b250r
Mar 21 2010, 09:00 PM
Went to the dunes this weekend and hit a Witches Eye. It was a small Witches eye, but it was big enough when I hit it to mess my drivers side A-arms and tie rod up. Only one other buggy with me and it was 2 hours before dark. We tried to bend back the A-arms so I could at least steer the buggy, but this did not work. We were 3 miles from camp, what would you do to get the buggy back? I will post pictures after I get some feed back, boy the things we do to have fun in the dunes. At work when things go wrong we do what is called a OPL = One Point Lesson, this will be my OPL for the dunes this weekend. Thanks Brian
Mongo
Mar 21 2010, 09:04 PM
Pull the wheel off, tie up that side, and 3 wheel it back...
HOGDUNER
Mar 21 2010, 09:07 PM
AGREED ^^^^^^^^
yoshi
Mar 21 2010, 09:07 PM
QUOTE (b250r @ Mar 21 2010, 09:00 PM)

Went to the dunes this weekend and hit a Witches Eye. It was a small Witches eye, but it was big enough when I hit it to mess my drivers side A-arms and tie rod up. Only one other buggy with me and it was 2 hours before dark. We tried to bend back the A-arms so I could at least steer the buggy, but this did not work. We were 3 miles from camp, what would you do to get the buggy back? I will post pictures after I get some feed back, boy the things we do to have fun in the dunes. At work when things go wrong we do what is called a OPL = One Point Lesson, this will be my OPL for the dunes this weekend. Thanks Brian
Unbolt the driver front wheel, strap up the damaged suspension (possibly removing the shock as well) Let the air outta the passenger rear shock, let as much air out of the passenger rear tire as possible, then drive it out......
KingGlamis
Mar 21 2010, 09:08 PM
QUOTE (Mongo @ Mar 21 2010, 10:04 PM)

Pull the wheel off, tie up that side, and 3 wheel it back...
That is the most common fix. If that won't work, I would tie the nose of your car to the back of another car, side x side, or truck so that the front tires are off the ground and tow it back (this method can scratch and dent stuff).
SHOCKER
Mar 21 2010, 09:13 PM
I would hit the witches eye in reverse and bend it back into position and keep on truckin
b250r
Mar 21 2010, 09:36 PM
QUOTE (SHOCKER @ Mar 21 2010, 10:13 PM)

I would hit the witches eye in reverse and bend it back into position and keep on truckin
Yeppers I sure wished it was that easy.
AZSandAddict
Mar 21 2010, 09:42 PM
let's see the pics b250r!
b250r
Mar 21 2010, 09:58 PM
Boy you all are good! Like I said we tried to bend the A-arms back enough so I could steer it. That worked for about .5 miles, then the A-Arms got worse. Then we came up with the idea of removing all of it, A-arms, Tie rod, Shock and Tire. Then we adjusted the passenger side front shock all the way down to the stop, we didn't adjust the back shocks. My friend is about 80 pounds lighter then me, so he drove it back and I drove his buggy. Jeese what a day and KingGlamis if that didn't work we were going to tie the other buggy to it. I did not want to do that, because that other buggy was the only thing we had to get back to camp. Here are some pictures, I hope this might be of help to somebody if they get into something like this. I must admit now its funny to look at the pictures, at the time it wasn't funny. My question is maybe in the future is taking a skate board top and attach it to the front, in this case the drivers side, so the buggy could slide a little better?
Mongo
Mar 21 2010, 10:03 PM
QUOTE (Mongo @ Mar 21 2010, 10:04 PM)

Pull the wheel off, tie up that side, and 3 wheel it back...
It works... This is my buddy Louie ( we call him Tripod- he is an expert at 3 wheeled buggies) and my other friends getting my car back to camp after I lawn darted off China Wall...
Click to view attachment
b250r
Mar 21 2010, 10:10 PM
QUOTE (Mongo @ Mar 21 2010, 11:03 PM)

QUOTE (Mongo @ Mar 21 2010, 10:04 PM)

Pull the wheel off, tie up that side, and 3 wheel it back...
It works... This is my buddy Louie ( we call him Tripod- he is an expert at 3 wheeled buggies) and my other friends getting my car back to camp after I lawn darted off China Wall...
Yeppers I learned Something new this weekend. I have driven my buggy 3 years now and this was the 1st time I screwed it up. It could have been a lot worse. When we got back to camp that was the 1st time I seen my friend drink some boose, LOL....
Mike330R
Mar 21 2010, 10:10 PM
Ouch, stuff happens. Plus now you have trophies for your living room!
I would have pissed on the witches eye!
b250r
Mar 21 2010, 10:15 PM
Here is another pic, what a low rider, LOL...
b250r
Mar 21 2010, 10:18 PM
QUOTE (Mike330R @ Mar 21 2010, 11:10 PM)

