Moderator: Mark
Steve_t647 wrote:Not sure why he linked the rear and didn't look at linking the front, the Patrol arm's dont allow the front to flex well but I guess it depends on conditions over there in NZ we do more angles and want articulation you guy's have more space so are faster and can pick more lines..
GQTROL wrote:With the speed of the events these days its better have rear end artic to keep the wheels on the ground and push the truck over / through a hazard while the front just goes with the flow and retains good steering behaviour at high speed.
The TB48 motor is very torquey and seems to be the new choice of engine for a few guys. Plenty of aftermarket stroker kits, race cams and turbos available....good for 1,000HP if you've got the $$. They're a big heavy piece of iron and I reckon a supercharged LS2 is a better (and cheaper) bet, but if you've already got a TB48 sitting in the truck, it would be silly not to use it.
Expect to see more TB48's on the comp scene.
that would go quite well....
Shane wrote:Shrek runs a 4.8 turbo in a GQ thats making 300kw @ tha wheels with 9psi
http://www.ontrack4x4.net.au/Shrek%20Rebuild.htm
i would love to be involved in building stuff like that Operation To Rescue 131 Stranded Expedition Members Begins
KUALA KRAI, -- An operation to rescue 131 participants of the Rainforest Challenge 2007, stranded in the forest following flooding in the area since three days ago, began today.
Kelantan deputy police chief SAC II Amir Hamzah Ibrahim said the expedition participants from 36 countries and in 69 four-wheel-drive vehicles were now stranded at Sungai Ebey, about 30km from here.
He said the operation was mounted as some of the participants, including a number of women, were injured, though not seriously, or having fever.
He was speaking to reporters at the rescue operation base set up at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Laloh here today. Also present was state Fire and Rescue director Yahya Madis.
Amir Hamzah said 24 members of the Malaysian army commando unit and Fire and Rescue Department were involved in the rescue operation.
"Fourteen boats are being used in the rescue operation while waiting for the water level in the river to recede. The team will take at least four hours to reach the area."
He said earlier effort to rescue the expedition members using helicopters failed due to the bad weather.
The Rainforest Challenge began on Dec 1, covering areas like Jerteh, Besut, Setiu and Tasek Kenyir in Hulu Terengganu and should be end at Batu Buruk beach, Kuala Terengganu, today.
However, due to the flood, they tried to find a way out via Kelantan and got stranded.
Yesterday, seven of the expedition members managed to get out of the area by using a simple bridge which they built themselves.
-- BERNAMA
Back again,
Just a quick comment on Linc's post. Mate that is why I go. We walk into this event during the monsoon season and expect this, "You Cannot Control Mother Nature". To end like this was one of those things, but it was another life experience. More should enjoy the RFC, you go for the Adventure not the SS and yes this was an Adventure!!!!!!!
Back from my first steak in 3 weeks and back to the story:-
We are home?
Yes we are all OK.
John, Steve & myself arrived back in Brisbanes this morning. I have just got out of bed and am posting a very quick update:-
Yes the 2007 will be the RFC to be remembed, THE TOUGHEST. The Aussie vehicle were very well received and mine was the only Nissan (bit of a change) in the field. Prologue SS were set up over 2 days with only 6 of the 10 planed SS being run. They were of a Gymkahana style SS that required winching with 3 of the SS being run side by side on similar tracks which resulted in one course being worse then the other, so it was luck of the draw to how you went, of the 6 SS both John & myself received DNF's in the same 4SS. The 6 SS set in the jungle were great, they comprised of water, rock, some sharp climbs and veryyyyyyyyy tight courses between trees, the Nissan felt like a pinball in some of these SS. Steve and John took out top honours in one SS (just over 5 minutes) that I was lucky enough to run the next day after a night of rain in just over 18 minutes (still within DNF time).
Next comes the Adventure to the famous Elephant Mud Hole. We left Base camp appox noon on day 5/6 (cannot remember been a life time ago) and headed into the jungle, just leaving the start saw a lot of the field winching. The only way that you will be able to get through a drive like this was to form a Team of 4/5 vehicles so, Max & Jacob (Danish, Jeep), John & Steve (Toyota), Fat Pony (Danish, Landrover) and Lance & Myself (Nissan), so of we went after several hours of winching (and me landing on my side once being recovered by John & Steve, thanks guys) we managed to meet up with the first vehicles out at the base of "Piece of Cake Hill" (past name from years before) the last time I was there (2000) it was a small bridge over a 2meter gap, this time 2 streams had carved out a river of 3 meter walls and a rocky river bed (what they call rivers over there would be classed as a gully or creek here, sometimes).
