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Post Info TOPIC: Whats the worse roadside break down you ever had car / trailer combo . Ok to be fair we will include Jeeps HERE
Hey Jim


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Whats the worse roadside break down you ever had car / trailer combo . Ok to be fair we will include Jeeps HERE
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Hi all,

For me the leading  boat spring snapping on the tandum twin load sharing axel 60 km west of Cobar on the Barrier Hwy NSW 2002. With Wife an two kids on board.

I used my bush /mechanical skills to hitch it up using the jacks and anchor ropes and limp back to Cobar.

I know why it broke, the mechanic that I took it to for its annual rego check was always inverted the spring while checking for bearing play on the same wheel.

Ever since I carry two spare springs to WA and back each trip. Try and get one half way across the Nullabor, never happened again.

Try and get a Spring to match at 5pm in Cobar. I did get one but not a perfect match. Got us to SA. Where I ordered a replacement.

I allways stop and offer help to others if needed.

Jim



-- Edited by Hey Jim on Friday 13th of November 2015 07:27:21 PM

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Peter_n_Margaret


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RE: Whats the worse roadside break down you ever had car / trailer combo
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Where do we start???

One with pics...

In 1995, we had our first trip to the Kimberley and one of the jobs we did was plot GPS positions for Penguin/BP/Evan Green 4WD book of the day. It paid for our first GPS.

 1999 and on our second trip to the Kimberley via the Gunbarrel (from Adelaide) we were approaching Ellenbrae from the SW on the GRR, but there seemed to be something wrong with the GPS reading. We were travelling with our son who was in his FJ40 and we were cruising at about 100kph.

Now you cant cruise the GRR at 100 without full attention, and the predictable happened. I dropped the LHS of the combination off the edge of the road. That woke me up and I got the F350 back up pretty quick, but the edge dropped away about 250mm and the trailer was a bit slower coming back onto the road.

In that small space of time, the LH wheel of the trailer hit a 400mm diameter rock at 100kph.

The trailer spun clockwise and completely air born for about 210 degrees, landing on the top front RH corner of the tinny, then continued to rotate another 60 degrees, landing on its left side, still travelling fast down the road.

Trailer 02E.jpg

Trailer 03E.jpg

It was all a bit of a mess, to say the least.

We spent 2 hours getting it upright, bending the guards out of the way and getting the axle in about the right spot. The end of the hanger end spring had broken off and had penetrated the steel bottom of the trailer directly under a 20L plastic fuel container which was full at the time. It was scratched, but effectively undamaged.

I am absolutely sure that the Tregg hitch saved the Ford from rolling too. The pin was bent and took some removing, but it was otherwise undamaged.

We put a spare on and limped a few ks into Ellenbrae at about 20kph. Apart from crabbing a bit, it towed fine.

Once at Ellembrae, we had a better look and made some more lasting repairs.

Surprisingly, the axle seemed fine and the U bolts mostly survived.

So I borrowed a welder and some bits of scrap steel, cut the end of the spring off and built a slipper end.

Trailer 04E.jpg

Trailer 05E.jpg

The tinny was left in the dump at Ellenbrae.

Next time we called in someone had dragged it to the homestead and planted it with flowers. More recently it had been straightened out and patched and was being used as a punt across the river between the homestead and the air strip.

The trailer made it home to Adelaide via The Bungle Bungles, The Buntine Highway, Alice, The Old Andado Track and the Oodnadatta Track without further incident.

Once home, I replaced the spring packs, hangers, U bolts and wheel bearings. The alloy rim was straightened.

 We still have the trailer and it has done many more successful trips in the bush.

Cheers,

Peter



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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
Hey Jim


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Hi Peter,

Ok, that puts us in second place for now.smile

Jim



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Desert Dweller


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RE: Whats the worse roadside break down you ever had car / trailer combo . Ok to be fair we will include Jeeps HERE
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We were on the Bruce Hwy between Sarina & Rockhampton when a truck loaded with scrap metal overtook us when we were doing around 100kph. As it pulled left after overtaking a couple of pieces of metal fell off & landed on the road in front of us. We didn't have enough time to avoid them. They bounced under our Falcon, ripping the exhaust system & piercing the petrol tank. Thump, thump, thump. All I saw was a cloud of spray in the rear view mirror as the petrol tank emptied & we came to a dead stop in the middle of nowhere. We were lucky as it could have been ignited by the hot exhaust system & exploded. We were towing a trailer full of camping gear. We spent 3 nights camped at a CP in Rocky while our car got fixed, it was all covered by insurance.

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Radar


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Last year down near Batemans Bay blew a auto transmision oil cooler hose on our Land Rover Discovery. You don't go anywhere without oil in the transmision and  can happen to any make, a Jeep also.

Good management we belong to motoring club, they towed our van to a caravan park, tilt trayed car to a repairer, organised a hire car as we were going to be delayed over the weekend.

Had a great out come we had a free stay for 5 nights in Batemans Bay best C/P, car hire to attend a funeral up in Sydney and the people that replaced the hose found a return line was suspect and did the whole job at a very good rate.



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Peter_n_Margaret


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Hey Jim wrote:

Hi Peter,

Ok, that puts us in second place for now.smile

Jim

Jim, I don't think it is a competition, and there aren't any prizes... :)

 

Cheers,

Peter 



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OKA196, 4x4 'C' Class, DIY, self contained motorhome. 960W of solar, 400Ah of AGMs, 310L water, 280L fuel. https://www.oka4wd.com/forum/members-vehicles-public/569-oka196-xt-motorhome
 

 
Hey Jim


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Hi Peter,

Lighten up, I didn't mean it in that way.smile

Jim



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blaze


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cooked a motor in hedland on the way to broome, 18k and 3 weeks later it was going again.
cheers
blaze

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kandagal


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We were crossing the Nullabor when the fuel pump died. A tow truck (flat top) took us back to Kalgoorlie & we were $3500 poorer before we had to pay for another fuel pump.

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Aus-Kiwi


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Coming back to Sydney from Wagga Via Bathurst .. Run out of petrol .. Cruised over hill looking around farmers houses etc Hopeing to buy fuel off them.. Coasted over hill to see service station.. It was a 351 XD ex chaser .. The fuel gauge often stuck on 1/4 full..

Another .. A flat and blowout between Mudgee and Lithgow .. All on same axle.. Was sitting too low to change myself ..
Telephone reception was 1 bar every 10 minutes .. Any way after many attempts I got through to 1300 number to tyre fitter in Orange .. He nearly hang up.. Just in time .. I asked if he could ring tyre fitter in Mudgee ... So so happy to see him..

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