Ouch, stuff happens. Plus now you have trophies for your living room!
I would have pissed on the witches eye!
Yea Mike, it happen so fast.
1tonfun
Mar 21 2010, 10:26 PM
I would have turned and missed the witches eye thus avoiding the carnage and kept on duning
feedmelies
Mar 21 2010, 10:43 PM
Sorry about that Brian. Glad to hear you are okay. Last trip out, I took someone for a quick night ride and I hit a small witch's eye in my rail. Now both of my lower front arms have a slight bend to them. It's barely noticeable, but still, you aren't alone.
Also...
QUOTE (feedmelies @ Mar 21 2010, 11:27 AM)

Ouch...
I hit one of those last weekend in the dunes behind Olds... at night... on my quad. I hit my chest pretty hard on my bars and fell off my quad. I got the air knocked out of me and I had a sit there for a while to make sure I was okay. It sucked. My quad was okay too - all I had to do was readjust my bars.
feedmelies
Mar 21 2010, 10:45 PM
Did you get a picture of the eye?
b250r
Mar 21 2010, 10:54 PM
QUOTE (feedmelies @ Mar 21 2010, 11:43 PM)

Sorry about that Brian. Glad to hear you are okay. Last trip out, I took someone for a quick night ride and I hit a small witch's eye in my rail. Now both of my lower front arms have a slight bend to them. It's barely noticeable, but still, you aren't alone.
Also...
QUOTE (feedmelies @ Mar 21 2010, 11:27 AM)

Ouch...
I hit one of those last weekend in the dunes behind Olds... at night... on my quad. I hit my chest pretty hard on my bars and fell off my quad. I got the air knocked out of me and I had a sit there for a while to make sure I was okay. It sucked. My quad was okay too - all I had to do was readjust my bars.
Feedmelies, I'm glad your buggy is still on all 4's. I didn't take my quad this weekend, I should have taken it instead of the buggy. I had the wind knocked out of my on my quad like 10 years ago, it wasn't fun. I didn't take my camera with me on the dune run, so no pictures of the Witches eye or of the damage done on the buggy, before we took it apart.
b250r
Mar 21 2010, 10:55 PM
QUOTE (1tonfun @ Mar 21 2010, 11:26 PM)

I would have turned and missed the witches eye thus avoiding the carnage and kept on duning

1tonfun, next time I will take your advice, LOL...
crappy
Mar 21 2010, 11:04 PM
glad to hear you are alright and made it out ok
phatdad
Mar 22 2010, 07:19 AM
QUOTE (Mongo @ Mar 21 2010, 10:04 PM)

Pull the wheel off, tie up that side, and 3 wheel it back...
x2 from experience. Thanks for the help Guys
yoshi
Mar 22 2010, 07:37 AM
QUOTE (b250r @ Mar 21 2010, 09:58 PM)

Boy you all are good! Like I said we tried to bend the A-arms back enough so I could steer it. That worked for about .5 miles, then the A-Arms got worse. Then we came up with the idea of removing all of it, A-arms, Tie rod, Shock and Tire. Then we adjusted the passenger side front shock all the way down to the stop, we didn't adjust the back shocks. My friend is about 80 pounds lighter then me, so he drove it back and I drove his buggy. Jeese what a day and KingGlamis if that didn't work we were going to tie the other buggy to it. I did not want to do that, because that other buggy was the only thing we had to get back to camp. Here are some pictures, I hope this might be of help to somebody if they get into something like this. I must admit now its funny to look at the pictures, at the time it wasn't funny. My question is maybe in the future is taking a skate board top and attach it to the front, in this case the drivers side, so the buggy could slide a little better?
Dropping the front right side down just lowers the whole front of the buggy. There is more weight on the rear, so doing to the right rear what you did to the right front would have caused the right rear to squat and lift the front left of the buggy up while pivoting on the right front....Just FYI for next time...

.....
Coobie
Mar 22 2010, 07:54 AM
I too am a member of the "3 wheel" buggy club
yoshi
Mar 22 2010, 08:00 AM
QUOTE (Coobie @ Mar 22 2010, 07:54 AM)

I too am a member of the "3 wheel" buggy club

you need some shirts......
"tripod alliance"
HUMVEE RY
Mar 22 2010, 08:09 AM
QUOTE (Mongo @ Mar 21 2010, 10:04 PM)

Pull the wheel off, tie up that side, and 3 wheel it back...
here ya go!
Me's Toy
Mar 22 2010, 08:33 AM
QUOTE (Coobie @ Mar 22 2010, 08:54 AM)

