Just bought a full set of these (https://simpletire.com/brands/falken-tires/wildpeak-a-t3w#curationPos=none&curationSeq=none&curationSource=none&itemId=115439&mpn=28034854&pageSource=PLP&productPos=none&tireSize=265-60r18&userRegion=3&userZip=22405&vehicleMake=Jeep&vehicleModel=Grand&vehicleTrim=trailhawk&vehicleYear=Cherokee) for our Jeep to replace the Goodyear Wranglers that it came with. 28.5K and already down to the 4mm tread depth that I consider minimum.
Never had any luck with GY tires, all were pretty much junk. Only buy Cooper or BFG these days- at least the US made ones anyway.
Never heard of Falken. Japanese. Hmmmm...
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 08, 2022, 12:57:19 PM
Never had any luck with GY tires, all were pretty much junk. Only buy Cooper or BFG these days- at least the US made ones anyway.
Never heard of Falken. Japanese. Hmmmm...
I've never much cared for Goodyear or BFG, but when I had my station we were Cooper dealers, which included all their sub-brands like Uniroyal and General. I've liked their tires ever since but was willing to give the GY Wranglers a chance since my mechanic raved about them. The only BFGs I've ever had was a set I put on my utility truck, BFG Commercial TA Traction or some such shit. Supposed to last 60k, barely got 30 and they wouldn't honor the mileage warranty because the dealer I bought them from didn't do the install (long story there including a part where I dragged a guy out of my truck through the window) so I'll never buy theirs again. Falken is new to me too, but I like the parent company Sumitomo, and these seem to be "the" tire to put on Jeeps like mine for trail crawling and highway, so I'm willing to try them.
I've had all sorts of different tire brands over the years. No particular favorites - I just buy high-quality tires which are well-rated for whichever vehicle I have. Currently I have Vredestein Quatrac Pro tires on my Mazda and General Grabber ATx tires on my Suburban. I've been quite happy with both of them so far (only about 2000 miles on the Grabbers and about 5000 on the Vredesteins). Both of them are winter-rated (triple peak snowflake), which was a big part of why I selected them.
Quote from: EBuff75 on January 08, 2022, 01:55:23 PM
I've had all sorts of different tire brands over the years. No particular favorites - I just buy high-quality tires which are well-rated for whichever vehicle I have. Currently I have Vredestein Quatrac Pro tires on my Mazda and General Grabber ATx tires on my Suburban. I've been quite happy with both of them so far (only about 2000 miles on the Grabbers and about 5000 on the Vredesteins). Both of them are winter-rated (triple peak snowflake), which was a big part of why I selected them.
Our Dakota is on its 2nd set of General Grabber AT2 tires. Those things are awesome. Never been stuck with them, even in heavy snow or on deeply muddy job sites. Got 72k miles out of the last set, and one was good enough to replace the OEM spare that was in good condition but 20 years old.
Quote from: NT2C on January 08, 2022, 04:09:06 PM
Quote from: EBuff75 on January 08, 2022, 01:55:23 PM
I've had all sorts of different tire brands over the years. No particular favorites - I just buy high-quality tires which are well-rated for whichever vehicle I have. Currently I have Vredestein Quatrac Pro tires on my Mazda and General Grabber ATx tires on my Suburban. I've been quite happy with both of them so far (only about 2000 miles on the Grabbers and about 5000 on the Vredesteins). Both of them are winter-rated (triple peak snowflake), which was a big part of why I selected them.
Our Dakota is on its 2nd set of General Grabber AT2 tires. Those things are awesome. Never been stuck with them, even in heavy snow or on deeply muddy job sites. Got 72k miles out of the last set, and one was good enough to replace the OEM spare that was in good condition but 20 years old.
I really like the General Grabber ATx tires (which are very similar to the AT2). They replaced an old set of Bridgestone Dueller A/T tires which had plenty of tread, but were so old that they were getting hard. The new tires are quieter, smoother, have better traction, and were fairly cheap - I think I paid about $700 out the door for the whole set! All of that adds up to a win in my book!
I'm a huge fan of Cooper and Hankook tires. I've ran one or the other for years now and they've never failed me. My all time favorite tires are the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro's and the Hankook Dynapro ATM's. Both amazing tires. That being said, Hankook has discontinued making the tires I've ran on everything, the Hankook Dynapro ATM's, with the Hankook Dynapro AT2's, which I have a set of currently on my wife's Escalade. They are an OK replacement, but I think they messed up by replacing one with the other.
On my newest Bugout vehicle, a 2000 S10 4x4, currently came with Ironman All Country A/T tires. They are pretty decent tires from what I can see so far this winter, but I'm going to be replacing them in the next few months with the Mickey Thompson Deegan 38 A/T's and see how those work on me.
My mechanic sells a lot of those Falken's. Says they are a great for the $, aggressive enough and good in snow.
Once my tires are done, I'll be getting those as well.
Quote from: slipkid42 on January 09, 2022, 08:31:07 PM
My mechanic sells a lot of those Falken's. Says they are a great for the $, aggressive enough and good in snow.
Once my tires are done, I'll be getting those as well.
Check back here before you do. I'll be posting my opinion of them starting with day one and continuing as needed and as time goes by.
I just added 2x 4Ah power tool batteries for the few power tools that live in my BOV. Bonus is that I realized that the lantern that uses those batteries also has a USB port for charging devices, so I also just massively increased my phone runtime in a pinch.
Appointment has been made to have the new beast detailed on Thursday. After that, I can start loading up. For now, I just have a basket in there with the necessities.
Things in there now:
- air pump that runs off the car
- flashlight that could jump my tiny car
- long ice scraper
- 2 bottles of water
Once I can start loading it up, my cloak (full-length, wool military blankets lined with fleece) and a pair of tennis shoes with socks should definitely be added (it's below freezing this morning, and I'm wearing strappy minimalist sandals). I'll add in some Hot Hands as well. Maybe a lantern flashlight. Anything else will probably just be added for trips, as things tend to melt in Texas even in the winter.
I need a new set of jumper cables - I didn't have any in the tiny car because the jump start flashlight could jump it with no problems. This bigger one, maybe not so much.
So this was yesterday, not today, but close enough? At any rate, I replaced the reverse lockout cable on my non-bugout vehicle (2013 Dodge Dart) so that I can keep using it as my daily driver, instead of putting the mileage/wear and tear on my bugout vehicle (2004 Nissan Titan). In the process, I discovered that the shift knob I got for the Dart (I had to take apart the stock knob as part of the repair process, and wasn't sure I would be able to do so without destroying it) doesn't fit the Dart, but DOES fit the Titan, so now I have a spare shifter knob for my BOV. Not really a concern (at all), but yay? :p
Quote from: my wifeYour purchases sure do go on strange journeys.
My tires got shipped from the company warehouse in Middletown, PA at 16:11 yesterday afternoon. FedEx got them to their hub in Hagerstown, MD at 00:29 this morning. They left Hagerstown, MD at 02:52 this morning, presumably headed here to Fredericksburg. They then disappeared until 17:17 when I got the cryptic message:
In transit
FREDERICKSBURG,VAThere has been nothing further. They were due for delivery today but are now shown as:
Updated Delivery
PENDING
Initially expected: Tue, Jan 11Are they "in transit"
in Fredericksburg somewhere or still on their way
to Fredericksburg? The "initially expected", and current time of day, seems to indicate delivery will be tomorrow, not today, but that's hard to say.
Good thing I didn't have an appointment to get them installed this evening. Oh wait, I did! Guess I'm going to have some 'splaining to do tomorrow when I call the shop for a new appointment.
Currently charging the battery on mine, because I forgot to plug in the batt. tender. :headbang:
Guess I should drive it more than only once every few months.
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 12, 2022, 01:06:52 PM
Currently charging the battery on mine, because I forgot to plug in the batt. tender. :headbang:
Guess I should drive it more than only once every few months.
Especially since letting one go dead can cost 10% of a battery's lifespan and capacity. They can also freeze more easily when not charged, damaging internal components.
In other news, I can haz tires:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPzBZHAr.jpg&hash=38be89014a5262a4b58e9f04f99a4a7dc12062fc) (https://imgur.com/PzBZHAr)
Now to get them mounted and balanced tonight.
So far, so good. There's a little rumble to the ride now, more felt than heard, but otherwise they seem fine. Took the Jeep up I-95 for a 40 mile loop with speeds to 85 and they handled just perfect. :awesome:
Quote from: NT2C on January 12, 2022, 08:20:29 PM
So far, so good. There's a little rumble to the ride now, more felt than heard, but otherwise they seem fine. Took the Jeep up I-95 for a 40 mile loop with speeds to 85 and they handled just perfect. :awesome:
(https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th/id/OIP.oHRXvwPhzkUkVrVIsFaSuQHaEK?pid=ImgDet&rs=1)
I need to clean my BOV. Clean, then organize. And I think it's just about due for an oil change. I guess I have the start of a plan for this weekend now...we'll see if it comes together. :awesome:
Put back into the Jeep all the stuff I had to take out to carry the tires to the dealer. Added a second first aid kit and a small fire extinguisher, and installed a seatback set of pockets across the whole back seat.
Detachable Seat Back Hanging Organizers Storage with Zippers (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B08XB13BM4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1)
More pic of the tires:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FUVsE93J.jpg&hash=a168afefd3cec67ebbb10fa8b2fc4ca0240e1f83) (https://imgur.com/UVsE93J)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPK8Bdyh.jpg&hash=643bf1a4e02b0f5f74bf3b31d3c0f455e6f7c07e) (https://imgur.com/PK8Bdyh)
Quote from: NT2C on January 12, 2022, 02:29:01 PM
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on January 12, 2022, 01:06:52 PM
Currently charging the battery on mine, because I forgot to plug in the batt. tender. :headbang:
Guess I should drive it more than only once every few months.
Especially since letting one go dead can cost 10% of a battery's lifespan and capacity. They can also freeze more easily when not charged, damaging internal components.
Yep. Only positive I have going is it's the same AGM Deep Cycle style I had previously and went through this more than once with that one, and it lasted 15 years. I'd have to look in the file as I don't remember when I installed this one, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Yesterday and today I drove mine as part of an effort to keep everything working and not let the battery drain out again. Today sitting at the traffic light, it started running rough, so will have to chase that down and see what's going on. :(
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on February 04, 2022, 01:02:19 PM
Yesterday and today I drove mine as part of an effort to keep everything working and not let the battery drain out again. Today sitting at the traffic light, it started running rough, so will have to chase that down and see what's going on. :(
And now the monkey pissers stopped working on the way home for lunch. :( :(
Removed the factory 1973 Philco am radio to free up space for... Something?
The new (to the truck) radio is going in the glove box, so maybe gauges, cb, or a GMRS radio will be filling the gap in the dash.
This weeks ongoing project getting the cap mounted correctly to the bed,
and putting new (improvised) lock bars in.
Also still gathering materials for the slide in camper build.
J
Well, I was planning on updating the maps installed in the onboard GPS, but now I'm waiting on a response from tech support. I paid for the update and they shipped it promptly, arriving here this morning. There's just one small issue...
The paperwork and invoice list the serial # of the USB drive, the serial number on the box the drive comes in matches that number, the number on the unit inside the box is one digit higher. :headbang:
Before I try installing this and end up bricking the system due to a screw-up on their part I want written confirmation that this is correct and will work.
Bought 3 new sets of points, Condensers Distributor caps, Rotor Buttons, Spark plugs and Wires.
One set of each went on the truck, the rest got wrapped in foil, vacuum sealed, and put in a grounded ammo can at the b.o.l.
I tried to do a hall effect conversion using Pertronix, but they can't in 3 tries figure out which part (if any) will actually fit my truck.
They even tried to send me parts for a pre-65 ford V8... To use in a Mazda based 1.8 Four Cylinder.
So she's staying points apparently.
Next project is tracking down all the bushings for the mechanical throttle linkage, and a new choke/egr cable.
Wish me Luck!
J
This is the closest to fitting any pertronix part came...
Got mine inspected last week, and it and passed(!) for another year. Up to $47.00 for the inspection though, $23.00 per axle now and a $1.00 for the sticker. I can remember when it was $11.00 total a few years ago. :tickedoff:
Also put the charger on the battery to help keep her up to snuff.
I bought a set of Falken Wild Peaks last year for my Jeep. I couldn't afford duratracs or bfgs. But read great reviews about the Falkens. I'm very happy with them.
I did a ton of research on agm batteries on my Jeep forum and elsewhere. I used to have a breakdown of all the top makers of batteries. And which companies they actually manufacture for. But it got lost in my Evernote.
I came up with the following battery.
https://www.oreillyauto.com/detail/c/marine-agm/battery-accessories/deep-cycle---marine-batteries/220f7dcd7121/super-start-marine-agm-group-size-34m-top-post-battery/ssbj/34magm/v/a/3685/automotive-truck-2000-chevrolet-s10
Product Information
Warranty: 1 Year Limited Warranty
Unit of Measure: Each
UPC: # 83996016187
Battery Type: AGM
Height (in): 8-3/8 Inch
Length (in): 10-3/4 Inch
Width (in): 6-7/8 Inch
Terminal Type: Top Post
Weight (Lbs): 42.5 Lbs.
Voltage (V): 12 Volt
Cold Cranking Amps (CCA): 750 CCA
Cranking Amps (CA): 860 CA
Group Size (BCI): 34M
Reserve Capacity (min): 120 Minute
Amp Hour (Ah): 55 AH
Marine Cranking Amps (MCA): 890 MCA
Positive Terminal Location: Bottom Left
Flush Manifold Vent Cover: Yes
Basically a good enough agm battery for a stock Jeep. I'm not running a winch or any other non stock electronics. And at $157. You can't beat the price. Someday I'll buy a Northstar.
But I'm presently really burned out on my Jeep. I would like to add a winch. But other than that I'm just going to run it stock. I've spent enough time, effort and money getting it into good shape with all the mods i wanted. And after reading and consulting with some of the best Jeep offroad mechanics and drivers on the west coast. I think stock is the way to go. I could do a 2.5 inch lift. Without causing to much havoc. But anything more than that and your opening up a can of worms. Even new bumpers very quickly has you adding weight that will slow you down. And as reliable and bombproof as Jeep TJs are, they aren't speed demons.
I was seriously considering selling it for a rav4. But now I'm not sure. I do need the better gas mileage and cargo space. But I'm having a hard time giving up the offroad capabilities.
Anyway. Thats where I'm at with my bov. I need to spend more time on a vehicle ghb. Than any more time on the Jeep itself.
I've got an Optima Red Top in my truck. AGM/ Deep Cycle batts are great. :smiley_happy_thumbup:
I just bought a (new to me) 2000 S10 extended cab 4x4 pickup truck for $400 to use as a work truck/bug out vehicle. It has a solid 4.3 L V6 engine in it, with a bad transmission in it. I've already got a new transmission for it from a parts Blazer I bought a while back for another project truck. It came with a brand new Duracell car battery, some Ironman All Country A/T tires that look brand new but are absolutely freaking awful in snow, mud, or rain. So my next purchase is going to be some new Mickey Thompson Deegan 38 All Terrain tires, and some LED conversion fog lights and license plate lights.
But for now the most up to date thing I've done to it is put a fire extinguisher in the truck and 10 fusee's in the roadside repair kit.
I have painfully come to realize my BOV has gotten to the point of "beyond repair" as far as the body goes... Or at least not really a good ROI if I did repair it.
I'm sure many know shopping for a new/used vehicle is a bit of a challenge these days. Was able to secure a newer used replacement though. 2016 F150 XLT SC, 3.5L EcoBoost with 56K on the clock. Is kind of a bitter sweet purchase, this was my FILs truck who passed in Feb. this year.
Added some upgraded lug nuts to the new BOV. Bought some new wipers and it's scheduled for new tire installation in a few days.
Ordered an oil separator (for turbo engines) and some new spark plugs and boots.
I guess I should have built a reinforced concrete bunker to store mine in. Then maybe the guy wouldn't have totaled it as he sped down the street. He might have jumped the retaining wall, and crashed into the porch if the car wasn't there. though...
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on August 04, 2022, 09:29:37 PMI guess I should have built a reinforced concrete bunker to store mine in. Then maybe the guy wouldn't have totaled it as he sped down the street. He might have jumped the retaining wall, and crashed into the porch if the car wasn't there. though...
Drunk/high/phone distracted or just plain stupid?
Today I ordered a new air filter and a tailgate assist piston (because I ain't getting any younger).
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on August 05, 2022, 02:54:20 PMQuote from: wolf_from_wv on August 04, 2022, 09:29:37 PMI guess I should have built a reinforced concrete bunker to store mine in. Then maybe the guy wouldn't have totaled it as he sped down the street. He might have jumped the retaining wall, and crashed into the porch if the car wasn't there. though...
Drunk/high/phone distracted or just plain stupid?
The responding officer told the tow truck driver to be careful because he found a meth pipe in the truck.
The truck pushed my car up onto the sidewalk, then 3 feet across the sidewalk into the concrete retaining wall in front of the house.
The driver fled on foot.
That sucks wolf
Had the all 4 TPM changed out, old ones were dead. EVAP purge solenoid changed. Ordered air filter, cabin air filter ,plugs and coils for tune up. Looking up for brakes now.
Installed the new air filter. And found out I ordered the wrong spark plugs, non returnable off fleabay. Doh! :headbang:
And had a new set of tires installed yesterday as well... Holeeeee carp. When did a set of 4 tires get to be $1000+?
Scout vehicle, but still.
Bought/installed a n.o.s. Honda C70 Passport front basket for the rear rack of my CT70 clone.
(pic included of "Whitey" but not current will update later)
Increasing cargo carrying/utility by 100%, and making it more of a hunting rig than it was previously.
Currently working on getting QD mounts for a single wheel bicycle cargo trailer like I had on my old one.
(Pic of Blue included for reference)
I frequently ride this from Tucson to Phoenix, as well as to campgrounds up to 250mi away.
2 lane all the way of course, but it does alright even with me (250lb)
and the current amount of cargo (80-100lb including my backpack water and extra fuel) gets 70mpg pinned near 60mph,
and 112mpg if I cruise at a decent 35-45mph.
This isn't my b.o.v. but a scout ahead vehicle if it comes to that.
The b.o.v. is a '98 Mazda MPV (pic attached).
Very nice SD. "Scout vehicle" requires more explanation, is this coming along with the MPV if you need to bugout?
And thanks for the reminder to lub and turn my trailer hitch pin :)
Quote from: Crosscut on August 13, 2022, 02:21:02 PMVery nice SD. "Scout vehicle" requires more explanation, is this coming along with the MPV if you need to bugout?
The "scout vehicle" thing...
The least likely to be completely choked route to our b.o.l. is just over 100mi of farm easements, game trails,
and semi private roads across southern AZ.
So the "scout" part would be me driving @1-2mi ahead glassing/checking for obstacles, washes, etc
which I feel might be a bit much for the "soft-roader", It's a fairly capable off road vehicle, surprisingly so.
But it's going to be dragging the Apache (1900lbs dry) with extra food, water, ammo, and clothes (2200-3000lbs loaded)
so take about 50-75% off of any (questionable) off-road capability it may have to begin with.
So scouting/trail clearing ahead seems like it's going to be fairly important for us... Am I going overboard explaining this?
The bike is more capable than it's stock specs would lead one to believe. (pic included)
I've rode over Mt Lemmon over the control road several times on this one. (route pic included)
The semi-auto trans thing was something I've loved on bikes since I had a CT90 back in the early 2000's
I broke my ankle on Red Top mountain in Ga trail riding,
and was able to start the bike in third gear and still ride home without having to shift.
I only wish the Clone had both brakes on the handlebars like the 90 had,
because I'd have to stop using only the front brake if that happened now.
Every now and then someone in my AO will post one of those little Honda trail bikes for sale and I'm always tempted to buy one.
Only problem is I never learned how to ride a bike like that and I'm pretty sure I'd wipe out big time if I ever tried riding one.
Well, that and I'm not sure if those little bikes would be suited to someone my size.
I'm 5'11" and 250lbs (I know, I'm working on it.)
And mine when stock would drag my big butt, while wearing a 20lb pack, and with 2G extra fuel strapped on
the 260mi round trip to Phoenix and back at an average of 35mph no problem.
The real Honda's seem to have more power in a 72cc than these replicas have in a 125cc.
But that helps with the engine not being able to overtax itself.
Maybe something like a CT90/110 would work better for you,
Same semi-auto trans, more ground clearance, more visibility, parts availability,
And you could always do a full postie bike build, and then swap up to a 140cc chinabike engine into it
if you really wanted more power.
J
Quote from: superduder on August 13, 2022, 04:53:41 PMI'm 5'11" and 250lbs (I know, I'm working on it.)
And mine when stock would drag my big butt, while wearing a 20lb pack, and with 2G extra fuel strapped on
the 260mi round trip to Phoenix and back at an average of 35mph no problem.
The real Honda's seem to have more power in a 72cc than these replicas have in a 125cc.
But that helps with the engine not being able to overtax itself.
Maybe something like a CT90/110 would work better for you,
Same semi-auto trans, more ground clearance, more visibility, parts availability,
And you could always do a full postie bike build, and then swap up to a 140cc chinabike engine into it
if you really wanted more power.
J
If I were more mechanically inclined, I might consider that. As it sits, I barely know how to change a tire. My three brothers got the mechanical knowledge and I got the short end of the stick in that regard.
And I didn't even notice it was a replica of a Honda. It looks really close to the actual ones.
How about a little more info on the honda clone? Make, model, price and POP?
Mine (Whitey) is a 2020 Icebear Champion 125,
124cc Lifan, Semi-Auto 4spd Comes with the rear rack (some don't)
Came with soft street tread Scooter tires, 15F 36R sprockets and #420 chain.
I replaced the original 19mm carb with a single inlet 20mm mikuni knockoff and eliminated my "res" setting.
Re jetted to a 92Main and a 35Idle jets, put an original style CT70 airbox/filter on it,
Replaced the rear sprocket with a 32T (smallest you can go without machining the hub)
and switched out for #428 chain, same pitch but Way stronger.
Drilled out a few holes in the endcap of the exhaust and now top out at 57mph (gps).
Replaced the scooter tires with Shinko 421 "golden boy" knobbies like on original CT70s,
Read up/Watched my Keith Code and now get up to 58 degree lean angle in corners.
I added the front "Postie Bike" rack, scavenged a Coleman "8" cooler to bolt onto that,
Because 5hr rides one way are a thing. Bought the fore mentioned C70 basket and a random freezer basket
to bolt onto the rear rack, The gas tank is under the seat, So saddle bags are a non-option for his bike (imo).
I can add links for all the mods if Y'all want.
If you can find these at online retailers, they're currently going for $1,200-$1,700 Usually shipping is included.
I got mine on sale for $1K even, All my mods cost about $300, and I've put right at...
2159km so 1341mi.
Okay that's make, model, price, What's "POP"?
J
Quote from: superduder on August 13, 2022, 03:54:09 PMSo scouting/trail clearing ahead seems like it's going to be fairly important for us... Am I going overboard explaining this?
Nope, and the specs/mods answered most of my other questions. So Whitey rides in the Apache trailer until needed, then you scout ahead while the rest of your group follows 1-2 miles behind. And you stay in touch by radio if the cell phone network is down?
Bringing a second means of motorized travel on a bugout is our plan too, and unless there's snow that means our DRZ 400 dual sport. I got the street legal version then mod'ed it to be more offroad capable since that's the type of pleasure riding I enjoy. Using it to scout ahead during the bugout isn't part of our primary plan, the most likely situation I envision is being trapped in traffic and possibly needing to abandon the truck and use the bike to finish the trip. But once at the BOL it'd also be used to scout the area around us, and as a fuel efficient means of transportation for short trips.
Quote from: superduder on August 13, 2022, 10:16:41 PMMine (Whitey) is a 2020 Icebear Champion 125,
124cc Lifan, Semi-Auto 4spd Comes with the rear rack (some don't)
Came with soft street tread Scooter tires, 15F 36R sprockets and #420 chain.
I replaced the original 19mm carb with a single inlet 20mm mikuni knockoff and eliminated my "res" setting.
Re jetted to a 92Main and a 35Idle jets, put an original style CT70 airbox/filter on it,
Replaced the rear sprocket with a 32T (smallest you can go without machining the hub)
and switched out for #428 chain, same pitch but Way stronger.
Drilled out a few holes in the endcap of the exhaust and now top out at 57mph (gps).
Replaced the scooter tires with Shinko 421 "golden boy" knobbies like on original CT70s,
Read up/Watched my Keith Code and now get up to 58 degree lean angle in corners.
I added the front "Postie Bike" rack, scavenged a Coleman "8" cooler to bolt onto that,
Because 5hr rides one way are a thing. Bought the fore mentioned C70 basket and a random freezer basket
to bolt onto the rear rack, The gas tank is under the seat, So saddle bags are a non-option for his bike (imo).
I can add links for all the mods if Y'all want.
If you can find these at online retailers, they're currently going for $1,200-$1,700 Usually shipping is included.
I got mine on sale for $1K even, All my mods cost about $300, and I've put right at...
2159km so 1341mi.
Okay that's make, model, price, What's "POP"?
J
Point of purchase. So you already covered it :slide:
Quote from: superduder on August 13, 2022, 10:16:41 PMIf you can find these at online retailers, they're currently going for $1,200-$1,700 Usually shipping is included.
I got mine on sale for $1K even, All my mods cost about $300, and I've put right at...
2159km so 1341mi.
That seems like a heck of a bang-for-buck. Real life capacity/speed question - I normally drive a pickup, but 50%+ of my driving is to/from work (15miles round trip). She's an older girl (2001 Silverado) with a strong engine, but that makes her thirsty. I've pondered getting something for the run to/from work. The biggest problem is that most of the run (5 miles) is along a major dimly lit highway at 5am or before. Can the bike maintain a decent speed (say 55moh) with ~240# on it, and what do you think the fuel consumption would be at those conditions?
"So Whitey rides in the Apache trailer until needed, then you scout ahead while the rest of your group follows 1-2 miles behind. And you stay in touch by radio if the cell phone network is down?"
100 percent right on the radio part, but I'll be riding ahead the whole way.
We're planning on having to beat feet in not so great conditions, since we live in the "not so great" part of Tucson.
Luckily there's only 8-10mi of city before we get to the trails part of the trip.
"Can the bike maintain a decent speed (say 55mph) with ~240# on it"
With stock gearing/carb no chance, It just doesn't have the lungs/legs for it.
with the carb/jets/sprocket change "Whitey" tops out pinned WoT at 57mph...
although if I hit a downhill section I have had it up to 74mph (gps) going down north 7th street in Phoenix
(2mi straight downhill) :smiley_clap:
As far as the mileage when pinned, it cuts down to about 60-70mpg but that's pinned.
There are more mods to squeeze more from the 125,
but at that point a 140cc engine (which is plug-n-play and cost an additional $650 +s&h from Trail Buddy)
may be a better purchase.
The place I got Whitey from (https://www.kronikracing.com/) isn't carrying them anymore,
but they have Grom Clones supposedly in stock, if the semi-auto isn't a deal killer.
https://www.cajunmaddogs.com/ supposedly has the CT clones in stock and selling for $1500.
Quote from: SCBrian on August 14, 2022, 09:02:39 AMThat seems like a heck of a bang-for-buck. Real life capacity/speed question - I normally drive a pickup, but 50%+ of my driving is to/from work (15miles round trip). She's an older girl (2001 Silverado) with a strong engine, but that makes her thirsty. I've pondered getting something for the run to/from work. The biggest problem is that most of the run (5 miles) is along a major dimly lit highway at 5am or before. Can the bike maintain a decent speed (say 55moh) with ~240# on it, and what do you think the fuel consumption would be at those conditions?
Potentially stupid idea, but have you thought about one of the small used Asian or European cars like a VW Golf or Nissan Micra?
We´ve got an old ill-maintained Opel Corsa and use around 5 – 6 litres per 100 km. Higher than one of those small dirt bikes but should be a lot less than a pickup. It´s very easy to repair, does 85 mph on longer distances and you can get them around 500€ around here. Manages field roads and hills without problems and has managed to survive a crash with only a tiny dent in the bonnet while the involved mid-sized car had to be scrapped.
Not as pretty as the Whitey though. :smiley_hearteyes:
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on August 05, 2022, 02:58:24 PMToday I ordered a new air filter and a tailgate assist piston (because I ain't getting any younger).
Installed both along with a new cabin air filter. Really like the tailgate piston/damper.
.
Went for a 10-day, 1600-mile vacation with my wife and both teen kids in my new-to-me 2013 Fiat 500L Trekking (mine is yellow and looks just like the one in this review (https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/fiat/500/l-trekking)).
Map from Google showing the main destinations:
(https://i.ibb.co/dfPF36X/Long-Way-Up.png)
Drove from the south of England to the highlands of Scotland, saw Loch Ness and Ben Nevis, then back to Cumbria and the Lake District.
Take-homes:
- We all fit and we didn't fall out!
- Luggage room is tight for a 10-day trip, but there was room for a couple of bags each, a laptop bag and a coolbox in the trunk, plus a personal bag each in the cabin.
- The 1.6 turbodiesel returned 52 UKmpg, about 43 USmpg, which gives a 550 mile range on a full tank.
Quote from: sheddi on August 21, 2022, 11:57:55 AMWent for a 10-day, 1600-mile vacation with my wife and both teen kids in my new-to-me 2013 Fiat 500L Trekking (mine is yellow and looks just like the one in this review (https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/fiat/500/l-trekking)).
Map from Google showing the main destinations:
(https://i.ibb.co/dfPF36X/Long-Way-Up.png)
Drove from the south of England to the highlands of Scotland, saw Loch Ness and Ben Nevis, then back to Cumbria and the Lake District.
Take-homes:
- We all fit and we didn't fall out!
- Luggage room is tight for a 10-day trip, but there was room for a couple of bags each, a laptop bag and a coolbox in the trunk, plus a personal bag each in the cabin.
- The 1.6 turbodiesel returned 52 UKmpg, about 43 USmpg, which gives a 550 mile range on a full tank.
https://youtu.be/a8k1eTEw4rQ
Ordered a set of spark plugs for the "new" BOV. Since when did spark plugs get to be $10ish each? Holy carp... Good thing it's only a V6 and not a V10.
.
Washed it and installed a new set of wipers.
Someday maybe I'll even get to drive it, if the state issues and mails me my plates anyway.
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Just ordered a full set of stainless steel brake lines to replace the lines on my '97 Dakota 4x4, some of which were getting pretty rusted.
Put a new battery in it and it only cost me .50 cents. I was presently surprised that when Sam's Club's Energizer vehicle battery says 3 year warranty, they actually cover everything in that 3 year span. I'm so used to Walmart dicking me around when it comes to battery warranty, that it was definitely nice to have it be in my favor for once.
