Nice! Time for a PML!

Just figured I'd follow up with you guys.

During ECXC last July, in a wonderful display of my driving skill, I managed to slam the front of the truck down so hard off an obstacle it forced the line connecting the passenger side coil over/shock to its reservoir to hit the fender well snapping it, spilling the pressurized fluid and dropping that side of the truck.
I was able to limp the truck off the trail and to a parking area where my friends Dave (Bandit4x4) and Joe helped access the damage and plan a fix.



Dave was able to find a local hydraulic shop where they crafted a new line and supplied new fluid (sorry I don't remember the name of the shop).

Joe was able to access the correct specs needed to rebuild the shock from "FOX" and measure fluid using an animal feeding syringe from a local Tractor Supply.

We installed the rebuilt coil over, I wheeled the rest of the event, a few times after that and daily drove her until the fire in September.

Our friend, Chris (botto bro) saw the rip in the metal as he helped me strip poor old "Bklyn.X" last month before I junked her, "...here's the cause".

Apparently the top of the shock hoop tore through the sheet metal wheel well and started sawing through the wiring harness. I was told that the "alarm" runs through that and therefore "on" when the truck is locked. It finally grounded out and caught fire.

Also discovered while pulling parts from the X was a "Calmini Control Arm" fail:


This is a weld failure on the upper front bushing that, if the other side failed, would be catastrophic.

If I believed in such things I could look at the fire as a "good thing" since discovering this failure at this point might have saved my life...on the other hand I can honestly say that truck saved my life many times...

Anyways I preferred my "rats must have eaten the wire" fire theory to the reality of my ineptitude, never bothering to look up into the wheel well or under the Volant air box to check for damage, as the cause but what can I do but admit my failure and move forward with the hope of sparing any of you similar misfortune by making the same mistake.


I've been slowly installing simple things from the X to the Fronty:

Kenwood DDX371 Head Unit, speakers and sub:



SmittyBilt G.E.A.R. Seat Covers:



Wolfbox G930 4K 10” Rear View Mirror Camera;



...plus a few other stupid mods.
Also cleaning/prepping for some time in the future...eg;





etc.
Thanks for looking!

I’m forever impressed when you guys fix it & continue wheeling!! Amazing.

Thanks for the update Tom. Good info for the rest of us.


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Nice, Tom. Mods are looking good. I like that rearview mirror!