Whats everyone’s worst mechanical breakdown, stuck or just plain lost story while out RZR’ing? I had a breakdown this weekend that got me thinking about how bad a situation I could’ve gotten into.
We were about 10 miles out of the staging area doing a bit of snow riding when a rear caliper bolt backed out and let the caliper drop down. It got wedged into the wheel and split the whole wheel in half! I had stopped carrying my spare over the summer since it seemed like I could patch every hole we would get and the rear tire carrier is a PIA to use. Dumb mistake…wont do that again. So after 5 minutes of option weighing, I ended up deciding to leave it out on the trail…nothing else i could have done to get it rolling again and we were running out of daylight. It amazing how uncomfortable that makes people when you tell them your leaving your $30k RZR in the woods! 🙂
There were 4 RZR 800’s, 1 Wildcat and my 1000, all of which were full of riders and gear. Myself and my passenger had to cram into an 800 and the Wildcat to get back out to the staging area. We still had a couple good climbs and muddy/snowy trails to get through so it was an interesting ride back to say the least not to mention damn cold riding in the back of an exposed Wildcat. When I got back to the staging area and didnt have anything to load up, i started to kinda feel bad for the RZR. Felt like i was leaving my dog out alone in the woods at night! Drove the hour back home and started to think about what I’d need to get my RZR back.
The next morning, I put together a retrieval mission with a buddy. Grabbed my spare tire, spare lugs, tool kit, jack and everything else i could think of to get it back up and running. We drove all the way back out to the staging area and loaded his 800 up and went hunting. Found it just where i left it (surprise). We did a quick inspection now that we could see it in the light hoping that nothing else was too buggered to prevent us getting it back on the trail but everything appeared to be ok. I jacked it up a bit more and mounted the spare tire…for the first time since purchasing it. Another dumb move on my part. Word to the wise…test your spare if its a different rim than your stock ones. Mine was the right rim and tire but the stock lug nuts are too short and thick to be able to get a good grip on them with a socket. At this point i just wanted to get the thing back on the trailer and in my garage so i finger tightened the lug nuts and best as i could and said fook it…jumped in and started to drive very slowly and carefully home with a finger tightened wheel in the back.
Surprisingly, everything stayed together for the 10 miles back through the mud and up the hills. We stopped every so often and did a quick finger-torque but managed to make it all the way back to the trailer where i loaded it uneventfully and its now propped up in my garage. Side note, a couple of the lug nuts are now tight enough that i CANT get them off and I cant get a wrench on them so I have to figure that out now…Oh joys of owning a RZR.
Thats my story and as i write this, i realize its not even that bad. I am sure that there are others out there who have had to call in the helicopter for a flight out or who have possibly even abandoned their machines. With the capability that these things have nowadays, we can get a long way out into the middle of nowhere so I am now trying to minimize the chances of this happening to me again.
Whats everyone’s worst mechanical breakdown, stuck or just plain lost story while out RZR’ing? I had a breakdown this weekend that got me thinking about how bad a situation I could’ve gotten into.
We were about 10 miles out of the staging area doing a bit of snow riding when a rear caliper bolt backed out and let the caliper drop down. It got wedged into the wheel and split the whole wheel in half! I had stopped carrying my spare over the summer since it seemed like I could patch every hole we would get and the rear tire carrier is a PIA to use. Dumb mistake…wont do that again. So after 5 minutes of option weighing, I ended up deciding to leave it out on the trail…nothing else i could have done to get it rolling again and we were running out of daylight. It amazing how uncomfortable that makes people when you tell them your leaving your $30k RZR in the woods! 🙂
There were 4 RZR 800’s, 1 Wildcat and my 1000, all of which were full of riders and gear. Myself and my passenger had to cram into an 800 and the Wildcat to get back out to the staging area. We still had a couple good climbs and muddy/snowy trails to get through so it was an interesting ride back to say the least not to mention damn cold riding in the back of an exposed Wildcat. When I got back to the staging area and didnt have anything to load up, i started to kinda feel bad for the RZR. Felt like i was leaving my dog out alone in the woods at night! Drove the hour back home and started to think about what I’d need to get my RZR back.
The next morning, I put together a retrieval mission with a buddy. Grabbed my spare tire, spare lugs, tool kit, jack and everything else i could think of to get it back up and running. We drove all the way back out to the staging area and loaded his 800 up and went hunting. Found it just where i left it (surprise). We did a quick inspection now that we could see it in the light hoping that nothing else was too buggered to prevent us getting it back on the trail but everything appeared to be ok. I jacked it up a bit more and mounted the spare tire…for the first time since purchasing it. Another dumb move on my part. Word to the wise…test your spare if its a different rim than your stock ones. Mine was the right rim and tire but the stock lug nuts are too short and thick to be able to get a good grip on them with a socket. At this point i just wanted to get the thing back on the trailer and in my garage so i finger tightened the lug nuts and best as i could and said fook it…jumped in and started to drive very slowly and carefully home with a finger tightened wheel in the back.
Surprisingly, everything stayed together for the 10 miles back through the mud and up the hills. We stopped every so often and did a quick finger-torque but managed to make it all the way back to the trailer where i loaded it uneventfully and its now propped up in my garage. Side note, a couple of the lug nuts are now tight enough that i CANT get them off and I cant get a wrench on them so I have to figure that out now…Oh joys of owning a RZR.
Thats my story and as i write this, i realize its not even that bad. I am sure that there are others out there who have had to call in the helicopter for a flight out or who have possibly even abandoned their machines. With the capability that these things have nowadays, we can get a long way out into the middle of nowhere so I am now trying to minimize the chances of this happening to me again.
