engine and drivetrain Did Glendora Mountain Road this morning. Only blew up one wheel

[danco_]

Left the house at 5am, met up with ak- and got up the mountain as the sun was rising. We weren't going very hard (but still pretty hard) because I was trying to dial in the 02's handling. It turns out I need to add the swaybars and the 3.64LSD after all.

 

About 1.5 hours into our Need4Speed race battles, I came across a hairpin turn a little too fast with the mountain to my left, and my passenger front wheel bit a good size rock. I thought I slapped the mountain with how hard it felt, and I lost tire pressure immediately. I limped it to a nearby overlook to assessed damage. I figured I'd need to jack it up, but of course I didn't have a jack in the car, I mean, why would I? 

 

Abdu didn't either, but at least he had tools. His engineering degree kicked in full force and in about 5 minutes, he devised a plan using primitive resources from nature to build a ramp and like cavemen, we got the damaged corner off the ground just enough to get the spare on. It wasn't pretty or safe, but I'll be damned if this didn't win us a Nobel Prize in the  1930s. 

 

So with everything buttoned up, we continued the drive for a few more hours. It got really icy and we were sliding all over the place, but we didn't encounter any more issues. Overall, it was a successful day. The 2002 is light and agile, but it could use another 100hp. I'm figuring out how I can accomplish that. 

 

 

Here are some photos from today, in order of how they happened. Most were taken with the Sony A7ii, but I have an iphone photo or two sprinkled in there.

 

As we entered the first look off point

 

 

 

The view from this spot. I didn't get such a great shot but I still like it.

 

 

 

As we were beginning to leave this first spot and continue our journey. Even at altitude, the car was compliant and didn't give me any trouble. We probably climbed 6-7000 feet this morning, which should have upset the carb, but she still did well.

 

 

 

 

 

And then we got to the intersection of where Glendora Mountain Road and Glendora Mountain Ridge meet. I was trying to flex but I didn't get very far. 

 

This is what I look like with glasses. I'm aware that my right thigh needs work and I promise, I'm working it out. I hope to have satisfactory thighs this year. It's my resolution. 

Then some stuff happened and I bent the inner lip on my passenger side wheel. Here are a few shots of the fiasco. Overall, it was nice that I wasn't stranded. I think the wheel can be fixed. If not, it's ok, because I made a few extra spare widened steelies for occasions such as this. You know, because why not.

 

 

the aftermath. That was our makeshift ramp. Getting the driver's side up the ramp allowed us to teeter totter the rear and create enough slack to get the passenger front wheel off. It was a feat of engineering which I'll never forget. 

 

 

 

 

Here is Abdu with his positive you-can-do attitude. Always appreciated during the dark times.

 

 

 

 

On my way home, I had the tire removed from the wheel. Looks like the tire didn't pop, and the wheel can be fixed and trued. This is good news.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now back to the adventure. We found an icy bridge and begin the slip and slide competition. I think my open differential won this one.

 

 

Some more rolling shots. I edited them in Lightroom 4. I need photoshop but this will do for now. 

 

 

 

 

Then I commissioned this shot to let the whole world know that I don't take no shit, especially on the internet. 

 

 

 

 

Another roller. The last three or four shots were taken with the spare wheel. I couldn't drive as hard because the sidewall on the spare was flexing pretty good, but I did what I could. 

 

 

 

The car's coilovers handle quite well. I'm extremely happy with them. The oversteer is completely manageable and only comes on if I'm really on the gas, coming out of the apex. 

 

 

That's all I have from today. It was a great trip. Thanks again Abdu. I'm thankful for you as my friend, this year. 

 

 

Happy New Year, FAQ.

Edited January 1, 2016 by danco_

[OriginalOwner]

F = ma ..... a fantastic problem-solving feat of engineering !!!!

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

[jgerock]

Great stuff. Great pics.

[bob02]

Looks like it was a great day with some adventure sprinkled in! Both the 02 and the e30 looking sweet.

 

 Happy New Year!

 

  bob

[BeMyWay]

Danco...I do enjoy your adventures!   Life is worth living...so live it...and you are! 

Enjoy and be safe.

Happy New Year!

[Mike Self]

Very clever method of changing that tire!  If you don't want to carry one of those useless/dangerous one-legged factory jacks, find a small scissors jack from another small car (lots of Japanese cars use 'em) and snug it up between the underside of the package shelf and the inner rear wheel arch.  Won't rattle, and takes no usable trunk space.  You may not always have a clever engineer along on the trip!

 

cheers

mike

 

PS--those are very cool wheels!

Edited January 2, 2016 by mike

[shoeless]

Please don't shoot me for saying this but.......I love your 02. Can I have it? 

[bublinki]

Hey Danco,

I don't know you, but I have enjoyed many of your posts(I think it was you that hunted down the bad seller in TX?).

I have to tell you, that shot of your car rounding the bend is way cool. The contrast of parts of the photo being slightly out of focus and how it looks like a

60's black and white photo...until the eye is drawn to the color in the sign on the post. Nicely done.

Best Wishes in the New Year!

Regards,

Philip

[2002newb]

Sounds like a nice drive despite the but of engineering.

