TheSamba.com :: View topic - Thing-a-Thon III off road adventures

Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:05 am

Got back from Thingathon III safely with much trauma.
I drove the 440 miles from Cupertino to Landers on Friday and found Jack's house just as the sun was setting. Landers is famous for the earthquake that occurred in 1972, and it is a true desert community with sandy roads and very few street signs and all the houses a spaced far apart on 5 acre lots.
There were about 11 off-roaders with three Things, less than when I went two years ago, but still three Things off-roading.
There is one very hairy uphill run through two switchbacks, I certainly got eau-de-clutch, but I did succeed in getting up and it is in my video I am uploading to youtube.
Somehow three of us got separated from the main group and found our way to Rattlesnake canyon. It is an amazing off road run, narrow with steep walls and a small stream running through it now. There I came upon a longhorn cow that did not want to move. The guy behind took over the lead and it moved.
I then found I had cracked my left rear trailing arm, and the top of the wheel was pointing in. I limped back to base and luckily the local VW shop was open on Saturday and repaired it.
I drove back Sunday and got to within 130 miles from home when the wheel bearing on the damaged side went out. AA came to the rescue and flatbed towed me to a friend in Gilroy, 98 miles of my 100 mile tow, and 30 miles from home.
So now I have the bearing parts and am driving ti Gilroy to fix it and drive the Thingster home.
This is the third trailing arm I have seen break, Mark Girdner broke one in Landers two years ago, and unfortunately he had it collapse on him, unlike me who was able to limp to a temporary repair. I guess that 40 year old vehicles fatigue and off roaders do reinforce the trailing arms. I called the Thingshop and they have no NOS arms, so how do I get a set of good trailing arms. I did break a ball joint, that I found had a major fatigue crack, so I have four NOS German ball joints, but what to do about trailing arms?

8 minute video

Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:58 am

Awesome Sam!! Another adventure for you and Thingster!
Have you thought about upgrading to boxed trailing arms? it seems with your useage you could certainly justify a set. Just a thought.

Looks like a few nice steaks sitting in your way!!!

Tue Apr 03, 2012 9:00 am

The standard boxed trailing arms are for a type 1, and have the shock absorber mount in the wrong place, I guess I need to get a Thing set boxed and reinforced. Where can I get NOS trailing arms?

Tue Apr 03, 2012 9:02 am

Nice run Sam. But seriously, If you are going to continually thrash your car like that you need some sort of re-enforced arms. Stock just isn't going to cut it. Especially 40 year old stock.

Tue Apr 03, 2012 9:04 am

I'd imagine someone could relocate the shock mounts to an appropriate location for you, with some minor cut/welding.

Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:37 am

I have relocated Beetle shock mounts several times. The Thing arm shock mount is 1 inch higher than a beetle, not hard to do.

I too suggest boxing your trailing arms. When you find a welder to box your arms, have them raise the shock mount to the Thing shock mount height.

Tue Apr 03, 2012 10:44 am

http://mckenzies.com/images/Catalog/McKenzies_07_Catalog_v1.pdf

Tue Apr 03, 2012 4:02 pm

Love it. Driving them like they are suppose to be driven.
The boxed arms are the way to go. I run quad KYB's in the rear. I had mounts made on the arms and a Hoop that crosses under the luggage tray from side to side and bolts to the holes in the old shock mounts and bump stop. Was not very expensive when all said and done. see pictures in my build.
There looked to be some very narrow areas on your drive
I wish I would have know about this ride, I went to Ocotillo this weekend. Much longer drive than landers.

Tue Apr 03, 2012 8:40 pm

I was on my way to Mammoth Friday afternoon and saw you heading south on 395 close to 4 Corners intersection. I would have loved to make Thing-a-thon but Mammoth was calling with fresh powder on Sunday. You are a trooper driving all that way in the Thing...nice work!

Wed Apr 04, 2012 1:50 am

sam_w wrote: The standard boxed trailing arms are for a type 1, and have the shock absorber mount in the wrong place, I guess I need to get a Thing set boxed and reinforced. Where can I get NOS trailing arms?
_________________

saddlesore1 wrote: Love it. Driving them like they are suppose to be driven.
The boxed arms are the way to go. I run quad KYB's in the rear. I had mounts made on the arms and a Hoop that crosses under the luggage tray from side to side and bolts to the holes in the old shock mounts and bump stop.

Aloha Mr. Sam_W, I would say you are driving it a lot harder then it is " supposed to be driven" :D That being said, if you do decide to add the boxed type of arms here are a few shots of how I did it. It is all bolt on and can be removed and put back to stock if I decided to. I did reinforce the original stock cast shock mount with 1/4 mild steel. I tried to show a photo of it. You will need to add bump stops too as the custom arms do not have a provision for that. In addition I think you will benefit with limiting straps since you seem to drive it like a friends rental car.
I cycled the suspension so that under droop it hits the limit before reaching max on the shock and under compression I have about 1/4 on the shock before it hits the bump stop.
If you are using rubber stock type stops you would want to give a little more room to compress.
I am sure there a lot of neat ways others have done it. I thought I would share mine

On a side note off topic of arms, I noticed a pic or two of your thing without the spare on the hood. How did that do for you? I was thinking you could mount a support under your top that welded to your cage. then you could "sandwich" the top with that mount you just purchased. This way you don't have to stare at that tire all day. It would work with or without a top too. Just an unsolicited thought.

Have to say, I always enjoy your Zest for life in your Thing.

bump stop

reinforced shock mount/ sorry for the angle of the shot .

Wed Apr 04, 2012 7:03 am

Sam you are the thing man great drive and video i love my thing but i think i will stay on the asphalt and leave my buggy for the off road, but it is good to see some that enjoys what he is doing

Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:00 am

hey Sam,

That looked like a beautiful place to go Thinging!

pretty rough country out there it seems, kinda was like watching
a ol' Cowboy movie type background.

Dude, you need some kryptonite parts for that THING!
but hey, you are enjoying the ride, keep on Thinging brother.

Thanks for sharing the video!
What made the cow move? (a lot of Mooing? :D )

T.

Fri Apr 13, 2012 10:12 am

Rattlesnake canyon is amazing, steep walls and a narrow bed with a trickle running through it. I can see it in my mind with a real flash flood, could be scary. Check out Rattlesnake Canyon on the web, several intersting write-ups,

The longhorn did move for the guy behind me, but the rest of the party who came through later were concerned about the longhorn bull that seemed to want to charge them!

I have managed to score a second set of rear trailing arms and am getting Jeff at Kaddyshack to reinforce the with this goody he is selling on thesamba.