Fins & Things - Post Cam Replacement & other things

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Yesterday I popped the question to the Mrs. - Wanna get up early and head over to Moab in the JT and maybe do a couple of trails?

Game. Set. Match.

Got up at 3am and got to Moab at about 7:30; had to stop and get pictures of the sunrise.

We did (as the title says) Fins & Things for our first badge after 4 years of JT ownership. Life just kept getting us sidetracked in getting on the trails.

Got to the trail just after 8; the Park Service employee was just arriving as we were paying the day fee at the entrance. It was a very light traffic day. There were 3 of us that leapfrogged each other; a black JLU with red fenders from Arkansas, a Polaris Xpedition, and us. We let 4 SxS's go past us in the first half of the trail. There were some more behind us, but they nope'd out after about 4 miles. We heard them on the radio say they're getting off the trail.

I initially started out in 2WD and made most of the first part of F&T in 2WD until one of the steeper inclines was not an instant success. As I'm out of practice, I forgot to disconnect the sway bar until about halfway. I didn't engage the rear locker until the turn-around on the fins after mile 7.

I chose one "bad" line coming down one obstacle. I don't know the name of it, but it's around the 4-5 mile area. You come up a little rise then turn right and drop down between two trees. There's two lines. The one on the left looks like it has more steps, the one on the right has a more gradual decline. The problem is both drop off at the end - the one on the right, which I chose, drops about 20" instead of 12-16". I smashed the back end (hitch) and just bounced off the obstacle. Yuck. Bent the hook plates up on one side a little.

I post pics later.

The other things:

In July I replaced my cam and rockers. Taken some drives here and there to make sure everything works as it should, no connections come undone, leaks appear, etc. GTG!

I also put in an adjustable front track bar, as I had a shimmy/shake around 50-55mph. My front track was also about 3/4" to the driver's side, so I needed to align the fronts and rear. The issue actually ended up being my front tires, which have "cupped" or whatever - the tread blocks aren't even. So yay for Milestar Patagonia ATs (sarcasm). Got them in December '23 and have maybe 15k on them?

So with the new cam, a front end that lines up with everything, a switch to 5w-30 oil, and a light load (some tools, compressor, jack, 5gal gas, cooler, cameras, and snacks), all the little things added up. I was able to get 17+ mpgs on the way home from Moab. The last road trips to/from the same area were high 14s-low 15s. With the little Hiker trailer, 13mpg. I reset the trip on a trail coming out of Moab and filled up in Green River, hence the difference. And out of Moab to Green River was a hellacious side/headwind. It blew out my inner liners so they started to rub on the bumps and when I braked.

Oh, I'm still on the 4.10s, too.

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Just before sunrise, sitting at the I-70 on ramp at Floy.

So, as everyone else has said before - the angles are never truly conveyed in pictures.

I tried to monitor the steepness of some obstacles. Some I went up too quick for the computer to display. A couple times we were 30+ degrees of incline or decline.

 

[Riding with Gladys]

Looks awesome. Heading out to Moab in 2 weeks. I was thinking I might try Fins and Things. Do you have any lift? What size tires? I am running 35s on a stock 2020 Mojave, just wondering if it will be pushing my luck to tackle that trail?

 

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Looks awesome. Heading out to Moab in 2 weeks. I was thinking I might try Fins and Things. Do you have any lift? What size tires? I am running 35s on a stock 2020 Mojave, just wondering if it will be pushing my luck to tackle that trail?

So you'll be there during the Labor Day Jeep Safari? Don't forget your GMRS radio.

I have the Icon 2.5" lift with 37" tires. You will hit in a couple spots, we did. It could have been a wrong line, rush through the obstacle, or just the nature of the JT with its rear overhang. I haven't crawled under to check my useless spare (stock one I haven't removed).

I highly recommend looking at all the steep downhill obstacles out of the vehicle, and preferably from the bottom of them looking back, so you can pick a line easier and see how big the step/drop is.

After seeing dozens of YT vids of F&T, I knew there weren't any "surprises" when climbing.

Just take your time. The goal isn't the "fastest" through the obstacles. It's who can go up it/down it the slowest, least traction-breaking way possible. And it's completely normal to feel like you're going to lawn dart at the bottom of a couple obstacles.

For our first trail, it took us about 4 hours. I switched between 2WD, 4Hi, and 4Lo throughout. 4Lo is really handy in the "we're small rocks, but big enough to stop your momentum" sections. Yes, you can make it through in 2WD, but it's a PITA unless you're left foot braking.

If you've never been there before, also go out to the Potash fields (Potash Road) and take the trail up Shafer Switchbacks. That's an easy, fun trail and scenic. It took us 2 hours at our leisurely pace. The Jeep Renegade rental unit that passed us when we just got on the trail were much, much quicker. One of those drivers that will be humbled when they have two flat tires in the middle of the desert with no cell coverage.

We were going to hit the D2700 Lost World, but I didn't research enough and map it out before we hit no coverage areas.

 

[Riding with Gladys]

Thanks for the intel Definitely have Shafer trail and Onion creek on our list. Don't actually make it to Moab until the 4th as we are driving from Virginia so probably miss the Labor day crowds but do have my GMRS on board.

 

[RubiDukkie]

Looks awesome. Heading out to Moab in 2 weeks. I was thinking I might try Fins and Things. Do you have any lift? What size tires? I am running 35s on a stock 2020 Mojave, just wondering if it will be pushing my luck to tackle that trail?

I don’t think you will be pushing your luck. I did it last year when my JTR was still stock on 33s. Was glad I had a hitch skid though. When we went back this year it was with 37s on an Accuair lift. A lot less tail dragging with bigger tires and a lift.

 

[Stan H]

I haven't crawled under to check my useless spare (stock one I haven't removed).

I carried that Darn thing for a year after going to bigger tires, told myself it would work in an emergency . Last Summer I took the darn thing down and the upper side of the rim was rusted to pieces.🫣
I gave it to some guy on a site I was at . I just recently took the heat shield and spare tire crank off as neither was needed , no tire to shield heat from and that center piece of the tire crank just rattled. 1- 13mm bolt is all that holds that crank on and 4-10mm bolts holds that shield .

 

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I carried that Darn thing for a year after going to bigger tires, told myself it would work in an emergency . Last Summer I took the darn thing down and the upper side of the rim was rusted to pieces.🫣
I gave it to some guy on a site I was at . I just recently took the heat shield and spare tire crank off as neither was needed , no tire to shield heat from and that center piece of the tire crank just rattled. 1- 13mm bolt is all that holds that crank on and 4-10mm bolts holds that shield .

If I had to put it on, I'd put it on the front only, take a front tire and replace a damaged rear.

But it's not like I'm out here raw-dogging trails; I do bring a tire kit and compressor. I should pick up a couple fix-a-flat cans, too. I hear 3M Rubber glue (PR40/PR100) is pretty decent.

 

[professorkx]

Fins and Things is usually our first trail when we arrive at Moab each year. Easy trail that get the rock crawling cobwebs out. My Spousal Unit doesn’t like the last little section on the big Fins, so we head to the main road and skip that last little section.

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