Quote from: NapalmMan67 on September 06, 2022, 03:12:40 PMWashed it and installed a new set of wipers.
Someday maybe I'll even get to drive it, if the state issues and mails me my plates anyway.
.
Finally got it on the road just a day ago after waiting for the state and insurance company to dick around and get everything worked out. Got to test out the new wipers, as it's been a mini monsoon in our AO today.
It needed a wash, so I guess the rain isn't to unwelcome.
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Four new tires on my Kia Soul. It actually passed state inspection with the old rubber but I could tell last winter that traction was getting a little dicey.
Probably should have replaced them last March but made it through the winter season and the 5000 or so extra miles I got this summer was a bonus I guess. But no way was I going into another winter driving season with marginal rubber.
Installed a hard tonneau cover, not so much for weather intrusion but prying eye/sticky finger intrusion.
Went with a BAK Revolver X4s. Seems like it'll work well.
Not really for my BOV, but for my daily driver.
My car has been starting very slowly and I'd blamed it on the lack of use lately. To keep the battery charged, I've been putting it on battery charger/tender every time I park. But, each time I get home from running errands, the charger is showing that the battery is low, even after driving and even though it had been showing at/near full charge when I left home. Hmmm... It's a 3-year battery that I got from a Sears location which closed 4.5 years ago, so maybe it's time for a new one.
However, tonight when I put the clips on for the charger, I noticed that the battery cable was slightly loose. I investigated and found that it was SO loose that I could just lift it right off the post. Got out the wrench and really tightened it down. That could explain the issue - it hasn't actually been charging properly, even when the car is running! Fingers crossed that this fixes it and that the battery isn't irreparably damaged.
I do have a battery booster / jump pack that I carry, so I'm not likely to get stranded even if the battery runs down. In fact, this is something that I highly recommend that everyone has in their vehicle, even more so than jumper cables. With a battery booster, you don't need another vehicle to jump start yours, so you can "self-rescue" if you have a battery issue. You just connect it to your battery, hit the power button, and start your car like normal.
The boost pack in my car (a FlyHi N18 1200amp) has been discontinued, but the GooLoo GP4000 (https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B09HJH1S41) that I have in my truck is still around. They both work great. Hopefully I won't need to use either of them, at least not for myself, but I have used them several times for neighbors, people in parking lots, and people at the side of the road.
Realized yesterday that while I'm still within the mileage from my last oil change (only about 2k miles), I'm waaaaay past the time (16 months) and that I should probably have it done. Went to the oil change place last night just before close and the crew was getting a bit loopy. It was a fun time! So that's done.
I'd already done my winter-prep packing this week. I took the awning off for the winter, reinstalled the carpet remnant that I use when camping (in case I have to stay in the truck, it's one extra layer of insulation on the floor, plus it's very thick / plush), put the window insulation blocks in the cargo area, added a 0'F sleeping bag, boots, food, shovel, kitty litter (as a traction aid), and swapped in my winter mats.
Today I had an appointment at the tire shop for a slow-leak in one of the tires. I would've bet money that it was going to be a bad seal due to the corrosion on my rims, but nope, just a nail.
Topped off the tank on the way home, so it should be all set if I need it.
For the time being, I'm keeping both vehicles on battery tenders, particularly with the extremely cold weather right now. Over the last few years my annual miles driven has fallen off a cliff. I think that between the two cars this year, I'll end up somewhere around 4000 miles total, and that includes 1500 miles worth of driving for my camping trip to the Upper Peninsula this fall! As a result, the batteries are pretty badly abused from non-use. It looks like the one in the car will need to be replaced. Even with the tender, it's still sagging down to around 11.8v. Fortunately, that's still enough to start the little engine (2.3L) in the car.
Yeah, that battery in the car is past its EoL and needs replacing. It should be holding at least a full volt higher than that. With that little charge on it it's getting down into the upper edge of "danger of freezing and cracking zone". It won't happen with temps above about -5 but it's flirting with the possibility.
Why is my spouse so dang oblivious to things on the dashboard of the car? I notice when driving with her that she doesn't notice things like low fuel, headlights being off, speeding, etc. It's as if she never looks at the dashboard. Even important stuff like ALT and Oil Pressure gauges get ignored.
I just got into the Jeep a little while ago and immediately noticed the CEL is on. Kinda hard to miss it, and it wasn't on this past Wednesday when I drove to/from my x-ray and CT scan appointment. It didn't get driven Thursday, but Friday my wife had it out three times and never said a word about the light being on. Checking the monitoring app I see it triggered Friday when she drove to get something notarized and faxed.
I'll have to find a new dealership to bring it to on Monday. It has a lifetime warranty package on it from Jeep but the dealership we bought it from has made a lot of changes to their service department recently and the last time I was there a service writer I'd never met before tried to completely bullshit me and I called him out on it to his face. A couple of my tech buddies there tell me techs are jumping ship there, the senior service writer left, and customers are leaving in droves. I no longer trust that shop so it's time to find another that's not owned by the same family.
My SO is the same NT , lane and 1/2 back road going round a curve head looking out the side for deer way back in the pasture.
I checked and inflated tires to spec on both , checked fluids on both. Cleared a code on my truck after a new gas cap installed.
My aunt was like this too. She just drove her cars until they broke down and then had them fixed. No preventative work, including a lot of regular maintenance. The most bizarre was that she washed the cars so infrequently that I remember at least two where she had a dealer or tow truck driver punch out the trunk lock after it got so gummed up that it failed! She didn't keep anything worth stealing in the trunk (and these were back in the day where back seats didn't fold down, so you couldn't get into the car) and she'd just use a screwdriver to reach in and pop the lock mechanism after the cylinder had been removed.
Quote from: EBuff75 on January 07, 2023, 10:02:38 AMMy aunt was like this too. She just drove her cars until they broke down and then had them fixed. No preventative work, including a lot of regular maintenance. The most bizarre was that she washed the cars so infrequently that I remember at least two where she had a dealer or tow truck driver punch out the trunk lock after it got so gummed up that it failed! She didn't keep anything worth stealing in the trunk (and these were back in the day where back seats didn't fold down, so you couldn't get into the car) and she'd just use a screwdriver to reach in and pop the lock mechanism after the cylinder had been removed.
Oh, I've at least got mine to do regular maintenance but it wasn't pretty at first. Her Dodge Dakota went from Blaine, Wa to Houston, TX, then to Lewiston, ID and then to D.C. over the space of two years, all without an oil change. The stuff was almost lumpy when I first met her and started doing maint on the truck. Took two engine flushes with a kerosene and oil mix to clean it all out, then oil changes every 2k for the next 5 years. Now it gets one every 3k and when the timing chain and gears were changed it was almost spotless in there. Hate to think what the inside of the pan must look like though. Might stick a camera in there next oil change and take pictures.
Finally took the truck in to get some "warranty work" mind you I've had the truck since late 2017. And done nothing to it but regular MX, oil, tires, fluid checks, etc.
Well I get it in there and they quote me 4 hours to check out the issues. What were they? Well the batteries were good because I replaced them 6 months ago, but when I would get it the infotainment system would have a warning staying start car low battery. Checked tbe batteries and were perfect. Every time I would start the car it would tell me that a trailer was connected then once I hit the brakes it would turn off, then the infotainment system WHILE driving would give the warning when the car was off that the truck needs to be started... uh, I'm driving? Lastly the whole dashboard would shut turn off for half a second.
Obviously nothing I've done.
Get a call and they said they found the problems it took the techs about 10 hours to trouble shoot, and that they were ground wires coming loose or completely off behind panels. They said the battery terminals were corroded which is probably the cause if it all and the trailer plug harness needed to be replaced because it was corroded.
They wanted like $7200 to fix it all and that it wasn't covered by warranty because it's corrosion and "adjustments" I said ok I'll be fright down. The service manager was there and started to explain everything and I pulled my phone out with a picture of my terminals from the day I dropped the truck off. And said so first either you or the tech is lying. Because I knew that the batteries would be blamed because I did them. I popped the hood and said if corrosion was there the lead leads should have scratch marks. And they were still oxidized.
Anywho after arguing in front if a bunch if customers they they were lying and that ford must make such a poor product that grounds behind panels that I would have zero reason to access came loose or completely off. So they finally agreed to charge me the 4 hours quoted.
Oh and the part that they wanted to charge me 500 to replace on the trailer is completely sealed. How the hell did it get corroded?! I called my buddy who owns a body shop and he got the OEM ford part for 50 bucks. Bur it has to be spliced in. So I have to cut the waiting harness to replace it.
Not happy with ford and that dealer. Now to find someone that will honor the warranty.
Maybe we should rename this to the "I need to rant about my bugout vehicle" thread. :))
Quote from: majorhavoc on January 07, 2023, 06:33:35 PMMaybe we should rename this to the "I need to rant about my bugout vehicle" thread. :))
I mean it's true.
Well if any of your bugout vehicles are like mine, they are just old enough to work under most any conditions, while being just old enough to be cantankerous on a cold morning. I realized a few weeks back when Kansas City got some NASTY cold weather that got us seeing windchill around -25 and actual temperature around 5 or so for several days in a row that a battery's cold cranking amps are something very important when my S10 with a brand new cheap battery in it would barely crank over, even after being on a battery tender over night. That's what I get for buying a $40 battery. So now I have to upgrade to a much better, more expensive battery.
Bought one of the cheapest OBDII/CAN scanners on Amazon (https://a.co/gzUBW27 $14.31 shipped) and checked codes on my Jeep. This thing was so cheap my wife and I think it might be made in the Fischer-Price or Little Tykes factory. It came with two sets of instructions, one English, the other...Russian. Yeah, seriously, Russian. It worked though and that's what matters. As I suspected it was an evap leak, a very small one. The most common cause of this is the fuel fill not sealing completely (either the cap not being tight or having a bad seal, or the closure mechanism on capless fills getting dirty). Sure enough, the mechanism on our fill was not latching closed properly. I opened and closed it a few times with the emergency fill funnel in the toolkit and got it to seal. Then I cleared the code and ran the Jeep through a few cycles of start/run 5 mins/off/wait/repeat to see if the code was going to come back but it seems good now. I'll grab some carb cleaner at the parts store this week and give it a good cleaning, then a very light spray in some key points with a pure silicone lube that will keep it moving freely without attracting dust/dirt.
Quote from: NT2C on January 07, 2023, 01:24:22 PMQuote from: EBuff75 on January 07, 2023, 10:02:38 AMMy aunt was like this too. She just drove her cars until they broke down and then had them fixed. No preventative work, including a lot of regular maintenance. The most bizarre was that she washed the cars so infrequently that I remember at least two where she had a dealer or tow truck driver punch out the trunk lock after it got so gummed up that it failed! She didn't keep anything worth stealing in the trunk (and these were back in the day where back seats didn't fold down, so you couldn't get into the car) and she'd just use a screwdriver to reach in and pop the lock mechanism after the cylinder had been removed.
Oh, I've at least got mine to do regular maintenance but it wasn't pretty at first. Her Dodge Dakota went from Blaine, Wa to Houston, TX, then to Lewiston, ID and then to D.C. over the space of two years, all without an oil change. The stuff was almost lumpy when I first met her and started doing maint on the truck. Took two engine flushes with a kerosene and oil mix to clean it all out, then oil changes every 2k for the next 5 years. Now it gets one every 3k and when the timing chain and gears were changed it was almost spotless in there. Hate to think what the inside of the pan must look like though. Might stick a camera in there next oil change and take pictures.
When I was changing my battery last week. I noticed that Valvoline used a half oil filter! I was so pissed. I took it in I think last summer for an oil change. But didnt think I had to check to see if they cheated on the gd filter!
I actually found out on my Jeep forum about an oversized filter for another car that fits my Jeep. Which almost twice as long. So I was gonna replace it anyway.
I have never heard of that. Its this really short filter maybe 2 or 2.5 inches long.
Dealerships! I bought a new Yukon in 2004. I took it in because the cig lighter stopped working.
I had to make an appt to get it diagnosed. It was the actual plug. Not the entire thing.
I then had to make another appt to have it installed. Because they wouldn't let me just come back to the parts counter and get it.
So I made a second trip to have it "installed". Never took my car back for any warranty work again.
They make it as difficult as possible to take advantage of what they guaranteed they would fix.
But the service departments are the worst. EVERYTHING IS A SCAM AND AN UPSELL. They don't have service techs anymore. What they have are service SALES people.
I've had many many cars inspected at many different brand dealerships. So I've seen a fair share of repair estimates. They are always in the thousands of dollars.
1) Because they not only put what is broken. They also put what "needs" to be repaired. Which includes anything that they estimate by mileage might need to be repaired. Or might break soon. Based in no analysis at all. Often on parts they can not even see.
2) The price of the parts is based on a several decades old sales strategy by US automakers - to make more money off parts and repairs than the actual car. So the parts are always many hundreds if not thousands more than average retail at any autoparts store.
3) The price of labor is always massively more per hour than any other national chain repair shop. Then the number of hours is routinely inflated. But back to the "un-needed" repairs. Substantially more because they always try to scam you into paying labor for repairs you don't need.
I will never have a car repaired at the dealership. Its a huge scam. I've never gone into a dealership and had them say oh its this "one" item. Its always "many" items.
Not to mention you lose $10,000 just driving a new car off the lot.
The Yukon I bought I used Truecar. It was the best way to buy a new car I've ever seen. I don't know if its like this now. But back then you could configure every option and detail you wanted in your car. And they would give a detailed price right then.
In my case it was $10,000 below sticker. And although I had found a couple Yukons in that price range. Both were sales bait in the local paper. And could never be found on the lots.
Once you committed to buying the vehicle they found one with all the iptions you chose and had it transported to your local dealership. In my case it came from a dealer in Texas. I got a phone call about a week later. Drove to my dealership. Gave them a cashiers check (you could arrange financing thru the website as well) and drove away 15 minutes later.
I even asked about some premiums mats or something. That I wanted to buy. And they told me they weren't allowed to speak about selling or sell anything to Truecar buyers.
The entire process took me about 20 minutes. Including choosing and buying the car online. And picking it up. With the exception of going to my bank for the cashiers check.
A normal new vehicle transaction takes many many hours if not days. Being haggled, lied to, and manipulated for hours on end. Its maddening!
That is the state of the US auto industry. And why I drive a used 15 year old vehicle. That is so simple I can fix anything on it myself.
With snow in the forecast tomorrow, I topped off the fuel and wiper fluid, then ran my Suburban through a carwash (which it had desperately needed for quite some time). I took the awning off a few months ago, but the solar panel is still mounted to the roof rack. I just trusted that my mounting job was more than sufficient to handle the brushes and went through with it as-is. The solar went through the wash with no problems at all and now everything is nice and clean again! (well, as much as a rusty old truck can be shiny and clean...)
Edit: I also re-packed my winter bags for both vehicles, checking everything in my list off as I went.
Fingers crossed - I'm going to look at a new-to-me Suburban tomorrow to replace the old red one.
My old one works okay, but the body is completely shot and it probably could use a new engine. Because it's 20 years old, it's not worth putting any significant work into it, so I've been looking around for a replacement. Last night I found a new listing for a truck from Texas that's in very good condition, despite having over 200k miles on it. I talked to the guy on the phone this afternoon and we're going to meet up tomorrow for me to look it over. I would've preferred fewer miles and a different color (it's silver), but with used vehicles you sort of have to take what you can find, and this is the best that I've seen around here in quite a while.
More updates as events warrant! :smiley_bril:
And here's EBuff's new BOV! It's a 2013 Chevy Suburban Z71 and this time I hope that I've done a better job of it. The big improvement is that it's from Texas and has zero rust! And to keep it that way, I'm planning to take it in for an oil-based rustproofing treatment.
NewSuburbanZ71.jpg
There are a few minor issues, the biggest is what sounds like an exhaust manifold leak, and that the tires are completely shot (3 different brands, all of them down to the wear bars). It didn't come with a remote, so right now you have to unlock it manually, then quickly put the key into the ignition before the alarm goes off, so a new remote (or two) is right at the top of the list. Finally, the driver's door pull handle is broken and will require a new door panel.
The biggest gamble that I took is with the mileage as it has 225,000 miles on it. Other than the issues above, everything else is pretty minor, like a broken piece of trim, and the passenger mirror won't power-fold. I'm fine with things like that and they'd be easy to fix in the future. It's really clean inside and out and the 70 miles or so that I've put on it so far haven't revealed any big surprises. It's definitely quieter and smoother than my old truck and I can actually floor it without any banging / backfiring noises! Biggest disappointment is probably the color as I'm not really enamored with the silver, particularly when compared to the burgundy with black trim of the old one.
I've got to clean out the old truck and take the solar off, then I'll start working to sell it. I've got a few potential leads to explore (local mechanic's shop, friend who works at a dealership, Facebook friends, etc.) and if none of those pan out, I'll have to try Craigslist and FB Marketplace. :smiley_duh:
Anyway, I guess this means that there will be another Suburban build-out thread coming!
The old Suburban is still hanging around. I haven't posted it online yet (other than on my persona Facebook page, in case any friends are interested), but it's got 'For Sale' signs and is sitting in my driveway. A few people have said "I might know someone who'd be interested, let me check with them," but none of that has gone anywhere.
The next step will be posting it on Facebook Marketplace. That should be slightly safer than putting it on Craigslist, since (in theory) any interested parties are "real" people. The whole selling of the old vehicle has been my most dreaded portion of this entire changeover, since I don't trust most people to not be dicks / be on the up-and-up...
If any of y'all are in the Detroit area and might be interested, shoot me a message. I'm asking $2500 for it, as-is.
My daily is a 2006 Mazda 3 hatchback. Despite storing it in the garage ever since I bought it (back in 2007), the headlights are showing their age. Some yellowed plastic at the top where the sun hits the most directly and a ton of small scratches all over the lenses.
I went with the Cerakote Headlight Restoration Kit (https://a.co/d/2I4ubx6), which only cost me about $17, to clean them up. The only things which weren't included was some tape to mask the fenders/bumper, a spray bottle for water, and some paper towels (and some Windex). I cleaned the lights off, then masked them, and started in with the kit. There's a wipe to strip off the oxidized outer layer, then 2000 grit and 3000 grit sandpaper for wet sanding, and finally a wipe for the clearcoat / UV protectant. Only took about 30 mins and they're looking much better!
If you buy this kit, try to line up more than one car. I only used 2 of the 8 oxidizing wipes and 1 of the 2 Cerakote wipes, and it had plenty of fluid left in the wipe after doing both headlights. It would easily be enough to do two vehicles and maybe even 3-4 if you were careful! For now, I'll put the rest of the kit away, although I don't foresee needing it for any of my own vehicles for many years now.
Before:
Headlight_before_polish.jpg
After:
Headlight_after_polish.jpg
It's in the garage while it's drying, because the wind kicked up and started blowing cottonwood fuzzies and other crud around that I didn't want to get stuck to the lenses before they dried.
If you have yellowed headlights on your car, this is a cheap and easy fix for them.
I always wondered how good of job these kits would actually do. Impressive results!
I've been looking at that particular kit and now I'm thinking I'll pick one up to do the headlights on my mom's Explorer and my oldest sister's Honda Pilot.
I try to run all of my maintenance together, so last Friday....
The Titan: 40K Miles
- Oil/ Filter
- New Tires, Cooper AT's
- Brake fluid swap
The C8: 5K Miles
- Oil/ Filter
- Transmission Filter
- Was getting some kind of post ignition detonation under hard acceleration. They said they needed to keep it for a couple of days to check it out.
Took the Jeep for its annual state safety inspection and tried to get the required state emissions check. The emissions check was a no-go. There's only two local places that do it. The closest had a line of 6 other cars ahead of me when I got there at 9 am (this was yesterday), and no inspector was available. They're short three people these days and their only qualified inspector is also their only qualified tow truck driver and he was out on a call. The other place was also short-handed and had an even longer waiting list because they were getting the overflow.
The state safety inspection was done at the dealer and I also went over with the tech (Andrew - very cool dude) some issues and concerns I had and got some recommendations on things to do before my trip, ways to run wiring for off-road lights, and what the connection is between Jeeps and ducks.
We discovered a failing gas strut in my lifgate that's under warranty (we have a lifetime warranty with a $200 deductible - the strut is only $61 but the labor is $175, so cheaper to pay the $200 ded.) and testing also showed both batteries are at the "end-of-life" stage after 6 years of ownership (not bad for batteries rated for 36 months warranty). This was not an expense we really needed right now but it is what it is. Two replacement batteries, new strut, new front and rear wiper blades, system software update, plus labor and shop fees and taxes, all told ~$1,000 (batteries are not covered under the lifetime warranty as they are considered expendables, like tires and brake pads). Parts are ordered and I have an appointment to bring it back Monday or Tuesday. The wife comes home Monday around noon so I should be able to get it done Monday afternoon.
The new ham radio is gradually getting "dialed in" and will be a nice thing to have on this trip. I'll be supplementing it with a GMRS unit and keeping an HT in the seat pocket for a backup.
A set of brackets, wiring harness, and pair of 3" pod lights are going to be added as "ditch lights", which should prove useful passing through some of the areas on back roads that I plan to travel at night. I seldom sleep more than 6-7 hours these days (been averaging 2-3 hours sleeping then 7-8 awake the past few months) so I expect to be on the road at all hours this trip.
Ordered a pair of ditch light brackets (https://valkyrieoffroad.com/shop/wk2-ditch-light-bracket/) from Valkyrie Off Road Gear (https://valkyrieoffroad.com/), and a pair of CYBER 1 Pro Series | 3 Inches Cube Pods Off-road Auxiliary SAE Driving Light (https://www.novsights.com/collections/led-pod-light/products/3-inch-pod-lights-cube-driving-auxiliary-off-road) from Novsight (https://www.novsights.com/).
I changed out the failed AC/Heater blower motor. It was shoulder deep under the dash, only reachable by removing the gas/brake pedal assembly.
Drat... Well, the exhaust manifold repairs on the new truck have taken a turn. There were broken studs on both sides (which was the reason for the leaks) and the shop was able to extract all but one. They spent hours trying to get that final stud out (of course it's the one right up by the firewall), but ultimately failed. The owner said they could put it back together without that stud, but that it would likely start leaking again in short order. So, I bit the bullet and said to go ahead with the correct fix, which is to pull off the cylinder head and send it to a machine shop to have the broken stud drilled out. The bummer is that this is going to add something like $1500-2000 to the bill. :headbang:
On the plus side, I visited the shop on Friday to see how things were going and they took me out onto the shop floor to go over what they'd found. The truck also needs a brake job, new plugs/wires, an oil change, and was missing the sway bar ends (not sure why those were missing, as this truck isn't exactly set up for off-roading). The good news is that everything is just as clean and rust free as I had hoped! Even better, with the exhaust manifolds removed, I was able to see that the exhaust ports on the engine are really clean! So it appears that, despite the 225k miles, the truck was well-cared for and the engine appears to be in good condition.
I've got a few minor things left to do once I get the truck back in a few days (plus new tires, which aren't exactly "minor") and then I can start my modifications (lights, solar, awning, building a platform in the 2nd row area, etc.).
Extracting a broken stud or bolt ranks as one of my all time PITA mechanical issues to deal with. But even if it's just a rusted bolt or nut that eventually comes loose, it always seems to be in THE most inaccessible spot.
In addition to donating a lot of knuckle skin over the years, those situations have led me to come up with some truly inspired hyphenated swear word combos.
You have my sincere sympathy.
Quote from: majorhavoc on June 12, 2023, 03:17:06 PMExtracting a broken stud or bolt ranks as one of my all time PITA mechanical issues to deal with. But even if it's just a rusted bolt or nut that eventually comes loose, it always seems to be in THE most inaccessible spot.
In addition to donating a lot of knuckle skin over the years, those situations have led me to come up with some truly inspired hyphenated swear word combos.
You have my sincere sympathy.
There's probably some Murphy's Law equivalent for the worst repairs always being in the most inaccessible place!
The shop spent almost an entire day working on it before they gave up. I think he said that they tried welding onto it 4-5 times and just couldn't get the weld to hold well enough to back out the remaining chunk. Hopefully they'll be able to get all the rest of the work done while the head is getting machined so that they can just put the head and exhaust back on and it'll be done. Looking forward to having a (mostly) fixed truck in a few days! Then I can do a few little jobs and get the tires.
I've used a few differnt kits on my 2004 corrolla. Those headlamp covers were pretty bad and the kit got them better but they reverted to cloudy very shortly thereafter.
Then the leftfront one got cracked.
So I found a set of lenses on amazon for $99 and just replaced them. Now my POS greyman 2004 corrolla has impressively new looking headlamp lenses.
But had to take the front end off to make that change out. It was worth it though.
Sorry I didn't take a before photo.
(https://i.imgur.com/Ga2uQ4G.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/ivNkHti.jpg)
I don't know why those kits didn't keep the lenses clear longer but they clouded back up kinda quick.
Got my Suburban back from the shop today. Not sure if it's because of the exhaust repair, the new plugs/wires, or just the process of taking things apart and reassembling them to get the cylinder head off, but the throttle is hugely improved! Previously, it was somewhat lethargic and didn't respond well to inputs. Now it's quite snappy. Big thumbs up on that!
I'd previously noted that the wipers were terrible (it's a TX truck, so who knows how often they were ever used), so I'd picked up some replacements which were waiting to be installed. Since it's raining here today, I put them on as soon as I got home with it. The old ones were so bad that they were actively disintegrating and left tar-like, melted rubber all over my hands in the process. Yuck!
Still need to get tires ordered for it. This week is a mess, but I might be able to swing by Discount Tire next Monday to get the process started. I am thinking about waiting until next month though, in the hope that there might be a 4th of July discount that I could take advantage of!
Quote from: EBuff75 on June 13, 2023, 05:51:05 PMGot my Suburban back from the shop today. Not sure if it's because of the exhaust repair, the new plugs/wires, or just the process of taking things apart and reassembling them to get the cylinder head off, but the throttle is hugely improved! Previously, it was somewhat lethargic and didn't respond well to inputs. Now it's quite snappy. Big thumbs up on that!
I'd previously noted that the wipers were terrible (it's a TX truck, so who knows how often they were ever used), so I'd picked up some replacements which were waiting to be installed. Since it's raining here today, I put them on as soon as I got home with it. The old ones were so bad that they were actively disintegrating and left tar-like, melted rubber all over my hands in the process. Yuck!
Still need to get tires ordered for it. This week is a mess, but I might be able to swing by Discount Tire next Monday to get the process started. I am thinking about waiting until next month though, in the hope that there might be a 4th of July discount that I could take advantage of!
I could probably arrange a 20% discount for you over at Simple Tire (https://simpletire.com/) if you want. I've been meaning to hit them up about offering members here a discount.
I'm in a grumpy mood today. Valkyrie Off-Road (https://valkyrieoffroad.com/) took my money and sent me a receipt with my brackets marked as being back-ordered, and I can't get them to answer their phone or multiple emails regarding expected shipping times. I've tried phoning several times and it just rings a few times before going to voicemail.
I've contacted my bank and opened a dispute over the charge but this leaves me with a nice set of pod lights and no way to mount them other than those crap amounts that clamp to the edge of the hood and rust almost immediately. I do have a pair of those coming tomorrow but I'm loathe to use them on my thin aluminum hood. The only other place I've found that makes brackets which attach to the hood hinge studs is in Australia, charges 3x for an aluminum pair what Valkyrie wanted for stainless steel, and they don't ship to the USA. This sucks.
I would suggest maybe finding someone that could fabricate you a set of mounts locally, but I'm not sure how much that'd cost you or how long it'd take.
Custom work like that tends to take a good bit of time, especially if the shop doing the work is swamped with work.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on June 14, 2023, 05:10:21 PMI would suggest maybe finding someone that could fabricate you a set of mounts locally, but I'm not sure how much that'd cost you or how long it'd take.
Custom work like that tends to take a good bit of time, especially if the shop doing the work is swamped with work.
It's bugging me that, if I had the equipment and stock to do it, I could fabricate my own, maybe even better than these others.
Quote from: NT2C on June 14, 2023, 05:45:20 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on June 14, 2023, 05:10:21 PMI would suggest maybe finding someone that could fabricate you a set of mounts locally, but I'm not sure how much that'd cost you or how long it'd take.
Custom work like that tends to take a good bit of time, especially if the shop doing the work is swamped with work.
It's bugging me that, if I had the equipment and stock to do it, I could fabricate my own, maybe even better than these others.
I know exactly how that feels.
NT2C probably already knows about this, but others may not.
Chrysler has issued a recall on some 355K+ Jeep Grand Cherokees because the rear coil springs can fall off while the vehicle is moving.
ETA: The year models of Jeep Grand Cherokee that's under recall range from 2021 to 2023.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on June 14, 2023, 10:10:49 PMNT2C probably already knows about this, but others may not.
Chrysler has issued a recall on some 355K+ Jeep Grand Cherokees because the rear coil springs can fall off while the vehicle is moving.
ETA: The year models of Jeep Grand Cherokee that's under recall range from 2021 to 2023.
Yeah, having parts of the suspension fall off while driving is not a good feature. Fortunately, mine is a 2017 and has air suspension.
Quote from: NT2C on June 15, 2023, 12:58:26 AMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on June 14, 2023, 10:10:49 PMNT2C probably already knows about this, but others may not.
Chrysler has issued a recall on some 355K+ Jeep Grand Cherokees because the rear coil springs can fall off while the vehicle is moving.
ETA: The year models of Jeep Grand Cherokee that's under recall range from 2021 to 2023.
Yeah, having parts of the suspension fall off while driving is not a good feature. Fortunately, mine is a 2017 and has air suspension.
I wasn't sure what year model your Jeep was, but I figured I'd post that anyway just in case anyone here had one that fell under the recall or knew someone that does.
Got my ditch lights mounted (hood edge mounts) and wired. I'm not happy with the results. Due to the curve of the hood, the lights are noticeably tilted outward. I may have to move them more towards the middle of the hood but that would negate the purpose I bought them for.
IMG20230615220426.jpg
I also replaced the cheap wipers the dealer installed with an original OEM set, and the rear wiper that I got charged for but that wasn't replaced. Next up is to mount a control switch for the lights below the headlight switch. I'm currently using a keyfob-type control for them and then get the new GMRS antenna cut to length and installed.
Ordered a Wouxun KG-1000G GMRS radio (https://www.buytwowayradios.com/wouxun-kg-1000g.html) for installation in the Jeep prior to my trip this coming July.
As of April 8th, I did a few things,
1: Learned that if your scout vehicle is capable of being picked up to cross a creek...
It can also be picked up and carried to a white full size pickup truck with Sonora plates.
