Foster Falls, Coalmont OHV TN trip report, my 3z Baja Mickey Thompson MTs and broken axle woes.

[Valhalla]

David and I stopped by Foster Falls on the way to Coalmont TN to run the Coalmont OHV area. We were going with a fixture of the Chattanooga Offroad community for over 20 years. Ken had several people coming. A mixture of Jeeps of all sorts various Toyotas two side by sides and one lone Bronco.

We took a while to get sorted to head out. I had decided to give my street adventure tires a trial run as it had been dry enough that this drainage area to the Sequatchie River had not had much rain in weeks.

I did not have to air the D rated radial 37x12.5 down nearly as low as I do the E rated 37x12 swampers.

I was running 3 from the back out of what I think was 19 vehicles. I was not paying enough attention on a steep downhill as we started to pile up on the first obstacle of what Ken swore, he planned as an "easy run". The left front dove into a hole as the left rear climbed. The resulting tilt lifted the right rear what the razor behind me swore was at least 6 feet. I was barely able to keep my foot from stabbing the brake. The razor driver asked me if I doo'dooed myself. I retorted with scares like that you don't need coffee.

The pictures do not do the hill justice that we boxed up at next, we had a beautiful view At the top of that hill.

We found several rocky hill climbs and decents to where we crossed a fairly dry creek bed. A couple of miles of twist and turns and we were to a rock playground.

This area when it is raining is 3 creeks converging to a larger creek. When it is as dry, as we have been lately, it has almost no water.

I was trying for a revenge run where I had been on a stair stepped 4-foot water fall about a year ago. I walked myself to a line that I had to winch out of to prevent severe body damage. I felt froggy as the Mickey T's had been hooking up great on the rocks.

I chose a line and with David spotting decided to back off of that. I tried one beside it that better accommodated the rear control arms clearance issues. After some turning and working I got into what seemed to be a pretty good spot.

David came to me to let me know to make it all I needed was a little "bump'. I backed up about a foot felt triumph within my grasp as for a split second the front started to rise... That is the moment I heard the dreaded sound like a hammer hitting a solidly mounted anvil. I knew I'd broke an axle.

We started inspecting it and nothing was loose, nothing was out of place, and all seemed okay. I cautiously eased back into it. Locked all around it seemed to be pulling. I decided to save it if it wasn't broke and backed off of the waterfall. I climbed up a more user-friendly creek to my left. As I was going up, I saw that the drivers front was no longer pulling. It turned out I had exploded the axle end inside the clamshell pumpkin. I limped it home as this was the rare occasion that I did not bring the trailer.

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[Valhalla]

The easier side.

Me trying to get up the easier side after the break.

Winching to David after the break as it wouldn't pull up the easy side.

 

[Snacktime]

You able to fish out the broken stub or are you splitting the front diff?

 

[NORCALGXP]

I feel your pain i snaped both CVs and broke the axel tube. Up graded to Ultimate Dana 44 housing and axles.

 

[Valhalla]

You able to fish out the broken stub or are you splitting the front diff?

I have not been able to fish it out yet, I removed the passenger side axle before heading to work this afternoon. I will pull the FDU hopefully tomorrow.

 

[Valhalla]

I feel your pain i snaped both CVs and broke the axel tube. Up graded to Ultimate Dana 44 housing and axles.

This will most likely end up being my route. I may go with a local axle builder.

 

[Valhalla]

broke the axel tube.

How did you break the tube? I assume a lot of wheel spin and sudden traction to do all of this!

 

[Felix808]

Great write up. Looked like a great trip until the opportunity to upgrade came along.
Thanks for sharing

 

[Valhalla]

Great write up. Looked like a great trip until the opportunity to upgrade came along.
Thanks for sharing

Yes'sir I will install these performance axles as I am at 2 axles in 2.5 years. I do still believe the turn brake was the cause of the first one. I have not used it since. I only used it three times.

The Ultimate FDU is in my future, although I don't know that @BigMeatsBronco wasn't right with custom building a front 60.

 

[Valhalla]

BTW, this is the obstacle I was trying to get up. As always pictures don't do it justice. The one's of David's Jeep is the side i was trying this weekend. (this was my last attempt in 2023)

 

[NORCALGXP]

How did you break the tube? I assume a lot of wheel spin and sudden traction to do all of this!

Yes, that's exactly what happened. My own fault should have lifted off the throttle. Running Hells Gate Moab.

 

[Fordified1]

David and I stopped by Foster Falls on the way to Coalmont TN to run the Coalmont OHV area. We were going with a fixture of the Chattanooga Offroad community for over 20 years. Ken had several people coming. A mixture of Jeeps of all sorts various Toyotas two side by sides and one lone Bronco.