The next morning saw the first couple of vehicles up the other side and trying to get up the next long climb. After these vehicles it was a different story with vehicle badly stuck on now 2 exits of the river. On my turn we only had the choice of one exit which resulted in a broken main shaft (MY FAULT, the Gigglepin set up was great, and the MR freespool never let us down, both these available from Xtreme 4x4 Sport) so after getting out backwards, assisted by John and rest of Team we then started to swap over internals of winch, with the conditions as they were I decided it would be best that Lance & myself retreated and the rest go on, but before we had the winch finished we saw the reporters walking back saying that the lead Marshalls of Chris Hummer and Peter Taylor had ordered a retreat of all Teams. At this point Wong and Clay had travelled the most distance in appox an extra 3 to 4 km's past where we were.
Our Team headed back, encounting a track that was twice as hard going back then coming in.
We ended stopping at the end of a line of Media and Official vehicles where a couple of days before we had run 2 great SS. But with the river below coming up and down it became a wait time. The Xmen had set up a cable from one side to the other which would secure the vehicle by a block and strap, you would then be winched across the river when the water went down. That afternoon saw a couple of vehicles returned to the other side in this fast following deep river before the water rose yet again.
Next morning the water had dropped and it was time to start again. The down hill run into the area where the vehicle were to be marshalled was an off camber and severley washed out hill, with the Media vehicle's in front this was going to be a very long process. But during this one Media vehicle got into trouble on the hill, another went into winch back and down but then put himself into a position of no return, resulting in vehicle sideways and then over, the driver coming out of cab a vehicle rolling back onto him, but as luck would have it he went back in the other side open window, no one hurt.
Our group then went forward to do recovery of him, which put us up front and across the river. Water was at the top of door and following very quickly, but with the rear secured by strap and cable above river we were able to get to the other side.
The group then proceeded to reach Camp HQ, they were also caught due to track conditions. Our group then proceeded assisting when track was blocked, before passing villiage (which is now the point of the evaceration). We were able to cross a badly washed out road with river flowing underneath to the end of the line (Dodge City, as I started to call it when) which was appox 8 kms from village, this was where the road was blocked by now dropping flood waters. It was only 10k from the main road.
Day 10, it was decided that John and myself would stay with the vehicles while Lance & Steve jumped on one of the resure boats for a 30 km ride down a very flood infected river to the evac site. The reason for John and myself staying is that I worked out it would save us 2 days and our vehicles would be in a container for home on time. Quess what the weather was not on our side.
Midnight on day 10 going into event plus 1 day we were greeted by the water going up 1.5 meters not down, so driving out was not an option. By morning water was lapping at the Nissan's front wheels which ment the water had risen another 1 meter, 2.5 meters in 11 hours.
The first resure boat on Day 11 pulled into the bank and asked us if we were coming out, yes was the answer, so cars were parked up with several others and onto the boats. Team Queensland was getting out of "Dodge City".
I have always said that you have to be prepared to leave your vehicles there, and mate, it is very hard sitting here 6500plus kms away not knowing what is going to be on it when I get it home, after all there is a lot of hard work by yourself and sponsors to get it there, but you have to rely on your local contacts and I have the most respect for my friends in Malaysia to recover our vehicles get them cleaned and packed into a container and sent home.
So John and myself are off on the 30km river run to the evac point, this was a river trip that will be remembed, being in a small resure boat sitting in the wildest flooded river I have seen.
We were greeted by the head of Police and taken to a local school and processed. food, hot tea/coffee and dry clothes were waiting along with a full medical crew to treat your sore & swollen feet and anything else that may be wrong with you. After that we were then driven back to KL, reaching Hotel around 1030 that night.
I managed to secure early flights home thanks to Terrace Travel (Brisbane).
So Wednesday night saw John, Steve and myself jumping on a plane home arriving in Brisbane Thursday 13 Dec.
I would like to thank all our friends in Malaysia who supported us before, during and after the event and who are still working to get our vehicles out of the jungle and into a container for shipping home.
Cheers
David (Team Queensland)