2: your steering lock on a motorcycle doesn't matter, Neither does 3/8in hardened steel chain...
If they want it bad enough, and it's outdoors, they'll get it.
3: Insurance companies (geico in particular) HATE to pay out on anything,
Comp/Collision is 100% worth the money, if you can get it get a "Full Replacement Value" policy.
Prepare to be called a thief to your face.
(Cue Taps...)
Why they would choose to go after a tiny China-Bike worth less than $1500 new is beyond me,
Even though Whitey did consistently punch WAY above his weight class, They wouldn't have known that.
I just wish I had had the opportunity to take a "Real" road trip with him.
R.I.P. my Boon Companion/Road Dog... :'(
...(cue Electric Worry...)
I collected the digital payment ($900) for the Loss of "Whitey" this week.
Putting the money into Redford (my Ford Courier)
Either finding a slide in camper that fits, or building my own.
Quote from: superduder on June 18, 2023, 04:00:47 AMAs of April 8th, I did a few things,
1: Learned that if your scout vehicle is capable of being picked up to cross a creek...
It can also be picked up and carried to a white full size pickup truck with Sonora plates.
2: your steering lock on a motorcycle doesn't matter, Neither does 3/8in hardened steel chain...
If they want it bad enough, and it's outdoors, they'll get it.
3: Insurance companies (geico in particular) HATE to pay out on anything,
Comp/Collision is 100% worth the money, if you can get it get a "Full Replacement Value" policy.
Prepare to be called a thief to your face.
(Cue Taps...)
Why they would chose to go after a tiny China-Bike worth less than $1500 new is beyond me,
Even though Whitey did consistently punch WAY above his weight class, They wouldn't have known that.
I just wish I had had the opportunity to take a "Real" road trip with him.
R.I.P. my Boon Companion/Road Dog... :'(
...(cue Electric Worry...)
I collected the digital payment ($900) for the Loss of "Whitey" this week.
Putting the money into Redford (my Ford Courier)
Either finding a slide in camper that fits, or building my own.
Crap that sucks What will you do now? If I remember right ,the scout bike was the major feature to your bug out plans
My condolences on your loss. That seriously sucks.
I hope to continue riding well into old age. I may have to downsize in retirement however. If I ever adopt the van life, I've had my eyes on the Honda Trail 125 Super Cub. The ruggedized version of the best selling motorized vehicle of all time. Light enough to be caried on a trailer hitch, 100+ mpg, legendary reliability. If EV tech for motorbikes continues to improve, I might consider an all-electric version. But I'd need better speed and range than what is available right now.
(https://powersports.honda.com/motorcycle/minimoto/-/media/products/family/trail125/gallery/extended/trail125/2023/2023-trail125-gallery-02-2400xauto.jpg)
Quote from: flybynight on June 18, 2023, 06:15:16 AMQuote from: superduder on June 18, 2023, 04:00:47 AMAs of April 8th, I did a few things,
1: Learned that if your scout vehicle is capable of being picked up to cross a creek...
It can also be picked up and carried to a white full size pickup truck with Sonora plates.
2: your steering lock on a motorcycle doesn't matter, Neither does 3/8in hardened steel chain...
If they want it bad enough, and it's outdoors, they'll get it.
3: Insurance companies (geico in particular) HATE to pay out on anything,
Comp/Collision is 100% worth the money, if you can get it get a "Full Replacement Value" policy.
Prepare to be called a thief to your face.
(Cue Taps...)
Why they would chose to go after a tiny China-Bike worth less than $1500 new is beyond me,
Even though Whitey did consistently punch WAY above his weight class, They wouldn't have known that.
I just wish I had had the opportunity to take a "Real" road trip with him.
R.I.P. my Boon Companion/Road Dog... :'(
...(cue Electric Worry...)
I collected the digital payment ($900) for the Loss of "Whitey" this week.
Putting the money into Redford (my Ford Courier)
Either finding a slide in camper that fits, or building my own.
Crap that sucks What will you do now? If I remember right ,the scout bike was the major feature to your bug out plans
The scout bike was a major feature due to the 80+mpg, and sheer mountain goat-ness of having something
that could be ridden at speed through a standard doorway.
I will be OTL for something similar, probably a ct90/110 (postie bike build...maybe!?)
But until I move somewhere that I can properly secure my belongings I won't be getting something that small/light again.
But first I'll be working on my camper project for the Courier, still gathering materials for that.
Thanks for the condolences, J
Quote from: superduder on June 18, 2023, 03:28:22 PMQuote from: flybynight on June 18, 2023, 06:15:16 AMQuote from: superduder on June 18, 2023, 04:00:47 AMAs of April 8th, I did a few things,
1: Learned that if your scout vehicle is capable of being picked up to cross a creek...
It can also be picked up and carried to a white full size pickup truck with Sonora plates.
2: your steering lock on a motorcycle doesn't matter, Neither does 3/8in hardened steel chain...
If they want it bad enough, and it's outdoors, they'll get it.
3: Insurance companies (geico in particular) HATE to pay out on anything,
Comp/Collision is 100% worth the money, if you can get it get a "Full Replacement Value" policy.
Prepare to be called a thief to your face.
(Cue Taps...)
Why they would chose to go after a tiny China-Bike worth less than $1500 new is beyond me,
Even though Whitey did consistently punch WAY above his weight class, They wouldn't have known that.
I just wish I had had the opportunity to take a "Real" road trip with him.
R.I.P. my Boon Companion/Road Dog... :'(
...(cue Electric Worry...)
I collected the digital payment ($900) for the Loss of "Whitey" this week.
Putting the money into Redford (my Ford Courier)
Either finding a slide in camper that fits, or building my own.
Crap that sucks What will you do now? If I remember right ,the scout bike was the major feature to your bug out plans
The scout bike was a major feature due to the 80+mpg, and sheer mountain goat-ness of having something
that could be ridden at speed through a standard doorway.
I will be OTL for something similar, probably a ct90/110 (postie bike build...maybe!?)
But until I move somewhere that I can properly secure my belongings I won't be getting something that small/light again.
But first I'll be working on my camper project for the Courier, still gathering materials for that.
Thanks for the condolences, J
Sucks that there are folks who think it's okay to do this.
May I suggest that you set a trap for the thief? Buy a cheap bicycle at a yard/garage sale, put it under a motorcycle cover (a good off-road brand). Use the cut chain to make it look like it's chained (don't expose the wheels/tires, just the chain) and stick up a Ring (or similar) camera where it will have a good view of whatever vehicle is brought to steal the "new" bike, and its driver.
Oh, and a fake but very realistic-looking rubber rattlesnake attached to the hem of the cover with a length of just about invisible at night black or grey thread. :greenguy:
Even on bikes that can't be lifted by one person, two or three people can do it.
When I wrecked my FZR1000 which weighed about 520lbs with a full tank at that time [I lowered the weight by about 40 lbs by changing the exhaust to a Supertrapp Superlight later], me and my two neighbors lifted it onto the bed of a pickup.
Also the steering column lock on most bikes is easily busted by using your legs.
Lastly, most bikes ignition can be defeated by hammering a flathead screwdriver in the keyhole and using channel locks or vice grips to just force turn the ignition.
Those last two were learned from the pro's when I worked for the Regional Juvenile Detention Center and then thru real world experience when it happened to my FZR1000. The only reason why they didn't get to steal it on the first attempt was because it had sat for a while and they couldn't get it to start. So I got it running for them, got an alternate storage location lined up and was going to take it there the next day, but they got it that night. :headbang:
So lock it indoors where prying eyes can't covet what you've got, and get the best lock you can get. There are tilt alarms that you can get for bikes also. Sort of like a car alarm, but those are pretty ineffective, in my case I might have heard them trying to steal mine.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on June 19, 2023, 09:18:40 AMEven on bikes that can't be lifted by one person, two or three people can do it.
When I wrecked my FZR1000 which weighed about 520lbs with a full tank at that time [I lowered the weight by about 40 lbs by changing the exhaust to a Supertrapp Superlight later], me and my two neighbors lifted it onto the bed of a pickup.
Also the steering column lock on most bikes is easily busted by using your legs.
Lastly, most bikes ignition can be defeated by hammering a flathead screwdriver in the keyhole and using channel locks or vice grips to just force turn the ignition.
Those last two were learned from the pro's when I worked for the Regional Juvenile Detention Center and then thru real world experience when it happened to my FZR1000. The only reason why they didn't get to steal it on the first attempt was because it had sat for a while and they couldn't get it to start. So I got it running for them, got an alternate storage location lined up and was going to take it there the next day, but they got it that night. :headbang:
So lock it indoors where prying eyes can't covet what you've got, and get the best lock you can get. There are tilt alarms that you can get for bikes also. Sort of like a car alarm, but those are pretty ineffective, in my case I might have heard them trying to steal mine.
I was only able to keep it for 2yrs because at my old apartment I was able to park it inside.
The new place expressly forbids it, as well as forbidding any "security doors for your porch area"
which is also how my sons bicycle got lifted, from our porch, ON ring camera,
we reported the guy to management and the police and were told
"We can't actually DO Anything unless WE Personally catch him in the act of the theft."
Thanks Tucson...
Anyway, Can't possibly move out of here soon enough.
Side note: A friend of mine when I lived in GA had a 1980 FLH full dress picked up from his driveway while he was at work.
WAY easier to find it though being as Cartersville had a population of 16K.
Worst part...?
Whitey was most likely stolen and dumpstered within an hour out of spite/pettiness
for me parking in my assigned covered parking, and forcing the guy and his girlfriend to have to park somewhere else.
Bought a few goodies to have onboard both for my upcoming trip and for general equipment use:
- A 5 pack of 1.3 gallon water bags (https://a.co/d/6lPxs82)
- Tire deflators for trail or sand/snow use. (https://a.co/d/ggtpQFw)
- A new tire repair kit (https://a.co/d/2jA6SQn)
- 2023 copy of the USA Highway Exit Guide (great for when you want to know what is at nearby exits) (https://a.co/d/gqa4AQL)
- Guide to Moab, UT Backroads and 4-Wheel-Drive Trails, 4 Edition (https://a.co/d/6D5Z1Gq)
- Guide to Arizona Backroads and 4-Wheel-Drive Trails (https://a.co/d/c4vbWzS)
- Pair of emergency replacement tire valves (https://a.co/d/bJoUHUg)
This is in addition to gear and supplies already carried in the Jeep, like radios, blankets, food, water, maps, etc.
Added a pair of traction boards to my Jeep equipment.
I took a a trip this extended weekend that involves some off roading with my ATV. Normally I take the trailer and pulling the 1500lb trailer with 800lbs of ATV and gear drops my mileage from 17-19 to 12-13mpg. It is also kind of inconvenient to haul a trailer.
My full size truck bed however is rated for 2500lbs so I grabbed my ramp and drove it right into the bed and strapped it down. The gate won't close but that really doesn't matter. I averaged 15-16mpg which is 12-25% improvement in mileage and range. The ramp folds up and fits nicely right next to it. It handles funny with the high center of gravity of the load but haven't had any issues with it.
Oil change and tire rotation last night.
That stuff counts? oh
I ordered a metal fitting for my POS BMW who's engineers seem to think its a great idea to make a plastic car that is just shit.
Thuh BMW is THUH third backup vehicle or vehicle of last resort. I probably won't get more than 100 miles before something else breaks if I bug out in it. Wife inherited it last year, and now she's realizing that she should probably sell [this POS] it. :smiley_crocodile: I told her when she got it, and she'd heard me say for years before I wouldn't ever buy a BMW. I might have even said that I wouldn't accept one if someone gave it to me.
(https://i.imgur.com/CkKTrFV.jpg) crappy plastic connector
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51wPd66EsdL._AC_SL1200_.jpg) Aluminum fitting is only $13 part. OEM Plastic part costs $15. :rolleyes1:
I'm out about $1200 and 6 hours labor for this free car including tag/title and it would have been bout $3000 if I'd have gone to a repair shop.
Timing chain housing and tensioners are also plastic, is that next?
(https://y.yarn.co/d4acfc7a-e8e6-48ee-8f91-a209cfa4b4e2_text.gif)
Probably should have put this under the rant thread.
Recharged my e-bike battery and checked the tyre pressure. About 12 cents? :awesome:
Ok so my truck has issues, like all the steel lines( fuel, brake , and the worst !@#$%^&*&* evap) are rusted and breaking. Here we have to do a yearly/bi yearly inspection which includes brake, safety ,emissions, rust. I started back in May I think the 6th,( silly me though I was good till next year) inspection for registration renewal was due the 4th, so I ran it to a shop for the check engine light to smoke it for evap leak. I don't have time to fool with it guessing what's wrong. They told me about a week later they want 4 grand to just replace everything, because they think its coming some place around the fuel tank. Nope wrong answer.
Went to a different shop, same day said my fuel pump had a rust hole the size of a quarter on top, 1,000 bucks total. Ok got truck back , drove to work a few days, then on Wednesday( they stay open till 7pm i got in truck to go. Check engine light on again. Ran through and failed safety (3rd brake light went out) and emissions. Got a 30 day tempo tag to hold me over. The week after took it back to shop, a line busted so they repaired it for 50 bucks. Cool , but I got it back the day before I left for vacation. After vacation I drove it to work and once again on Wednesday went to inspection lanes, engine light comes on :tickedoff: . Failed again but there is a clause stating if ya spend so much money on repairs and its at a certified shop , ya get a free pass for 2 years. Work was closed today so went to the shop to have them fill out the waiver, they checked truck and smoked it again , said no leaks but lights on for leak. Cleared codes signs paperwork, but the official stamp that has to be used is at there other shop 30 miles away. Well i know after clearing codes ya need to run it for 60 miles or more and or a day later for the odb to reset. So i ran 30 miles to get the stamp, then 35 miles back to inspection lanes. Recheck lane hooked up and said wont read yet still need more miles/time.
Started at 9:30 am finally got home 2:30 ish pm. Still don't have the truck fully tagged. Wish I didn't sell the 3rd vehicle.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on June 30, 2023, 10:20:09 AMTiming chain housing and tensioners are also plastic, is that next?
I just looked one up. Not only are they plastic, they re $87, for a piece of shitty plastic. Hell, you could make one at home with a 3d Printer for like $2.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on June 30, 2023, 10:17:42 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on June 30, 2023, 10:20:09 AMTiming chain housing and tensioners are also plastic, is that next?
I just looked one up. Not only are they plastic, they re $87, for a piece of shitty plastic. Hell, you could make one at home with a 3d Printer for like $2.
It's the labor to replace it that sucks worse
Stopped in at Discount Tire today and ordered some General Grabber A/Tx tires for the new Suburban (they have to be shipped in from California, so I won't be able to have them installed for another week or so). Total cost: $1332 Last time when I got these same tires (3.5 years ago for the red Suburban) it was just over $700 after a $100 discount from the manufacturer. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around that change in cost! :crazy:
I feel ya. Last year I bought 4 new tires for my wife's Escalade and it was close to $1,500 for Coopers Discoverer AT3's. Great tires but was about $300-$400 more than I remember from the last time I bought tires.
Quote from: EBuff75 on July 01, 2023, 01:30:12 PMStopped in at Discount Tire today and ordered some General Grabber A/Tx tires for the new Suburban (they have to be shipped in from California, so I won't be able to have them installed for another week or so). Total cost: $1332 Last time when I got these same tires (3.5 years ago for the red Suburban) it was just over $700 after a $100 discount from the manufacturer. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around that change in cost! :crazy:
And the new tires are installed. Huge improvement in ride quality over the worn out old tires that were on it!
Quote from: EBuff75 on July 01, 2023, 01:30:12 PMStopped in at Discount Tire today and ordered some General Grabber A/Tx tires for the new Suburban (they have to be shipped in from California, so I won't be able to have them installed for another week or so). Total cost: $1332 Last time when I got these same tires (3.5 years ago for the red Suburban) it was just over $700 after a $100 discount from the manufacturer. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around that change in cost! :crazy:
I tried to get those last month and they couldn't even order them in a reasonable amount of time. Great tire, very sticky on the pavement.
Drove it many hundreds of miles at speeds that may or may not have been "excessive". (We're not counting the drag race on some Missouri back road with a group of teens in an off-road rig. Yes, I won, and gave them a 30-second head start. I may have shifted to plaid.)
Also put many gallons of gasoline through its system.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on July 08, 2023, 06:18:33 PMQuote from: EBuff75 on July 01, 2023, 01:30:12 PMStopped in at Discount Tire today and ordered some General Grabber A/Tx tires for the new Suburban (they have to be shipped in from California, so I won't be able to have them installed for another week or so). Total cost: $1332 Last time when I got these same tires (3.5 years ago for the red Suburban) it was just over $700 after a $100 discount from the manufacturer. I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around that change in cost! :crazy:
I tried to get those last month and they couldn't even order them in a reasonable amount of time. Great tire, very sticky on the pavement.
Mine took an extra few days to arrive because they couldn't get all four of them from the same warehouse and had to split up the order. I had them on my old truck and really loved them! Quiet, smooth, good traction in both dry and wet, and great traction in snow/ice! On top of that, they're actually made here in the US!
We've had them on our pickup for about 15 years now. Got 72k out of the first set and I expect the same from this second set. Never once got stuck with them. Not on muddy job sites nor in northern states heavy snowfalls.
Quote from: NT2C on June 14, 2023, 04:59:48 PMI'm in a grumpy mood today. Valkyrie Off-Road (https://valkyrieoffroad.com/) took my money and sent me a receipt with my brackets marked as being back-ordered, and I can't get them to answer their phone or multiple emails regarding expected shipping times. I've tried phoning several times and it just rings a few times before going to voicemail.
I've contacted my bank and opened a dispute over the charge but this leaves me with a nice set of pod lights and no way to mount them other than those crap amounts that clamp to the edge of the hood and rust almost immediately. I do have a pair of those coming tomorrow but I'm loathe to use them on my thin aluminum hood. The only other place I've found that makes brackets which attach to the hood hinge studs is in Australia, charges 3x for an aluminum pair what Valkyrie wanted for stainless steel, and they don't ship to the USA. This sucks.
Y'all want to guess what showed up on my doorstep in Virginia today? :icon_crazy:
Looks like I may have to stop by their shop on my way through SLC in a week or so. My bank paid me back the full amount weeks ago and these guys deserve fair payment for the product.
Apparently BMW power windows are notorious for 'just falling down and not going back up'. I didn't know about this issue with them until it happened to my wife's yesterday. One more reason not to own a BMW though, and to rag on her about her 'oh, so free car', so that makes me happy. :smiley_clap:
So now I'm going to learn how to fix that. And apparently its a 20 step process just to take the door panel off. But I'm going by what my wife described watching on YT. :greenguy:
I've fixed a fallen power window before on my 88 Monte Carlo SS, which fell off the track, pretty simple to put back on, no parts needed. But on BMW this is usually caused by a bad regulator that breaks for no other reason than being a BMW part, and has to be replaced every few hundred uses = ~$59 part plus 20 hrs of labor. :rolleyes1:
Mac you had an 88 Monte Carlo SS , I had an white 87 Monte Carlo SS Areoback.
All I did today for the truck was drive it to work, so i have money to buy it more stuff.
Washed the Jeep and trailer. Okay, that just means they are outside my hotel in a thunderstorm. Water is water though.
Oh, and cycled many gallons of gasoline through the engine. MANY gallons. MPG with the trailer is about 1/2 without, running 90% on cruise control at posted limits.
Changed the oil and air filter on my Jeep.
Quote from: Rednex on August 01, 2023, 05:18:10 PMMac you had an 88 Monte Carlo SS , I had an white 87 Monte Carlo SS Areoback.
Still Have! I've had it since 91. It was always THE car I wanted, when everyone else wanted Firebirds, Camaros, TransAms, and then when I raced one [55 mph start] with my '88 FZR1000 one night, [I didn't downshift or I would have killed it of course], it kept up with me just turning full throttle in 5th gear, no downshift.
So I said that's it, and bought one. It's stock except for the wheels and rims, exhaust, and transmission.
This is it's package, different rims and tires. [internet pic]
(https://bringatrailer.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/1988_chevrolet_monte_carlo_156711882465ef66e7dff9f9876DSC_6358-e1569332477619.jpg)
And this WAS my bike but it was stolen in 94
(https://i.imgur.com/KGUIJ1Z.jpg)
Haha I've got one of those in my barn. It's my son in laws car. Been sitting there under two car covers for 8 yrs. We just took the covers off last month to check on it. Still looks good. My son in law says it needs a new engine , But he drove it in 8 yrs ago when they moved back to KS. He doesn't have time to mess with it but will not get rid of it. Sometime when his work load eases up it will be back on the streets
Well keeping in line with the thread, I priced new tires for my truck. it's gonna be pricey. $902 for 4 tires on a truck I paid $400 for. Winter is coming sooner rather than later, and I'd rather not have the same garbage tires that are on my truck currently.
And in keeping in line with the topic of awesome G-Body cars. Here's mine. This is my 1st car, a 1979 Pontiac Grand Prix. I've owned it since I was 16. My father and myself tore it down to the frame, and completely restored it. It has a 327 small block engine with a 2 speed powerglide transmission and dual exhaust with cherry bomb glasspacks. it has a little damage from a tree falling on it, and Pontiac using a cheap plastic to cover the bumper.
(https://i.ibb.co/5r7N74K/20200628-200649.jpg)
Here it is the day it rolled out of the shop.
(https://i.ibb.co/PcMqCs9/IMG-20160219-001020.jpg)
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/59/f4/2959f41c779cb056e84006cd55844662.gif)
@Brekar I like those sweet rims too.
That plastic bumper gap? what's that stuff made out of, rubber and neoprene? It always deteriorates, right? Can you get aftermarket replacements for that or fabricate a replacement? [fiberglass?]
I have a friend from highschool that still has his VW bug. My SS is my second car and third vehicle. I didn't have it in HS. To bad, that car would have moved me up in the clicks for sure.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on August 03, 2023, 08:14:22 AM(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/29/59/f4/2959f41c779cb056e84006cd55844662.gif)
@Brekar I like those sweet rims too.
That plastic bumper gap? what's that stuff made out of, rubber and neoprene? It always deteriorates, right? Can you get aftermarket replacements for that or fabricate a replacement? [fiberglass?]
I have a friend from highschool that still has his VW bug. My SS is my second car and third vehicle. I didn't have it in HS. To bad, that car would have moved me up in the clicks for sure.
Thanks. Those rim came with the car when we bought it back in 1996 and I liked them so much I never changed them. They are some kind of Weld Racing Crager rims. Yeah that bumper gap was made out of something like that. It always failed from UV deterioration and heat. They make aftermarket ones now made out of strong ABS plastics or fiberglass that are guaranteed for the life of the car, and are supposed to be paintable. Yeah I always drew looks in high school when I fired that thing up. My dad put a nice mild cam in that 327, and it sounded amazing with glasspacks. I may have gotten in trouble a few dozen times for doing huge burnouts in it. :smiley_blink: :smiley_blink:
If you're looking for any G-Body parts here is a good place to start.
Mike's Montes (https://www.mikesmontes.com/)
G-Body Parts!!! (https://gbodyparts.com/index.php?osCsid=c94ca26ab45542b03356da0f71b28dca)
So today I changed the oil in Xterra, checked other fluids, filled if needed , checked tire pressure, and filled the gas tank. Checked everything the same on my truck , it don't need oil change for like another 3K miles.
Finally scheduled an appointment to get the Suburban rust proofed. It's in really nice shape and I'd like to keep it that way, despite all the salt we use on the roads here! I decided to go with Krown Rustproofing, which uses an oil-based spray, rather than the wax. It's supposed to do a better job at working its way into every little nook and cranny to really get things sealed up.
The unfortunate part is that there are only a few locations in Michigan and I'll have to drive about an hour to get to one of them, as the one that was only a couple of miles away has closed. So I'll be taking the day off from work, since my appointment is in the middle of the day. I'll have to think about what other errands I can run that day, since I'm not usually out and about during working hours!
Again, searched the house and all my gear from the trip looking for my wife's key fob for the Jeep. She says I took it off her keys and took it with me as a spare in case anything happened to mine. I don't remember this and where would I carry it anyway? If I carried it anywhere in the Jeep then anyone could open the door by just lifting the handle. There was no place I could carry it that would prevent this, unless I took it with me anytime I left the vehicle.
I have no memory of what we/I did with her key fob. I bought a replacement for $10 on Amazon, but it requires a $70 programmer or to have a locksmith ($150) or the dealer ($300) program it. (and will need the key inside cut to fit.)
So, do I buy the programmer for $70 and hope it works? Or...?
Quote from: NT2C on August 20, 2023, 10:19:48 AMAgain, searched the house and all my gear from the trip looking for my wife's key fob for the Jeep. She says I took it off her keys and took it with me as a spare in case anything happened to mine. I don't remember this and where would I carry it anyway? If I carried it anywhere in the Jeep then anyone could open the door by just lifting the handle. There was no place I could carry it that would prevent this, unless I took it with me anytime I left the vehicle.
I have no memory of what we/I did with her key fob. I bought a replacement for $10 on Amazon, but it requires a $70 programmer or to have a locksmith ($150) or the dealer ($300) program it. (and will need the key inside cut to fit.)
So, do I buy the programmer for $70 and hope it works? Or...?
The local True Value hardware store was able to program mine for $35/fob. You might check around to see if there is a non-locksmith option. Or you could check with an independent car repair place.
The only reason I went to True Value was that I wanted the remotes right away and my truck's repair appointment was still a few weeks out (the mechanic / owner had already told me that he could do the programming).
5 tire rotation for the Jeep. I changed the oil last week, but didn't have the time or inclination to do the tires at the same time.
Come to think of it, I should probably change my rear diff fluid sooner rather than later.
Quote from: Beowolf on August 20, 2023, 05:35:33 PM5 tire rotation for the Jeep. I changed the oil last week, but didn't have the time or inclination to do the tires at the same time.
Come to think of it, I should probably change my rear diff fluid sooner rather than later.
How many miles do you have on it now?
Quote from: NT2C on August 20, 2023, 07:16:10 PMQuote from: Beowolf on August 20, 2023, 05:35:33 PM5 tire rotation for the Jeep. I changed the oil last week, but didn't have the time or inclination to do the tires at the same time.
Come to think of it, I should probably change my rear diff fluid sooner rather than later.
How many miles do you have on it now?
Little under 32k, so due for rear diff fluid change.
Quote from: Beowolf on August 20, 2023, 08:40:46 PMQuote from: NT2C on August 20, 2023, 07:16:10 PMQuote from: Beowolf on August 20, 2023, 05:35:33 PM5 tire rotation for the Jeep. I changed the oil last week, but didn't have the time or inclination to do the tires at the same time.
Come to think of it, I should probably change my rear diff fluid sooner rather than later.
How many miles do you have on it now?
Little under 32k, so due for rear diff fluid change.
The maint schedule I'm looking at says
inspect the fluid level/condition @ 30K. It calls for
replacement @ 120k. :smiley_shrug:
Edit: Dug further and I'm seeing that for the 2019 models, they call for changing the diff fluid @40k
if using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer towing.
Quote from: NT2C on August 20, 2023, 09:22:42 PMQuote from: Beowolf on August 20, 2023, 08:40:46 PMQuote from: NT2C on August 20, 2023, 07:16:10 PMQuote from: Beowolf on August 20, 2023, 05:35:33 PM5 tire rotation for the Jeep. I changed the oil last week, but didn't have the time or inclination to do the tires at the same time.
Come to think of it, I should probably change my rear diff fluid sooner rather than later.
How many miles do you have on it now?
Little under 32k, so due for rear diff fluid change.
The maint schedule I'm looking at says inspect the fluid level/condition @ 30K. It calls for replacement @ 120k. :smiley_shrug:
Edit: Dug further and I'm seeing that for the 2019 models, they call for changing the diff fluid @40k if using your vehicle for police, taxi, fleet, off-road or frequent trailer towing.
A lot in the Wrangler crew change the rear between 15-30k normally, closer to 15k if towing regularly. Front is more on the 40-60k schedule. Maybe it's just habit versus need, but it's simple, basic maintenance that doesn't take much to do.
So get a text when I'm leaving work, the miss is home Xterra won't start so she called out of work. I get home clean cables,and post. Jump it and it started. So let it sit for 5 minutes, then 2 laps around the block. Park it , shut it off, restart and nothing. Pull the battery ,head to AutoZone to grab another one. The one I had was the cheap end of there duralast brand. Had a 9/21 sticker on it so almost 2 years old. I don't have the time to mess around tonight so grabbed a new one, got warranty on old one. Got home put battery in and started right up. Miss can go to work tomorrow.
I need to change diff fluids in both rigs myself.I'm slacking I know.
Ordered a new set of floor mats for the Jeep. I somehow managed to tear the original one on the driver's side, something the guy at the dealer's parts counter swore was almost impossible to do. Instead of OEM this time I went with a set from Husky.
Ordered parts and supplies to add reverse lights to my trailer STT lights, as well as supplies for installing a set of amber strobes on the rear of it. I have an amber light bar I keep in the Jeep for when I'm doing ham radio stuff but the trailer (which is a mobile ham shack) blocks it from the rear. This will correct that.
Got the new fob programmed for the Jeep and the key cut. The dealer wanted $150 and someone suggested trying the local Tru-Value hardware store. Yeah... umm, they wanted $225. So I went with the one I figured would be the highest, but turned out to be lowest... the local locksmith. $100 for the programming and $10 to cut the key, and the guy who did the work was loving the Jeep, called it a "tough little beast", so I got out the pictures from the trip. He says if I do it again he wants to come along as co-driver.
Took off the mounting brackets for my ditch lights that mounted to the hood lip and installed the heavy-duty, black powder-coated stainless steel ones I got from Valkyrie Off-Road in Utah. This allowed me to move the GMRS antenna to the passenger side and hook up an all-black powder-coated dual-band antenna on the driver's side light bracket. That left the glass mount antenna on the cargo area side window unconnected so I ran it to the GMRS rig as a receive-only antenna until I can route the cable from the new mount through the firewall. Now I wish that GMRS antenna was black too. I may swap it for a "can" style.
Ok so the new battery worked for Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday it was dead. I suspect a parasitic draw some place. I hate auto electrical. So today I put battery on charger, full charge and reinstall. I didn't use the key fob to lock it just now, I think that's the cause of the issue.
I dragged everything in the 'Buru out and looked at it.
I removed about 50 pounds of ammo and gear even my paranoid ass can't justify carrying around.
Improved gas mileage, check!
Quote from: Rednex on August 25, 2023, 01:14:06 PMOk so the new battery worked for Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday it was dead. I suspect a parasitic draw some place. I hate auto electrical. So today I put battery on charger, full charge and reinstall. I didn't use the key fob to lock it just now, I think that's the cause of the issue.