I too am a member of the "3 wheel" buggy club

Ya me too Coob....more than once. Foley usually three-wheels it out of the dunes for me and then puts me back in it once we are on the flats so I can enjoy my 'tow of shame'
TACO
Mar 22 2010, 11:55 AM
QUOTE (yoshi @ Mar 22 2010, 08:37 AM)

QUOTE (b250r @ Mar 21 2010, 09:58 PM)

Boy you all are good! Like I said we tried to bend the A-arms back enough so I could steer it. That worked for about .5 miles, then the A-Arms got worse. Then we came up with the idea of removing all of it, A-arms, Tie rod, Shock and Tire. Then we adjusted the passenger side front shock all the way down to the stop, we didn't adjust the back shocks. My friend is about 80 pounds lighter then me, so he drove it back and I drove his buggy. Jeese what a day and KingGlamis if that didn't work we were going to tie the other buggy to it. I did not want to do that, because that other buggy was the only thing we had to get back to camp. Here are some pictures, I hope this might be of help to somebody if they get into something like this. I must admit now its funny to look at the pictures, at the time it wasn't funny. My question is maybe in the future is taking a skate board top and attach it to the front, in this case the drivers side, so the buggy could slide a little better?
Dropping the front right side down just lowers the whole front of the buggy. There is more weight on the rear, so doing to the right rear what you did to the right front would have caused the right rear to squat and lift the front left of the buggy up while pivoting on the right front....Just FYI for next time...

.....
I think what he was sayin is that he lowered the clamp down thus raising the tension on spring so it would hardly compress.
b250r
Mar 22 2010, 12:07 PM
QUOTE (TACO @ Mar 22 2010, 12:55 PM)

QUOTE (yoshi @ Mar 22 2010, 08:37 AM)

QUOTE (b250r @ Mar 21 2010, 09:58 PM)

Boy you all are good! Like I said we tried to bend the A-arms back enough so I could steer it. That worked for about .5 miles, then the A-Arms got worse. Then we came up with the idea of removing all of it, A-arms, Tie rod, Shock and Tire. Then we adjusted the passenger side front shock all the way down to the stop, we didn't adjust the back shocks. My friend is about 80 pounds lighter then me, so he drove it back and I drove his buggy. Jeese what a day and KingGlamis if that didn't work we were going to tie the other buggy to it. I did not want to do that, because that other buggy was the only thing we had to get back to camp. Here are some pictures, I hope this might be of help to somebody if they get into something like this. I must admit now its funny to look at the pictures, at the time it wasn't funny. My question is maybe in the future is taking a skate board top and attach it to the front, in this case the drivers side, so the buggy could slide a little better?
Dropping the front right side down just lowers the whole front of the buggy. There is more weight on the rear, so doing to the right rear what you did to the right front would have caused the right rear to squat and lift the front left of the buggy up while pivoting on the right front....Just FYI for next time...

.....
I think what he was sayin is that he lowered the clamp down thus raising the tension on spring so it would hardly compress.
Yeppers that is what I was trying to say, it did raise the front up some. I'm sure if I would have to drive it back, something would have had to happen with the adjustment of the back shocks. Thanks for all the info to all, because this is a good One Point Lessen, OPL... At least nobody was hurt and the buggy made it back under its own power.
ken250r
Mar 23 2010, 10:41 AM
I'm just glad you are OK and got out of there.....been there done that as well...bummer!
mellen_mpz
Mar 23 2010, 10:47 AM
been there done that!!!!! I tell ya, I was lucky to be at olds when I did my "yard-sale". If this happened to a big buggy out in the dunes, its snowcat time. Ughhh....just lookin at this picture brings back an awful feeling
Screamin Ian
Mar 23 2010, 01:35 PM
broke a spindle at a buggy EPO on the back side of china wall, that was a fun adventure getting back to the washes..notice in the first pic my front tire chasing me
Click to view attachmentClick to view attachment
b250r
Mar 23 2010, 08:25 PM
QUOTE (mellen_mpz @ Mar 23 2010, 11:47 AM)

been there done that!!!!! I tell ya, I was lucky to be at olds when I did my "yard-sale". If this happened to a big buggy out in the dunes, its snowcat time. Ughhh....just lookin at this picture brings back an awful feeling
Mellen, actually I thought of you that night, thinking it must have been a pain getting your buggy out. Screamin Ian yeppers the things we do to have fun in the dunes. That's something to have a picture of your front tire chasing you. I lost a back tire one time on a quad. I'm so bad out of shape I was so sore Sunday and Monday, I must have hit harder then what I thought. I was thinking I should stick to a quad, its a lot more easy to move around, LOL. Ken250r I always carry a tow strap, but I need to start taking ratchet straps, I had all the tools.
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