I did something stupid. I did not torque my steering arms before Rubithon because I was in a rush. I didn't check them on the trail, and when I had a bad vibration on the way home, I couldn't find the cause but didn't check the steering arms.

The nuts holding the passenger side steering arm (Extreme Gear high-steer) came loose and three of the studs sheared on the trail. The fourth sheared in Petaluma on the way to the swap meet. Lives were in danger. Two different $240 swampers were made unsafe and useless when the TRE plowed a 3/8" furrow on the inner sidewall - down to the casings. The top knuckle bearing was destroyed, with fragments down inside the knuckle. The axle tube seal, and a top shim were toast too.

If I'd caught it in time I could have torqued them, or I could have removed the studs in place and replaced them. I could have found the damage to the tire and lost only one. Instead I had to take the knuckle off, buy a front rebuild kit to replace the stuff I'd destroyed. I destroyed two tires by swapping one furrowed tire out for a good one unknowingly, around after I got home from Rubithon. And like I said the lives of family and friends were in danger.

Check your stuff! Don't be an idiot like me. I'm glad I learned the easy way.

Morgan

Morgan, thanks for sharing!

I truly believe in a thorough "Pre-Flight" of my junk before I hit the trail maily due to doing similar things as you describe.

My pre-flight includes:

Re-torque steering arms
Check all Driveshaft bolts and ujoints
Ubolts on springs
Shackle Bolts
Hub Bolts
Fluid and belt check

I do this EVERY day of wheeling. THis little bit of preventative maintenance ensures me more "stick" time versus "wrench" time.

I have tons of wrench time and very little "stick" time!

Before I got into the habit of doing this, I let my Ubolts get loose and sheared a leaf pack bolt, I had a hub fall off and I pulled a double steering arm out of a knuckle.

Hence, the above things I look at!

Morgan,
Damn man, did it happen on the freeway?! Hope everyone is OK and not afraid to ride in the cruiser now!
I had a similar experience last year after a weekend on Fordyce and Rubicon. I noticed the loose steering arm after I aired up and was heading out Wentworth Springs. I had sheered three of the four studs. Luckily, Complaine had packed a spare knuckle otherwise I would have been screwed. I always check U-bolts, driveshafts and steering arms jbefore each run ust as Nolen said but after two hard days on the trail, I think the nuts had loosened up just enough.
Now I check everything again during a hard days wheeling, I've installed the steering arm nuts with a little locktight and I carry a spare knuckle under the back seat.

When I pulled the disc brake setup from the Lj70 at the local 4x4 shop, I noticed that the bolts were missing on the tie rod end.

The mechanic had picked up the truck and drove +200 miles with it, without the bolts!! Needless to say next time he picked up a truck he check's and double check's all essential nut's and bolts on it!!

Imagine what disaster it would of been when the tie rod arm, steering arms,.. came loose on the highway at 120 km/h.

Christof

Checked my nuts this morning, they are still hanging in there :D

On a more serious note, I almost did some serious damage to my transfer case due to loose axle U-Bolts. My axle started shifting fore and aft and sheared the pins in the spring packs.

I noticed somthing wierd with the steering a few weeks prior when I was out on the Rubicon. I started checking things like the steering arms, tie rods etc. I simply didn't suspect that the U-bolts had come loose. Could have been real bad, but we caught it in time.

Damn! The exact same thing happened to me just this past Saturday on the 'Con. Just going down the slabs after Spider Lake, I sheared off all four studs on my passenger side high-steer. Welding the high-steer arm to the knuckle got me all the way thru to Tahoe side, but now my knuckle & innards are toast.

Everything was tight when I left from Spider. Didn't abuse it too much, not really sure what happened...

just checked my nuts; doing good!:flipoff2:

Originally posted by Reddog
Checked my nuts this morning, they are still hanging in there :D

On a more serious note, I almost did some serious damage to my transfer case due to loose axle U-Bolts. My axle started shifting fore and aft and sheared the pins in the spring packs.

I noticed somthing wierd with the steering a few weeks prior when I was out on the Rubicon. I started checking things like the steering arms, tie rods etc. I simply didn't suspect that the U-bolts had come loose. Could have been real bad, but we caught it in time.

Double steering arms are the most vulnerable for coming loose on the trail.

Glad to hear you all were unhurt.

TJK

Good advice, Nolen. Printed and added to my pre-crawl list pasted to the glove box door.

TJK