"Things are falling in place so nicely that I'm getting nervous"

Tbaumer

Technical Excellence Contributor
I think THAT post (in the thread "LT77 Gear Box & LT230 Transfer Box Switch - No Lift") set up what happened next.
Everything was going well with this swap until it was time to back it off the ramps to level so I could add fluids. I removed the wheel chocks & released the tension on the winch cable expecting it to roll it off the ramps. The cable went slack to the floor, but my 110 didn't move, so I pushed it with my shoulder to get it rolling - Then realizing the cable slack will be taken up suddenly, I tried to wind it in as my 110 rolled down the ramps & SNAP went the floor anchor!
Yes, I should have placed the wheel chocks a couple feet behind the wheels or better yet had my wife sit in the seat ready to hit the brake, but I didn't, so after desperately hanging on to the cable & digging my feet in to try & stop the slow roll, then grabbing a wheel chock & aiming to throw it in front of a wheel (I missed), I watched my 110 slowly roll out of my garage, down my steep driveway & into the ravine.
Okay, not all the way into the ravine... some scrub oak trees stopped it from going more than 75% into the ravine.
Between my brand new bike rack, spare tire carrier & step bumper, my 110 suffered surprisingly little damage - Broken tail light, dent in the rear right panel from my demolished bike rack & rear door from the carrier flexing into it. I was able to winch it out of the ravine using the other floor anchor. I will be upgrading the strength of both of them. Crazy that I have used those same floor anchors to winch my 110 up & down my steep driveway for years. Sorry no pictures in the ravine - I went into damage control mode & didn't think to take any. Here are some pics after retrieval.

IMG_7947 3.JPG IMG_7945 2.JPG IMG_7998.JPG IMG_7999.JPG IMG_8002.JPG IMG_8004 2.JPG

I thought of skipping this post, as I humbly acknowledge how stupid & fortunate I was, but couldn't continue my other thread without the warning.
 

evilfij

Well-known member
That sucks. Glad no one was hurt. Stuff like that is why I am always nervous working alone. :(
 
Last edited:

donb

Well-known member
As long as no one was hurt the outcome doesn't look bad at all - it seems like it could have been a lot worse.

I know those bike racks aren't cheap but it looks like it saved you lots of damage on your 110.
 

Tbaumer

Technical Excellence Contributor
I'm definitely thankful - It could have been much worse for sure. Glad my garage door faces across the driveway, not down it. We've had multiple friends high center over the edge & had to be pulled out. Had a new neighbor's Uhaul from across the street roll to the bottom a few years back. You have to be really unlucky to miss all the trees for that to happen. It might be time for a big boulder barricade. Here's the driveway/ravine from my garage.

IMG_4090.JPG IMG_4088.JPG IMG_4091.JPG IMG_4096.JPG

Weird how the pics flatten things out. Here are the trees that stopped disaster. I had to cut one off & add a birdhouse, the impact broke it right above that spot.

IMG_4087.JPG
 

CDN38

Well-known member
WOW! Certainly could have been a lot worse! (you are lucky should probably consider buying a lottery ticket before the luck runs out).
If you contact Northshore Racks and send the pictures along, I'm sure they will work with you on supplying the upper boom, and the bolt on lower. They are super nice people, they live not for from me, and the racks are all locally made here in North Vancouver.

Glad everyone is ok!
 

erover82

Well-known member
Many years ago my uncle worked on fire lookout towers back when it was done with human sight and skill instead of PTZ cameras. I remember one day on this high peak he was working on his Scout and experienced an untimely wheel chock failure. There isn't much flat area on the tip of these mountains so all directions head down, way down. The Scout bounced off the jack and slowly, irreversibly, rolled away and down the mountain side mowing down saplings and shrubs until it fortunately came to rest near a service road below. It was banged up a bit, but somehow largely intact and with some work was soon in working order. Those kind of days are rough, but at least you get a good story to laugh at down the road.
 

CDN38

Well-known member
Sent a couple of the photos to a friend of mine that works at the metal fab shop that makes the Northshore Racks... they were all impressed, and glad everything turned out ok!
 

Tbaumer

Technical Excellence Contributor
I am leaving for a four day bikepacking trail trip (Fremont section of the Oregon Timber Trail) with five other bikes on the 24th & I was the guy with the cool six bike carrier! Wasn’t sure I could get a replacement shipped here on time. Put in another order for my last best bike carrier & North Shore Racks had it at my doorstep in less than a week! (I think my story helped). I’ll get parts & repair the pretzel when I have more time.
 

rocky

NAS-ROW Addict
People always say front brush guards cause more damage in an accident. That bike rack did a good job minimizing the damage on your truck.
 

evilfij

Well-known member
People always say front brush guards cause more damage in an accident. That bike rack did a good job minimizing the damage on your truck.

Not to be disagreeable, but that is not clear to me. I have rammed a fair number of small trees (not in reverse) and the bumper pushes the bushes down under the truck. I would think the rear bumper would do the same whereas the carrier impaled the body and crushed the door just as bumping into something with a brush guard damages the fenders.
 

Tbaumer

Technical Excellence Contributor
As bike racks go, the North Shore Rack is really stout (this one carries 6 full size bikes), but I think the spare wheel carrier took the brunt after preventing the bike rack arms from folding more than they did. Between that & a cluster of trees small enough to flex at impact this had a better result than I could have expected. Here's a pic from the top of the rear door dent from the wheel carrier pad. Not easy to see what it is with the reflection.

IMG_8001.JPG IMG_8003.JPG
 
Top