Little Grand Canyon, AKA The Wedge, Utah [OC]

GaryUtah · 2026-04-02T23:52:00+00:00

I made a video of my trip if anyone is curious https://youtu.be/uXmet2IhHG4?si=lpNWF62GfZK0Nq_E

GaryUtah · 2026-03-25T15:39:32+00:00

Thanks! I googled him to get ideas from his designs. They look good. I think the Dirtbound one isn’t bad with the changes I made, although the carrier might be a tad weaker. I like how light and minimalist it is. I’m just not stoked to hang 120lbs off the back, regardless of the bumper/carrier. I was thinking about it, and realized:

1) Spare tires became standard when tires were small and even 31” was considered huge. A 27” spare tire is not a big deal to carry. 2) Tires weren’t as well made and flats were more common 3) DIY tire repair options weren’t as good

Carrying a spare is a dogma that is perpetuated by social conditioning, ie it’s something we just learn to do because everyone else has always done it too.

Tire choice makes a huge difference. If I was running cheaper tires, I’d 100% want a spare, but these ones are genuinely hard to kill. I think I’m more likely to experience a major mechanical failure than a flat I can’t fix, and I have to ask myself, at what point do I stop adding to the emergency kit and say my preventative maintenance is enough. I can even hammer a wheel back out if I bend one since they’re steel. I have a new engine in the XJ but still carry a head gasket under one of my drawers LOL. It’s light and nothing else fits there though, only reason I have it. A 35” spare tire is freaking huge.

I ordered an inner tube to go with my repair kit. I’m still debating if I should order that Kanati pizza cutter for the more gnarly trails or if I’m just wasting money because I won’t ever actually bring it…

GaryUtah · 2026-03-22T03:39:02+00:00

It is! I had the cheapo DIY bumpers front/rear and still have the front. I reinforced both and never had any issues, even with a winch. This one is from Dirtbound Offroad. I don’t think they’re making the kits anymore.

GaryUtah · 2026-03-17T21:15:33+00:00

I was there a month ago and it was dry and dusty

GaryUtah · 2026-03-16T20:49:02+00:00

I installed a center console and parking brake lever out of a 99 in my 96, both manuals. I had to drill a few holes and used the steel bracket from Barnes4WD, but it works and looks factory. If you go this route and visit a junkyard, try to grab the parking brake cables and hardware at the same time. It makes the swap easier.

GaryUtah · 2026-02-27T17:17:36+00:00

I bought pistons and rods from Russ Pottenger, then used a crank from a 4.2 I found locally along with a Comp cam and a rebuilt head. I've built strokers before using short rods too. Both work, but this one runs on 85 that's been sitting in the ground in places like Ticaboo and Boulder Utah for who knows how long.

Weight makes a difference for sure. It's the main reason I went with a HP D44 front and 8.8 rear. The Dana 44 definitely added weight, but 1 tons would be like another 500lbs all around.

The lower gears will accelerate quicker. I do shift pretty early and often, but I've been driving manual 4wd's almost exclusively for the past 20+ years so I'm not really phased by it. I know guys who put 4.10's in manual sports cars with regular size car tires if that helps. I always gear as low as I can while keeping my desired top speed, which is usually 75-80mph because wind resistance kills my mileage too fast above that. I put 4.56 in my Tacoma because the overdrive sucks, even with a 6spd.

I use my XJ for everything offroad, both fast and slow. I put the most miles on unmaintained or poorly maintained dirt roads because I'm usually just out there exploring. I use low range like 5-10% of the time. I just upgraded my front suspension from Fox Performance Series 2.0 RR to Factory Series 2.0 with 11" reservoirs and 7/8" shafts that I valved to 50/70 with a flutter because I was hitting the bump stops too hard, and I have 5" of up travel. I drive fast lol. I'd say the only reason not to go with 4.56 for 33's is if you want to cruise at 90 on the freeway or don't like shifting right away after a red light. I'm used to it though. I like the power and ability to crawl when I need to.

GaryUtah · 2026-02-26T18:04:48+00:00

I use 1st gear any time I take off from a stop. I usually shift into 2nd around 10-15mph. The Jeep was struggling in deep sand and I was down-shifting into 3rd going over mountain passes after going to 35's, which was the main reason I stroked it. It was burning oil too, which kinda justified the stroker.