My wife's Escalade has the same problem. If it's parked for a few days, the battery will be drained. It's something we've never found the reason for, so I installed a battery cutoff switch. If we park it for more than 2 days I flip the switch to off. It's fixed the problem so far.
Got the battery replaced on my 2019 GMC Terrain.
83 k miles on the original battery. I had a few rough starts, but just waited 10 minutes and it would turn over, no problem. Voltage reading on the dash display was reading fine.
It died while we were on vacation in NH. I was pretty foul. Tried to jump it with no luck. AAA tried to jump it with no luck, and it didn't appear to be a battery problem. There was just enough power to tell me error messages, but not enough to even give me a click when "turning" the push button ignition.
A tow to the dealership and a replacement battery did the trick, so now I'm the proud owner of a new battery.
...and a new pair of jumper cables. (Which I can't tell you how embarrassed I am to to admit.)
Quote from: echo83 on August 27, 2023, 04:33:53 PMGot the battery replaced on my 2019 GMC Terrain.
83 k miles on the original battery. I had a few rough starts, but just waited 10 minutes and it would turn over, no problem. Voltage reading on the dash display was reading fine.
It died while we were on vacation in NH. I was pretty foul. Tried to jump it with no luck. AAA tried to jump it with no luck, and it didn't appear to be a battery problem. There was just enough power to tell me error messages, but not enough to even give me a click when "turning" the push button ignition.
A tow to the dealership and a replacement battery did the trick, so now I'm the proud owner of a new battery.
...and a new pair of jumper cables. (Which I can't tell you how embarrassed I am to to admit.)
One is none ,two is something, something :shades:
Quote from: flybynight on August 27, 2023, 06:24:42 PMQuote from: echo83 on August 27, 2023, 04:33:53 PMGot the battery replaced on my 2019 GMC Terrain.
83 k miles on the original battery. I had a few rough starts, but just waited 10 minutes and it would turn over, no problem. Voltage reading on the dash display was reading fine.
It died while we were on vacation in NH. I was pretty foul. Tried to jump it with no luck. AAA tried to jump it with no luck, and it didn't appear to be a battery problem. There was just enough power to tell me error messages, but not enough to even give me a click when "turning" the push button ignition.
A tow to the dealership and a replacement battery did the trick, so now I'm the proud owner of a new battery.
...and a new pair of jumper cables. (Which I can't tell you how embarrassed I am to to admit.)
One is none ,two is something, something :shades:
I'm a big fan of those battery jump packs, since they allow you to self-rescue without needing another vehicle. Yes, I also carry jumper cables (which I've used to add charge back into a drained battery in a vehicle with a bad alternator), so I guess that between those it would count as two!
Quote from: EBuff75 on August 27, 2023, 06:46:16 PMQuote from: flybynight on August 27, 2023, 06:24:42 PMQuote from: echo83 on August 27, 2023, 04:33:53 PMGot the battery replaced on my 2019 GMC Terrain.
83 k miles on the original battery. I had a few rough starts, but just waited 10 minutes and it would turn over, no problem. Voltage reading on the dash display was reading fine.
It died while we were on vacation in NH. I was pretty foul. Tried to jump it with no luck. AAA tried to jump it with no luck, and it didn't appear to be a battery problem. There was just enough power to tell me error messages, but not enough to even give me a click when "turning" the push button ignition.
A tow to the dealership and a replacement battery did the trick, so now I'm the proud owner of a new battery.
...and a new pair of jumper cables. (Which I can't tell you how embarrassed I am to to admit.)
One is none ,two is something, something :shades:
I'm a big fan of those battery jump packs, since they allow you to self-rescue without needing another vehicle. Yes, I also carry jumper cables (which I've used to add charge back into a drained battery in a vehicle with a bad alternator), so I guess that between those it would count as two!
I have a battery jump pack
and a set of traditional jumper cables. :smiley_bril:
Have I checked lately that the jump pack still has a full charge? .... :smiley_bagonhead:
I have a jumper pack And jumper cables in each truck. The ones I got are a heavy duty I think they are 0 gauge by 20 or 30 foot jumper cables.
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 27, 2023, 07:25:07 PMQuote from: EBuff75 on August 27, 2023, 06:46:16 PMQuote from: flybynight on August 27, 2023, 06:24:42 PMQuote from: echo83 on August 27, 2023, 04:33:53 PMGot the battery replaced on my 2019 GMC Terrain.
83 k miles on the original battery. I had a few rough starts, but just waited 10 minutes and it would turn over, no problem. Voltage reading on the dash display was reading fine.
It died while we were on vacation in NH. I was pretty foul. Tried to jump it with no luck. AAA tried to jump it with no luck, and it didn't appear to be a battery problem. There was just enough power to tell me error messages, but not enough to even give me a click when "turning" the push button ignition.
A tow to the dealership and a replacement battery did the trick, so now I'm the proud owner of a new battery.
...and a new pair of jumper cables. (Which I can't tell you how embarrassed I am to to admit.)
One is none ,two is something, something :shades:
I'm a big fan of those battery jump packs, since they allow you to self-rescue without needing another vehicle. Yes, I also carry jumper cables (which I've used to add charge back into a drained battery in a vehicle with a bad alternator), so I guess that between those it would count as two!
I have a battery jump pack and a set of traditional jumper cables. :smiley_bril:
Have I checked lately that the jump pack still has a full charge? .... :smiley_bagonhead:
And that's what was driving me crazy! Prior to failure, the battery was around 12 volts or so. The new one is around 13, maybe 14 volts. I connected the jumpers to my wife's Jeep, then to my GMC...and nothing.
When AAA hooked up the jumper pack, the driver was shaking his head, because my battery was reading full charge, wouldn't take any further charge, and I should have cranked and turned over immediately.
We both thought it might have been a faulty starter, but the dealership I towed it to (I know, I know, grumble grumble dealerships, I hate them too) just replaced the battery, and I was all set. It's been a month now, and no problems.
Unrelated good news? I used a Gerber and Gorilla Tape to repair a kayak at the lake, and I used some Esbit tabs to start a bonfire for the kids to make s'mores. Fed the fire with some branches cut with a handsaw...all items in my GHB. Maybe this was the Universe's way of saying, "Easy there, buddy. You're not
that prepared."
Maybe have the fire away from the kayak?
ebgKQo2TW3SFavt5_Nti-ta-UdaLbxS_5hkR0cfnHA4.jpg
Quote from: NT2C on August 27, 2023, 09:33:39 PMMaybe have the fire away from the kayak?
ebgKQo2TW3SFavt5_Nti-ta-UdaLbxS_5hkR0cfnHA4.jpg
Hahaha yikes, looks like someone started the Viking funeral a little too early.
Quote from: echo83 on August 28, 2023, 06:50:59 PMQuote from: NT2C on August 27, 2023, 09:33:39 PMMaybe have the fire away from the kayak?
ebgKQo2TW3SFavt5_Nti-ta-UdaLbxS_5hkR0cfnHA4.jpg
Hahaha yikes, looks like someone started the Viking funeral a little too early.
Nah, they just ate Taco Bell for lunch. :eek1:
And the oil-based rustproofing is done on the new truck! It's a bit unnerving to watch them drill holes in a nice, shiny vehicle, but it's all for a good cause (chant: 'the greater good!'). It took less than an hour for the whole process and should keep the truck looking nice (at least for the next year, after which I'll have to go back for another treatment).
The shop has been there for about 9 years and the office carpet, sidewalks, and even the parking lot are all slick as ice from the oil that's gotten on everything. The walls of the bay look like they've been sprayed with tar, there's so much built up in there.
When I got home I broke out the Dawn dish soap to scrub the pedals, door sills, and side steps to make sure that they were all clear of oil. Just from standing around at the shop, my shoes had gotten coated, so the pedals were very slick while I was driving home. I took the first few miles very gingerly too, as the tires and brakes both had oil on them. It took about 10 mins for the clouds of oil smoke to dissipate from where it had gotten onto the exhaust!
In addition to cleaning the oil off, I finally removed the tint on the front windows, so that I'd be legal here in Michigan (no tint allowed on the front windows without a Dr. prescription). After that it was a quick window cleaning and wiping up a few areas where the oil was dribbling down the truck. They've already told me that it'll probably drip for a few days and I've just resigned myself to needing to get some oil-dry for the garage to clean up afterwards.
One good/bad thing was that I finally figured out what the whining noise in the front end is and how to make it go away. By switching into 2wd from 4auto, the whine disappeared. The bad news is that I likely have either a wheel hub that's going bad, or possibly the front diff. :(
And I'm still waiting on the replacement door panel (because the pull handle is torn off of the current one)! Maybe they only do a production run of these once a year!
For the Jeep, adjusted tire pressures.
For the trailer, installed new marker lights on the fenders and started the rewiring job, I want to rewire the lights on it and have functioning reverse lights. This means everything from the plug back gets replaced. Today I installed a junction box and 6' 7-wire lead and plug. Later today (or tomorrow) I'll run some 7-wire cable from the junction box back to the rear lights but I'll have to either get a helper to crawl under the trailer and attach the cable to the frame, or drill through the floor and run it inside the trailer. I'm leaning toward the "inside the trailer" option due to the complete dearth of hireable local teens who can be trusted with tools.
Quote from: NT2C on August 31, 2023, 12:06:59 PMFor the Jeep, adjusted tire pressures.
For the trailer, installed new marker lights on the fenders and started the rewiring job, I want to rewire the lights on it and have functioning reverse lights. This means everything from the plug back gets replaced. Today I installed a junction box and 6' 7-wire lead and plug. Later today (or tomorrow) I'll run some 7-wire cable from the junction box back to the rear lights but I'll have to either get a helper to crawl under the trailer and attach the cable to the frame, or drill through the floor and run it inside the trailer. I'm leaning toward the "inside the trailer" option due to the complete dearth of hireable local teens who can be trusted with tools.
If you need a hand, I'd be happy to lend it this weekend, regardless of which option you choose.
In exchange for your assistance with a certain grounding rod project, of course. :slide:
More plastic crap broke on the BMW. And more design flaws discovered.
First:
The AC was blowing cold on the drivers side of the car and 'hot' on the passenger side of the car. Come to find out that is a symptom of low refrigerant and is an 'On Purpose' design. So I put my gauge on it and it was right on the line between low and filled. :rolleyes1: So I put a little refrigerant in and that fixed that issue. Hardly put any in. BMW designers I curse you to ride in the passenger seat, in Florida, in the summertime, in one of your cars when the refrigerant level ducks down to just that point where the passenger is dying from heat and the driver is saying 'you're crazy, its working perfectly fine'. Smart cars just don't blow 'as cold' air out from ALL the vents and that makes it an EQUITABLE inconvenience for both driver and passengers. Yet still a noticeable symptom of low refrigerant. BMW is racist!
Second:
You know that iconic front end look with the dual grills that BMW's sport? Well there's a chrome trim piece at the top attached to the hood [bonnet to our European allies] and that chrome trim is really just PLASTIC!! Additionally, the steel hood stops about 1/4" back up under that trim piece, and it is right where you pull up on the hood when releasing the hood latch. So guess what BMW designers, the trim piece breaks off. All you had to do was extend the hood under that 1/4 " [6.35mm] to cover and support the bottom of the trim piece to avoid any sort of stress on it.
But the BMW designers weren't thru yet. Each trim piece is held on by 3 non-magnetic, metallic torx bolts. To change the trim pieces you have to open the hood to get at the bolts. Now everyone who's anyone has magnetic torx bits to use in their drill drivers so the steel bolts will 'stick' to the bit and not fall into the engine or where ever, and it also makes for a third hand when screwing bolt or screws, you just stick 'em onto the bit and then screw. We'll you can't do that with non-magnetic bolts so i lost the first one down the engine. And had to have three hands to keep the rest from falling into the engine [and a gigantic towel].
Since I couldn't even see the bolt that fell into the engine and even if I could I couldn't use a magnetic retrieval tool to get it back since its non-magnetic I fabricated a correctly sized bolt from a spare one that was too long that I cut off with a Dremel. Its the center bolt with the round head :smiley_shrug: .
(https://i.imgur.com/M65PVe3.jpg)
You see how the 'hood' doesn't go all the way under the trim? POS design.
(https://i.imgur.com/YVDiSkD.jpg)
Both the left and right side trim pieces had to be replaced, the right fell completely off and the left was only held on by the center bolt, the two outside connections, being plastic, had cracked and weren't holding the trim on.
(https://i.imgur.com/vv0WhwS.jpg)
$16 for a BMW trim kit, set of two L/R, made in China.
Oh, and while I had the hood open I noticed that now there is a small oil leak, looks like the valve cover gasket needs to be replaced.
(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExeHBvNjludHN2dzRweTR2Z282dDJoYnI3c3BzN3hkNmp3c2x1eW16NSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/jSxK33dwEMbkY/giphy.gif)
What do you call a 1000 BMW engineers on the bottom of the ocean?
When it rains it pours doesn't it. My wife's Escalade is usually our go to "bugout" vehicle for the whole family, and in the last week I've had to replace 2 different serpentine belts, 2 separate tensioner pulleys, and an alternator. My wife's Escalade had a cascading effect where one broke while we were driving, then by the time we got home the rest needed replaced. Didn't know the alternator needed replaced until she drove it to work and it freaked out about the electrical system not charging. A word of warning to anyone wanting to buy a Cadillac Escalade. They are a great vehicle, but EXTREMELY pricey to fix, although if you can do it yourself you will save a ton of money vs a dealership.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 07, 2023, 03:49:03 PMFirst:
The AC was blowing cold on the drivers side of the car and 'hot' on the passenger side of the car. Come to find out that is a symptom of low refrigerant and is an 'On Purpose' design. So I put my gauge on it and it was right on the line between low and filled. :rolleyes1: So I put a little refrigerant in and that fixed that issue. Hardly put any in. BMW designers I curse you to ride in the passenger seat, in Florida, in the summertime, in one of your cars when the refrigerant level ducks down to just that point where the passenger is dying from heat and the driver is saying 'you're crazy, its working perfectly fine'. Smart cars just don't blow 'as cold' air out from ALL the vents and that makes it an EQUITABLE inconvenience for both driver and passengers. Yet still a noticeable symptom of low refrigerant. BMW is racist!
Second:
You know that iconic front end look with the dual grills that BMW's sport? Well there's a chrome trim piece at the top attached to the hood [bonnet to our European allies] and that chrome trim is really just PLASTIC!! Additionally, the steel hood stops about 1/4" back up under that trim piece, and it is right where you pull up on the hood when releasing the hood latch. So guess what BMW designers, the trim piece breaks off. All you had to do was extend the hood under that 1/4 " [6.35mm] to cover and support the bottom of the trim piece to avoid any sort of stress on it.
But the BMW designers weren't thru yet. Each trim piece is held on by 3 non-magnetic, metallic torx bolts. To change the trim pieces you have to open the hood to get at the bolts. Now everyone who's anyone has magnetic torx bits to use in their drill drivers so the steel bolts will 'stick' to the bit and not fall into the engine or where ever, and it also makes for a third hand when screwing bolt or screws, you just stick 'em onto the bit and then screw. We'll you can't do that with non-magnetic bolts so i lost the first one down the engine. And had to have three hands to keep the rest from falling into the engine [and a gigantic towel].
(https://media1.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTc5MGI3NjExeHBvNjludHN2dzRweTR2Z282dDJoYnI3c3BzN3hkNmp3c2x1eW16NSZlcD12MV9pbnRlcm5hbF9naWZfYnlfaWQmY3Q9Zw/jSxK33dwEMbkY/giphy.gif)
What do you call a 1000 BMW engineers on the bottom of the ocean?
I remember looking at a BMW dual sport motorcycle and learned that for no good reason it had two different oil drain plugs which were made of cheap metal that was extremely easy to strip out. Every other motorcycle manufacturer seems to do just fine with a single oil drain plug. And BMW dealerships charge between $150 and $200 for a simple oil change. I went with a Kawasaki KLR, which doesn't give a rats ass if you
ever change the oil.
About 15 years ago my brother was looking at sporty small sedans and flat out told the BMW sales person he loved the 326i but the lack of a serviceable cupholder was, quite frankly, a complete deal breaker. The sales guy gave an arrogant Teutonic rationale that probably matches why your car blows f*cking hot air on the passenger to alert the owner that the refrigerant is low: "BMW believes their drivers should not be distracted by beverages and instead focus on the vaunted BMW driving experience." My brother went with an Audi A4 instead.
Had you asked a BMW dealer about your situation, I'm sure the rationale would have been along the lines of: "BMW believes inflicting misery upon a passenger is the most effective way of encouraging owners to keep their fine driving machines in top operating condition."
Don't get me started on the cup holders in my wife's 325i (to which I will admit no association with) It has 'pop out' cup holders in the dash that will fit small cup's and hold them RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE A/C VENTS. Which block the airflow. They're also pretty fragile. :headbang:
Right after she got the car it needed a new battery. So she got some quotes. One from the dealership was for $600. She asked the dealer, "why so expensive?" To which they replied she should sell the car if she can't afford the costs associated with owning a BMW. :eek1:
Been elbows deep in the wife's car. Replaced the entire front suspension, wheel bearings, brake pads, rotors, and a new caliper.
It was cheaper to buy the entire assembly then just a couple pieces. Hopefully after this it'll be good for another 150k miles or more.
Found this in a hidden compartment by the firewall, along with a bloody chicken foot. :eek1:
(https://i.imgur.com/Q5AmdDT.png)
An exorcist has been summoned. That's another $475. The dealer quoted $3000
ROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMI would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
I'm glad I wasn't drinking anything when I saw that, liquid would have shot out of my eyes. What's that last car, it tied with the beemer IMO. I was watching the driver cabin size changes for survivability.
Quote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right?
Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PMQuote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right?
You are a party
POOPER!
I got your computer simulation right here. Party Pooper (https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FqUDrfc1q5BM4w%2Fgiphy-downsized-large.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f737668ddea90413c3d42752e9b7f373f57f4fd067a0fc827060413df6575014&ipo=images)
Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PMQuote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right?
Upon closer inspection, it would appear you're right on that. Not sure how I didn't notice that at first, but now it's obvious that it's game footage.
My money's on them using that BeamNG game or a similar simulation program.
Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PMQuote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right?
Watching it on my phone as an inserted video in the forum post? No I did not.
Although I was wondering what the f*ck they had done to that truck's front end to make it so indestructible. Now I know why.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 03:00:52 PMQuote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PMQuote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right?
You are a party POOPER!
I got your computer simulation right here. Party Pooper (https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FqUDrfc1q5BM4w%2Fgiphy-downsized-large.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f737668ddea90413c3d42752e9b7f373f57f4fd067a0fc827060413df6575014&ipo=images)
That one I completely believe! :icon_crazy:
My mechanic dropped the car off this morning. He talked me out of doing the headlight bulbs, as the bolts are in such bad condition that he estimated it will take 4+ hours of effort on their part to drill everything out and put in new. Since the headlights are working at the moment, he recommended waiting until one of them actually burns out, THEN do the replacement.
The exhaust is a minor leak and he's ordered parts to replace the flex pipe. Unfortunately, this is one of those repairs that takes more effort than it should. It requires removing / reinstalling everything from the exhaust header back through the catalytic converter, just to get at the flex pipe, and will be about 3-4hrs of effort, plus parts.
I also talked with him about the repairs needed on the truck (rough idle / check engine light, noise from front wheel hub, trans fluid/filter change). I'll schedule all that once I've got the car done.
The new high beams for the truck arrived yesterday and the fog lights should be here today. If I have time tonight, I'll swap those in, which will complete the truck light upgrades for now. Not sure if I'll switch out the rest of the lights for LEDs, because that will require adding resistors for the turn signals, but maybe sometime down the road.
I'm also hoping that the new high beam bulbs will fit into the headlight assembly. There is a support bracket (plastic) right behind the high beam bulbs and if they stick out too far from the back of the assembly, I'll either have to notch the bracket, or find some smaller bulbs.
Quote from: EBuff75 on September 15, 2023, 02:38:41 PMQuote from: majorhavoc on September 15, 2023, 01:21:12 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on September 15, 2023, 12:06:09 PMROFL
Which car brand do you think lost this competition? :rolleyes1:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Vjdhkknfo94
I would hate to be a driver or passenger in that BMW 6XM. Hyundai and Kia didn't fare much better but ... wow.
Uh, you do realize that the video is just a made-up computer simulation and isn't real, right?
I was so hoping there was a big yard of cement mixers somewhere with a big shop full of mechanics waiting to fix them after every wreck.
Dreams are now broken.
The new high beams fit! They have a separate controller box that is attached via wires, so they're not much longer than a stock bulb. I did have to clean out a dead dragonfly that was stuck in one of the fog light housings, but otherwise it all went pretty well.
The high beams are... really, really bright! Like Death Star destroying Alderaan bright! :smiley_bril: But I won't use those very much, given that I live in a large metro area. The surprise was how good the fog lights are on this truck (now that they have decent bulbs in them). Really low cutoff, so they won't blind anyone, but a TON of light off to the sides (almost like having ditch lights). The ones on the old truck and my car mostly shine forward, like having a dimmer additional headlight. These are somewhere around 140-degrees of spread!
Suburban_fog_LEDs.jpg
And the battery work light (https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?msg=34218) that I reviewed has been great for doing things like installing these lights. I like doing lights at night, because it lets me get a immediate look at how they're performing. But to do that, you have to have work lights. I've also been using one of the small work lights (https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?msg=34215) too (I think this was the Innofox). When I was having to get inside the wheel well liner to work on bolts, or install the fog lights, I'd just put it right inside the liner to light everything up while I was working.
Broke out some old... I mean Ooold (you needed a FCC licensing to use CB) comms gear.
This one's (Robyn SX-101) 23 channel installed in RedFord
my Cobra 29LTD (Both Peaked/Tuned Tweaked backinnaday) is going in the Mom-Mobile,
Just as soon as I can figure out how to mount a decent antenna to the minivan,
The roof panel is non magnetic, and the "bumpers" are 90% styrofoam and 10% plastic... glass mount? maybe?
Not long range comms, but work good enough for a scout vehicle and a transport to communicate.
I have/have used a magnetic antenna, but it messed up the finish on my car. Has anyone else had an issue with them doing that?
I kinda left it on until I figured out it was messing up the paint. [meaning I wasn't putting it up just when i was using it and taking it off again when done.]
Could just be the Florida sun.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 04, 2023, 10:59:49 AMI have/have used a magnetic antenna, but it messed up the finish on my car. Has anyone else had an issue with them doing that?
I kinda left it on until I figured out it was messing up the paint. [meaning I wasn't putting it up just when i was using it and taking it off again when done.]
Could just be the Florida sun.
Yes, I have some scratches on the roof of my car from a brief period when I had a magnetic antenna up there.
Quote from: superduder on October 04, 2023, 09:53:29 AMBroke out some old... I mean Ooold (you needed a FCC licensing to use CB) comms gear.
This one's (Robyn SX-101) 23 channel installed in RedFord
my Cobra 29LTD (Both Peaked/Tuned Tweaked backinnaday) is going in the Mom-Mobile,
Just as soon as I can figure out how to mount a decent antenna to the minivan,
The roof panel is non magnetic, and the "bumpers" are 90% styrofoam and 10% plastic... glass mount? maybe?
Not long range comms, but work good enough for a scout vehicle and a transport to communicate.
I had a glass mount on my last Cherokee, it worked across a large parking lot, but never got any real distance out of it.
Got it inspected and new tires and wipers.
It's that time of year again - had snow tires put on.
Last week I ordered a BlueDriver OBDII code reader (Bluetooth style that uses an app on my phone) and pull the codes on my truck. There were a few random codes that I didn't care about, but the check engine code is a P015B, which is for the left, upstream O2 sensor (delayed response - lean to rich condition). I'm slightly tempted to try it myself, except that in doing some research I've found that this is sometimes a code that can mean multiple things, not just the sensor. Since I've got a rough idle, there could be more going on here and I might be better off letting the mechanic figure it all out (apparently this code can also indicate issues with the catalytic converter, wiring issues, or even throttle body).
I'd also had an issue last month where the car had such low voltage (the battery is old and I don't drive the car enough to keep it fully charged) that everything started freaking out on it. Well, it happened again today at lunch. First I went to top off the car (less than 6gals was enough to fill it up - and my log said that the last fill-up was in mid-August!), but when I restarted it to go to the restaurant for my food, the car started acting up again.
I parked at the restaurant and when I turned the car off, nothing worked (no power locks, wouldn't restart, etc.). Figuring that I'd give it a minute, I went inside to get my food, but the car was still dead when I came back out. So I got out the jump pack. Sure enough, the car started right up with the jump pack, but everything had been reset, just like when you pull the battery. The whole time I also knew that if the car had a real issue, that it would be easy enough to get it in for repairs, as the restaurant is across the street from my mechanic!
When the flex pipe arrives and I take it back in for the exhaust repair, I'm going to have the mechanic check the battery cables, to make sure that there isn't an issue with them (e.g. corrosion, loose/bad ground, broken wire, etc.). The battery wasn't dead, but the car had completely lost the connection to it, despite the cables being tight. That makes me wonder if there's some other issue beyond the low charge in the battery.
Have you noticed a decrease in your MPG?
You should always track your MPG because a change in MPG, even a just a few MPG, can indicate an issue if you constantly run a check engine light like I do. So you'd know something is going on before even hooking up to a scanner.
If you had a decrease in mileage change it out. That's a definitive symptom.
Does your car have a left/right upstream and L/R downstream? That sucks for expense.
I don't think that's bad gas after two months.
Almost sounds like a short, for you to lose your radio and probably oil life %. There's an inexpensive doodad that you can buy and hook up to your OBD port to save all your setting etc when changing out a battery. Keeps your system powered.
Get a trickle/float charger and keep it hooked up. I have one on my Explorer that I rarely use anymore. <$20
https://www.amazon.com/Mroinge-Automatic-Maintainer-Automotive-Motorcycle/dp/B0716HN1Y4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3GUFPVYGU686H&keywords=Mroinge%2BMBC015&qid=1697562258&s=electronics&sprefix=mroinge%2Bmbc015%2Celectronics%2C103&sr=1-1&th=1
Let us know how that app works.
Quote from: EBuff75 on October 17, 2023, 11:48:56 AMI'm slightly tempted to try it myself, except that in doing some research I've found that this is sometimes a code that can mean multiple things, not just the sensor. Since I've got a rough idle, there could be more going on here and I might be better off letting the mechanic figure it all out (apparently this code can also indicate issues with the catalytic converter, wiring issues, or even throttle body).
Agree OBDII codes can often mean an upstream problem that is causing a perfectly fine O2 sensor to throw the code. In your research did you find an enthusiast forum for your truck? Because these ambiguous codes rarely occur in isolation. Dollars to donuts other owners of your vehicle have encountered the same combination of code and rough idle and may have posted what the actual issue was. Vehicle-specific enthusiast forums are an amazing resource when it comes to quickly and accurately diagnosing a problem.
At the very least it could yield one more clue to what's actually going on. That can either guide you or your mechanic in isolating the problem without a lot of unnecessary trial and error.
I still write down every fuel fill up.
Date.
Mileage.
Gallons.
Cost.
Have done so since I first started driving and my mechanic father required it.
(I've done it for new vehicles, too. :eek1: )
Quote from: Beowolf on October 17, 2023, 06:56:55 PMI still write down every fuel fill up.
Date.
Mileage.
Gallons.
Cost.
Have done so since I first started driving and my mechanic father required it.
(I've done it for new vehicles, too. :eek1: )
I don't record it anywhere, but I do calculate my fuel economy at every fill up using the trip odometer and the amount of gas it takes to fill the tank. I set the pump to dispense hands free and when it clicks off, that's it - every time. I don't try to squeeze in another couple tenths of a gallon because that might introduce some inconsistency in my calculations.
The car's trip computer displays what I'm supposedly getting mileage-wise, but I've found it overestimates my mpg by just under 2 miles to the gallon. Actual mpg dips in the winter and - obviously - anytime there's something serious going on with the car.
Last Saturday I took the touring bike to the dealer for a 5k check up and oil change. Things happened and the next thing I knew I had swapped my 10 year old KLR for a Pan American Special Military Enthusiast as my new apocalypse motorbike.
(https://www.harley-davidson.com/content/dam/h-d/images/product-images/bikes/motorcycle/2022/2022-pan-america-1250-special-gi/story/pan-america-1250-special-gi-media-banner.jpg?impolicy=myresize&rw=1000)
The KLR for reasons only had 650 miles on it so they gave me a good bit for it. I never rode it because I had taken a break from riding for a few years and when I got back into riding I bought the touring bike and the KLR shortcomings became quite pronounced. It was difficult to keep up with other riders on the highway and tough to keep up with them off the road either. Gas mileage was not really that great. My touring bike with three times the engine actually gets better MPG because once it gets up to highway speeds it operates at very low revs. Off road performance was ok but is badly outclassed by just about everything off road these days.
The new to me (2022) bike had actually fewer miles on it than the KLR. Still I have managed to ride it more than I rode the KLR since I purchased it. The difference is night and day on and off road. It does everything you want it to and nothing you don't. Top speed is 140MPH.
The PAS came with a few extras like daylighter side lights, radiator shield, spoke wheels and the Automatic Adjustable Ride Height, in addition to the nifty WWII color scheme.
As part of the deal they threw in some racks and panniers which I had to install myself. Those are on now, although I have decided to store the aluminum side case and put them on as needed. I've also installed a wider stand base so I don't need to use a puck, Sliders on the guards and a headlight guard. There is some more armor on the way for the coil, muffler and rear brake fluid reservoir.
All in all I am quite pleased. It only weighs 130lbs more than the KLR but performance is hugely improved, cargo capacity and MPG are higher too. In the event of some kind of evacuation it will go on the trailer as a stage II vehicle or I'll just take it to go around traffic.
Quote from: Beowolf on October 17, 2023, 06:56:55 PMI still write down every fuel fill up.
Date.
Mileage.
Gallons.
Cost.
Have done so since I first started driving and my mechanic father required it.
(I've done it for new vehicles, too. :eek1: )
Yep, I've got one of those in each vehicle! Mine goes Date, Mileage, Cost, Gallons, MPG. That way I can use it for more than just fuel fill-ups by putting a description under the Gallons & MPG columns (since there's always a date, miles, and cost). So it's also a record of every service / repair that I've ever had. The one for my Mazda has been going now for 16 years and I'm running out of pages!
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on October 17, 2023, 08:34:51 PMLast Saturday I took the touring bike to the dealer for a 5k check up and oil change. Things happened and the next thing I knew I had swapped my 10 year old KLR for a Pan American Special Military Enthusiast as my new apocalypse motorbike.
