o the other side in low
This 86 CJ7 is my first Jeep....the only reason I got it was to take it out to my camp on a remote offshore island....there is not any place to work on anything out there so I've been simplifying and rebuilding the drive train to do the task. The fresh 258 motor unfortunately took out the feeble T 4 BorgWarner that was original so I'm in the midst of building a new T4 and resealing and shimming a Dana 300 transfer case. This is OK as I would rather be doing the work here in the warm shop rather out on the island wherever it failed........and you know they never fail in a good spot.......
I drove 60's era Series II and IIA Land Rovers for years....still have four I think.....two 109" Pickups and two 88"s. The 69 88" was my first and I found a Braden PTO front mounted winch for it. All the local Jeep guys used to laugh at me as they roared by me on the road.....but who do you think they'd come find to retrieve their sorry azzes from whatever bad spell they had got in?? I always ran 750 X 16" Hercules truck tires and with the weight of the Rover you could really get some traction to the ground......as I would explain to the Jeep boys as I was retrieving them....in my opinion.....most stock Jeeps are a two wheel drive on road vehicle with four wheel drive off road capabilities........Land Rovers are designed as four wheel drive off road vehicles with two wheel drive on road capabilities.......I also retrieved a fair number of 3/4 ton FWD pickups with that Rover......the most memorable was a 3/4 ton International 4WD that went in a brook to deep for the engine......unexpectedly.....rear wheels were both off the ground and she had no power to assist in her retrieval....but she came out just the same, then I towed it back out the four miles through the woods to the road.
I had similar experiences up in the wilds of CO...Jeeps and trucks would storm by me during hunting season...only to get their asses stuck later down the 'trail'. I only had one military rig with a Braden. 10,000 single pull, 20,000 with a snatch block. Mostly I wound up just pulling them out with chains and a slingshot (wide nylon tow strap). The one Braden I had was great but would constantly break a shear pin near the limit of its pull.
I did tumble down part of a mountain with a M43 though. Had to jump out the drivers window. Fortunately for me, it fell on some scrub oak and was unharmed. Had to get it righted again and go all the way to the bottom to get outa there....that was a ride...lol!
I was fording a narrow river once and the bottom dropped out, water rushing over the top of the hood. It had a snorkel but somehow I killed it...wouldn't restart. I used the foot starter to propel me to the other side in first low. Old trick if you had a massive starter. I figured the water kept her cooled down....lol!
After '76, or so, I didn't like the direction they were going with the CJ and Chrysler pretty much ruined them as purely off-road vehicles. Didn't really miss my old one with military rigs and the half-track. I miss the wilderness of that country though. You had to keep your wits about you or you'd die in a heartbeat going where I went.
Kevin