Mission Report: Barbour Fork Trail

Sunday the 16th, two teams from Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery made trips to Barbour Fork Trail to recover an XJ that had a control arm mount fail, which in turn began destroying multiple suspension components before the vehicle could be stopped.

Team 1 went into the field first to work on the vehicle and get it into a condition where it could be flat towed off the trail to an area where a tow truck can easily reach it. The drive shaft and damaged front shock had to be removed, the body had to be lifted up to reinsert the spring, and a custom fabricated rear LCA mount was installed to hold the axle in place for team 2’s arrival later.

Team 2 took over in the afternoon and had a smooth flat tow out due to the custom engineering work that team 1 took the time to make offsite, and install in the field. The flat tow team had one person scouting smooth lines ahead of the tow, placing rocks as needed. A 2nd vehicle was used at the tow rig for mechanical functions since the XJ was inoperable, and a 3rd brake vehicle hooked to the XJ for safety on descent.

Team 1 began mobilizing shortly after 7 am, and Team 2’s last member was home just after 9 pm.

Colorado 4×4 Rescue and Recovery – We Recover the Rockies!