(https://www.harley-davidson.com/content/dam/h-d/images/product-images/bikes/motorcycle/2022/2022-pan-america-1250-special-gi/story/pan-america-1250-special-gi-media-banner.jpg?impolicy=myresize&rw=1000)
The KLR for reasons only had 650 miles on it so they gave me a good bit for it. I never rode it because I had taken a break from riding for a few years and when I got back into riding I bought the touring bike and the KLR shortcomings became quite pronounced. It was difficult to keep up with other riders on the highway and tough to keep up with them off the road either. Gas mileage was not really that great. My touring bike with three times the engine actually gets better MPG because once it gets up to highway speeds it operates at very low revs. Off road performance was ok but is badly outclassed by just about everything off road these days.
The new to me (2022) bike had actually fewer miles on it than the KLR. Still I have managed to ride it more than I rode the KLR since I purchased it. The difference is night and day on and off road. It does everything you want it to and nothing you don't. Top speed is 140MPH.
The PAS came with a few extras like daylighter side lights, radiator shield, spoke wheels and the Automatic Adjustable Ride Height, in addition to the nifty WWII color scheme.
As part of the deal they threw in some racks and panniers which I had to install myself. Those are on now, although I have decided to store the aluminum side case and put them on as needed. I've also installed a wider stand base so I don't need to use a puck, Sliders on the guards and a headlight guard. There is some more armor on the way for the coil, muffler and rear brake fluid reservoir.
All in all I am quite pleased. It only weighs 130lbs more than the KLR but performance is hugely improved, cargo capacity and MPG are higher too. In the event of some kind of evacuation it will go on the trailer as a stage II vehicle or I'll just take it to go around traffic.
The Pan American was the first - and so far, only - Harley I've ever been interested in. The engine, handling and ergos are supposedly amazing: all three very un-Harley like. I had no idea there was a military-themed one. Now, if you'll excuse me I need to find a napkin to wipe this drool off my chin ...
FYI: I too owned a KLR for several years. Yes it has its shortcomings. But what it lacked in sophistication, it gained back in mechanical simplicity and legendary reliability. Neither are bad features in an apocalypse motorcycle. But I too replaced it - with a Honda CB500X.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMHave you noticed a decrease in your MPG?
You should always track your MPG because a change in MPG, even a just a few MPG, can indicate an issue if you constantly run a check engine light like I do. So you'd know something is going on before even hooking up to a scanner.
If you had a decrease in mileage change it out. That's a definitive symptom.
I do track my mileage for both vehicles, but the truck gets used around town and on the highway, so my mileage is quite variable. I haven't owned / driven it enough yet (less than 1000 miles out of the nearly 226,000 on it!) to really get a feel for my city vs highway mileage. And the light has been on most of the time that I've been driving it, so I'm not sure how much (if any) impact the issue is having. It's been in the 13-18 range for the most part and I think it's rated right around there by the EPA, so it might not be affecting it much.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMDoes your car have a left/right upstream and L/R downstream? That sucks for expense.
The truck does. It's a Chevy Suburban with the 5.3L small block V8. The car is just an I4, so there's just one each upstream and downstream. The car was throwing some O2 sensor codes a few years ago, but then it miraculously healed itself! Those were occurring in conjunction with a transmission speed sensor code (the car would suddenly go into limp mode - 2nd gear only), so the $15 TSS that I replaced might've been the culprit for the O2 sensor codes as well.
One other possible clue is that there is a weird smell to the exhaust. No, it doesn't smell like sulfur (which would indicate a bad catalytic converter), but more like ozone, which makes me think it's running lean (it's particularly evident on cold starts). No temp issues though and no pinging either. The shop probably has a sniffer that could be used to check the exhaust gasses, which is one more reason to have them do the work.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMAlmost sounds like a short, for you to lose your radio and probably oil life %. There's an inexpensive doodad that you can buy and hook up to your OBD port to save all your setting etc when changing out a battery. Keeps your system powered.
I just picked up a BlueDriver OBDII plug-in scanner, but I haven't run it against the car yet (only had it a few days). When I took my car into the mechanic a few weeks ago for some other items, I asked him to check for codes and he didn't find anything. There's no warning lights on in the car, other than some of them flashing on/off when it acts up like this.
The radio has non-volatile memory, as does the nav system for saved locations and such. What reset were the basic settings on the nav (like having the map always indicate north, rather than having it follow the direction the car is pointed, the zoom, settings, etc.). I don't really care about having to reset those kind of things after a battery swap, as I usually end up having to do it after the car is serviced too (since they generally disconnect the battery while they're working on it). And it did feel like the computer might've gone into relearn mode too, as the shifts were slightly different (better) than normal after jumping the car! (I have a long-standing beef with the quality of the shifts that goes back to when I bought the car 16.5 years ago!)
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMGet a trickle/float charger and keep it hooked up. I have one on my Explorer that I rarely use anymore.
I've got a NOCO Genius II charger for the Mazda (and an old Stanley trickle charger for the Suburban), I just haven't been good about putting it on in between trips. It's sort of annoying to do, because you have to remove the battery cover / cooling duct to get at the battery to put the clamps on. The battery is something like 4.5 yrs old, so it needs to be replaced anyway, but I'm still suspicious that there's something else in the wiring. The battery wasn't dead (I was able to start the car without any problem both at home and at the gas station), but once I stopped at the restaurant it was completely dead. No lights, locks, ignition, nothing at all. And nothing the first time I turned the key with the jump box on it either. But on the second try it started like normal.
Incidentally, both times that the car acted up, it ran normally at first, then started to have problems after I made a right turn. That might be a coincidence, or it could be related. Who knows.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 17, 2023, 12:07:58 PMLet us know how that app works.
The BlueDriver app seems to be okay so far. I haven't used it all that much, just long enough to pull the codes on the truck (which I also saved as a memory point). You can leave it plugged in to gather data while driving too, with a bunch of different parameters that you can have it collect. Since I'm feeling a stumble during idle (but don't notice anything while driving), I may see if there is a monitor which might give me some info on which cylinder(s) are acting up by comparing them against each other while it idles. It's not stumbling badly enough to register as a misfire though, as the only real code is the one for the O2 sensor.
The biggest worry on the truck would be if I have a compression issue related to the lifters. This is one of the GM engines with cylinder deactivation and those lifters are prone to having problems. :(
QuoteThe Pan American was the first - and so far, only - Harley I've ever been interested in. The engine, handling and ergos are supposedly amazing: all three very un-Harley like.
Harley has come a long way in performance since 2016. Their big problem is their stubbornness with sticking with the V-Twin. Add a few cylinders and they won't need 135CUI's to get performance.
The Pan Am is nothing like anything else in the lineup. They are making a good faith effort to compete with the BMW 1200 GS. It is strong first offering in Adventure Sport.
QuoteI had no idea there was a military-themed one.
It was a one off for 2022 only 1K were made. I looked at them last year and thought they were a bit over priced. DMU was around $2K and they were running about $30K out the door with bags. By waiting I saved a bundle.
Quote from: EBuff75 on October 17, 2023, 09:17:51 PMQuoteGet a trickle/float charger and keep it hooked up. I have one on my Explorer that I rarely use anymore.
I've got a NOCO Genius II charger for the Mazda (and an old Stanley trickle charger for the Suburban), I just haven't been good about putting it on in between trips. It's sort of annoying to do, because you have to remove the battery cover / cooling duct to get at the battery to put the clamps on. The battery is something like 4.5 yrs old, so it needs to be replaced anyway, but I'm still suspicious that there's something else in the wiring. The battery wasn't dead (I was able to start the car without any problem both at home and at the gas station), but once I stopped at the restaurant it was completely dead. No lights, locks, ignition, nothing at all. And nothing the first time I turned the key with the jump box on it either. But on the second try it started like normal.
Incidentally, both times that the car acted up, it ran normally at first, then started to have problems after I made a right turn. That might be a coincidence, or it could be related. Who knows.
I permanently installed the loop connectors to the battery terminals, and then zip tied the 'plug end' to a convenient spot so all I have to do is plug it in. My unit's power supply is separate from the connectors and connected to them by a plug.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71EI-+rsKuS._AC_SY300_SX300_.jpg)
Quote from: EBuff75 on October 17, 2023, 09:17:51 PMQuoteHave you noticed a decrease in your MPG?
You should always track your MPG because a change in MPG, even a just a few MPG, can indicate an issue if you constantly run a check engine light like I do. So you'd know something is going on before even hooking up to a scanner.
If you had a decrease in mileage change it out. That's a definitive symptom.
I do track my mileage for both vehicles, but the truck gets used around town and on the highway, so my mileage is quite variable. I haven't owned / driven it enough yet (less than 1000 miles out of the nearly 226,000 on it!) to really get a feel for my city vs highway mileage. And the light has been on most of the time that I've been driving it, so I'm not sure how much (if any) impact the issue is having. It's been in the 13-18 range for the most part and I think it's rated right around there by the EPA, so it might not be affecting it much.
If you drive the same vehicle the same routes, the same miles, you should be able to see any weird mileage variation. But you have to fill the exact same amount every time. For example I run my car down below 1/4 and then put 11.5 gallons exactly every fillup. And I'm usually within 5 miles of 365 miles from the last fillup because I drive the exact same route to and from work. LOL, I even try to take the inside lanes on some of the large curves to cut down the distance and save gase. :smiley_shrug: But doing it that why you take out the variations to tank fill. I can look at my odometer and know exactly how much the car will take. and my variations are between 32 and 34 mpg. if its outside that range then I try to think if I was caught in a traffic jam or some other irregular errand.
I've made a few additions to the Pan America to make it more rugged and useful to me.
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/395294177_7524438180902959_2834257739519797936_n.jpg?_nc_cat=103&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=vqh2Zl9Po2cAX_WYgCj&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBstSNFcCDS7_MGlU90xjp6-JvTExOo55X3lEE9wwbj4w&oe=65409148)
This is a light steel cover for the coil. It is intended to deflect minor blows and collisions. I also added one for the rear brake reservoir and a headlight guard.
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/395301842_7524437557569688_4702524995960343847_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=esbSKfzVmDsAX8zvFhU&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBBfqOlQ3ArIfjvVu8Sijsf71Mz4MHO_Ons0Fx4xejPrw&oe=6540E15B)
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/395375336_7524438934236217_5768817073827253231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=wod9ZVYnllMAX9S5kbw&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBHEvH4MtQy2Zby3xnzXuni8W3Q8N6RaGzXORcUt_HA-g&oe=65402B29)
I broadened the kickstand base to avoid having to use a puck to keep from sinking when off road.
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/395399531_7524438520902925_62354214373035185_n.jpg?_nc_cat=110&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=tWg4wEdqgFAAX_v0XPQ&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAAU-Eb8yXYWsAy-A62Xb2iOZJNNUkZHjV4Zs5OmUaE7A&oe=653FB1F2)
Lastly I added sliders on the crash bars and highway pegs. I failed to get a photo of the highway pegs as I kept moving them around and am still not happy with their current location.
(https://scontent-atl3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.30808-6/395332298_7524438750902902_582968902694561906_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=_ZjJAT0_6HcAX8HENCh&_nc_ht=scontent-atl3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBg4OA7cgGPbU27ehQMh63F8SLtWG4hlXNtDniVSjSj6Q&oe=653FF667)
At a zoom factor of 100 I see a grain of sand next to the front break caliper. You should look into that.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 27, 2023, 06:30:10 AMAt a zoom factor of 100 I see a grain of sand next to the front break caliper. You should look into that.
If makes you feel any better it is pretty dirty right now. Fall days are even better than spring for riding. When the underbrush starts dying off the lure of the off road is too strong. But why would I post a picture of a dirty bike? It's too pretty for that.
These are a near exact fit for the panniers, so they are on the way.
https://www.amazon.com/Airlines-Personal-18x14x8-Foldable-Overnight/dp/B0BMPCRSN2/ref=sr_1_5?crid=16V6IUTV45W9S&keywords=14x18x8%2Bbag&qid=1698530774&sprefix=14x18x8%2Bbag%2Caps%2C159&sr=8-5&th=1
Also going to raise the bars up a bit.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B1MH7D4M/ref=ewc_pr_img_2?smid=A349D0V731GDZC&psc=1
I'm finding my size and an old arm injury are combining to cause extra stress on one elbow joint. Raising the bars should help alleviate it.
Spring riding has its advantages though... like not hitting a patch of wet leaves and getting a harsh lesson in physics.
This was supposed to be a post about me taking my Pan America in for the 1K mile new vehicle service yesterday. Sadly instead it is a post about paying attention at traffic lights as I was rear ended at a traffic light when the light turned green. Apparently I wasn't moving fast enough for the city gas truck behind me and he rear-ended me, breaking off the rear fender of my new ride. Tough to have nice things. Then for reasons unknown it would not start afterwards, so service came out and picked me up.
On the plus side, I feel pretty lucky the big truck didn't run me over and inflict terrible injuries on me. Other than the broken fender no other damage or injuries. But nobody likes having their ride messed up. The dealer has already done a quote on the damage and just waiting on the police to do the accident report and send it to the insurance company.
Sorry that happened Uomo. But glad you weren't hurt. I have a coworker who just had a serious MC accident. Multiple broken bones but thankfully no head injury. (He had to have been wearing a helmet but I haven't actually confirmed that) He's in rehab and facing a long recovery.
Consider yourself lucky that your biggest concern is that your beautiful new Pan American is now not quite so pristine. Still, I bet that stings.
Quote from: majorhavoc on November 01, 2023, 03:24:38 PMSorry that happened Uomo. But glad you weren't hurt. I have a coworker who just had a serious MC accident. Multiple broken bones but thankfully no head injury. (He had to have been wearing a helmet but I haven't actually confirmed that) He's in rehab and facing a long recovery.
Consider yourself lucky that your biggest concern is that your beautiful new Pan American is now not quite so pristine. Still, I bet that stings.
I do feel blessed. I don't know how long God will allow me to remain on Earth but he has been kind to me, probably better than I deserve.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on November 01, 2023, 01:08:35 PMThis was supposed to be a post about me taking my Pan America in for the 1K mile new vehicle service yesterday. Sadly instead it is a post about paying attention at traffic lights as I was rear ended at a traffic light when the light turned green. Apparently I wasn't moving fast enough for the city gas truck behind me and he rear-ended me, breaking off the rear fender of my new ride. Tough to have nice things. Then for reasons unknown it would not start afterwards, so service came out and picked me up.
On the plus side, I feel pretty lucky the big truck didn't run me over and inflict terrible injuries on me. Other than the broken fender no other damage or injuries. But nobody likes having their ride messed up. The dealer has already done a quote on the damage and just waiting on the police to do the accident report and send it to the insurance company.
UGH.
Glad you're okay. I hope the damage just caught a wire or something to explain the non-start.
Keep us updated. And, if it doesn't hurt too badly, show pictures.
Paid it off. :awesome:
My question is, will Uomo's insurance consider it wrecked now and how will that affect the title ?
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on November 03, 2023, 03:54:34 PMMy question is, will Uomo's insurance consider it wrecked now and how will that affect the title ?
It is under $500 in damages. It will go on the Car Fax as a minor accident that was completely repaired.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on November 03, 2023, 04:00:06 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on November 03, 2023, 03:54:34 PMMy question is, will Uomo's insurance consider it wrecked now and how will that affect the title ?
It is under $500 in damages. It will go on the Car Fax as a minor accident that was completely repaired.
Oh, ok. I'm not as well-versed in things like that as others so I was unsure on how things would go regarding this.
So, I've been a little busy.
On Sunday I did a thing...
I bought something for the BO Truck, a 1978 Perris Valley cab over truck camper.
It needs work, so I'll be playing "Thread Jesus" and resurrecting my camper build thread (if the mods allow).
One more thing off the list of things to get for the secondary b.o.l.
And mega portable shelter to boot.
A good build thread is always interesting, informative and often inspiring. Especially if copiously illustrated with pictures.
Yessiree, we do love us good pics! :awesome:
QuoteIt needs work, so I'll be playing "Thread Jesus" and resurrecting my camper build thread (if the mods allow).
Allow? Hell, we
encourage it!
Picked up the PAS with repaired bumper and 1k service on Saturday. Today the Scabbard for the M1 Carbine arrived.
It is identical to this one:
https://www.worldwarsupply.com/product/m1-carbine-leather-scabbard/
The build quality on it is excellent. However I am disappointed that it doesn't completely cover the trigger/ trigger guard, which sticks out out about 2/3 of the way. Also it will only fit with a 15 round magazine maximum, although this is a good thing. Once I get it mounted I might put up some pics. In any case, I'm ready for WWII scouting with my 1911 and M1 Carbine.
Now I have to select which vest. I'll probably go with an older IIIa with some III poly plates. I don't have anything in WWII olive drab though. I'm thinking Khaki over top of a McArthur Jacket with a pack on the back. Gives the Overlord color scheme without all the dangley straps. Trying to keep total weight under 35lbs. Alternatively might go with the WWII aviator jacket. Having it in reversible orange could be handy.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on December 06, 2023, 04:06:13 PMPicked up the PAS with repaired bumper and 1k service on Saturday. Today the Scabbard for the M1 Carbine arrived.
It is identical to this one:
https://www.worldwarsupply.com/product/m1-carbine-leather-scabbard/
The build quality on it is excellent. However I am disappointed that it doesn't completely cover the trigger/ trigger guard, which sticks out out about 2/3 of the way. Also it will only fit with a 15 round magazine maximum, although this is a good thing. Once I get it mounted I might put up some pics. In any case, I'm ready for WWII scouting with my 1911 and M1 Carbine.
Now I have to select which vest. I'll probably go with an older IIIa with some III poly plates. I don't have anything in WWII olive drab though. I'm thinking Khaki over top of a McArthur Jacket with a pack on the back. Gives the Overlord color scheme without all the dangley straps. Trying to keep total weight under 35lbs. Alternatively might go with the WWII aviator jacket. Having it in reversible orange could be handy.
Funny story. 40 years ( or so. Don't remember exactly when. But in my twenties). I had one of those scabbards. But no M-1. Now...I have a M-1, but no longer have the scabbard . You going to use one of those ww2 shoulder holsters for the Colt?
(https://image.sportsmansguide.com/adimgs/l/1/141927_ts.jpg)
I have a leftover surplus nylon hip holster, I see leather online for cheap, which would be better.
https://www.ww2gear.com/p-16113-us-wwii-leather-hip-holster-for-m1911-45-brown-repro.aspx?gad_source=1&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIlKDLiPX7ggMVujjUAR1GjA07EAQYBiABEgJ7OvD_BwE
I am considering an upgrade to 22TCM. Might be sacrilege but it is hard to argue with higher capacity, better terminal performance, less recoil and lower priced ammo. It's like 5.7 but without the high costs.
Just got my Suburban back from some work and I have an interior door handle! The new part still wasn't available from the dealership, but he called around to some salvage yards and one of them had just gotten a vehicle in with the right part. First time I've had the door handle since I bought the truck last spring!
My minor voltage fluctuations turned out to be a worn out alternator and a bad idler arm. Between those, a new battery (which I knew I needed anyway), and new belts, it was about $1000 to fix an issue that I wasn't even certain that I had! Glad to have done it before the winter really gets going though!
Squeaking brake pedal was a worn out bushing up underneath the dash. He reassured me that it wasn't something that I would've easily fixed at home (and he basically did it at no cost). Check engine light was a similar non-issue. Rather than it being an O2 sensor, the real culprit was a leaking vacuum line that he also fixed for no charge.
The trans fluid in the truck was really nasty, so he changed the filter, flushed and refilled it with synthetic (the truck has 225k miles on it), plus a bottle of Lucas Transmission Fix. Holy crap what a difference! The new fluid is so much thicker than the old stuff that it's like having a heavy-duty torque converter in the truck! It wants to idle about 3-5mph faster than before and I have to use a lot more brake pressure to keep it from moving forward when I'm stopped. The shifts are much snappier too. Hopefully this'll give me a an increase in my mpg, since it should make the transmission more efficient. But I'm going to have to re-learn how to drive it a little now!
Replacing two batteries in one week is a new record for me, since I put one in the car last Sunday! :D
I predicted it and it came true on our holiday mock bug out to BOL #1 using the BMW.
https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?topic=628.msg32247#msg32247
Quote from: "MacWa77ace"Thuh BMW is THUH third backup vehicle or vehicle of last resort. I probably won't get more than 100 miles before something else breaks if I bug out in it.
Made it almost exactly 100 miles up the Florida Turnpike before we found ourselves stopped on the shoulder of the road. Small vibration at first, getting worse and worse, until we had to pull over.
When we first felt the vibration we thought it was just the road. Then it got worse and the car wasn't throwing any codes. I was thinking differential or tire. We eventually pulled to the shoulder.
I grabbed my pressure gauge out of glovebox and got out. And saw a Road Ranger pulling over behind us. :awesome: What a break, so happy to see him.
I was thinking a tire went low, but there wasn't a low pressure warning. I checked all 4 wheels as the ranger set up those orange cones. Pressure was fine. So the ranger and I started checking for bubbles.
I didn't find any and checked all 4, moving the car up to make sure there wasn't any on the bottom. But the ranger found 'one' on the left rear. Thank God cause the alternatives were all really expensive.
What actually happens was the steel belt broke on the left rear tire
BMW's don't come with a spare so normally this have been an all day crap show. But I had a spare donut in the trunk. :shades: And the ranger changed it for me.
Look at that tire, 1/2 of the inside is swollen out. And there were a couple strands of belt sticking through the sidewall.
Now have a 3pm appointment to get two new tires today. These tires weren't old, not going to ever get Coopers anymore, had a belt break on one on the front left on my Corolla but it only unbalanced it, so I switched it to the rear and drove it for a while longer. Getting 2 Bridgestones.
For those of you that are thinking it's the tire and not the BMW, don't be 'that guy'. :smiley_thefinger:
[pay no attention to our Florida winter garb]
local shop deals in Amazon returns, overstocks, etc. --- just boxes on the floor you go and dig
$7 for one of these: https://umbrauto.net/products/umbrauto-car-air-mattress-inflatable-suv-air-mattress-for-back-seat-car-sleeping-black (https://umbrauto.net/products/umbrauto-car-air-mattress-inflatable-suv-air-mattress-for-back-seat-car-sleeping-black)
So today i replaced both front CV axles. Took me and my brother about 6 hours to change. Working on the ground halfway in the garage, with snow,sleet, rain, and wind.
Also i was trying to not spend a lot so i wasn't going to replace the hubs, found passenger side wheel bearing was shot. Couldn't get the caliper bracket bolts out with pb blaster. 1250 ft/lbs torque impact gun, braker bar with pipe, or breaker bar with 12lb sledge hammer.
Got an appointment tomorrow to get both hubs replaced, new tires, and alignment.
Sometimes, you just have to spend the money to get it done.
Quote from: Rednex on January 06, 2024, 05:17:58 PMSo today i replaced both front CV axles. Took me and my brother about 6 hours to change. Working on the ground halfway in the garage, with snow,sleet, rain, and wind.
Also i was trying to not spend a lot so i wasn't going to replace the hubs, found passenger side wheel bearing was shot. Couldn't get the caliper bracket bolts out with pb blaster. 1250 ft/lbs torque impact gun, braker bar with pipe, or breaker bar with 12lb sledge hammer.
Got an appointment tomorrow to get both hubs replaced, new tires, and alignment.
Quote from: NT2C on January 06, 2024, 05:43:14 PMSometimes, you just have to spend the money to get it done.
Yep. Not sure what the mechanic will do that you haven't already tried, but worth it to pay for it to be someone else's problem. Sometimes "book time" works out to be a good deal for the customer. This might be one of those times.
FWIW, I've replaced a CV joint - once. A late '80s Chevy Nova, which was just a rebadged Toyota Corolla. A point in my life when I had far more time than money. I ended up spilling needle bearings all over my side yard. Took me over an hour to find them all. Sad thing is, the only reason why I pulled the CV joint was because I needed to replace a torn CV boot. I don't remember for certain, but it ended up being something like a 6 hour job, including a couple of bicycle rides to my local (but not particularly close) NAPA parts store.
When I finally got everything back together and the car off the jackstands, I distinctly remember thinking:
Someday before I die, I'm going to have enough money to pay someone to do this kind of thankless job.
Quote from: majorhavoc on January 06, 2024, 06:25:55 PMNot sure what the mechanic will do that you haven't already tried, but worth it to pay for it to be someone else's problem.
Shops have their tricks for stuff like this. I've done probably a couple of hundred CV axle replacements in the time I worked as a mechanic and owned my shop. We sometimes had ones we needed to take a torch to, or cut the nut with a cutoff saw (ruins the axle as a core but the customer gets charged for it) and split it with a chisel. Not something most home mechanics are willing to do because they need to return a core.
The axle swap wasn't bad, just these damn caliper bracket bolts i think i need to torch them. It $1811.91 for the tires, alignment, and both hubs replaced.
I wish i had a frame lift again, buddy had a mechanic shop and i used his frame lifts whenever i needed them. My brother and me built motors and worked on car/trucks with him. He sponsored a car that ran at the local 1/4 mile drag strip. My brother and me ran there too.
Quote from: Rednex on January 06, 2024, 06:37:50 PMThe axle swap wasn't bad, just these damn caliper bracket bolts i think i need to torch them. It $1811.91 for the tires, alignment, and both hubs replaced.
I wish i had a frame lift again, buddy had a mechanic shop and i used his frame lifts whenever i needed them. My brother and me built motors and worked on car/trucks with him. He sponsored a car that ran at the local 1/4 mile drag strip. My brother and me ran there too.
Very cool. I spent a considerable amount of my time out at the track in Englishtown, NJ BITD.
Changed the oil, replaced the chatting Bosch wipers with Rain-X, and refilled the windshield wiper reservoir.
Changed the oil in the Corolla.
Ran a OBD scan. Hadn't done that in a while and had been meaning to do it after I had changed my PCV valve and hose a couple three weeks ago. I changed it cause I heard that if you were burning oil, it could be a stuck PCV. And I always have a 'EVAP Leak [small] code, so wanted to see if changing the hose did anything to that. When I got the old one off it 'rattled' when shaken, so it wasn't stuck and therefore wasn't broken. Also it seems like I still burned the same amount of oil so that didn't work. :smiley_shrug: Only $30 in parts, chalk that up to preventative maintenance.
Anyhow, used a new scan tool, and when I first ran the emissions test, everything passed except the EVAP system.
Marked down all 5 codes, 4 EVAP stuff, including that 'small leak' code I always have and a catalytic converter code, but this time it threw a P0741 which is a TCC code :eek1:, I knew there is something going on with the transmission, nothing major, just a few weird gear changes at certain speeds and acceleration. But it stopped doing that for a couple years, then just recently I felt it a couple times again. Rare. Probably dirty trans fluid.
Resoldered the power supply resistors in the instrument cluster as it decided to stop working again.
Quote from: eugenenine on January 23, 2024, 05:45:39 PMResoldered the power supply resistors in the instrument cluster as it decided to stop working again.
Impressive.
So, the fuel line on my Dakota pickup
wasn't rusted out (it wasn't even really rusted, just light surface rust in two spots). So where was the leak? In the plastic line from the steel line to the tank. Two perfect
rodent punctures.After all that I've given them, walnut trees, a chestnut tree, walnuts imported from IDAHO in the back of that very truck, bird seed mixtures purchased a
quarter ton at a time! And after all that...
My squirrel brethren have betrayed me!
:smiley_devil:
(https://bloximages.newyork1.vip.townnews.com/gazette.com/content/tncms/assets/v3/editorial/c/f0/cf0874b2-ac9f-5e4e-b115-ca65a5d2e703/5b39f5f8091a6.image.jpg?resize=400%2C247)
All I heard was . Rats in your truck
(https://cdn.acidcow.com/pics/20190818/1566126266_2c58z8lz69.jpg)
Quote from: NT2C on January 24, 2024, 07:01:47 PMSo, the fuel line on my Dakota pickup wasn't rusted out (it wasn't even really rusted, just light surface rust in two spots). So where was the leak? In the plastic line from the steel line to the tank. Two perfect rodent punctures.
After all that I've given them, walnut trees, a chestnut tree, walnuts imported from IDAHO in the back of that very truck, bird seed mixtures purchased a quarter ton at a time! And after all that...
My squirrel brethren have betrayed me!
This means war! :smiley_devil:
If you need me to, I can bring you one of my pellet rifles when I come to visit later this year (provided I have the funds to make said trip).
Quote from: eugenenine on January 23, 2024, 05:45:39 PMResoldered the power supply resistors in the instrument cluster as it decided to stop working again.
Put 5-60 lb sand tubes in the rear for traction in all of the snow we had recently. Ordering tires next month. When we had to replace the ABS module on my 2000 S10 my father told me he wanted to try something. He told me he had recently watched a YouTube video showing how to resolder the ABS module and since we had to fix it, he wanted to try it. Long story short after about an hour on my dads work bench he reinstalled it and its worked perfectly for the last 15-ish months that its been repaired, no more lights, ABS works like it should.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on January 24, 2024, 09:21:24 PMQuote from: NT2C on January 24, 2024, 07:01:47 PMSo, the fuel line on my Dakota pickup wasn't rusted out (it wasn't even really rusted, just light surface rust in two spots). So where was the leak? In the plastic line from the steel line to the tank. Two perfect rodent punctures.
After all that I've given them, walnut trees, a chestnut tree, walnuts imported from IDAHO in the back of that very truck, bird seed mixtures purchased a quarter ton at a time! And after all that...
My squirrel brethren have betrayed me!
This means war! :smiley_devil:
If you need me to, I can bring you one of my pellet rifles when I come to visit later this year (provided I have the funds to make said trip).
No need. I have a bolt action .22 that accepts shorts and CB caps.
Quote from: NT2C on January 24, 2024, 10:03:56 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on January 24, 2024, 09:21:24 PMQuote from: NT2C on January 24, 2024, 07:01:47 PMSo, the fuel line on my Dakota pickup wasn't rusted out (it wasn't even really rusted, just light surface rust in two spots). So where was the leak? In the plastic line from the steel line to the tank. Two perfect rodent punctures.
After all that I've given them, walnut trees, a chestnut tree, walnuts imported from IDAHO in the back of that very truck, bird seed mixtures purchased a quarter ton at a time! And after all that...
My squirrel brethren have betrayed me!
This means war! :smiley_devil:
If you need me to, I can bring you one of my pellet rifles when I come to visit later this year (provided I have the funds to make said trip).
No need. I have a bolt action .22 that accepts shorts and CB caps.
Oh, right. I forgot about that.
That'll work a lot better than my pellet rifle.
Quote from: Brekar on January 24, 2024, 09:52:42 PMQuote from: eugenenine on January 23, 2024, 05:45:39 PMResoldered the power supply resistors in the instrument cluster as it decided to stop working again.
