Old timer at the trailhead fixed my shock mount with a zip tie

I was out at Hollister Hills last Saturday and blew a rear shock mount on my XJ about halfway through the Rattlesnake trail. Had no spare parts and was ready to call for a tow. This guy maybe 70 years old rolls up in beat up Samurai and asks if I need a hand. He digs through his glovebox and comes out with six heavy duty zip ties. He showed me how to wrap them around the shock and the bracket in a cross pattern to hold it in place. Took maybe 10 minutes and the thing held for the whole drive home on the highway at 70 mph. I offered him $20 but he just said pass it forward next time you see someone stuck. Has anyone else had a random stranger save your day out on the trail?

2 comments

2 Comments

emery96528d ago

Honestly those old school off road guys know every trick in the book. Tbh zip ties are way stronger than people give them credit for, especially the heavy duty ones from automotive stores. Ngl it's cool that he showed you a proper cross pattern instead of just wrapping them around once.

grace41928d ago

Right? Zip ties are basically duct tape's cousin at this point. I once temporarily fixed my bumper with them after a minor fender bender and it held for like six months before I actually got around to replacing it. The cross pattern trick is gold though, wish I had known that before I did a messy single wrap and watched everything bounce loose on the highway.