Testing the Jack Extension and Taking Mariko's Top Off

 A pretty lazy morning today, starting with a shot of the sun as it crested over one of the Needles:

Really didn't do much, nor felt the need to do so, just relaxed and read....enjoying the warm sun which made the morning temperatures feel warmer than they actually were.  The lack of wind probably helped with that as well.

I did get around to testing the viability of the 6" Jack Extension I'd purchased from SafeJack to extend the reach of the 6 Ton Bottle Jack I got from Amazon to go with it.  (The contact head of a 6 Ton Jack corresponds to the opening of the Jack Extension where it mates to it so it doesn't move/slip)

As you can see, I can get either the rear or front tires off the ground in order to change them should Mariko experience a flat tire.

I continued my strenuous relaxation all the way to 3PM and then it was time (the sun's rays had heated up Mariko's soft top enough to relax it) to remove the soft top from the Sammy.  I did bust one of the fasteners (darn) on the right side body panel but otherwise, no issues encountered unmounting the soft top.

I then discovered due to the non-oem roll bar cage additions a previous owner had added, I was unable to simply fold down the bow that secures the soft top because the bow rubbed the rear columns of the roll cage!  Oh well, two bolts and I could remove the whole top and bow and set it aside by the URRV.

I drove out to the nearby trails and got these pics.  Yes, it's like a car dealer brochure with such closeups but I promise this will be the first and last...more scenery less car in future postings.

I'm thinking perhaps a Bikini Top is in her future

After the above pics, I drove into Las Cruces to the nearest hardware store for some supplies and to fill up Mariko's gas tank in preparation for trail riding tomorrow.

The Golden Hour was upon us as I headed back to the campsite:

Looking at Dripping Springs

The Organ Desert Peaks

The clear skies we enjoyed today led to a ho hum sunset so no pics of it tonight.  The campsite and the vehicle parking locations don't really lend themselves to good sunset pics.

Fear not gentle readers, my motorcycling days are not over.  This is a shakedown trip for Mariko to ensure she's a reliable vehicle not only for my use but when Martha joins me on camping trips!

Recovery gear for Mariko and more Maintenance

 Since Mariko, my '87 Suzuki Samurai 4x4 weighs almost 2100 lbs dry....it takes a lot more in terms of equipment to do jobs like raising her to change a tire, or straps and shackles to pull her out of loose sand and just gear to do tire repairs!

Note: Still, she basically weighs a bit over One Ton!  Light for a four wheeled vehicle!  

One Smittybilt 2780 Air compressor rated for 2.54 CFM to air up the tires after leaving terrain where I decided to air down the tires for better traction.  I like the "screw on" connector, leaves your hands free and is more secure.  Not only that, but its the only connection that works to air up the right front tire on Mariko....something about the stem I think.  All of my other different type connectors fail to open the air core...and yes, I did swap out air cores.

I look forward to trying this 12 volt air compressor on my URRV's tires....if they can air those puppies up then I'll be able to stop bringing along the big air compressor that used to sit in the garage!  I have to run the 4KW onboard generator in the URRV to power that compressor as it requires more power than my HF Predator generator can supply.

One 4" x 30' Snatch Strap with rated break strength of 46,500 lbs for recovery ops.  Of course, this is dependent on there being another vehicle to do the pulling!

One 6 Ton Capacity Bottle Jack with 16" max lift height and a 6" Safe Jack Extension in order to raise the Samurai's frame 20" in order to be able to change out a tire.

One 3" x 30' Tow Strap with a 10,000 Lb load capacity and Two 3/4" Steel Shackles.  Again, another vehicle is required.

Two 1/2" x 22" Soft Shackles, to be used if at all possible over steel shackles unless there's danger of sharp edges at the recovery points to be used.

One Auto and Light Truck  Deluxe Tire Repair Kit for tubeless tires.

Storage Box to secure all the above in the cargo compartment of the Samurai.  

Got this 30" Tool box from Murdochs:

Thinking about a pair of MaxTrax MkII Traction Boards for self-recovery ops.  They're quite pricey and though they are the gold standard among traction/recovery boards out there....some of the competitors are not bad either, just not as long-lasting.  At $299 currently online.  I got the X-Bull 3rd Gen traction boards instead.  Less money and with some thought in one's riding, should be enough for a few uses with such a light 4x4 like Mariko.   It would, theoretically, enable me to get out of sand/mud/snow traps by myself, no other vehicle required.

What's holding me back from buying, besides their steep price, is how to secure them in a soft-top equipped vehicle?  I supposed I could run a cable look through the handle holes but would that be enough?

Yep, four wheels = more gear required when going off road and expecting to make it back when things don't quite go the way I want them to.

Maintenance Notes

Monday, next week, I drop her off at a mechanic's shop to have her carburetor rebuilt.  The thing is just more complicated than I'm willing to tackle at this time and will come with a warranty of sorts and dialed in in terms of idle speed and such.

76130 Miles I've changed out her engine oil and filter, easy.  Next oil change in 3000 miles, might stretch it to 80,000 to keep better track.

76326 Miles: Because it was overdue (last time done by PO was at 55,752, partly).

In order to have a good baseline: I changed out gear oil in the transmission, front and rear differentials and the transfer case.  During this process I discovered what a wonderful thing it is to use a fluid pump to pump the gear oil into said components!  There's bad angles and parts which obstruct one's use of the bottle that gear oil comes in.

My new favorite tool

The oil in the Front Differential looked clean.  Oil in the transmission was dirty.  Oil in the Transfer Case was contaminated with water!  It was the color of coffee with milk (flushed it by running extra .5 Liter of 80W90 Gear Lube through it before adding required amount to fill it).  Oil in the Rear Differential was dirty.

The tires are old, a bit over 8 years old but have enough wear to last me a year or so before I have to replace them. (They were made in the 21st week of 2013).  The spare tire is definitely worn and only good for use as "get me back to camp" purposes.