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So Cal- H4O John Bull trail in Big Bear, Ca

Zach

Mall Crawler
Messages
4,812
Location
So Cal
Yesterday we had a group from So Cal revisit John Bull trail in Big Bear, Ca. This is one of the hardest trails in the area with large rock gardens and boulders the size of cars. We had a total of nine trucks for this. Four H1's, three H2's and 2 H3's. This trail has changed a lot since we first visited it and was extremely busy with traffic. Winching and strapping was a very common thing for the day. The most I have had to be strapped and winched ever. Everyone made it off the trail in one piece. The only real carnage was a rear level sensor for me and Jrwid broke a halfshaft. Although under carriages took a pretty good beating. My pics are limited but I know some of the others got some good ones. Now onto some pics

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3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,533
Location
Central Texas
Great day. Weather was perfect. Trail was a traffic jam. Many times when we ordinarily would have tried something a couple of times and conquered it we just put on a strap or winched to speed things up. I winched myself out of one situation and got strapped once, mainly because of the traffic on the trail. At one point there was a K5 Blazer with a broken hub blocking the gate keeper, two Jeeps needing extraction help and JR with his broken half shaft. Probably half a dozen other vehicles working their way out of tough situations. All this with probably 60 vehicles all on a 6 mile trail.
 
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06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
It was insane!!! I love trails like these. I typed in on a google search john bull 6/9 and already saw a post on a JK forum bitching about us. The people on that trail were EXTREMELY rude! Our group was awesome...we were polite and let 2 jeep groups past us and at the end of the day we stopped for a good 30 minutes to let a bronco and JK group past as they were bitching on how we were too slow. After waiting for a good 30 minutes no one passed us! We went ahead and finished off the trail. Craig had a bronco guy hanging on his tail revving his engine...UHHH RUDE!?! How about ask nicely. The gatekeeper was ridiculous. There were a good 20+ people hanging out eating lunch and watching us go through. By the time they got there the only people left for the gatekeeper was Zach, Craig, me and Kurt. I made it through under my own power through the gatekeeper with no strap or winch. :) It was really nerve racking to be honest. I had the peanut gallery passing Hummer comments while Craig and Dave are trying to get me through with some other random guys trying to spot me that dont know a proper line for a hummer. Im competitive, we all know that, so I tried my best to get through without a strap/winch yet staying controlled and not breaking something. I made it, after kurt went through I head back down as we parked to let the jeepers through. One rubicon got stuck, as much as I wanted to open my mouth for all the **** they were saying to us I decided to bite my tongue and not stoop to there level. After them old Chevy trucks and K5 blazers went through, a K5 ended up having front axle issues. They turned around. We continue the trail I ended up getting strapped twice at this point. Once we get to "the narrows" on the trail. It was tough as hell, Serges dad got good footage of us going through. I was so pist! I made it 98% through and then needed to get a tug to finish it off. I am making it next time, those ****in duratracs sucked balls seeing they were racing slicks. That was my big issue. All in all it was a great day with great people. I think the other groups reminded me of what a cool group we have, not all but a lot of other groups are filled with jackasses. Im ready to hit that trail again...I will give a review of the lift in the rancho lift section. Thanks guys for a great day, sorry I have no pics...I, as all of us were, just a bit busy.
 

3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,533
Location
Central Texas
First time ever in an H1. It was more a time thing. I let a guy driving a Suzuki who seemed to know the trail well spot me and he got me all out of position. I could move about 12" at a time. I could have worked my way out but there were about 20 trucks behind me. It was just a time issue. I should have blown him off and taken my line.
 

Zach

Mall Crawler
Messages
4,812
Location
So Cal
We got through it last time with minimal strapping. The thing with this time is there was so much traffic on the trail and the pressure from other groups to get going. And people from other groups telling us lines that just would not work. Ran into that and got into a position where i would have never made it through on my own.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
yea, I think if we run it without the peanut gallery it could be done much without strapping/winching. I am sure by the time we run 5 times we will be done with the trail rather quickly :)
 

alrock

El Diablo
Staff member
Messages
10,677
Location
Scottsdale
Sounds like a good day, even if a bit challenging due to the traffic. I guess 06H3 slid through it so well because of a heavily greased undercarriage? :wink:
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
I havent seen anything about rudeness or comments on how slow people where on JK forum. Link?

Whoops, I meant JKO... http://www.jkowners.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1190087

Sounds like a good day, even if a bit challenging due to the traffic. I guess 06H3 slid through it so well because of a heavily greased undercarriage? :wink:

Damn it! The secret is out...I was under the truck the night before greasing up EVERY crossmember and skid plate :) Dont worry the grease gun was brought up in a few conversations...everyone in so cal now knows about me and the grease gun :no:

(that actually isnt a bad idea if you dont mind the clean up)
 

ReconH3

Guardian Angel
Messages
2,288
Location
Raleigh, NC
What a cool trail. And to think I lived not far from there and could never get any Hummer owners to go up.


"Ex Umbris Venimus"

Sent from my iPhone
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
I wish you were still here...I agree California is whacky and I hate the bull**** but its got great trails. this trail was pretty tough yet still doable. Tough enough to see jeeps on 39+in tires out there.

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk
 

3Hummers

Super Moderator
Staff member
Messages
10,533
Location
Central Texas
Funny thing was we pulled over and let one of the Jeep groups go ahead and they promptly stuck two Jeeps and held us up about 25 minutes. Guess it couldn't have been them complaining. :) they were holding up us, another big Jeep group, the Bronco club and some misc guys...maybe 25 more trucks behind their 13-14. Biggest problem was the crowd. I talked to any number of other wheelers that were amazed we were taking Hummers through that trail since it is so tight in so many places. Some people have no class, most of them were pretty cool.
 

06 H3

a.k.a. "The Jackal"
Messages
9,506
Location
Meridian, ID
It was a blast BU! I can't wait to run it again. Probably during the week to avoid traffic

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Kurt

Well-Known Member
Messages
958
Location
Orange County, CA
I got some sleep. That's the last time I run a trail with no sleep, by the time I got off the trail I was up for 36 hours...

:whaa:

I was glad I got through the "narrows" this time in less than 10 minutes without a strap out. I got high centered by picking a bad line at the beginning the best was fine.

Not sure about my pitman and idler but I did snap one of my steering box bolts which explains my steering after we got on pavement.



I wound up crashing as soon as I got my room, sorry I didn't make it out for dinner... hung out for a while in Big Bear the next morning and checked out the village.
 

Kurt

Well-Known Member
Messages
958
Location
Orange County, CA
What no pics of the way the tires are pointed out weird?:wink:

THe alignment is fine, if it was a tie rod that went, then yes, you'd see weird stuff happening.. the steering box bolts push the center link back and forth, so the wheels would stay in alignment. A complete failure of all 3 bolts would mean lost of left steering and really really crappy right steering.
 

LagunaH1

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,733
Location
Idaho
Last time I ran John Bull in my H1 was on much older tires and I didn't need a strap to tug me off any obstacles. On the Narrows (is that what that obstacle is called?) I took the line to th eright last time and crawled nice an easy up through it. To me, the big difference this time was that I felt under pressure to move fast and so I didn't pick good lines.

Other than that, a GREAT day and I even did my first field repair when a hydro boost line blew on my truck on the way to to Big Bear.
 
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