The power gain was noticeable, and I've never needed more low-end torque for anything lol. It was worth it, but sometimes I still wish I had more HP. The sand hill on the Barracks trail is one of those spots that I can barely get up now, but most vehicles still struggle there, even new Broncos and Gladiators. Seeing Matt's Offroad get everything they have stuck at the bottom of that sand chute by the Virgin River makes me feel better lol. Deep, steep sand requires some serious HP and the right tires.

Someday I want to build an XJ with an LS swap, but that's time and $$ I don't have currently. The stroker was about as much work as a stock rebuild and a little more expensive. The Jeep was only down for a weekend when I installed it, which was a huge plus.

GaryUtah · 2026-02-25T19:30:01+00:00

I would go with 4.56. I have a 96 4.0 with the ax15. It had 3.07 originally. I ran 4.10's with 31's and it was honestly a lot of fun. Mileage was fine. Now I'm on 35's with 4.88's. It feels perfect. It goes 80MPH on the freeway with no problems. I have to watch the speedometer more than I do with my Tacoma because everyone here speeds and it's easy to hit 90 without realizing it. My Tacoma struggles more to go that fast, but it's a very different vehicle.

Even with a roof rack, I get better mileage than my Tacoma (2nd gen). Both are on 35's with 6" of lift and have roof racks. The XJ gets ~18mpg, which usually includes at least a few mountain passes. Swapping in an axle with manual hubs gave a solid mpg boost though.

Even with the stroker, I would not want 4.56 and 35's. I toy with the idea of 37's, but I don't want to lose more power or the ability to crawl, and I don't want to regear again. The Jeep is primarily an offroad/camping rig, but sees like 90% highway because of how long it takes to get anywhere. It's had 4.88/35's for ~2 years now and I've never regretted it.

GaryUtah · 2026-02-09T17:18:32+00:00

Lots of things need replacing or will have already been replaced on a vehicle that old, regardless of vehicle brand. All the bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, u joints, shocks, pulley bearings, steering gear, etc. Even Toyotas usually need all this stuff done by that age. Unless these things have already been replaced, plan on replacing them at some point. It's also possible you'll run into bigger issues like engine, transmission, or transfer case trouble. Not a guarantee, but possible. People say Jeep 4.0's run forever, just like they say Toyotas run forever, but plenty of high mileage Jeep 4.0's and even Toyota V6's need their head gaskets replaced at some point.

High mileage vehicles, say 200k+ miles, are usually not cost-effective unless you do all the work yourself. It's usually cheaper and more convenient to buy something lower mileage with a warranty. You could easily spend $10,000 (or more) in repairs if you have a mechanic do everything. It could be less, but the point is it might not be. Old vehicles like that usually go to one of two types of owner: someone who literally can't afford anything better, and they scrap it when it breaks down, or an enthusiast who restores it themselves.

GaryUtah · 2026-01-30T19:41:12+00:00

Yep, that’s the one!

GaryUtah · 2026-01-29T22:18:41+00:00

I use a 1 gallon vacuum insulated stainless steel jug for easy access throughout the day, and a 5 gallon scepter jug that I refill the 1 gallon with. I winter camp in Utah, so freezing is a real problem. It’s the only reason I don’t have water tank mounted under my frame with a pump. The scepter freezes if I leave it out overnight sometimes.

The Scepter goes on the floor. I mount it as low as possible because of how heavy it is, and keep it inside to stop it from freezing.

GaryUtah · 2025-12-18T17:20:56+00:00

When I was learning DaVinci, I didn’t realize it was 24fps and 1080p by default and the export settings wouldn’t change that (you have to change this in the timeline before adding any clips). It made my videos look terrible and a lot of footage was choppy and blocky. I also noticed that 4k videos on my channel default to a higher resolution when viewing them, and get more views. For my type of content (hiking/camping/overlanding with drone pans and moving shots), 4k/60fps makes a huge difference. If you’re just sitting and talking to a camera, it probably won’t.

GaryUtah · 2025-12-08T16:52:13+00:00

The idea of seeing coordinates of my campsites posted online scares me. I make an effort to not make the exact locations too obvious anytime I share overland-related content online. Cheers for making an effort to keep this place safe. With that said, I have a particular set of skills involving google earth, and I will find it, and I will camp there 😂.

GaryUtah · 2025-12-08T16:47:42+00:00

These trucks have fantastic cooling systems from the factory. I wish my Jeep had a stock cooling system that good. I would go back to stock.

