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mtudb24

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We celebrated our Michigan Tech University's 50th anniversary of its 4 wheeler club. 1975 to 2025 last weekend. I transferred there in 1991 and graduated with EE degree in 1994 and a Operations mgmt in 1996. I was president of the club in 1996 when running my K5 Jimmy. We had 18 former presidents in attendance and about 170 current / former wheelers and family members show up.
A couple wheeling adventures and a bbq event at the end of the day.
Sadly I was the oldest person in the room (except for my wife whos 18 months older then me) and the oldest president from the group. Makes you feel real old.
I was the only Gladiator at the event and sadly the wheeling videos are too large to upload. I'll try to condense them later to post.

My daughter will be attending MTU in the fall and it was nice to show her things like Brockway mountain, Copper Harbor, Eagle Harbor, Eagle River, Hungarian falls, Jacob's falls, McLain State park, Cliff drive and other points in the Keweenaw peninsula. I felt small on my 37's with some of the guys running 38's and 40's and all LS swapped Jeeps but held our own.

One thing the club surprised me with was pictures I hadn't seen in almost 30 years of my 1996 total lower end rebuild on my 87 K5. I had lost oil pressure 1 day during a wheeling event and we decided to change my crankshaft, main bearings, and install a HV oil pump, Pete Jackson noisy gear drive, and waterpump etc through the bottom of the oil pan.

After 17 hours in the middle of March, we finished up and the Houghton Police kicked us out of the parking deck and asked us who is going to pay the City for the electricity we used? HAHAH. Nothing every came from it, but it was funny.

We went wheeling the next day and the only problem I had was, I didn't fasten the positive battery cable for the dual batteries across the fan shroud and it got caught up in the fan. A few sparks here or there and we resolved the issue :)

Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion last bolt installing the rear driveshaft


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion after rebuild 1


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion after rebuild 2


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Brockway MTN 1


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Brockway MTN 2


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Drone shot 1


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion drone shot 2


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Drone shot of club for the 50th anniversary celebration


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion jacob falls 1


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion K5 rebuild 1


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion K5 rebuild 2


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion K5 rebuild 3


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion K5 rebuild 4


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion K5 rebuild 5


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion K5 rebuild 6


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion K5 rebuild crankshaft


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion last bolt installing the rear driveshaft


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Past presidents


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Blizzard mascot


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Eagle Harbor anchor


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Eagle harbor bouy


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion jacob falls 2


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion Jeeps 2


Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion MTU Campus
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mtudb24

mtudb24

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bllprk402

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I tried to wheel with this group a couple of times in 2002 or so... absolutely destroyed the trails we went. First jeeps walked thru the trail and by the time it got to the end of the line is was soupy mud. I am sure one bad ride does not represent 50 years!

Jeep Gladiator 50th Anniversary of the Michigan Tech four-wheelers reunion P1010055.JPG
 

DanJT

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Oh the good old days, And the Rancho steering stabilizer with the dust boot... Who didn't have of of those on there rig? Great photos!
 

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mtudb24

mtudb24

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I tried to wheel with this group a couple of times in 2002 or so... absolutely destroyed the trails we went. First jeeps walked thru the trail and by the time it got to the end of the line is was soupy mud. I am sure one bad ride does not represent 50 years!

P1010055.JPG
Always gonna have a bad seed or 2 over the years for sure. Saw a few local "Yoopers" during my stint up there pretty much ruin a couple of logging roads.
 
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mtudb24

mtudb24

Well-Known Member
First Name
Todd
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