Yeah I should pick one and start using it. I just really didn't want to add another monthly subscription.
Awesome! Sounds like you had a great time!Two days ago, I thought It would be a great idea for the Bronco and I to do what every Bronco owner should do and visit the sacred Bronco Knoll. I got up saturday morning at 4:30am and made my way to Johnson Valley, where a few surprises awaited me.
I wasn't familiar with the Johnson Valley area but thanks to the video by @Chase Gentry showing the christening of this location and the map provided by @Torgsurv and his towering cairn, I was able to find my way up.
I followed the transmission lines
I had three choices according to this ancient map.
Being a beginner, and alone, the green line looked great to me.
I was also testing a new setup using packouts, I wanted to see how they held up off-road with all the movement.
But once I got there, something came over me.. it must have been the ancient Bronco spirits pressing me to do the tougher line.
I pressed some buttons and turned some knobs and made it up the steeper 35% degree first section of A.
What I didn't realize was, there was another section just after it with loose rocks and what seemed to me a steeper ascent. I nearly shit myself.
No way to turn back. I pressed more of the buttons and made my way up. Mid way, I lost traction and felt digging. I stopped, pulled my parking brake, which was actually my hood.. then I pulled the parking brake, got out .. felt the truck a little tippy. Nervously I closed my hood, got back in carefully and just gassed it, lightly, and made it up.
Here is a video of my arrival at the site.
Once I got there I quickly noticed the the Bronco mage's (@Torgsurv ) cairn, the Bronco spirit guiding stone, and also the Bronco Nation ad. I knew I was in the right place.
I sat here for about 1.5 hours, meditating on which bronco trim is the best , and how to remedy my window rattle.
All while drinking my luke warm dunkin donuts coffee and smoking a cheap cigar.
Just then, it occurred to me I need to eventually get off this knoll. I hadn't planned that far ahead.
But precisely as I was having this thought, in the distance I noticed two un-mistakable boxy shapes.
More pilgrims on their way to visit this site? or the Bronco spirits sending me guides?
Here they are arriving at the site.
We introduce ourselves and they suggested I join them for a little off-road action. I happily obliged. Who am I to deny guides sent by the Bronco spirit.
We then went through several trails, meandering our way about. Many pucker moments for me, but it was nice watching rigs complete the challenges before my attempt.
We got to a point where we had to make a decision to take the long way back down or turn back the way we came. We decided to turn back and found a suitable trail down to the dry flat bed. One of the fellas suggested we setup a time trials course and so we did.
Fun day out and I recommend it to anyone who is considering it. Took me about half day.
I'm also grateful to the two Bronco owners I met yesterday. I would never have gone down those additional trails and gained the experience had they not been around. Cheers Bronco community.
Generally speaking (not just Bronco-related), I've been more impressed than I ever expected to be with electronic parking brakes.
I can tell you one thing I don't like with the electronic brakes booster is if there is a brake leak at any of the wheels, the electronics will keep firing the brakes until the master cylinder runs dry or the battery runs dead if the brakes are touched. There is also no separation in the master cylinder like days of old where the front reservoir was separate from the rears so you will loose all braking powerGenerally speaking (not just Bronco-related), I've been more impressed than I ever expected to be with electronic parking brakes.
Apparently these systems can also analyze the angle of the car and other factors. Basically, computers take the place of your brain in analyzing how hard they need to apply the brakes. This may be important because if you get really fancy you don't want to clamp down too hard on a super hot brake disk. Possibly even varying pressure as temps change. Not sure if any/all of that is done on the Bronco or not.
I have heard (online) that other cars also have super fancy systems that have separate calipers for this reason, so the hot calipers are not used as a dual function of electronic parking brakes, including the varying pressure thing
But I'm an EE, so you can't take my word on anything mechanical, maybe I'm making this all up.
. Found this out by mistake when being jug headed I went to hold the brakes to shift into neutral when the caliper was off
A group led by Trail Milita and AC Fab…. You gotta follow them and Join us in the next one. 3 Braptors showed up and a 37” F150 Raptor also.
Found em on insta. Thanks for the heads up.A group led by Trail Milita and AC Fab…. You gotta follow them and Join us in the next one. 3 Braptors showed up and a 37” F150 Raptor also.
In our group there was some Non-Sas… they did great!
The cactus grey was non SAS and he did just fine. Few places we didn't attempt because he was worried about clearance, but it wasn't that big of an issue.
