ROCKCRAWLER.com - Bringing Home the Postal CJ-8

7/21 8:20 PM Mountain time, just outside Lethbridge, Alberta
As if to tell us that she's still in charge, the Dog has developed a clicking noise that I'm at a loss to diagnose. As a result, we're scratching the whole Glacier park idea and continuing on towards 4WD Hardware in Columbiana, Ohio at a modest 55-60 mph pace and enjoying the looks of people as they pass us. I'm sure all of the double-takes and pointing is because they all think this is the coolest ride they've ever seen!

The terrain has changed dramatically since leaving Edmonton, through Calgary (where we stopped to meet a friend of mine for lunch and noticed the clicking noise for the first time) and now to Lethbridge. We're into what I'm sure will be the majority of the next few days - the plains of the Midwest. There are some foothills in the rear view right now, but they'll be gone soon and the fields are taking over. For now, it's interesting since it's something different and the sun's about to set, but I'm not so sure I'll be able to say that in a day or so.

More to come!

7/22 1:30AM Mountain time, Great Falls Montana
Well, something was bound to happen sooner or later. The Dog's limping a little. Although it didn't get any worse, the fluttery click, as we started to call it, that showed up in Calgary is still there and the gas mileage has dropped through the floor. We nursed her across the border and into Great Falls, Montana with a stop to try and work through the gears in 4WD Hi and low to see if that made any difference, but it didn't. The noise comes on under hard acceleration and is different from the slight knock we had before. It definitely sounded like it was coming from under the floor, not the engine, and it doesn't happen when you rev. the engine in neutral. That's a big part of why I can't get any idea exactly what it is. Nothing's obviously wrong and the only time that it is audible is while moving. I can't make it happen sitting still where I can locate where it's coming from.

I'm going to try to get in touch with some local Jeepers to see if anyone has any ideas or if they can help me find the problem and see what needs to be done to fix it. This one is definitely out of my league and I need to call in the big guns.

For what it was worth, the drive was beautiful again today. There was an awesome sunset and we made it back into the US of A as you can see in my picture. I'd never seen Montana until today and although it was dark when we came in, the bright moon made for some cool views and I can definitely see where the Big Sky Country comes from.