team A set off behind Hamish and were first to strike a wee problem with Francis... he had a metallic squeak following him around all the time. A rush of experts was soon on the ground and pronounced the source as his diff.
A spanner was duly produced and Francis stuck his digit in his rear end. The digital extraction showed a sticky black mess - but no oil. Oh dear!
Rob P came to rescue as the only one with anything oily in his truck but we had no tube to fit Francis' hole. A water bottle was whipped out and soon trimmed into a funnel. However... as fast as the liquid ball bearings went in, they were falling out the bottom!
Problem: Francis' nuts were loose!
Janet's Series truck revealed a socket set which soon proved that not only were his nuts loose but he had no threads. The diff was head was not tight into the casing. A swap of top nuts to bottom improved Francis' fluid leakage down to a few drips and a test proved a definite lack of squeek. Success!
At about the same time Allen B's 110 was seen handing out free petrol - his rubber had gone from his flap...
Allen was later also found to be trying to water the paddocks with anti-freeze with steam wafting from his bonnet. Nothing disastrous though.
Then, after lunch, Hamish was seen valiantly pressing his 90 to go up a vertical, rutted clay hill - several times. The last failed ascent meant that he could easily back down - straight into several cross-axling ruts. Whereupon, after lots of backing and filling he found himself not having any rotatory movement front wheel-wise. Oh dear!
Exit Hamish in 2 wheel drive...
Rob also tried the hill but managed to keep his bits in one piece!
Team B under Brian H's expert guidance also had a couple of vehicular "issues".
Oddball was in its usual exuberant mood and tackled a gnarly rutted gut with some gusto. Result: one crumpled front guard...
Oddball (that name again...) later was to tow Peter R's Disco out of some mud but at the crucial moment of extraction, Peter's recovery plate (part of factory bull bar setup - kosher fitted) decided it would chew through three bolts and let go.
In spite of these exciting moments everyone had a cracker day - even the gaggle of Series trucks (we all stuck together...) - jouncing up and cackling down the dry dusty hills but also paddling our way through the little bits of mud.
Thanks to Hamish for organsing the day - there were plenty of smiles and dusty faces at the end - a sure sign of success!
Neil