Put 5-60 lb sand tubes in the rear for traction in all of the snow we had recently. Ordering tires next month. When we had to replace the ABS module on my 2000 S10 my father told me he wanted to try something. He told me he had recently watched a YouTube video showing how to resolder the ABS module and since we had to fix it, he wanted to try it. Long story short after about an hour on my dads work bench he reinstalled it and its worked perfectly for the last 15-ish months that its been repaired, no more lights, ABS works like it should.
Around the early-mid 2000's is where a lot of the automotive industry had to start meeting lead free solder requirements and early lead free solder had long-term issues that had to be overcome. So there are a lot of automotive electronics from that decade which can be fixed by a simple resolder
Did a five tire rotation.
I did a 4 tire rotation last month when I got an oil change. Can't do a 5 on mine because the spare is a different width to fit in the trunk. Also looked for damage from my rock crawling last summer while it was on the lift. Had some scrapes on the rock rails where I bottomed out a few times but otherwise fine.
I have donuts in two of my cars, They only get the fours, but my explorer has a full sized spare. I never do a fiver on that cause its rim is plain steel and the rest are alloy. :smiley_shrug: I just have them put the best of the old tires on the spare every second tire change.
I rotate at about half the estimated life. Front to back, back to front same sides. That's not wrong is it? It seems to work. My fronts on all car models wear out fastest. At about twice the rears, doesn't matter front or RWD. Seems to work cause at end of life the tires are about even.
When I had that broken tire belt last Christmas on my BMW's cooper I replaced both rears, but I said I wanted the new rears moved to the front and the older fronts moved to the back and the dude at the tire shop freaked out. Oh, you can't do that.
We'll I'll tell you, I'd rather have a loose rear end that I can control in a slide, than a front end that 'pushes' out in a corner and you have no control over that slide and end up in a ditch. What's the deal with promoting keeping worn tires on the front and new tires on the back?
Quote from: MacWa77ace on February 20, 2024, 09:03:10 AMI have donuts in two of my cars, They only get the fours, but my explorer has a full sized spare. I never do a fiver on that cause its rim is plain steel and the rest are alloy. :smiley_shrug: I just have them put the best of the old tires on the spare every second tire change.
I rotate at about half the estimated life. Front to back, back to front same sides. That's not wrong is it? It seems to work. My fronts on all car models wear out fastest. At about twice the rears, doesn't matter front or RWD. Seems to work cause at end of life the tires are about even.
When I had that broken tire belt last Christmas on my BMW's cooper I replaced both rears, but I said I wanted the new rears moved to the front and the older fronts moved to the back and the dude at the tire shop freaked out. Oh, you can't do that.
We'll I'll tell you, I'd rather have a loose rear end that I can control in a slide, than a front end that 'pushes' out in a corner and you have no control over that slide and end up in a ditch. What's the deal with promoting keeping worn tires on the front and new tires on the back?
Industry-standard is new on the rear because most drivers aren't skilled enough to handle a rear slide. Frankly, my opinion is that if the remaining two are worn enough that loss of traction with them is a big concern then you should be replacing all 4 and not setting up the vehicle to be unstable on just one end, but that's me.
Personally, when it comes to rotation, I hate not being able to do a 5 tire rotation. We can't do it on either vehicle because of rim differences. On the Dakota that bugs me enough that I've considered getting a 5th stock wheel for the spare, but then the spare would have to be carried in the bed. On the Jeep, not only is the spare rim a "steelie" but the standard tire is too wide to fit under the back floor in the "trunk" so they went with a different width but with the same circumference (so as not to risk axle twist) and that just makes me want to get another standard rim and carry the spare in a roof basket, but then the Jeep is too high to get in the garage. I may still do that once we pick up a replacement for the Dakota when Chimp gets it. The new vehicle will be for the wife and the Jeep then becomes my toy to play with and stay parked outside.
Bought new tire valve stem caps. :awesome:
Yeah, I know, exciting. :rolleyes1:
I noticed a few days ago that one of the green plastic ones on there now (tires are/were nitrogen-filled) was cracked and falling off so I made a mental note to buy new caps. It took a while for that to exit my crappy short-term memory and hit quasi-longterm but it finally did. I learned my lesson about aluminum caps long ago (they corrode and stick to the brass of the stem... permanently) and went for nickel-plated brass. Bag of 25 was under $10 so I'll do all 5 on both vehicles and the trailer, and still have some spares.
Edit: Caps are important because they keep debris out of the valve that could damage it or prevent adding air. Yes, I do carry spare valves, cores, and the tools to install them but I'd rather not have to.
Shopped for a new one.
This is going to be a car/truck/SUV/minivan shopping weekend for me and the Mrs. With our 27-year-old pickup going to the Chimp and Clan next month, we need a second vehicle. Since the wife controls the finances she gets the final choice. She
does not like buying used vehicles. At the same time, she's aghast at what the price of new vehicles that meet our criteria are going for. I finally convinced her to at least consider a used vehicle, if it's certified and comes with a warranty, otherwise we're looking in the 70k range.
This vehicle, if we buy new, is going to be hers and I get the Jeep. Still, certain criteria that we have are:
- Her rollator must fit into it fairly easily
- It cannot be as low to the ground as a typical car (we both have bad knees)
- Must be 4x4 or AWD
- Does not have to tow our trailer any long distance but must have a tow package
- Must have Sirus/XM and (preferably) Android Auto
- Must have Google Maps or other good satnav system, not Uconnect
- Must not be manual transmission (I'd love a manual but the wife hates them)
- Must not be overly expensive to maintain (no Mercedes, no Land Rover or Range Rover, no Porsche, etc.)
Should be an interesting weekend. I'll let you guys know by Monday if divorce papers get filed.
@NT2C You should wait on buying a new vehicle until the new vehicle crash happens.
All dealers are currently overstocked and can't sell their current stock. Google it.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on March 15, 2024, 04:38:49 PM@NT2C You should wait on buying a new vehicle until the new vehicle crash happens.
All dealers are currently overstocked and can't sell their current stock. Google it.
I know. It's already started up here with the dealer we bought our Jeep from.
If I had the money for a new vehicle, I'd be looking seriously at the Ford Maverick.
You didn't mention towing capacity so I suggest the Subaru Crosstrek. It is one of the cheapest new cars in the US currently and fits all of your requirements. Dealer installed tow capacity is 1500lbs. You can easily get out the door for under $28K brand new with some nice options. I have owned at least five Subarus in my life and every one of them has been reliable as an atomic clock.
The only problem you might have is finding one. They became the best selling vehicle in their lineup due to the attractive price, reliability, low maintenance, AWD, good size, etc.
You can also get it equipped with Starlink, which give you web access world wide (for the subscription fee)
If you need more towing, the Forrester will tow 3000lbs, but it will cost you around $5k more. It is also a bit more roomy.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on March 18, 2024, 12:51:23 PMYou didn't mention towing capacity so I suggest the Subaru Crosstrek. It is one of the cheapest new cars in the US currently and fits all of your requirements. Dealer installed tow capacity is 1500lbs. You can easily get out the door for under $28K brand new with some nice options. I have owned at least five Subarus in my life and every one of them has been reliable as an atomic clock.
The only problem you might have is finding one. They became the best selling vehicle in their lineup due to the attractive price, reliability, low maintenance, AWD, good size, etc.
You can also get it equipped with Starlink, which give you web access world wide (for the subscription fee)
If you need more towing, the Forrester will tow 3000lbs, but it will cost you around $5k more. It is also a bit more roomy.
Yes, I should have mentioned that our current trailer weighs in (loaded) at ~5,000 lbs. and we're looking at a larger one. Our Jeep has a 6,500 lb. tow capacity.
Quote from: NT2C on March 18, 2024, 01:09:29 PMQuote from: Uomo Senza Nome on March 18, 2024, 12:51:23 PMYou didn't mention towing capacity so I suggest the Subaru Crosstrek. It is one of the cheapest new cars in the US currently and fits all of your requirements. Dealer installed tow capacity is 1500lbs. You can easily get out the door for under $28K brand new with some nice options. I have owned at least five Subarus in my life and every one of them has been reliable as an atomic clock.
The only problem you might have is finding one. They became the best selling vehicle in their lineup due to the attractive price, reliability, low maintenance, AWD, good size, etc.
You can also get it equipped with Starlink, which give you web access world wide (for the subscription fee)
If you need more towing, the Forrester will tow 3000lbs, but it will cost you around $5k more. It is also a bit more roomy.
Yes, I should have mentioned that our current trailer weighs in (loaded) at ~5,000 lbs. and we're looking at a larger one. Our Jeep has a 6,500 lb. tow capacity.
Then I suggest finding a virgin to lure that unicorn in or busting out your big boy wallet. You could get by with a gently used Nissan Frontier but a new one is going to run over $45k. There really aren't any economy vehicles that will tow heavy loads. Even a Ford Maverick, the cheapest truck out there at $28K, will only tow 4000lbs.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on March 18, 2024, 01:14:49 PMQuote from: NT2C on March 18, 2024, 01:09:29 PMQuote from: Uomo Senza Nome on March 18, 2024, 12:51:23 PMYou didn't mention towing capacity so I suggest the Subaru Crosstrek. It is one of the cheapest new cars in the US currently and fits all of your requirements. Dealer installed tow capacity is 1500lbs. You can easily get out the door for under $28K brand new with some nice options. I have owned at least five Subarus in my life and every one of them has been reliable as an atomic clock.
The only problem you might have is finding one. They became the best selling vehicle in their lineup due to the attractive price, reliability, low maintenance, AWD, good size, etc.
You can also get it equipped with Starlink, which give you web access world wide (for the subscription fee)
If you need more towing, the Forrester will tow 3000lbs, but it will cost you around $5k more. It is also a bit more roomy.
Yes, I should have mentioned that our current trailer weighs in (loaded) at ~5,000 lbs. and we're looking at a larger one. Our Jeep has a 6,500 lb. tow capacity.
Then I suggest finding a virgin to lure that unicorn in or busting out your big boy wallet. You could get by with a gently used Nissan Frontier but a new one is going to run over $45k. There really aren't any economy vehicles that will tow heavy loads. Even a Ford Maverick, the cheapest truck out there at $28K, will only tow 4000lbs.
I agree with you, but my wife is not easy to convince.
The Nissan Extera would probably have been your best option but they quit making them in 2015. You might be able to get a 5-6 year old Tahoe that would fit the bill at $18-25k but condition and mileage are everything. If you don't have cash, financing a used vehicle in this market is going to be rough. Even Super Prime credit will be at least 7.5%. Prime you are looking at 10%
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on March 18, 2024, 02:10:07 PMThe Nissan Extera would probably have been your best option but they quit making them in 2015. You might be able to get a 5-6 year old Tahoe that would fit the bill at $18-25k but condition and mileage are everything. If you don't have cash, financing a used vehicle in this market is going to be rough. Even Super Prime credit will be at least 7.5%. Prime you are looking at 10%
My bank already quoted us 6.19% for 35k
After that situation last week where I wasn't able to help out with the kid who had a flat tire who didn't have the right socket for the job, I went ahead and bought some additional tire-related stuff and put it into my truck. This included a lug nut socket set (https://a.co/d/32a6W7o), an 18-inch breaker bar (https://www.harborfreight.com/12-in-drive-18-in-breaker-bar-60818.html), and a valve stem core tool with 4 replacement valve cores. The core tool/cores and some spare valve stem caps all went into my air compressor bag. The breaker bar and lug nut sockets went into the tool bag. I tested the sockets on both of my vehicles and they fit just fine (21mm on the car and 22mm on the truck).
I've also discovered that Blaster makes 4 oz mini-cans (https://www.homedepot.com/p/Blaster-4-oz-PB-Penetrating-Oil-PB-TS-B/202726970?source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla=&mtc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25S-025_031_GARAGE_AUTO-NA-Multi-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-Automotive&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-BF-CDP-GGL-D25S-025_031_GARAGE_AUTO-NA-Multi-NA-PMAX-NA-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NA-Automotive-71700000117332062--&gad_source=1&gclsrc=ds) of penetrating oil and will be picking some of those up for each vehicle the next time I'm at Home Depot. Given how most tire shops have their impact wrenches set to Superman levels of torque, penetrating oil can be very helpful to get lug nuts off by hand!
4 new wheel bearings. Once the first one is figured out, the rest go a bit faster.
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on March 29, 2024, 10:12:59 PM4 new wheel bearings. Once the first one is figured out, the rest go a bit faster.
Which two wheels?
Wheel bearing hub assemblies.
I hit a pothole and lost a hubcap. Then, that wheel started making a loud whining sound going down the road.
At least it wasn't like the car where they had to be pressed in, since I don't have a hydraulic press.
Quote from: majorhavoc on March 15, 2024, 05:49:31 PMIf I had the money for a new vehicle, I'd be looking seriously at the Ford Maverick.
My first car was a Maverick. Big four-door green one. It blew a piston when I didn't put oil in it that one day (it had just been filled up the day before!).
Several years later, I had a Ford Taurus. I was turning left into a grocery store parking lot and the front passenger wheel took off to the right.
If I ever decide to get a Ford again, it'll be a Toyota.
I do have the super cool emblem from my Maverick around here somewhere. I do love that thing.
Vacuumed out all the dirt that's been accumulating all winter. Consolidated my map and documentation binders to one. I used to keep vehicle documentation on one and maps in another so I could take the maps in another vehicle if needed, but after driving the wife's car on a couple trips its just not comfortable to drive so I take mine anywhere long trips so I don't need to worry about transferring any gear anymore.
I got in a newer Rand McNally road atlas.
I may need a new windshield. There seems to be some kind of etching like somebody poured a chemical on it or something and I can't get it to wash off inside or out. I assume it was deliberate because there is also a smiley face smeared in that won't wash off and it's only on the driver's side.
I didn't drive the van for so long that I don't know when it happened and I'm not seeing anything on the current camera footage, so it may have been overwritten by now.
Any idea what this could be and if there's some way to fix it? I don't really notice it on overcast days, but when the sun's shining, it catches the light and makes driving near impossible.
I messed up a windshield using windex on it. the ammonia in windex softens the anti glare coating on automotive windows.
Quote from: eugenenine on March 31, 2024, 05:54:42 PMI messed up a windshield using windex on it. the ammonia in windex softens the anti glare coating on automotive windows.
Were you able to remedy that or did you have to replace the windshield?
To this day, I have a faint "4" scratched into the glass on my car. It's from a carwash that used a bar of soap to indicate which package you purchased. Unfortunately, there was some grit embedded in the soap, so when the employee wrote the number on my car, it left scratches which are still there 15 years later.
On my previous car, I'd treated the windshield with some rain repellent. When I had a chip repaired, the torch the guy used in the process burned the repellent away on that part of the windshield. Unfortunately, the treatment was no longer available (STP VisionBlade), so I wasn't able to re-treat the windshield. For the rest of the time I had that car, I just had to live with a big spot right in the middle where the rain / snow acted differently.
You might try cleaning your windshield with something like Invisible Glass cleaner. Use either microfiber cloth, or newspaper and see if that combo will remove it. If that doesn't work, maybe check with a glass repair place to see if they have any suggestions. They might be able to recommend a product, or clean / polish it out without needing to replace the glass.
Quote from: Anianna on March 31, 2024, 06:08:41 PMQuote from: eugenenine on March 31, 2024, 05:54:42 PMI messed up a windshield using windex on it. the ammonia in windex softens the anti glare coating on automotive windows.
Were you able to remedy that or did you have to replace the windshield?
It was a Dodgelemon so we didn't have it too much longer.
I haven't done it yet, but I got a quote on how much it'll be to put a new set of tires and rotate and balance them on my sister's Honda Pilot. I've already got the tires, I just needed to get them installed on the truck (yes, I know a Honda Pilot is considered an SUV, but I call it a truck. Same thing goes for my mom's Explorer.)
This is the vehicle that'll be taking myself, my mother and my two sisters to VA later this month to meet up with NT2C.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on April 01, 2024, 05:09:05 PMyes, I know a Honda Pilot is considered an SUV.
Actually its a crossover since its unibody front wheel drive car based and not truck based :P
Quote from: eugenenine on April 01, 2024, 05:38:51 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on April 01, 2024, 05:09:05 PMyes, I know a Honda Pilot is considered an SUV.
Actually its a crossover since its unibody front wheel drive car based and not truck based :P
Still calling it a truck. :greenguy:
just ordered some tire repair kits - a small one for the car (just a basic $7 kit from Slime) and a slightly larger one for the truck that had pretty good reviews on Amazon. Also, after watching Project Farm's video about Tire Slime, I went ahead and ordered a bottle of that to go in the truck. I've already got a bottle of Fix-A-Flat in there, but it did very poorly in his test. I've already got a small bottle of Slime in the car.
When it all arrives, I'll take the small Tire Slime repair kit and put it into a bag, along with a utility knife, some old pliers, spare caps, and a set of valve stem cores & core tool so that it's all together. The other kit came with everything except for rubber cement, which I've ordered separately and will add to the kit.
I put 2 new rotors, calipers and pads on the rear of my 2000 S10 after one of them seized while driving down the highway. I also replaced a Mass Air Flow Sensor and Idle Air Control Valve. Now I'm trying to figure out why it surges at highway speeds. Fun times...
Quote from: Brekar on April 01, 2024, 09:27:07 PMI put 2 new rotors, calipers and pads on the rear of my 2000 S10 after one of them seized while driving down the highway. I also replaced a Mass Air Flow Sensor and Idle Air Control Valve. Now I'm trying to figure out why it surges at highway speeds. Fun times...
2.2 or 4.3? Is there a relearn procedure for the MAF or IAT?
4.3 V6. There was a relearning procedure for the MAF AND IAC, and it went well. The surge issue is only under load at highway speeds, 60+, it has an RPM surge of 200-500 and you feel the truck surge in kind of a lurching motion while it does it. It doesn't always do it, but once it warms up it stops.
Continued shopping for a new one to replace the one
@12_Gauge_Chimp is being gifted. The current leader in the "possibles" list is the Ford Edge (this will be my wife's vehicle and a backup to our Jeep). Next up to be looked at will be a Nissan Pathfinder and a Honda Pilot.
My wife has decreed that we only look at new vehicles and given us a $55k budget so both of those would fall within budget in their lower-priced models.
Last night as I was approaching my truck in a parking lot, something looked... off. Namely, it looked lopsided. I'd noticed a bit of rattle/clunk from the suspension, but had written it off as just being normal for an 11 year old, 225,000mi truck. Well, when I got home, I measured it and found that the front drivers side is about 3/4" lower than the passenger. I poked around a bit with a flashlight and don't see anything obvious, but I guess I'm going to need to take it into the shop. There is a bit of back-and-forth movement in the steering over bumps as well, so something could be loose up front.
The real bummer is that there used to be a huge Suburban / Tahoe / Avalanche Z71 forum (sort of like ZS) which was suddenly shut down with very little warning some years back and replaced with... a Facebook page... :headbang: If I'm going ot have to do suspension work anyway, I'd like to upgrade it, but finding info on that specific model is difficult. The Facebook page is mostly people posting photos of their vehicles, and while they may mention the suspension, that's usually because of a lift that they had installed (I'm not interested in that). Additionally, most of the active users have the GMT800 platform vehicles, not the GMT900 like mine, so their recommendations wouldn't apply anyway.
On the plus side, I was fiddling around with the settings menu in the truck and discovered that it does actually have remote start! I'd tried using that button on my keyfob before, but it never worked. So just to make sure, I re-selected it as "On" in the menu and tried it. Sure enough, now it's working! No idea why it wasn't before, since I didn't actually change anything, but I'll take it!
Similar situation with the chime volume. The turn signals are so quiet that I can barely hear them, but the volume was just fine when I went into that setting in the menu. Guess I'll have to see if it's one of those "Microsoft Windows fixes" where you just need to look at something, then turn it off and back on for it to suddenly heal itself! :D
I'm paranoid about the suspension issue on the truck, so I've changed my mind about taking it to my parents' house this weekend. The car may not be quite as comfortable, but there's nothing wrong with it right now from a mechanical perspective (being old and rusty doesn't count!).
I'll have to do some research and see if I can find any suspension recommendations, then I'll take it to my mechanic to see what's wrong with it. If anything in the suspension needs to be replaced, I'll work with him to do some updates, rather than just going back to stock.
Sounds like a collapsed ball joint. Could be a shock/strut/spring issue but the ball joint is my educated guess.
Broken spring? That was always the problem with my Saab 93 SportCombi. It ate rear springs and headlight bulbs for lunch. Goddamn thing was insatiable.
I was going to guess body mount rusted through.....
This truck doesn't have any rust (this was a huge selling point when I bought it last year), so it shouldn't be anything to do with that. I didn't see anything that looked loose / broken / displaced, although the rubber/urethane bushings looked a bit dried out. The shocks have seen better days, which is why I'd like to replace/upgrade them.
One of the joys of buying a used vehicle is the absence of maintenance and repair history. This truck is really clean, but has high miles. Who knows if the suspension has ever been replaced, or if it was, how long ago it was done. I know it's not like it used to be, where you had to put in new shocks every few years, but they do eventually wear out.
Of course, it could just be that something is out of adjustment somewhere. I haven't noticed any alignment issues, but when I got the truck, it was missing the sway bar ends. Not loose - gone! The shop replaced those and aligned the truck, but Michigan roads are terrible, so something could've failed or shifted due to impact.
It'll probably just need to go up on the lift and have them check it out and see what's going on. I'll call next week to see when I can get it in.
I went out to try one more time to get the weird etching or whatever it was off my windshield before I gave up and called for repair or replacement and it just wasn't there anymore. I've tried for months to get that off. I have a windshield squeegee scrubber thing and typically use the windshield washer fluid with it, but it wasn't coming off. I had also tried spray-on auto glass cleaner with various papers and rags to no avail. I had used the auto glass spray inside, as well. When the stuff didn't come off, I tried glasses cleaner I have for spectacles on the interior, which has worked in the past to remove stubborn stains form mirrors and glass.
My windshield was like that for months through many rain storms, so it's not like it just rained and washed it away.
I'm not complaining that it's gone, but I'm surely and severely befuddled.
Gave my Nissan Titan a spring cleaning and noticed the paint pealing in two spots. One looked like a door ding that that got out of hand and the other was up front where a bird kamikazed me a couple of years ago. I wouldn't expect a five year old truck to have peeling paint. I then found a 2023 class action suit against Nissan for peeling paint on vehicles 2017-2024.
It seems they started using a defective primer that has adhesion issues. GMC did the same thing for a few years around the turn of the century and trucks of that era often have peeling paint. Otherwise I have been completely satisfied with the truck and got it at a bargain during the economic lull right before Covid.
https://www.classaction.org/news/nissan-primer-lawsuit-claims-defective-coating-has-caused-paint-peeling-devalued-2017-present-vehicles
Quote from: EBuff75 on April 05, 2024, 05:45:05 PMLast night as I was approaching my truck in a parking lot, something looked... off. Namely, it looked lopsided. I'd noticed a bit of rattle/clunk from the suspension, but had written it off as just being normal for an 11 year old, 225,000mi truck. Well, when I got home, I measured it and found that the front drivers side is about 3/4" lower than the passenger. I poked around a bit with a flashlight and don't see anything obvious, but I guess I'm going to need to take it into the shop. There is a bit of back-and-forth movement in the steering over bumps as well, so something could be loose up front.
The real bummer is that there used to be a huge Suburban / Tahoe / Avalanche Z71 forum (sort of like ZS) which was suddenly shut down with very little warning some years back and replaced with... a Facebook page... :headbang: If I'm going ot have to do suspension work anyway, I'd like to upgrade it, but finding info on that specific model is difficult. The Facebook page is mostly people posting photos of their vehicles, and while they may mention the suspension, that's usually because of a lift that they had installed (I'm not interested in that). Additionally, most of the active users have the GMT800 platform vehicles, not the GMT900 like mine, so their recommendations wouldn't apply anyway.
Your profile pic looks like an 800
Quote from: eugenenine on April 06, 2024, 12:37:48 PMQuote from: EBuff75 on April 05, 2024, 05:45:05 PMLast night as I was approaching my truck in a parking lot, something looked... off. Namely, it looked lopsided. I'd noticed a bit of rattle/clunk from the suspension, but had written it off as just being normal for an 11 year old, 225,000mi truck. Well, when I got home, I measured it and found that the front drivers side is about 3/4" lower than the passenger. I poked around a bit with a flashlight and don't see anything obvious, but I guess I'm going to need to take it into the shop. There is a bit of back-and-forth movement in the steering over bumps as well, so something could be loose up front.
The real bummer is that there used to be a huge Suburban / Tahoe / Avalanche Z71 forum (sort of like ZS) which was suddenly shut down with very little warning some years back and replaced with... a Facebook page... :headbang: If I'm going ot have to do suspension work anyway, I'd like to upgrade it, but finding info on that specific model is difficult. The Facebook page is mostly people posting photos of their vehicles, and while they may mention the suspension, that's usually because of a lift that they had installed (I'm not interested in that). Additionally, most of the active users have the GMT800 platform vehicles, not the GMT900 like mine, so their recommendations wouldn't apply anyway.
Your profile pic looks like an 800
Yeah, because I haven't updated the picture. I sold that one last year. Probably should update the pic, but I need to take a new photo of the truck first...
Okay,
Okay, so my profile is finally updated! The truck could use a wash, but at least it's a new picture with the front tint removed and the new tires on it (compared to the old pictures that I took the day I bought it). It is a Z71, but since it's a silver truck, the front "aluminum" bumper "skid plate" doesn't stand out. (I put those in quotes because while it might "protect" the bumper from something like a dandelion or a fern, it's not good for much more than that)
Suburban_newpic.jpg
I drilled out what was left of my old wheel speed sensor and put a new one in. Now my dash is less bright since the lights aren't lit up...
Well, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Quote from: NT2C on April 07, 2024, 06:13:30 PMWell, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Was it the features/performance or did you not look past the sticker price?
Quote from: NT2C on April 07, 2024, 06:13:30 PMWell, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Hey are you still looking for a house?
I ran across this one . I like it alot. Plus it's only about three miles away from the only year round trout stream in Kansas
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1495-Highway-141-Brookville-KS-67425/235465482_zpid/
Quote from: NT2C on April 07, 2024, 06:13:30 PMWell, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Can you tell us a little about how you landed on the Pilot? I'm considering one after years with a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Quote from: majorhavoc on April 07, 2024, 06:19:43 PMQuote from: NT2C on April 07, 2024, 06:13:30 PMWell, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Was it the features/performance or did you not look past the sticker price?
Neither actually. My wife's rollator fit in it without a struggle. We'll get it next week.
Quote from: majorhavoc on April 07, 2024, 06:19:43 PMQuote from: NT2C on April 07, 2024, 06:13:30 PMWell, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Was it the features/performance or did you not look past the sticker price?
Neither actually. My wife's rollator fit in it without a struggle. We'll get it next week.
Quote from: flybynight on April 07, 2024, 06:54:34 PMQuote from: NT2C on April 07, 2024, 06:13:30 PMWell, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Hey are you still looking for a house?
I ran across this one . I like it alot. Plus it's only about three miles away from the only year round trout stream in Kansas
https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/1495-Highway-141-Brookville-KS-67425/235465482_zpid/
That's actually on my list.
Quote from: echo83 on April 07, 2024, 07:22:43 PMQuote from: NT2C on April 07, 2024, 06:13:30 PMWell, we looked at a 2025 Honda Pilot and... we're not looking for a new second vehicle anymore.
:zomg:
Can you tell us a little about how you landed on the Pilot? I'm considering one after years with a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
We have a GC (WK2) and the issue with it is that my wife uses a bariatric rollator to get around. We have one that folds down like an umbrella and fits on the back seat, but it's really too low for someone who is 5'10". Her other, preferred rollator takes two people to get it in/out of that back seat, which limits her mobility a lot. She needed a vehicle that it would fit in and that she could get it in/out of on her own. The Pilot, the Toyota Sienna, and the Highlander, as well as the Ford Edge, all worked for that. Then we factored in all our other requirements (4x4 or good AWD, 5,000 lb or better tow rating, on-board satnav, 20 mpg or better combined rating, price in the $50k range, etc.) the Pilot fit the bill the best.
Now we just have to wait and see what color they get for us.
We want the Obsidian blue and they have one being built and coming in on Tuesday. But we're also open to get a 2024 in either the blue or in red, with the same options, if that will save us some $$ that we can put on an extended warranty. They're going to see what they can find tomorrow and get back to us on that. So it'll be either a 2025 in blue, or a 2024 in red or blue.
Installed a trailer wiring harness so I could pull a trailer because whoever owned the truck before me installed a hitch, but never bothered to hook up anything with the lights, because who needs working blinkers and brake lights on a trailer.
Quote from: Brekar on April 08, 2024, 08:57:45 PMInstalled a trailer wiring harness so I could pull a trailer because whoever owned the truck before me installed a hitch, but never bothered to hook up anything with the lights, because who needs working blinkers and brake lights on a trailer.
Certainly not 3/4 of the trailer owners in Virginia.
I turned mine into a jeep
20240407_141349.jpg
was actually just replacing hinge pins, 20 years of opening and closing doors they get worn a little.
Quote from: NT2C on April 08, 2024, 09:35:04 PMQuote from: Brekar on April 08, 2024, 08:57:45 PMInstalled a trailer wiring harness so I could pull a trailer because whoever owned the truck before me installed a hitch, but never bothered to hook up anything with the lights, because who needs working blinkers and brake lights on a trailer.
Certainly not 3/4 of the trailer owners in Virginia.
Texas as well.
And we've decided on... A red 2024 Pilot.
The blue 2025 would not be ready for another 6-8 weeks and my wife has to spend three days in Maryland early next month for work conferences. There was no blue one available anywhere in VA or MD, just this red one down in Richmond that our salesperson Diego is going down to get this afternoon.
Quote from: Brekar on April 08, 2024, 08:57:45 PMInstalled a trailer wiring harness so I could pull a trailer because whoever owned the truck before me installed a hitch, but never bothered to hook up anything with the lights, because who needs working blinkers and brake lights on a trailer.
Hey, Me too, installed a wiring harness and hitch, It was pretty much plug-n-play (2015 Caravan) CURT knows their stuff.
Quote from: superduder on April 09, 2024, 04:11:02 PMQuote from: Brekar on April 08, 2024, 08:57:45 PMInstalled a trailer wiring harness so I could pull a trailer because whoever owned the truck before me installed a hitch, but never bothered to hook up anything with the lights, because who needs working blinkers and brake lights on a trailer.
Hey, Me too, installed a wiring harness and hitch, It was pretty much plug-n-play (2015 Caravan) CURT knows their stuff.
