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7/13/1997
Well, it finally happened. I went three (and two) wheeling.. in my Scout! Julie and I were killing some time this Sunday evening, and decided to go play in the hills.. we took a trail that was one street down from others we've been on (in Helena, if you drive to the south side of town, there are dirt trails at the end of nearly every street!). Well, we had just started off the pavement, when a nice ascent presented itself.. so I started charging right on up. This is all in my 1977 Scout II, complete with a 3spd, Dana 20, 4.11 gears (Track-lok rear), stock 235/75R15 tires. Anyhow, we were zipping on up the hill in 1st gear 2wd, doing just fine.. then the terrain got very rough, bumpy, and steep, along with a run-off formed mini-crevice on the left side of the narrow trail. Well, as always, the little 196 4cyl just couldn't keep us going, so we stalled (or almost stalled?) about 2/3 of the way up the trail. No problem. I reach down to slip into 4-lo. I try giving 'er some gas, and succeed in smoking the two rear tires (Track-loked!) in the soft sandy dirt. Julie then got out to lock the hubs for me. About this time we noticed the truck tipping just a bit.. she gasped as she realized where I was.. not on the trall, but with one rear wheel sitting over the foot wide, foot deep, crevice. Gas it again, no dice. What followed was about 15 minutes of "fun".. Julie was convinced I was going to roll over and down the hill (yet she still asks, "Do you really *need* a front cage??"). I was having fun, nervous, but having fun. I kept wanting to get out to see my articulation and such, but every time I opened the door and started to get out, the truck would teeter downhill.. (I was on the uphill side). Eventually, by throttleing forward to the right, backup up over the crevice, forward again, back. I managed to get out. It all ended with downhill (pass) rear tire on the other side of the crevice, and the driver's wheel out in the air. I goosed it, and the rear Track-lok locked up, senidng my little Scout bolting forward, the factor step bumper took some of the far side of the crevice as the rear end sank into the hole, then the bumper proceeded to scrape more off as the rear end rebounded up and out of the ditch. Julie claims a good chunk of dirt fell out of the bumper after I stopped. We then climbed back in, and took a different trail, vowing to return when Julie was feeling a bit better.. and a lot less scared!
Of course, I thought it was great fun. I did get out once, and saw my driver's rear wheel stuffed into the fender, with less than an inch to the bolts that still protrude from the roll-bar legs. I also noticed that the little mud/snuw 235/75R15 retreads kinda bulged a bit on the side (I didn't air down). Full compression. The other side was the opposite, showing me what full droop was like on a stock Scout. I was also made a true believer in *some* type of traction device on at least one axle. This was my first time on two wheels, "crossed up," and it was interesting. I'm rather proud of my little 4-banger Scout II, but I certainly am thinking a lot more about a dual Transfer case for more grunt. I'll also be sure to lockup and gear down before any mild wheelin' on unknown trails. The 4cyl with 4.11s just doesn't have the grunt to power up long or steep hills in high range. It tries though..
-Tom Mandera, Helena MT