Can OEM Astros handle 3 wheeled situations?

[gabequest]

Ahhh That makes sense. Should I replace them with hockey pucks? What ever happened to that trend anyway?

[T.Low]

Answer to my own question in the OP (also in another post somewhere); YES

My buddy said I had a rear wheel 2 ft in the air for about 10 ft of distance before he finally could grab his camera. Here is the photo just before touchdown. And this isn't the first but definitely the biggest and most worth while.

[gabequest]

Well, just started a blog for Trouble. I only put up some wheeling pics from Redington pass in Tucson so far. One of em' seems to fit in this thread.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_evnPwWqhhhw/S ... x+it+3.jpg

I dont yet know how to hotlink it (or whatever its called) to display the pic here. Help with this please?

the blog is gabedanger@blogspot.com. There are only 5 or so pics up right now.

[astrozam]

I dont yet know how to hotlink it (or whatever its called) to display the pic here. Help with this please?

I do believe I posted this info for you in an earlier post...viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4646

[T.Low]

Your van is looking sweet. Its been 25yrs but isn't Reddington Pass where you go if you are heading to Chiva Falls? I used to take my lifted F-250 all around Tucson.

Whats the pass at the west end of Speedway? We used to ride our crotch rockets thru there and come out by Old Tucson. It was the closest thing to a paved motocross track that I've ever seen.

What tires are you running?

[gabequest]

Thanks for the compliments!

Yes TLow, Redington Pass is the trail heading to chiva falls. I took my 4 runner down that (2.5 inch lift, locker, 31/10.5, 4:10's) when I used to live in tucson, but didnt go all the way with Trouble. This was his maiden offroad voyage and I was alone. Actually, my intention was to go mountain biking but I just keep driving. That last "chute" might be too rowdy to escape with nothing braking. I pulled up to near the top of it and got out, looked down, felt massive adrenaline and decided to turn tail. I wonder if that little outing is was caused some metal to be chewed up in the front CV joint. I had notched to upper arm bump stops when I first lifted Trouble and maybe they dropped too low at some point and caused some damage. Hmmm.

Anyway, those photos have Goodyear wrangler mud terrains, 31x10.50, off of my 1990 4-runner. I sold that, with great dismay, but had these left over and threw em' on til they wore out. Now I'm running BFG AT's: 31x10.5. Great tire. Had em' for years on my 4-runner.

Astrozam: thanks for linking that info earlier regarding pics. I read it, but decided to go with a blog because there wasn't a bunch of advertising and blogger is very easy to customize. Only problem..no "tag" option for pictures. I'll figure it out sometime. At this point I can only "link". Oh well.

[gabequest]

Figured out PhotoBucket!

[astrozam]

[T.Low]

Nice action shots Gabe.

The link to your blogspot only goes to one of the pictures you have already posted. Is it supposed to go to a blog about the van? I'd like to read about your van build and see more pics (especially interior pics) if you have a blog about it.

Looks like a terrific build.


Edit: And how did you like the Goodyera MTs? I can pick up a set with 5k miles on them for $400. 245/75 16. I already have a second set of wheels and would like to mount a set of slightly used (to save hundreds of dollars) set of mud terrains for certain trips but not as a daily tire, so I was thinking I'd switch back and forth between the two sets. I've heard they don't wear well, but being that they willbe a 2nd set of tires, I don't know how concerned I am with that.

Did you ever get a chance to actually use them in mud?

I've heard mixed reviews about them.

[gabequest]

About the blog...I do not have much on it and will most likely ignore it until all my pics are up on photobucket. I'm currently trickling in pictures. The only interior pics as of now are of my 11 inch fan set up. You can check out what I have so far (11 in fan, 11in drums, Redington Pass on the main page. http://s753.photobucket.com/albums/xx176/gabedanger/


More will come with time, but I can certainly expedite that process on the interior and post a link to the photobucket. As far as the "build", if this helps at all...basically everything I did is listed in my signature and is info I got from this website...so...no cool new tricks or anything like that. I'm a learn-as-I-go "mechanic" (often the hard way).

The Goodyear MT's worked great in the mud, although I never got REALLY into it. There design is supposed to allow then to wear even (more flat contact with the road) and decrease road noise. I found them to wear as anticipated with mud terrains (a little faster than AT's), but again, I do not have much experience with other MT's. I will say, that my 4-runner didn't seem to wear them too bad up front, but the Astro did...mostly because no one was really able to dial in the front end until I replaced the lower balls and idler arms. I wish I had more advice here, but from what I gather, these are good MT tires if road driving is gonna happen frequently.

$100 bucks each is a pretty good deal for 5000 miles, unless there was an alignment issue and they look worn down. They definitely handle better in the mud than AT's do. I also had mine siped so they were a bit more grippy on wet pavement and rock.
Gabe

[T.Low]

Thanks for the reply, Gabe, thats good stuff.

[gabequest]

OK T-Low...you motivated me to do this! I spent several hours today updating my photobucket and taking some more pics with the camera phone. It now has nearly everything, minus some "location" pics that are on my girlfriends camera. Check it out http://s753.photobucket.com/albums/xx176/gabedanger/ I'm gonna give myself a hand

[T.Low]

Ha, I'm actually signing off to go up into the mountains, taking advantage of these long summer daylight hours while we have them. I'll check it out tomorrow, but I'll thank you right now. Thanks. See ya.