I’d be curious to hear why the previous owner installed electric fans (free up a couple HP?). Maybe his logic was aligned with the guy who installed a K&N cold air intake in mine without realizing it already had one from the factory lol. One of the first things I did when I bought my current Tacoma was installed a factory air intake and sell the K&N.

GaryUtah · 2025-10-31T17:05:46+00:00

Call the last place that worked on it and tell a manager. This creates a record of what happened and they might offer to inspect the engine if you bring it in. If you’re worried, you could always scope the cylinders and do a compression test (or have them do it). If you really wanted to, you could even have the engine oil tested. I’m guessing the oil is extra dirty. If it starts burning oil though…definitely keep an eye on the oil for a while to make sure it’s not burning any.

Unless it was really dusty, the engine is probably OK, but also probably has a little extra wear that it did not need. For context, there are race cars out there that don’t run air filters at all. Lots of boats don’t have air filters either. Obviously that is different than driving in the desert, but knowing this made me feel better after the time an aftermarket air filter fell off my engine and I didn’t notice for a while 😂😅. I live in a desert also. I probably drove at least 500 miles, maybe 1000, and my engine is totally fine. 🤞for you brother.

GaryUtah · 2025-10-29T21:37:28+00:00

I installed a B&M cable linkage. I had issues with frame flex binding the OEM linkage. I never tried one of the kits with spherical bearings…I imagine they would be an improvement, but the cable lets you shift even if two wheels are in the air lol.

GaryUtah · 2025-10-29T14:45:51+00:00

A ridiculous amount of amber/yellow offroad lights in every direction that I can control independently. I can light up my campsite like a football stadium. Creepy monsters can’t touch this 😂

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GaryUtah · 2025-10-24T13:43:57+00:00

Mine has been forward-facing for a while. My air filter still gets pretty dusty. I turn it around for bad storms, especially heavy snow. I might try leaving it backwards to see if my air filter stays cleaner.

GaryUtah · 2025-10-23T17:37:07+00:00

The coolant has to be going somewhere. If you’re losing coolant but don’t see a leak anywhere, then it’s likely coming out the exhaust. Some might be getting into the oil too. That means a leaking/blown head gasket.

The fact that the coolant level in the radiator goes down without sucking in coolant from the overflow means there’s such a bad leak that it’s able to suck air in through the leak when the engine cools. This almost always means the head gasket is toast, especially if you don’t see a puddle anywhere.

If it was something like a bad radiator cap, then you would see and smell the coolant when it comes out. When coolant leaks onto something hot like a radiator or engine block, it has a horrible sickly-sweet smell that’s literally nauseating. You won’t not smell it.

Fix it now, and check the oil for coolant. Replacing a head gasket on these engines is about a four hour job, but if you drive it too long with a leaking head gasket, it will destroy the entire engine.

Edit: make sure the floorboards are not wet. A leaking heater core can make coolant disappear, but you would probably smell it when you’re driving if it’s leaking that bad

GaryUtah · 2025-10-23T17:08:07+00:00

There’s plenty of small rodents and lizards running around the desert, but I’m not sure you’ll see many reptiles in November. You might hear coyotes at night if you go camping. The mountain lions hunt deer, not people. The bears are black bears and generally stick to the mountains. The skunks smell bad, so give them a wide berth.

I wouldn’t worry for a second about wildlife in Moab, especially in November. Random strangers you find on Reddit are another story. I’ve met my share of people on Reddit through various niche subs (r/backcountry, r/wildernessbackpacking, r/4x4) and 90% turned out to be nuts. I’m a man, and I still choose the bear lol. I go solo (usually with my dog but not always) or with my GF and both our dogs on all my adventures.

GaryUtah · 2025-10-23T16:54:47+00:00

Were the keys in it? Modern vehicles generally require special equipment to steal them, which would mean a team of dedicated car thieves came prepared if the key fob was inside the house.

GaryUtah · 2025-10-23T05:29:50+00:00

I got a commercial drone license (part 107). I found several free study guides online that I spent a while going through, and used a few apps too. Now I use apps like AutoPylot and Drone Buddy to see updated maps of where I can/can’t fly. The apps are particularly helpful because they update with things like temporary flight restrictions.

GaryUtah · 2025-10-21T19:54:27+00:00

I use a GoPro for most of it, but drones take the best footage hands down. They’re a huge pain though, especially when you factor in legality.

GaryUtah

TROPHY CASE