This does remind me that I was in the middle of upgrading my trailer wiring (from 4-flat to 7-blade w/reverse lights) when the cold weather set in last fall. I should probably finish that.
Thank to the other thread i charged both Gooloo GP80 jumper boxes over the weekend.
Replaced the PCM in the Dodge. Then took it into a shop to replace the oil pressure sender unit and diagnose the suddenly not operating windshield wipers. Turned out to be the wiper motor. I was going to put the sender in myself, but could not find it under all the hoses and wire conduits. Now the oil gauge doesn't randomly drop to zero while driving. Next I need to repair rust out parts of body. Drivers side rocker panel and both rear wheel wells. I'll cut the rusted area's away and weld some sheet metal to replace. Doesn't have to be perfect looking as I will cover it with textured truck bed liner paint.
Quote from: superduder on April 09, 2024, 04:11:02 PMQuote from: Brekar on April 08, 2024, 08:57:45 PMInstalled a trailer wiring harness so I could pull a trailer because whoever owned the truck before me installed a hitch, but never bothered to hook up anything with the lights, because who needs working blinkers and brake lights on a trailer.
Hey, Me too, installed a wiring harness and hitch, It was pretty much plug-n-play (2015 Caravan) CURT knows their stuff.
That's pretty much how this was, just plug and play. I have 3 parts S10's (2 trucks and a Blazer), and it was a piece I took off of 1 of the part trucks.
Downloaded the PDF version of the owner's manual for our new Honda Pilot. Mother of... 805 pages?!
Okay, gotta be like one of those instruction manuals that's in like nine different languages, right?
Nope! All in English!
Oh, and another 119 pages for the Nav system.
I didn't know it came with a free copy of the OED! :icon_crazy: :clownshoes:
NT2C looks up from his tablet during a road trip three years later:
"Honey, did you know this thing comes with a passenger side ejection seat?"
Mrs. NT2C, quickly reaching for the console touchscreen:
"Really? Where would that be, under 'Other Options'?
IMG20240413190657.jpg
:greenguy:
IMG20240413192740.jpg
Finally replaced the leaf spring bushings after starting to before winter and couldn't get the old out. Had to unbolt and lift the bed to get room to work.
20240413_122626.jpg
Noticed the brake pads were thin so I went ahead and bought a set and replaced those too
20240414_132247.jpg
That m12 impact wrench saves a lot of work
I've been experimenting with loadouts on my Pan America. The hard bags on it are much larger than the appear and don't have any wasted space. Be that as it is I wasn't sure if I was pleased or disappointed that $160 worth of groceries fit in them neatly.
Used a Foam Cannon and my pressure washer to do a major cleaning of
@12_Gauge_Chimp 's new (to him) pickup truck. Still have to do the interior and wipe down all the door and window gaskets with a silicone rag to prevent them from sticking but got years of grime and algae growth off of him.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FTSLNdGR.jpg&hash=01fb3073e5f5c5858ce1a28d76a9bc7d154fa588) (https://imgur.com/TSLNdGR)
Quote from: NT2C on April 15, 2024, 04:09:42 PMUsed a Foam Cannon and my pressure washer to do a major cleaning of @12_Gauge_Chimp 's new (to him) pickup truck. Still have to do the interior and wipe down all the door and window gaskets with a silicone rag to prevent them from sticking but got years of grime and algae growth off of him.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FTSLNdGR.jpg&hash=01fb3073e5f5c5858ce1a28d76a9bc7d154fa588) (https://imgur.com/TSLNdGR)
That reminds me. I need to fix the seal around the windshield on my mom's Explorer.
Stupid seal developed a leak somewhere and now the interior gets wet whenever we get rain. :gonk:
Replaced the right rear brake caliper. Found one of the bolts had fallen out and the rubber boots on the slider pins were all tor up. Figured by the time I de-rust it and buy some paint and all the little parts I'd have as much invested as just buying a rebuilt one. so I stopped by NAPA and bought one and swapped it out.
Ordered new plates for the Jeep. Official amateur radio tags. :awesome:
Bought a set of crossbars for the roof rack on the Pilot. These are rated at 260 lbs and are a locking type. We'll see how this set looks when I get them.
Also bought a strobe module for the Jeep from the guys and gals at Speed Turtle Engineering. I used to do a lot of special events with the local ham radio club, usually as either Net Control or as the tail vehicle for road events like the USMC Historic Half Marathon. That was when I had my big white comms truck with DOT highway strobes. This module adds customizable strobe patterns to the existing vehicle lights, such as turn signals and reverse lights. I plan to get active with the club again and this will work nicely for road events.
Ordered an OBD II splitter so I can retain my 4G connectivity and still add the new module.
Put my ham plates on the Jeep. :smiley_bril:
Installed and programmed the Speed Turtle module. It does a nice job and has some good patterns but I wish it were a little more configurable as to double and quad flashes with individual lights. I can disable individual lights so they don't flash, such as the headlights, but can't control the rate or number of flashes.
Installed an auto stop/start disabler on the new Pilot. Easy install, inexpensive module and it will help make it more reliable by reducing wear & tear on the starter and battery.
Nothing too exciting, replaced the doorknobs on the truck campers.
Now they both lock and take a key to open, as much as "Locks keep honest people honest" goes anyway.
And bought replacement spark plug wires for the Courier,
I got a backfire on the way to the property that blew the seam (folded not welded) on the muffler and the fireball liquefied one of my ratchet straps.
So that needs to be fixed.
Maybe this will fix the backfire/driveability issue. 🙏
Finished up installing the Speed Turtle module. I needed to figure out a way to mount it with my 3G module and still see the end of it and have room to plug a switch cable into the side, made extra difficult by my OBDII port aiming straight down.
One of these did the trick once I cable-tied it to stay up:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61FDnUt1FjL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/d9N1BY8)
The Jeep has a "leather" sleeve around the steering column so it can adjust in/out and up/down. That made it easy to run the switch cable inside it and stick the switch to the side of the column.
The Speed Turtle module has settings tabs for three different switches, an integrated switch built into the vehicle (the "OK" switch on my steering column cluster) and one for when the vehicle is in Park. This allows for pattern switching with switches and gives a different pattern set for when Parked. Each tab has ten preset patterns to choose from, and individual lights in each pattern can be turned on or off with checkboxes. So, for example, I could have it strobe my low beams if SW 1 is on, strobe the fog lights instead if the integrated switch is used, and only strobe the markers when parked. Very versatile! I have it currently setup to two different patterns depending on what switch I press, and a pattern when parked that is all the markers and turn signals, including the reverse lights.
This will give me a lot of flexibility as I get back to doing ham radio events with the local club. I can act as a spotter on the side of the road, or as "tail-end-Charlie" for races and marathons.
It wasn't a smooth install though. I had to have the Jeep running and it's a PITA trying to work with a 15" laptop behind the wheel so I put it on the hood. Then I could not find the switch and cable that I KNOW I had in my hand when I went out there. Searched the Jeep, emptied the laptop case twice, checked the floors in the house, checked my bedroom in case I left it there when I got my car keys, and cleared my entire desk and the boxes next to it. Nada. I went back out, shut down the Jeep, turned off the laptop and picked it up to put in its case...and there was the switch and cable underneath it.
So, I got it all connected and programmed and as I was reaching in to shut off the Jeep I closed the door on the programming cable between the module and my laptop and cut it in half. :tickedoff:
Speaking of falling windows, the back passenger windows on my mom's Explorer are probably going to do that since the motors are borked.
Each motor assembly is like a couple hundred bucks, so fixing them is out of the question for the moment.
In the meantime, I'll probably end up getting my brother Pete to pop a bolt underneath the window glass and have it held up that way until I can get two new motor assemblies and do a proper fix.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 02:47:18 PMSpeaking of falling windows, the back passenger windows on my mom's Explorer are probably going to do that since the motors are borked.
Each motor assembly is like a couple hundred bucks, so fixing them is out of the question for the moment.
In the meantime, I'll probably end up getting my brother Pete to pop a bolt underneath the window glass and have it held up that way until I can get two new motor assemblies and do a proper fix.
IIRC that's two different things so if they haven't fallen yet and the motors don't work, they should stay up. Also since that is a Ford, you can buy just the motor and its easy to put in [relatively compared to #BMWsucks] The window clips/brackets that hold them IIRC can be bought separately if your window falls and your motor works.
That happened on my 88 Monte Carlo once and I didn't need any parts, just put it back on the clip and the clip back on the scissor lift mech. Bingo, power window works.
Quote from: Anianna on May 22, 2024, 09:12:48 PMQuote from: EBuff75 on May 22, 2024, 08:14:52 PMOh, and I rolled my eyes so hard I almost hurt myself tonight after a college friend posted about a rental car in Europe. He was complaining because they'd upgraded his rental and the upgrade was "enormous." He posted some pictures of how it had barely fit into the garage where he's staying, with only about 1" of clearance front and back.
The "enormous" SUV? An MG ZS crossover (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MG_ZS_(crossover)#Overview), which is all of 1.5" wider than my Mazda3 and 6" shorter in length than my car! Geez, that's gotta be tiny garage!
He said that they always try to get the smallest vehicle possible (submicro classification) when they're visiting Europe because he's so scared about driving on the roads there. I wonder how he'd feel about my Suburban... :D
Much of the infrastructure in Europe isn't designed for big cars and is not SUV-friendly. It sounds like he may be just fine with big vehicles in the US, but not happy about having to drive one in the specific circumstance. Parts of Italy can be especially anxiety-inducing in anything bigger than a Fiat.
Yeah now, at least in Germany, that would be a medium-sized vehicle at most.
Maybe in Italy.
EDIT: 5 cm (that's 2'', for the metrically challenged) wider than my Golf. Someone was being dramatic.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on May 23, 2024, 03:34:36 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 02:47:18 PMSpeaking of falling windows, the back passenger windows on my mom's Explorer are probably going to do that since the motors are borked.
Each motor assembly is like a couple hundred bucks, so fixing them is out of the question for the moment.
In the meantime, I'll probably end up getting my brother Pete to pop a bolt underneath the window glass and have it held up that way until I can get two new motor assemblies and do a proper fix.
IIRC that's two different things so if they haven't fallen yet and the motors don't work, they should stay up. Also since that is a Ford, you can buy just the motor and its easy to put in [relatively compared to #BMWsucks] The window clips/brackets that hold them IIRC can be bought separately if your window falls and your motor works.
That happened on my 88 Monte Carlo once and I didn't need any parts, just put it back on the clip and the clip back on the scissor lift mech. Bingo, power window works.
Yeah, both windows have fallen and the motors don't work. Motors went out first and then the windows fell.
The right side passenger window went first and that's now got a bolt holding it closed. The left side passenger window is being held up with a couple 2x4s, but those slipped and now there's nothing holding it up. So the window likely will slip down at some point.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 03:50:31 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on May 23, 2024, 03:34:36 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 02:47:18 PMSpeaking of falling windows, the back passenger windows on my mom's Explorer are probably going to do that since the motors are borked.
Each motor assembly is like a couple hundred bucks, so fixing them is out of the question for the moment.
In the meantime, I'll probably end up getting my brother Pete to pop a bolt underneath the window glass and have it held up that way until I can get two new motor assemblies and do a proper fix.
IIRC that's two different things so if they haven't fallen yet and the motors don't work, they should stay up. Also since that is a Ford, you can buy just the motor and its easy to put in [relatively compared to #BMWsucks] The window clips/brackets that hold them IIRC can be bought separately if your window falls and your motor works.
That happened on my 88 Monte Carlo once and I didn't need any parts, just put it back on the clip and the clip back on the scissor lift mech. Bingo, power window works.
Yeah, both windows have fallen and the motors don't work. Motors went out first and then the windows fell.
The right side passenger window went first and that's now got a bolt holding it closed. The left side passenger window is being held up with a couple 2x4s, but those slipped and now there's nothing holding it up. So the window likely will slip down at some point.
Gonna move this discussion...
Moved
What year Explorer,
@12_Gauge_Chimp?
So, apparently, I left something on in the Jeep last night, because when I needed to go out earlier it was dead. Still not sure what got left on but I unplugged the OBDII stuff and it's on a battery charger... which keeps thinking it's a 6vdc battery and shutting off, saying it's charged. I'm struggling to get this "intelligent" charger to understand it's 12vdc and to kick it into high.
if I absolutely have to I'll pull up the Dodge to the back of the Jeep and use my 30' cables to charge it.
Oh, and I discovered that the A/C in the Dodge isn't working. One of those days. :headbang:
Quote from: NT2C on May 23, 2024, 04:38:11 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 03:50:31 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on May 23, 2024, 03:34:36 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 02:47:18 PMSpeaking of falling windows, the back passenger windows on my mom's Explorer are probably going to do that since the motors are borked.
Each motor assembly is like a couple hundred bucks, so fixing them is out of the question for the moment.
In the meantime, I'll probably end up getting my brother Pete to pop a bolt underneath the window glass and have it held up that way until I can get two new motor assemblies and do a proper fix.
IIRC that's two different things so if they haven't fallen yet and the motors don't work, they should stay up. Also since that is a Ford, you can buy just the motor and its easy to put in [relatively compared to #BMWsucks] The window clips/brackets that hold them IIRC can be bought separately if your window falls and your motor works.
That happened on my 88 Monte Carlo once and I didn't need any parts, just put it back on the clip and the clip back on the scissor lift mech. Bingo, power window works.
Yeah, both windows have fallen and the motors don't work. Motors went out first and then the windows fell.
The right side passenger window went first and that's now got a bolt holding it closed. The left side passenger window is being held up with a couple 2x4s, but those slipped and now there's nothing holding it up. So the window likely will slip down at some point.
Gonna move this discussion...
Moved
What year Explorer, @12_Gauge_Chimp?
It's a 2004 Explorer, NT2C.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 06:10:05 PMQuote from: NT2C on May 23, 2024, 04:38:11 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 03:50:31 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on May 23, 2024, 03:34:36 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 02:47:18 PMSpeaking of falling windows, the back passenger windows on my mom's Explorer are probably going to do that since the motors are borked.
Each motor assembly is like a couple hundred bucks, so fixing them is out of the question for the moment.
In the meantime, I'll probably end up getting my brother Pete to pop a bolt underneath the window glass and have it held up that way until I can get two new motor assemblies and do a proper fix.
IIRC that's two different things so if they haven't fallen yet and the motors don't work, they should stay up. Also since that is a Ford, you can buy just the motor and its easy to put in [relatively compared to #BMWsucks] The window clips/brackets that hold them IIRC can be bought separately if your window falls and your motor works.
That happened on my 88 Monte Carlo once and I didn't need any parts, just put it back on the clip and the clip back on the scissor lift mech. Bingo, power window works.
Yeah, both windows have fallen and the motors don't work. Motors went out first and then the windows fell.
The right side passenger window went first and that's now got a bolt holding it closed. The left side passenger window is being held up with a couple 2x4s, but those slipped and now there's nothing holding it up. So the window likely will slip down at some point.
Gonna move this discussion...
Moved
What year Explorer, @12_Gauge_Chimp?
It's a 2004 Explorer, NT2C.
Let me see what the local scrapyard has in the way of parts.
Quote from: NT2C on May 23, 2024, 08:35:07 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 06:10:05 PMQuote from: NT2C on May 23, 2024, 04:38:11 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 03:50:31 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on May 23, 2024, 03:34:36 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on May 23, 2024, 02:47:18 PMSpeaking of falling windows, the back passenger windows on my mom's Explorer are probably going to do that since the motors are borked.
Each motor assembly is like a couple hundred bucks, so fixing them is out of the question for the moment.
In the meantime, I'll probably end up getting my brother Pete to pop a bolt underneath the window glass and have it held up that way until I can get two new motor assemblies and do a proper fix.
IIRC that's two different things so if they haven't fallen yet and the motors don't work, they should stay up. Also since that is a Ford, you can buy just the motor and its easy to put in [relatively compared to #BMWsucks] The window clips/brackets that hold them IIRC can be bought separately if your window falls and your motor works.
That happened on my 88 Monte Carlo once and I didn't need any parts, just put it back on the clip and the clip back on the scissor lift mech. Bingo, power window works.
Yeah, both windows have fallen and the motors don't work. Motors went out first and then the windows fell.
The right side passenger window went first and that's now got a bolt holding it closed. The left side passenger window is being held up with a couple 2x4s, but those slipped and now there's nothing holding it up. So the window likely will slip down at some point.
Gonna move this discussion...
Moved
What year Explorer, @12_Gauge_Chimp?
It's a 2004 Explorer, NT2C.
Let me see what the local scrapyard has in the way of parts.
Ok.
I doubt any of the scrapyards out here would have anything like that. If they did, they'd probably want a bit for them.
I finally was forced to replace the front brakes/rotors and brake lines on my S10. Last month I had a rear caliper lock up due to a collapsed brake line, resulting in a complete restoration of the rear brake system, and last week I was forced to do the same with the front end brake system. Buying an older truck that sat for a long time has shown me what little things can and will go wrong out of no where. But now I have a truck that stops really well, and won't have to worry about old brake lines collapsing any more.
Just picked my car up from the mechanic after nearly a week in the shop (several days of which was just having the car sitting there, as he'd gotten behind schedule). It's been on the lift since Monday morning and only finally got wrapped up today.
I tend to "save up" smaller issues and have them all addressed at once, so there were a few items which have been wrong for a while (failing O2 sensor for the past 3 years and a minor exhaust leak that's about 2 years old). But when the front hub / wheel bearing started making noise a couple of weeks ago, I finally took it in.
That corner was a mess. The axle was essentially bonded into place and they had to torch it in half just to get the whole mess out. One hub, hub bearing, axle half-shaft, and a trip to the machine shop to press the bearings onto the spindle, plus the exhaust (which required them to fab up the whole front portion to avoid having to replace the catalytic converter), O2 sensor (by far the most expensive part in the whole repair, but which he didn't even charge me any labor on because it's a 5min install), and an oil change and I'm back in business!
Given how little the car is worth (probably less than $2500), spending almost 3/4 of the value on a single trip doesn't appear to make sense. But now everything is working again and the car is ready to continue to give me reliable transport for the foreseeable future. I've got my eye on a replacement vehicle (Mazda CX-50), but I want to wait a while for the price of a used one to drop some more.
Besides, it's been about four years since I've had any repairs on my current car, which is a pretty good track record! If I split the cost of the repairs up across that time, it works out to only about $400/year. Not bad on a nearly 20 year old car!
I've got a list for the truck too, but I'll hold off on those for a while, since there's nothing critical at the moment.
Ordered one of these brackets:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81t48jiGKVL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/6KnNVlm)
One of these brackets:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71LMzVHxMfL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/fe8LlqV)
And this light kit:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71qwIuRYqbL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/6fD2naS)
For the Jeep.
I may put these lights on the back:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71GCeRJke+L._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/gytRijq)
Or these:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81cKWC0K31L._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/38VkckH)
Or these:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71PxwfRUsYL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/coaS9bF)
Or maybe even these white/amber ones:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/714vo02lPoL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/imRwoRy)
Whatever ones I pick for the rear there's a matching lightbar for the front:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71TSWEDVo3L._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/7dJBnkV)
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71jI2DslcWL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/8LuYdgN)
And I know that
@12_Gauge_Chimp is looking at this, remembering the lights I have now, and thinking I've gone :crazy:
The daily driver is a 1996 Accord. It's most likely going to be the vehicle that I'm in if I have to get home and one if the vehicles I'll be taking to bug out because of the simplicity. It's for 160k on it has been a great reliable transport for the last 2 1/2 years.
Anyways, I redid the brakes on it about a year and I've had issues ever since. I finally broke down a bought Orileys rotors for 3x the price of the online slotted and drilled I bought, but they apparently warped. And I've had a slight vibration that's gotten worse and worse. Well, replaced the rotors and it's amazing it doesn't shake anymore. But when doing the brakes I noticed a lot if the bushings, ball joint boots, and the power steering rack boot are torn. Further inspection some parts were bent on the suspension. So I bought and entire replacement kit. New controls arms, new shocks/struts, all new bushings, ball joints, etc.
Got one side done and started on the other side today when grandma dropped the kiddo off and then it was playtime. So back at it tomorrow.
Adter those get replaced I'll bring down to the tire shop and have it lined and new rubbers put on her. Hopefully that'll take care if the rest of the vibration issues I've got.
Really do love these 90's Hondas parts are so cheap the entire replacement was $450 from an online retailer I've trusted in the only aftermarket brand I trust on Hondas (TRQ). The rotors I took a chance on and went another direction and apparently that was a mistake so only TRQ from here on out.
Ended up buying these for the rear:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71IMzOyTblL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/5nfUNRF)
They arrived defective with the holes to attach the brackets only partially threaded. The company is sending new parts to fix the problem but I have no confidence they new parts will be any better, or even correct, as there seemed to be some kind of barrier to getting them to understand the issue. This despite multiple emails (don't you just love when a company sends you back a question, and quotes a previous message that answers the question) and many photos.
Accordingly, I purchased a set of these that I'll use instead:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/711K9KwS27L._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/1K90wwr)
The second set is the same brand as my ditch lights, so I have confidence in their quality.
Got the new slide blocks today. Almost as bad as the originals except threaded just slightly deeper. Still not deep enough to clamp down the elevation adjustment but a little closer. Debated if I wanted to order a bottoming tap (M6x1 for half the cost of the damn lights but realized they'd sit on a shelf in my workshop for the next however many years, bugging me, until I got them fixed. Ordered a $9 tap for a pair of $18 lights.
In other news...
The light bracket that goes behind the front plate on the Jeep is so heavy, and the weight of the light sits so far forward, that I don't think it'll stand up to much use before ripping the screws out of the plastic fascia. I'm looking into bull bar /nudge bar options but they get pretty pricey for ones that will actually work with the sensors on the front of the Jeep... $700 kind of pricey. I can cover maybe $500 of that but the rest is out of my reach. Ah well...
On the back of the Jeep. the bracket for behind the rear plate will work fine... except the bean counters at Jeep decided to eliminate two mounting screw places, leaving just two in some sketchy nylon blocks at the top, and two pieces of foam glued to the bottom. And, of course, the foam comes right through the bracket holes. My current plan, such as it is, will be to take off the inner plastic trim, remove the sound insulation blanket, remove the foam blocks and nylon blocks, drill two 1/4" holes where the blocks are and take for 1/4" SS cap head bolts with 1" SS fender washers, put them through the holes from the inside, add black oxide SS washers and SS nuts to the outside and tighten them down with thread locker. That will given me four strong 1/4" SS studs sticking out to mount the bracket and plate onto, finished with black oxide acorn nuts and washers to hold it all on. The four fender washers will hopefully prevent the bolts from making the metal flex and crack around the bolt heads. As a bonus, because the nuts will hold the bracket off the metal surface I don't need to worry about marking the paint and will allow me to put a waterproof grommet behind the bracket to run the light wire through.
Got the tap and ran it down the four holes on one of the original sliding blocks, cutting threads the rest of the way to the bottom, and the four screws went right in and tightened right up. Grabbed one of the new blocks and started to run it but quickly realized that these holes were positioned too high in the block and actually broke through into the hole for the main mounting bolt. Both blocks were like this and are unusable. Dug out the other original block to thread but decided to wait a day as my hands hurt like hell now from doing the first one (ran the tap dry since it was already partially threaded but will run the next with some kerosene as lube) and I can get a wrench to hold it better from my shop.
Bought this for the Jeep:
(https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-zajy0zz69a/images/stencil/1280x1280/products/115/545/wk2_nudge_bar_with_tow_hooks_WhtBkgrnd__46571.1565070731.JPG?c=2) (https://offroadanimal.com/wk2-nudge-bar)
A little pricey at $675 but it should work well with my eventual total plan for it. Next will be a bash plate for the oil pan, then replace the lower front fascia with a steel bumper, then do the same with the rear. About $5,000 total. Oh, and a winch.
Ooooo, I like that!
Quote from: Beowolf on June 24, 2024, 06:43:12 PMOoooo, I like that!
It shipped today in two boxes, one with the bar weighing 26.5 lbs. and one with just the recovery points weighing 18 lbs.
This thing is
SOLID :eek1:
Put 3.5 oz of Seafoam in the crankcase of the Corolla and 12.5 oz in the gas tank which had about 10 gallons in it.
Going to do an Oil and filter change this weekend, so that'll be about 400 miles on the crankcase treatment before the change.
Has anyone heard about or ever tried putting kerosene in the gas tank to clear a catalytic code?
So, I bought a set of these to put on the Jeep:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61LwQU4DshL._AC_SL1005_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/0frs0HsN)
And while they looked awesome and I love the sequential turn signal, the factory in China making them went too cheap with the plastic housings. They were far too brittle, both lights came with snapped-off mounting tabs, and while I could have mounted them with 3M trim tape, for $25 per light I should not have to. They both got sent back to Amazon for a refund.
Today, I bought these:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71-OxT7K+tL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/0arnY3b3)
They're twice the price of the others, don't have sequential turn signals, but they use OEM DOT and SAE approved housings, so should be much sturdier. They arrive Monday, along with my bull bar.
:ups:
IMG20240703112029.jpg
Looks good with a bull bar. I'll get the light mounted next and my flag mount.
Very Nice.
Is it me or does it need a snorkle?
And a UFoZS.com sticker on the upper windshield.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thriftysigns.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2019%2F01%2FWindshield-Visor-Decals-Blog.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=e1d764df0254caf3d6f17be5e0dac896e7c48f0ccd93ba596709f85eedda6eb8&ipo=images)
If it's any deeper than the top of that bar I ain't going. :smiley_nah:
The engine air intake is about 6" above that. The Jeep is rated to handle water to the tops of the tires but that's my absolute limit.
In other news, I got my rear fogs installed with only a mild concussion, a sprained back, and broken thumbnail... and they look freaking sweet.
Having trouble mounting the light bar. First, the bull bar diameter was different from advertised. It's 2-3/8", not 2-1/2" Nor was it the 68mm they said it "could" be. All the clamps fit too loosely.
I also had trouble getting the clamps on without hitting the bumper. Very tight space there, so when I couldn't find thinner clamps at a price I can afford I opted to replace the little 12" light with this 22" model:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71BxBIqqY+L._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/0gizaXJH)
It and the clamps arrived today and I'll pull the Jeep in tonight and install the light tonight. The extra length of the light gives me more clearance with the curved bumper.
IMG20240707170404.jpg
I'll do wiring tonight.
Spent several hot & sweaty hours last night working on wiring. Made a few mistakes that had to be undone, but the bar is now functional.
Bought this:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+v7+mIlFL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/agOQ5fh)
It does this:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Bl5SMzOBL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
Finally, got the lightbar and ditch lights hooked up to the control panel and the panel mounted in the Jeep and functional. It's not as neat as I'd prefer it but I'll need a helper to get the cable run properly through the dash to the other side of the console. For now, a strip of black gaffer's tape will hold it in position.
Still to go, mounting the new license plate lights bracket, lights, and get that wire run all the way to the engine bay. That's gonna be a chore, and I'll have to be very careful around the side curtain airbags.
Changed the oil and filter and rotated the tires
Ordered a heavy-duty steel sump plate to protect the oil pan on the Jeep. Shit's pricy at almost $400, but cheaper than replacing an oil pan.
Quote from: NT2C on July 17, 2024, 11:48:42 AMBought this:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71+v7+mIlFL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/agOQ5fh)
It does this:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/81Bl5SMzOBL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
Got it yesterday, just installed it today. I was concerned in might be a shin knocker but it doesn't stick out much at all. Tested it with a 1/2" soft shackle and it fit perfectly.
Glide, scrape...still, that is a pretty clever little doodad. Sure beats tearing up a trailer hitch, at any rate!
I see they have one with a step, too...that is definitely worth considering.
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71pkVFw9XwL._AC_SL1500_.jpg)
I mean, that just looks really nifty, doesn't it? :greenguy:
Otherwise, for my (lack of) needs, I think a cheap sacrificial ball hitch (ball down) would probably work well enough to protect the hitch in a pinch...but it doesn't have the step, so... :smiley_chinrub:
I'll just say that mine is really well-machined and powder-coated. The way that it fits is pretty slick, hiding most of it under the vehicle.
Today I paid a bunch of money to my mechanic for some repairs to the Suburban. New front struts, sway bar links and bushings, plus repairs to the trans cooler lines (leaking), oil pressure switch (leaking), an oil change, and a wiring repair for the seat airbag. Ride is much tighter and quieter and the idle has smoothed out, plus the airbag light is off now and it should stop leaving fluid stains on the garage floor. I still have a variety of little things to work on, but I'm going to do a lot of those myself.
Ah, the joys of older vehicles (2013 with 230,000 miles)...
Now I just need to load all my gear back in it and do a quick cleaning before I haul a full load of people to a corporate event tomorrow!
hah, you call 2013 older
Quote from: eugenenine on July 29, 2024, 04:13:36 PMhah, you call 2013 older
Actually, that's my newest vehicle, but it has by far the most miles. My daily is a 2006 and my (not currently running) motorcycle is from 1986.
Quote from: eugenenine on July 29, 2024, 04:13:36 PMhah, you call 2013 older
For real. My 1997 (soon to be the
@12_Gauge_Chimp vehicle) is out in my driveway laughing its tailgate off.
Quote from: NT2C on July 29, 2024, 10:35:00 AMI'll just say that mine is really well-machined and powder-coated. The way that it fits is pretty slick, hiding most of it under the vehicle.
It's a clever idea. I may just have to put one on my Christmas list. :smiley_blink:
I did a thing
IMG20240817202059.jpg
IMG20240817202131.jpg
If anyone else wants to do the thing, the things are 16" long, 2.5" high, matte white, and cost me $11.49ea on Amazon. Other colors and finishes are available. The font is Serpentine Bold Oblique. I put a 16" max length limit on it because, as
@12_Gauge_Chimp will attest, it can get pretty huge.
https://a.co/d/cTohTQq
(I'll add a picture below of a 3" one I ordered without setting a limit. It's 45" long.)
IMG20240817213307.jpg
Thanks NT2C. Ordered one: 2.5", Saira Stencil, Zombie Green. Delivery on 8/26! :awesome:
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 18, 2024, 11:32:17 AMThanks NT2C. Ordered one: 2.5", Saira Stencil, Zombie Green. Delivery on 8/26! :awesome:
Day after my birthday. :awesome:
Quote from: NT2C on August 18, 2024, 10:07:08 PMQuote from: majorhavoc on August 18, 2024, 11:32:17 AMThanks NT2C. Ordered one: 2.5", Saira Stencil, Zombie Green. Delivery on 8/26! :awesome:
Day after my birthday. :awesome:
Today's mine! (8/19)
Quote from: NT2C on August 18, 2024, 09:47:22 AMIf anyone else wants to do the thing, the things are 16" long, 2.5" high, matte white, and cost me $11.49ea on Amazon. Other colors and finishes are available. The font is Serpentine Bold Oblique. I put a 16" max length limit on it because, as @12_Gauge_Chimp will attest, it can get pretty huge.
https://a.co/d/cTohTQq
(I'll add a picture below of a 3" one I ordered without setting a limit. It's 45" long.)