We took a while to get sorted to head out. I had decided to give my street adventure tires a trial run as it had been dry enough that this drainage area to the Sequatchie River had not had much rain in weeks.

I did not have to air the D rated radial 37x12.5 down nearly as low as I do the E rated 37x12 swampers.

I was running 3 from the back out of what I think was 19 vehicles. I was not paying enough attention on a steep downhill as we started to pile up on the first obstacle of what Ken swore, he planned as an "easy run". The left front dove into a hole as the left rear climbed. The resulting tilt lifted the right rear what the razor behind me swore was at least 6 feet. I was barely able to keep my foot from stabbing the brake. The razor driver asked me if I doo'dooed myself. I retorted with scares like that you don't need coffee.

The pictures do not do the hill justice that we boxed up at next, we had a beautiful view At the top of that hill.

We found several rocky hill climbs and decents to where we crossed a fairly dry creek bed. A couple of miles of twist and turns and we were to a rock playground.

This area when it is raining is 3 creeks converging to a larger creek. When it is as dry, as we have been lately, it has almost no water.

I was trying for a revenge run where I had been on a stair stepped 4-foot water fall about a year ago. I walked myself to a line that I had to winch out of to prevent severe body damage. I felt froggy as the Mickey T's had been hooking up great on the rocks.

I chose a line and with David spotting decided to back off of that. I tried one beside it that better accommodated the rear control arms clearance issues. After some turning and working I got into what seemed to be a pretty good spot.

David came to me to let me know to make it all I needed was a little "bump'. I backed up about a foot felt triumph within my grasp as for a split second the front started to rise... That is the moment I heard the dreaded sound like a hammer hitting a solidly mounted anvil. I knew I'd broke an axle.

We started inspecting it and nothing was loose, nothing was out of place, and all seemed okay. I cautiously eased back into it. Locked all around it seemed to be pulling. I decided to save it if it wasn't broke and backed off of the waterfall. I climbed up a more user-friendly creek to my left. As I was going up, I saw that the drivers front was no longer pulling. It turned out I had exploded the axle end inside the clamshell pumpkin. I limped it home as this was the rare occasion that I did not bring the trailer.

So are y’all saying to skip the 210 and go with an ultimate when upgrading from a 190? (some of you may know I already shucked the teeth off a 190 ring gear).

I wheel with Jeep people and they almost expect me to break something every time we go out…. It’s embarrassing. Though it’s been my fault. Who doesn’t make minor mistakes when wheeling ? The driveline should be able to take minor abuse.

 

[Mirage]

Wife and I went to Coalmont a couple years ago and it was a nightmare! It's a nice park, don't get me wrong, but our experience wasn't.

We were in my 2dr JK Rubicon, on almost worn out 35" Patagonia's. We were the lowest ground clearance Jeep in the group of 5 that went, a JK and a JT were on new 37's and the husband/wife 2 JK's were on 42's, with 5.12 gears! We are the 2nd one from the left, it's looks so tiny in this pic... :/

We did not have a fun time at all.... Then, to make things much worse, a random pop-up thunderstorm hit us in the middle of a steep incline, that I was already bottoming out on... I've never gotten stuck on anything since I started offroading in 2014, until that day at Coalmont.... It was so bad, that we really didn't want to go again...

However, the 2 Bronco's we have are way more capable than our JKR was, but after just replacing the drivers side front axle, I don't know if I'll ever do anything more than just easy offroading from now on, but at least we do take ours to offroad parks occasionally

 

[Valhalla]

So are y’all saying to skip the 210 and go with an ultimate when upgrading from a 190? (some of you may know I already shucked the teeth off a 190 ring gear).

I wheel with Jeep people and they almost expect me to break something every time we go out…. It’s embarrassing. Though it’s been my fault. Who doesn’t make minor mistakes when wheeling ? The driveline should be able to take minor abuse.

What model tires and lift are you running.
On a scale of 1(forest road) to 10 (things rockbiuncers and moonbugies do) are you running. I think the 210is fune on 35s for 6-6.5 trails.

 

[Fordified1]

What model tires and lift are you running.
On a scale of 1(forest road) to 10 (things rockbiuncers and moonbugies do) are you running. I think the 210is fune on 35s for 6-6.5 trails.

I’m on 35’s going to 37’s this winter. Eibachs 2.0’s now. Adding a small body lift and cutting the crash stubs off at that time. Probably won’t do anything beyond a 6. I still need to upgrade the steering also.

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