Whats everyone’s worst mechanical breakdown, stuck or just plain lost story while out RZR’ing? I had a breakdown this weekend that got me thinking about how bad a situation I could’ve gotten into.
We were about 10 miles out of the staging area doing a bit of snow riding when a rear caliper bolt backed out and let the caliper drop down. It got wedged into the wheel and split the whole wheel in half! I had stopped carrying my spare over the summer since it seemed like I could patch every hole we would get and the rear tire carrier is a PIA to use. Dumb mistake…wont do that again. So after 5 minutes of option weighing, I ended up deciding to leave it out on the trail…nothing else i could have done to get it rolling again and we were running out of daylight. It amazing how uncomfortable that makes people when you tell them your leaving your $30k RZR in the woods! 🙂
There were 4 RZR 800’s, 1 Wildcat and my 1000, all of which were full of riders and gear. Myself and my passenger had to cram into an 800 and the Wildcat to get back out to the staging area. We still had a couple good climbs and muddy/snowy trails to get through so it was an interesting ride back to say the least not to mention damn cold riding in the back of an exposed Wildcat. When I got back to the staging area and didnt have anything to load up, i started to kinda feel bad for the RZR. Felt like i was leaving my dog out alone in the woods at night! Drove the hour back home and started to think about what I’d need to get my RZR back.
The next morning, I put together a retrieval mission with a buddy. Grabbed my spare tire, spare lugs, tool kit, jack and everything else i could think of to get it back up and running. We drove all the way back out to the staging area and loaded his 800 up and went hunting. Found it just where i left it (surprise). We did a quick inspection now that we could see it in the light hoping that nothing else was too buggered to prevent us getting it back on the trail but everything appeared to be ok. I jacked it up a bit more and mounted the spare tire…for the first time since purchasing it. Another dumb move on my part. Word to the wise…test your spare if its a different rim than your stock ones. Mine was the right rim and tire but the stock lug nuts are too short and thick to be able to get a good grip on them with a socket. At this point i just wanted to get the thing back on the trailer and in my garage so i finger tightened the lug nuts and best as i could and said fook it…jumped in and started to drive very slowly and carefully home with a finger tightened wheel in the back.
Surprisingly, everything stayed together for the 10 miles back through the mud and up the hills. We stopped every so often and did a quick finger-torque but managed to make it all the way back to the trailer where i loaded it uneventfully and its now propped up in my garage. Side note, a couple of the lug nuts are now tight enough that i CANT get them off and I cant get a wrench on them so I have to figure that out now…Oh joys of owning a RZR.
Thats my story and as i write this, i realize its not even that bad. I am sure that there are others out there who have had to call in the helicopter for a flight out or who have possibly even abandoned their machines. With the capability that these things have nowadays, we can get a long way out into the middle of nowhere so I am now trying to minimize the chances of this happening to me again.
Whats everyone’s worst mechanical breakdown, stuck or just plain lost story while out RZR’ing? I had a breakdown this weekend that got me thinking about how bad a situation I could’ve gotten into.
We were about 10 miles out of the staging area doing a bit of snow riding when a rear caliper bolt backed out and let the caliper drop down. It got wedged into the wheel and split the whole wheel in half! I had stopped carrying my spare over the summer since it seemed like I could patch every hole we would get and the rear tire carrier is a PIA to use. Dumb mistake…wont do that again. So after 5 minutes of option weighing, I ended up deciding to leave it out on the trail…nothing else i could have done to get it rolling again and we were running out of daylight. It amazing how uncomfortable that makes people when you tell them your leaving your $30k RZR in the woods! 🙂
There were 4 RZR 800’s, 1 Wildcat and my 1000, all of which were full of riders and gear. Myself and my passenger had to cram into an 800 and the Wildcat to get back out to the staging area. We still had a couple good climbs and muddy/snowy trails to get through so it was an interesting ride back to say the least not to mention damn cold riding in the back of an exposed Wildcat. When I got back to the staging area and didnt have anything to load up, i started to kinda feel bad for the RZR. Felt like i was leaving my dog out alone in the woods at night! Drove the hour back home and started to think about what I’d need to get my RZR back.
The next morning, I put together a retrieval mission with a buddy. Grabbed my spare tire, spare lugs, tool kit, jack and everything else i could think of to get it back up and running. We drove all the way back out to the staging area and loaded his 800 up and went hunting. Found it just where i left it (surprise). We did a quick inspection now that we could see it in the light hoping that nothing else was too buggered to prevent us getting it back on the trail but everything appeared to be ok. I jacked it up a bit more and mounted the spare tire…for the first time since purchasing it. Another dumb move on my part. Word to the wise…test your spare if its a different rim than your stock ones. Mine was the right rim and tire but the stock lug nuts are too short and thick to be able to get a good grip on them with a socket. At this point i just wanted to get the thing back on the trailer and in my garage so i finger tightened the lug nuts and best as i could and said fook it…jumped in and started to drive very slowly and carefully home with a finger tightened wheel in the back.
Surprisingly, everything stayed together for the 10 miles back through the mud and up the hills. We stopped every so often and did a quick finger-torque but managed to make it all the way back to the trailer where i loaded it uneventfully and its now propped up in my garage. Side note, a couple of the lug nuts are now tight enough that i CANT get them off and I cant get a wrench on them so I have to figure that out now…Oh joys of owning a RZR.
Thats my story and as i write this, i realize its not even that bad. I am sure that there are others out there who have had to call in the helicopter for a flight out or who have possibly even abandoned their machines. With the capability that these things have nowadays, we can get a long way out into the middle of nowhere so I am now trying to minimize the chances of this happening to me again.
