15th Annual Northwest Challenge 2003

Well, my Northwest Challenge / Thanksgiving long weekend was full of surprises, as you'll soon learn.

The long haul to Oregon always poses an issue when you can't get a Friday off work. My co-pilot Jeff London and I were determined to get there though. We pulled out of Lynn Valley around 7:30pm fully loaded ready for anything and a long drive.

After a couple shifts each behind the wheel and about 8 hours we reached the camping area for the 15th Annual Northwest Challenge hosted by Doug Shipman. Jeff was behind the wheel when we pulled in and we were looking for a place to collapse for a few hours. As Jeff, and it was no fault of his, started to pull away towards a campsite there was a thunk and then we didn't go. After making sure everything was in gear, Jeff tried again, nothing. My turn, same thing.

"How the heck did I break a Maxidrive halfshaft" I thought. Oh well, we pulled up to a site in front wheel drive. Jeff set-up the tent while I crawled around checking things out. Rear driveshaft turns, rear wheels don't, hmmm. With a start of the Challenge only 4 hours away I wanted to get started on a fix, so out came the rear axles, uh oh, still good as new. Something was wrong in the rear diff, but what. I decided to sleep on it for a bit.

Seven, eh, em, (7am) enough adrenalin still cranking to get up after only 3 hours sleep. What was I going to do, I figured I’d see who was around and what help I could get. Well not much luck, only one other Series truck and no spare diffs. We didn't have much time so it was decided that we would disable the rear axle and follow the group along the main gravel roads in front wheel drive and fix it later.

Front wheel drive sucks!!! Things were going OK as we followed the group along the flat gravel road, discussing what we were going to do. We started climbing up into the mountains. The group of participants had taken another route. As the road got steeper we started to loose traction on the loose gravel, until at one point the front of the truck was hopping up and down, scrambling for a bite of traction. Too much more hopping and front axle failure would be guaranteed.

I got on the radio and asked for a tow from one of the two Landrovers that were helping out. Allen came to the call in his Range Rover classic. We hooked up and that was how the rest of the day went, strapped behind another rover.

By mid afternoon we had crossed paths with the participants a few times and got to see a little action. It was pouring rain and cold and Jeff and I were starting wonder what we were going to do to limp home. Ed led us down to the highway after showing us where everyone was going to camp that night and off we went to Tillimook to get some supplies for a repair.

Back at camp I started removing the rear diff. It turned out all ten bolts on the crown wheel had sheered right off. Apparently this a common problem when the old bolts are re-used when installing a new ARB locker. Oh well, talk about a lesson learned the hard way.

It was about midnight before I tightened the last bolt on the propshaft and the front diff was in the rear axle and we had rear wheel drive again. The pouring rain and wind didn’t help, nor the mud I was laying in by the end but, it was done, Jeff and I could rest a little easier.

The next day we followed along with the group, without a toe strap. When it came time to play Doug’s tee-ball game I was ready to give it a go in two wheel drive. No problem, a little slower then the others, I guess but a little bit of pride was restored. Had a little lunch then a few awards were handed out. Our own John Parson brought home the 2nd place award, good work John.

The trip home was fairly uneventful with only a couple stops to check and top up the rear diff oil.

When I got home Sunday night… Karen informed me I’d have to have my next project, the Rangy/Series hybrid, on the road by June… to bring her and our child home from the hospital… (We’d later determine the truck needs to be done by early May, and we’d need TWO car seats)

I guess I won’t be making to the Team Trophy Challenge in May then!