Also like the photo and look forward to another chapter in the 2002 adventure

[dlhoovler]

Very nice cars and photos--and glad ingenuity kept you from being stranded. What are the specs on the wheels? My guess is 13s due to the Federal 595 tires, but the low ride height and dog-dish caps make them look bigger.

 

Sounds like you're glad to be back in an '02. Just four months or so until mine gets out of winter storage, even though the salt has yet to fly here... 

 

-Dave

[jrhone]

Nice!!!  Great drive...nice pics!  I'm now even more inspired on a few levels...photos and paint and suspension dialing!!!  Now I want coilers!!!!

[danco_]

F = ma ..... a fantastic problem-solving feat of engineering !!!!

 

Cheers,

 

Carl

 

You aren't kidding. I'll zip through Carbon Canyon and yell your name one of these days. Maybe you'll hear me and we can go shooting together. 

 

Great stuff. Great pics.

 

Thanks Jim! When are you coming to California? Weather has been pleasant lately. Though next week's forecast is full of rain. I should install the LSD before then to take advantage. 

 

Looks like it was a great day with some adventure sprinkled in! Both the 02 and the e30 looking sweet.

 

 Happy New Year!

 

  bob

 

Thanks Bob! Happy New Year to you as well.

 

Danco...I do enjoy your adventures!   Life is worth living...so live it...and you are! 

Enjoy and be safe.

Happy New Year!

 

Much appreciated for the nice words! Likewise to you.

 

Very clever method of changing that tire!  If you don't want to carry one of those useless/dangerous one-legged factory jacks, find a small scissors jack from another small car (lots of Japanese cars use 'em) and snug it up between the underside of the package shelf and the inner rear wheel arch.  Won't rattle, and takes no usable trunk space.  You may not always have a clever engineer along on the trip!

 

cheers

mike

 

PS--those are very cool wheels!

 

I probably have 10 extra 2002 jacks, I just failed to install one in this car. I'll get on in promptly. Though your idea is a good one. Thanks for the wheel compliment! 

Please don't shoot me for saying this but.......I love your 02. Can I have it? 

 

Sure! It would take a lot more for me to pull out my weapon on you. If you have an 02, we're practically family. 

 

Hey Danco,

I don't know you, but I have enjoyed many of your posts(I think it was you that hunted down the bad seller in TX?).

I have to tell you, that shot of your car rounding the bend is way cool. The contrast of parts of the photo being slightly out of focus and how it looks like a

60's black and white photo...until the eye is drawn to the color in the sign on the post. Nicely done.

Best Wishes in the New Year!

Regards,

Philip

 

Hi, my name is Ryan Danco. There, we are no longer strangers, Philip.

Yeah, I got the scammer out of New Mexico. As far as I know, everyone received a refund, which was the goal I had set. 

 

A good shot is fairly easy to take. I think that particular photo was taken at less than 10 mph. I had set a slow shutter speed and upped the ISO a bit and probably threw the F-stop to around 6 and let my buddy take the shots. I then edited them in Lightroom 4. I like the effect that I gave them. Very washed out but you can still make out hints of green and yellow. It was a good one. 

 

Sounds like a nice drive despite the but of engineering.

Also like the photo and look forward to another chapter in the 2002 adventure

 

Thank you! I'll keep them coming. I bought a nice camera specifically for days like these.

 

 

Very nice cars and photos--and glad ingenuity kept you from being stranded. What are the specs on the wheels? My guess is 13s due to the Federal 595 tires, but the low ride height and dog-dish caps make them look bigger.

 

Sounds like you're glad to be back in an '02. Just four months or so until mine gets out of winter storage, even though the salt has yet to fly here... 

 

-Dave

 

Thank you Dave! Specs on the wheels are simple. 13x5.5 front and rear, but I chose a less aggressive offsets for the front wheels, since I hate how traditional low-offset wheels stick out past the front fenders on a 2002. I did not take into consideration how much camber I could run with the Ground Control Coilovers because I did not plan to run this car with that suspension set up. I don't know the offsets though. When I had the wheels done, I never specified exact offset numbers, I just told my guy to make weld the faces here and there and he did it and they worked out well. The tires are lower profile that standard 175/80. These Federals are 185/60r13. I created this set for the Florida 1600 project I have but that car is about a month away from driving, so I may just do something different for that car and keep the current set on this car. 

 

I'm so glad California is weird and chooses not to salt it's roads. 

 

Nice!!!  Great drive...nice pics!  I'm now even more inspired on a few levels...photos and paint and suspension dialing!!!  Now I want coilers!!!!

 

Thanks! I'm a fan of mine. If you want to drive it and get a feel for my set up, I'll allow it. We're basically neighbors. 

[Marsattacks]

I bet you used that ramp for some sweet jumps afterwards! Looks like you have the repop trunk bin. How did you handle the evap container? I have mine safety wired to the original mount but is is very rinky dink. I'm sure I could eliminate it and go through the trunk floor but wondering if there's another way being used.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lisa.02P]

I'm a fan! Thanks for sharing your NYE adventure! Here's to a Happy 2016 to you and your family!

[jgerock]

When are you coming to California? .

 

Early AM flight this Tuesday to SD then heading back home Friday morning.  I'm travelling with my customer (who has a rental car) but we will be in Tijuana for work. No rest for the weary on this trip.  I've got to schedule a non-working trip out West this year...