IMG20240817213307.jpg
This large one is going on the windshield? Pics?
https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?topic=628.msg45159#msg45159
Do we have a 'how did you find us' question on the new member registration form?
Quote from: MacWa77ace on August 19, 2024, 08:55:18 AMQuote from: NT2C on August 18, 2024, 09:47:22 AMIf anyone else wants to do the thing, the things are 16" long, 2.5" high, matte white, and cost me $11.49ea on Amazon. Other colors and finishes are available. The font is Serpentine Bold Oblique. I put a 16" max length limit on it because, as @12_Gauge_Chimp will attest, it can get pretty huge.
https://a.co/d/cTohTQq
(I'll add a picture below of a 3" one I ordered without setting a limit. It's 45" long.)
IMG20240817213307.jpg
This large one is going on the windshield? Pics?
https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?topic=628.msg45159#msg45159
Do we have a 'how did you find us' question on the new member registration form?
I'm going to put the two large ones (which I got by mistake on my part) on the sides of my trailer.
Went and made Bluehawk (aka The Chimpmobile) Texas legal by getting it inspected, insured as well as transfering the title and registration into my name.
I am now once again amongst the mobile UFoZS'ers. :smiley_clap:
I cannot thank NT2C and Mrs. NT2C enough for gifting me the truck and I am forever grateful they chose me to be Bluehawk's new caretaker.
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on August 21, 2024, 06:40:50 PMWent and made Bluehawk (aka The Chimpmobile) Texas legal by getting it inspected, insured as well as transfering the title and registration into my name.
I am now once again amongst the mobile UFoZS'ers. :smiley_clap:
I cannot thank NT2C and Mrs. NT2C enough for gifting me the truck and I am forever grateful they chose me to be Bluehawk's new caretaker.
Well, Bluehawk is an old member of the family, we decided he needed to stay in the family.
Quote from: NT2C on August 21, 2024, 07:08:52 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on August 21, 2024, 06:40:50 PMWent and made Bluehawk (aka The Chimpmobile) Texas legal by getting it inspected, insured as well as transfering the title and registration into my name.
I am now once again amongst the mobile UFoZS'ers. :smiley_clap:
I cannot thank NT2C and Mrs. NT2C enough for gifting me the truck and I am forever grateful they chose me to be Bluehawk's new caretaker.
Well, Bluehawk is an old member of the family, we decided he needed to stay in the family.
And I appreciate that greatly.
What did i do today, well after 2 hours I knocked about 3 pounds of rust off it. I was trying to fix a blown brake line ( hard line) . So i cant get to the connection end where it goes up over the rear axle, then connects to a bracket where the soft line runs to. Move the spare tire ... nope it has a safety double lock on it. I put the winch all the way down but the safety thats on the top side where you can't see or reach is rusted/seized and wont disengage. I had a 3 foot crowbar, 4 foot pipe, 8 lb hammer and got nothing down. I also followed directions of crank it up then 2 clicks past tight then lower several times, and my floor jack to trick it to unlock.
Quote from: NT2C on August 18, 2024, 09:47:22 AMIf anyone else wants to do the thing, the things are 16" long, 2.5" high, matte white, and cost me $11.49ea on Amazon. Other colors and finishes are available. The font is Serpentine Bold Oblique. I put a 16" max length limit on it because, as @12_Gauge_Chimp will attest, it can get pretty huge.
https://a.co/d/cTohTQq
(I'll add a picture below of a 3" one I ordered without setting a limit. It's 45" long.)
IMG20240817213307.jpg
Look what arrived early! I neglected to take measurements on my car; in my mind, I thought I had more height where I wanted to put it. Glad I ordered the 2.5" tall font instead of the 3" I was leaning towards. It just barely fit.
And yes, I know it sorta looks like it's photoshopped onto my car. It isn't. If I had, I would have at least centered it better ...
I think it looks awesome! :awesome:
(https://i.postimg.cc/rs4jWs2H/UFOZS-decal.jpg)
Quote from: majorhavoc on August 24, 2024, 02:37:17 PMQuote from: NT2C on August 18, 2024, 09:47:22 AMIf anyone else wants to do the thing, the things are 16" long, 2.5" high, matte white, and cost me $11.49ea on Amazon. Other colors and finishes are available. The font is Serpentine Bold Oblique. I put a 16" max length limit on it because, as @12_Gauge_Chimp will attest, it can get pretty huge.
https://a.co/d/cTohTQq
(I'll add a picture below of a 3" one I ordered without setting a limit. It's 45" long.)
IMG20240817213307.jpg
Look what arrived early! I neglected to take measurements on my car; in my mind, I thought I had more height where I wanted to put it. Glad I ordered the 2.5" tall font instead of the 3" I was leaning towards. It just barely fit.
And yes, I know it sorta looks like it's photoshopped onto my car. It isn't. If I had, I would have at least centered it better ...
I think it looks awesome! :awesome:
(https://i.postimg.cc/rs4jWs2H/UFOZS-decal.jpg)
I love the unintentional face reveal in the window. :smiley_clap:
I did a better
IMG20240824171131.jpg
IMG20240824171149.jpg
Now y'all got me thinking of getting a sticker for the camper on the Chimpmobile (aka Bluehawk).
New front brake pads and rotors.
Added up front ditch lights as an experiment.
(pic uploading)
IMG20240824163733.jpg
I also straightened out the nudge bar lean and now my parking sensors work again.
Did stuff
IMG20240829095345.jpg
IMG20240829120443.jpg
Can't see the URL well on the Jeep from this angle but from closer the flat black looks silver-grey.
So that brings me up to:
brake pedal switch
main drive shaft
4 wheel bearings
4 new tires
front brake pads and rotors
rear brake pads and rotors
rear caliper
front wheel speed sensors
tie rods, inner and outer
radiator
I had the alignment shop put the lower control arm on so they could do the alignment with the tires. That pot hole was a killer.
I have both front CV axles waiting to put them on.
Back at it again, with more of a plan. Moved truck clso to workshop, fired up air compressor and got the 1/2 impact gun out. Got 5 of the 8 bolts holding the bed on out, cut the other 3. Got 3 guys coming 10 tomorrow to pick the bed off. Then spare tire winch and brake line work. Took me 3 hours of wrenching and prying before i decided to just start cutting, and order new bolts.
Quote from: Rednex on August 31, 2024, 03:41:42 PMBack at it again, with more of a plan. Moved truck clso to workshop, fired up air compressor and got the 1/2 impact gun out. Got 5 of the 8 bolts holding the bed on out, cut the other 3. Got 3 guys coming 10 tomorrow to pick the bed off. Then spare tire winch and brake line work. Took me 3 hours of wrenching and prying before i decided to just start cutting, and order new bolts.
I spent several hours over a weekend once just getting the old spare tire hoist off my old truck. Soak nuts in penetrating oil; wait an hour; turn several shades of purple trying to get the nuts to move; spray with more penetrating oil; rinse, repeat... Eventually I degraded to beating on the whole thing with a sledgehammer, which was finally enough to get them loosened up.
Worst part with those is that they were retained bolts that were welded to the undercarriage. So I had to be careful that I didn't damage them, or else I wouldn't have been able to put the new hoist on without taking the truck somewhere to have new ones welded on.
I always end up keeping old nuts and bolts (I have whole bins full of them), but replacing them with new ones is usually a lot easier!
@majorhavoc Nice ADK sticker below UFOZS! I'll be there later this year camping.
Quote from: Z.O.R.G. on September 01, 2024, 10:10:37 AM@majorhavoc Nice ADK sticker below UFOZS! I'll be there later this year camping.
Ha! You get bonus points for noticing that, Z.O.R.G.! I grew up on the northern edge of the Adironacks in St. Lawrence County, on the Canadian border. At least a few times a year, Saranac Lake, south of where I lived, was the coldest spot in the continential US. The 'Dacks are beautiful; an ancient mountain range with spectacular wilderness to explore. Lake Placid is kinda touristy (I call it the Gatlinburg, TN of NY State), but if you get there, check out the Olympic Ski jumps at Mt. Vanhovenburg. You can take the elevator to the top and get a look-see on what competitors have to stare down to start their runs. I always wondered: how the f*ck do you work up the nerve to do it the for the first time? :eek1:
As always, pictures just don't do it justice ... (this one's from the smaller, 70 meter tower - the "baby" jump)
(https://www.nysef.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/352/2021/11/ski-jump-1024x800-2-1.jpg)
We usually camp SW of Lake Placid, outside of Old Forge. Now if you had an Old Forge HW sticker...
Oh heck, you know it well then. You're not far from Blue Mountain Lake. We used to take school field trips to the museum there.
My exs family had 40 acres near Ticonderoga. That was our regular camping and hunting area.
Drove the 500 mile round trip to the farm and back last weekend
New wipers all around on the Jeep. It lives outside now and winter is coming so I went with some Bosch Icon blades.
Changed the backup lights to brighter LED bulbs
Made an appointment for scheduled service at the dealer. Time to drain and refill both diffs and the transfer case.
Finally replaced the broken rear wiper arm on my Suburban.
I broke it a few weeks ago when I accidentally bumped the rear hatch button on the remote while it was in the garage. Then, when I opened the garage door, the hinges caught on the arm and broke it (when the garage door is open, the hatch opens up until it stops against the door, with the arm being the highest point). I bought the new arm ($17 on Amazon for the entire assembly) a couple of weeks ago, but couldn't get it off of the splined stud. So I bought a Gearwrench puller kit, only to find that the claws are too big to fit onto the nut. Okay fine, it's a good tool to have around for future work anyway, so I'll keep it, but I still need something to pull the arm. Enter the $6, no-name wiper arm puller (https://a.co/d/efOT2uA) on Amazon.
The big drawback is that it uses a manual knob and doesn't have a way to put a wrench on it, so you'd better have some really good grip strength! I cranked on it as hard as I could (and yes, I'd already soaked it with penetrating oil several times) and it still didn't move. So I smacked it with my hand a few times while it was under tension. BANG!!! It came off the splines all at once and sounded like I'd just fired a gun in the garage! Percussive maintenance FTW! :D
The new arm is on, but there was no way that I was going to try to beat it down onto the splines all the way like the old one was (the splines are tapered and it was hammered all the way down on them). And since the old wiper blade was still fine, I put that one back on and saved the new one that came with the arm for later.
That was a lot of effort for a seemingly minor repair. And I can't even blame Michigan road salt for this one, as the truck lived in Texas until it came up here last year!
Two days ago now but, I had the front and rear diffs, as well as the transfer case, drained, inspected, and refilled. $400 just in fluids! Also had the OEM plastic sump shield replaced with this steel one from 6 Monkeys:
https://6monkeys.net/shop/ols/products/sump-plate-no-access-panel
Quote from: NT2C on October 25, 2024, 07:13:49 PMTwo days ago now but, I had the front and rear diffs, as well as the transfer case, drained, inspected, and refilled. $400 just in fluids! Also had the OEM plastic sump shield replaced with this steel one from 6 Monkeys:
https://6monkeys.net/shop/ols/products/sump-plate-no-access-panel
I love that guy's website, especially his admission that he can occassionally be scatter-brained so to please pester him or even call him on his personal cell (number provided). I inherently trust a business like that far more than one with a smooth, slickly produced website.
Quote from: majorhavoc on October 26, 2024, 07:11:02 AMQuote from: NT2C on October 25, 2024, 07:13:49 PMTwo days ago now but, I had the front and rear diffs, as well as the transfer case, drained, inspected, and refilled. $400 just in fluids! Also had the OEM plastic sump shield replaced with this steel one from 6 Monkeys:
https://6monkeys.net/shop/ols/products/sump-plate-no-access-panel
I love that guy's website, especially his admission that he can occassionally be scatter-brained so to please pester him or even call him on his personal cell (number provided). I inherently trust a business like that far more than one with a smooth, slickly produced website.
Plus, they provide jobs for monkeys. Helps keep them from going bad. Gotta applaud a business that takes care of our simian cousins.
Did a rear drum brake job on the 04 Corolla.
Have I told you guys that I hate drum brakes and curse the name of the inventor?
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fgifdb.com%2Fimages%2Fhigh%2Fplants-vs-zombies-2-spring-hand-flipping-off-y6890nidae8x6u2n.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=93cfb5d7da9a7010c0e31b77b037065d5dd2a85076edba516efec41c17761ea9&ipo=images) Overcomplicated, underperforming, brake fading POS's.
Anyhow, like all drums these were stuck/seized onto the hub. So I had to get a something to pull the drums off. People say use two M8x1.25 bolts in the drum removal holes. Meh, probably works if you have an impact wrench and are lucky enough not to strip the threads in those holes. I don't have an impact wrench or that kind of luck so I was looking for an alternative.
Then there's the 'heavy duty' or plain old drum/rotor pullers [the only difference i see is the marketing nomenclature. ex: extra strength] that range in price from $97 on ali express, to over $130 for brand name stuff.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.lqgZkli-EOClKWaGwa-6HgHaHa%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=97dbfb625630c252145c424ee8ec87645b8c9f556c315ed75cd05e278f75c004&ipo=images) :smiley_nah:
So I went with the $18 bolt type wheel puller set at Harbor Freight. that along with my 24" breaker bar and had the drums off in about 5 minutes each. [in combination with penetrating oil and a dead blow hammer]
(https://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/05fa449c5750256d44c80bdb706bae27/6/2/62620_zzz_500.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/2XMp3E3.jpg)
This made pulling the drums a piece of cake.
Did I mention that I hate drum brakes and that this took me twice as long to change the pads and drums as doing a pad and rotor job on disc brakes? And twice as much brake cleaner. Used a whole can on just the two rears.
Managed to pop the one of the pistons out of both the left and right brake, and put the wrong spring on the wrong place once when reassembling. Oh, and these auto adjusting marvels of genius engineering totally wore out unevenly. The tops of the pads where the pistons are were totally worn off, the front side pad L/R were worn complete down, and the rear side pads had about 3mm of pad left [excluding the top]. Totally uneven wear pattern.
It'd been over 250K miles since the last drum brake job so hopefully I never have to do another one in my lifetime.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 28, 2024, 08:57:41 AMThe tops of the pads where the pistons are were totally worn off, the front side pad L/R were worn complete down, and the rear side pads had about 3mm of pad left [excluding the top]. Totally uneven wear pattern.
It'd been over 250K miles since the last drum brake job so hopefully I never have to do another one in my lifetime.
So, pretty normal wear for that mileage. Front shoes will generally do most of the braking which is why those shoes have longer pad areas.
Rust bonding of the drum to the axle is usually only an issue in the Rust Belt, but with such extended brake servicing my suggestion would be to use a wire wheel and carefully clean both surfaces before reassembly and to pull the drums off on every other tire rotation to give the rust less time to build up. Oh, and heating and rapidly cooling the hub (torch followed by a water hose) can do wonders for breaking a rust bond.
I've done so many drum brake jobs over the years that I can still do one while half asleep. Did both rears on the pickup we sent to
@12_Gauge_Chimp about 6 months prior to the shipment. Having the right tools, and knowing how to use them, turns it into a 10-minute job per wheel. My shop teacher back in the summer course of auto repair in high school used to time us on brake service jobs.
Quote from: NT2C on October 28, 2024, 09:22:21 AMI've done so many drum brake jobs over the years that I can still do one while half asleep. Did both rears on the pickup we sent to 12_Gauge_Chimp (https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=13) about 6 months prior to the shipment. Having the right tools, and knowing how to use them, turns it into a 10-minute job per wheel. My shop teacher back in the summer course of auto repair in high school used to time us on brake service jobs.
Wow, ten minutes /wheel, takes me 10 minutes just to jack up the car and put the jackstands under. 5 min /wheel to take the lugs off and the wheel off, only have a lug wrench. Then another five per wheel to put the wheel puller on each drum. about 1-2 minutes per drum to pull each of the drums after that. Another 5 to spray everything off with break cleaner. I'm already at ~35. Had to loosen the auto adjuster which was all the way out of course, and that took at good 5-10 minutes /wheel using two flat heads. why? :smiley_shrug: lost one of the auto adjusters' ratchet lever for about 5 minutes, it was under my stool, I knew it couldn't have gone far cause I hadn't moved anywhere. :rolleyes1: There's usually a minimum of 10 minutes of 'where's that part/tool' in all my projects, or the dropped bolt where you can't get at it.
Yeah this was my first drum brake job ever. And the first wheel took twice as long as the second but still embarrassingly long. I've changed radiators faster including draining and filling. I never did it before though, how long did it take you on your first try? What tool do you use to pull/put the springs on/off? I used a diagonal and a needle nose. They weren't working great but the hardest part was aligning the pads in the pistons and the bottom catch when reinstalling and having them 'stay' while putting on the springs and auto adj ratchet. That's what took the most time and when I popped those pistons out. So that was extra time on that.
I thought the hard part was going to be unseizing the drum and that was the part I was worried about. But with that wheel puller that was the easiest part. Which then made what I thought was the easy part the frustratingly hard part, pulling the pads and springs, actually that was easy too, putting them back was hard. :rolleyes1:
These were probably seized when I got the car at 97K, so I didn't pull every rotation or new tire set. It's normal for them not to wear evenly? These were completely worn out from 11 - 1 o'clock. And paper thin from 1 - 7 o'clock. and then had about 3mm tapering into nuthing from 7 to 11 oclock. The drums were actually pretty good, not grooved at all.
I knew about the front brakes doing most of the stopping from my SuperBike days, the fronts on those were a giant double disk set and the rear was this tiny 'why is it even there' disk. And from experience I only used the rear brake on my motorcycle for the last few feet of a stop light/sign stop, or to keep from rolling on a hill while stopped. Any real braking was done with the front only.
I did wire brush the hubs before putting them back on. I will pull them each tire rotation and new tire set from now on for sure. But if I get another 250K out of these new brakes, that would put this car at 617K and I'm pretty sure it won't make it that far.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 28, 2024, 08:57:41 AMDid a rear drum brake job on the 04 Corolla.
Wife;s friend bought a used corolla and I was asked to change the rear struts. They had a bracket welded to the strut and the rear brake hose goes through the bracket so you have to disconnect the rear brakes to change the struts. They could have just had a clamp around the strut or a bracket that bolted to it but no they had to make it more work. I see people complain about GM saving a penny per car but Toyota is just as bad.
And this car reinforced why I'll never buy a front wheel drive unibody. The rear jack point was right in front of where the rear suspension arm bolts to the body. When I started to jack the car the body started bending. I had to put a 2x4 under the side to jack it up so I wouldn't destroy it. Suspension bolted to thin sheet metal is a really poor design, just a little bit of rust there and the whole thing is compromised.
Quote from: eugenenine on October 28, 2024, 11:39:33 AMQuote from: MacWa77ace on October 28, 2024, 08:57:41 AMDid a rear drum brake job on the 04 Corolla.
Wife;s friend bought a used corolla and I was asked to change the rear struts. They had a bracket welded to the strut and the rear brake hose goes through the bracket so you have to disconnect the rear brakes to change the struts. They could have just had a clamp around the strut or a bracket that bolted to it but no they had to make it more work. I see people complain about GM saving a penny per car but Toyota is just as bad.
And this car reinforced why I'll never buy a front wheel drive unibody. The rear jack point was right in front of where the rear suspension arm bolts to the body. When I started to jack the car the body started bending. I had to put a 2x4 under the side to jack it up so I wouldn't destroy it. Suspension bolted to thin sheet metal is a really poor design, just a little bit of rust there and the whole thing is compromised.
Next time I get in there on the rears I'ma check the locations of the lines. I don't recall them going thru the braket on my 04 and I was contemplating that as a lift point, because as you said, the lift point is really in a dumb spot for a non factory supplied jack. But if you use the jack that came with the car it goes on the edge with the slot and its farther away from the strut. But who wants to take 15 minutes to use that crappy factory supplied screw type jack.
You can see here I have my jackstand under that strut. Those look like the brake lines going on top there too. Was her's a disc brake system?
(https://i.imgur.com/2XMp3E3.jpg)
The jack had to go right next to that jackstand, but then i got it out of there once the jackstand was in place.
I don't use these points because I don't use the factory jack. But I might put a jackstand there.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.kiaownersclub.co.uk%2Fattachments%2Fiodo1jy-jpg.7656%2F&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=63fa4696086fbca0c6f6b6fa7e3697d0b03080e5cd11defbd77284d10e697054&ipo=images)
Have I told you how much I hate BMW's and working on BMW's? :rolleyes1:
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 28, 2024, 11:05:36 AMQuote from: NT2C on October 28, 2024, 09:22:21 AMI've done so many drum brake jobs over the years that I can still do one while half asleep. Did both rears on the pickup we sent to 12_Gauge_Chimp (https://ufozs.com/smf/index.php?action=profile;u=13) about 6 months prior to the shipment. Having the right tools, and knowing how to use them, turns it into a 10-minute job per wheel. My shop teacher back in the summer course of auto repair in high school used to time us on brake service jobs.
Wow, ten minutes /wheel, takes me 10 minutes just to jack up the car and put the jackstands under. 5 min /wheel to take the lugs off and the wheel off, only have a lug wrench. Then another five per wheel to put the wheel puller on each drum. about 1-2 minutes per drum to pull each of the drums after that. Another 5 to spray everything off with break cleaner. I'm already at ~35. Had to loosen the auto adjuster which was all the way out of course, and that took at good 5-10 minutes /wheel using two flat heads. why? :smiley_shrug: lost one of the auto adjusters' ratchet lever for about 5 minutes, it was under my stool, I knew it couldn't have gone far cause I hadn't moved anywhere. :rolleyes1: There's usually a minimum of 10 minutes of 'where's that part/tool' in all my projects, or the dropped bolt where you can't get at it.
Yeah this was my first drum brake job ever. And the first wheel took twice as long as the second but still embarrassingly long. I've changed radiators faster including draining and filling. I never did it before though, how long did it take you on your first try? What tool do you use to pull/put the springs on/off? I used a diagonal and a needle nose. They weren't working great but the hardest part was aligning the pads in the pistons and the bottom catch when reinstalling and having them 'stay' while putting on the springs and auto adj ratchet. That's what took the most time and when I popped those pistons out. So that was extra time on that.
I thought the hard part was going to be unseizing the drum and that was the part I was worried about. But with that wheel puller that was the easiest part. Which then made what I thought was the easy part the frustratingly hard part, pulling the pads and springs, actually that was easy too, putting them back was hard. :rolleyes1:
These were probably seized when I got the car at 97K, so I didn't pull every rotation or new tire set. It's normal for them not to wear evenly? These were completely worn out from 11 - 1 o'clock. And paper thin from 1 - 7 o'clock. and then had about 3mm tapering into nuthing from 7 to 11 oclock. The drums were actually pretty good, not grooved at all.
I knew about the front brakes doing most of the stopping from my SuperBike days, the fronts on those were a giant double disk set and the rear was this tiny 'why is it even there' disk. And from experience I only used the rear brake on my motorcycle for the last few feet of a stop light/sign stop, or to keep from rolling on a hill while stopped. Any real braking was done with the front only.
I did wire brush the hubs before putting them back on. I will pull them each tire rotation and new tire set from now on for sure. But if I get another 250K out of these new brakes, that would put this car at 617K and I'm pretty sure it won't make it that far.
It was school, and safety of the kids was sorta important so the timed test didn't start until the vehicle was on the lift and the wheels were off. All tools needed for the job were already on your cart, with the new shoes and hardware. (we worked on our own cars or cars the teachers brought in for us to work on with the owner supplying the parts)
What I said about the front doing most of the braking, while true for front
axle vs rear, is also true with drum brake shoes. The shoe with the larger pad area goes ahead of the axle spindle and is the one that does about 80% of the braking on that wheel.
When I do drum brakes these days I just get a complete hardware kit and replace
everything, even the wheel cylinders if there's even the slightest hint of a leak from them, and I always replace in pairs per axle. (ie: if the left side gets a cylinder, so does the right) That keeps the braking even and you don't end up doing the job again in 6 months because the other side needs it now.
While you can do drums with a pair of pliers and a flat blade screwdriver, having a proper pair of brake pliers, spoon, and spring washer tool makes the job much faster, safer and easier.
I didn't notice a difference in pad area, but you could only put them on one way as they had the pegs for the parking brake pre installed.
Quote from: NT2C on October 28, 2024, 12:03:36 PMWhile you can do drums with a pair of pliers and a flat blade screwdriver, having a proper pair of brake pliers, spoon, and spring washer tool makes the job much faster, safer and easier.
I hope I never have to do it again but that spring pliers looks like it might be fun. I also should have gotten one of those tools for the spring washer and pins that hold them in place. I didn't know I'd have to put them on and off 10 times during reinstalling.
Tell you the truth I was going to get this kit too when I was at harbor freight getting the wheel puller kit, but then got all involved in the Apache hardcase sale and forgot it.
(https://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/9fc4a8332f9638515cd199dd0f9238da/6/3/63640_W3.jpg)
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 28, 2024, 12:37:32 PMI didn't notice a difference in pad area, but you could only put them on one way as they had the pegs for the parking brake pre installed.
Quote from: NT2C on October 28, 2024, 12:03:36 PMWhile you can do drums with a pair of pliers and a flat blade screwdriver, having a proper pair of brake pliers, spoon, and spring washer tool makes the job much faster, safer and easier.
I hope I never have to do it again but that spring pliers looks like it might be fun. I also should have gotten one of those tools for the spring washer and pins that hold them in place. I didn't know I'd have to put them on and off 10 times during reinstalling.
Tell you the truth I was going to get this kit too when I was at harbor freight getting the wheel puller kit, but then got all involved in the Apache hardcase sale and forgot it.
(https://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/9fc4a8332f9638515cd199dd0f9238da/6/3/63640_W3.jpg)
I'll just say that you'll want to replace that spring washer tool with two individual tools with plastic handles...or good leather gloves as you'll be pushing hard against the end of it and those things can cut you. Oh, and the "pins" are called "brake nails".
Quote from: NT2C on October 28, 2024, 02:04:17 PMI'll just say that you'll want to replace that spring washer tool with two individual tools with plastic handles...or good leather gloves as you'll be pushing hard against the end of it and those things can cut you. Oh, and the "pins" are called "brake nails".
LOL, so I was putting those spring washers on and off and on and off with my bare hands mostly [no tools no gloves, just two thumbs], So I think I could manage that two sided spring tool. :smiley_crocodile:
But if I buy a kit I will keep that in mind. You don't think those pistons popping out will cause a leak do you? the o rings seemed fine and there were no leaks before they popped out and didn't see any after i put them back in. I'm going to inspect next weekend. I'm going back in to do a brake fluid change and should be easy to pull the drum off for a quick look. And also check the fluid level. Not sure how that works those drum cylinder pistons.
I saw a video a long time ago where this guy was doing drum breaks and when he got the drum off, the cylinder was wet on one side, so he replaced the whole cylinder unit. After I saw what's inside the cylinder, why wouldn't you just replace the O rings, seems easier than replacing the whole thing, seeing how easy they come apart.
I can't wear those ChrisFix rubber/neoprene gloves for more than a few minutes before they fill up with sweat. And regular gloves that won't rip, I can't feel thru, and ones I can feel thru usually rip really fast and are not disposable. So mostly no gloves for me.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.giphy.com%2Fmedia%2FeNRCgUlZns0Ew%2Fgiphy.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=da17b84a7e91438b725bbf1ab92eae52e866900614ad31436bd77a878b12e836&ipo=images)
My fingernails look like I'm a hobo today. Think of my hands like longshanks thinks of the irish.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.AGVIf6aBcQRMDUyfRCWtvgAAAA%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=e38f4fbd7a50b660a9949c93a4ae78d929290b90b11c4a77568d063315d323ae&ipo=images)
At any sign of leakage from wheel cylinders, you're supposed to hone the cylinders before reassembling them with a rebuild kit. Most mechanics just replace the whole thing because it's cheap and easy.
If you were removing and reinstalling spring washers with just your fingers, there's a good chance those springs would have weakened over time and need replacement, and brake nails shouldn't ever be reused because they wear out.
@NT2C ok, thats why he replaced the whole cylinder.
I put all new springs and washers and pins too. It was a kit. So yeah those washer springs were about 1/4 inch less compressed than the old ones and hard to get on, but i have strong hands and nice white teeth. :smiley_tooth: :smiley_tooth:
My Truck has drum rear brakes. While i was redoing all the brake lines behind the cab i rebuilt the rear brakes while I was there, including new cylinders. Couldn't get the brake line off to run new line, they were rusted away so bad. I been working on trucks and cars from the early 70's since i was like 7, dad worked i helped and learned.
If ya weren't a 12 hour drive away i would say come on over, i used to have work on your car parties long ago. I got tools, air compressor , impact guns,air ratchets, only things i'm missing is a few items from engine building , and a frame lift.
@Rednex sounds fun, I learned a bit about cars and carpentry from dad and pluming and irrigation from uncle too. Electrical from 4 years of electronics class in HS, self taught small engines, motorcycles, and auto paint and body. Just to save money.
Put this on.
IMG20241109140553.jpg
Front CV axles. The CV axle slide hammer tool seemed to make the replacement much easier.
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on November 10, 2024, 10:03:09 PMFront CV axles. The CV axle slide hammer tool seemed to make the replacement much easier.
I replaced the knuckle on the driver's side a couple years ago and didn't have any issue getting the CV axle off the knuckle, I did use a bushing separator to do that and that made quick work of popping that off.
Did you need that slider on the knuckle or the transmission side of the axel. I didn't even try to take the CV out of the transmission so not sure if it would have been difficult. What sticks in a CV axle [in case I run into that]?
OT: Post drum brake job, I changed the brake fluid in the corolla. I would have done it when I did the brakes but that job took too long and I was done effing with the car for that day. Next will be changing the power steering fluid. Oh, and put a new battery in the Explorer. I got 5 years out of that one. that's a first. I had used my new $30 battery tester on it and it said it only had 123 CCA and 8v. Went to walmart and they put it on their $3000 tester and I really wanted to see what it would say about it, but another worker there pulled it off before it finished the test. :smiley_shrug: While I was standing 2 feet in front of it watching it run the tests. So I didn't get a comparison to see how accurate this cheap tester is. Maybe next time.
When I replaced the wheel bearings, I used a 3 jaw puller to help push the axle out of the bearing. There was a bit of rust and the overheating of the bearing didn't help.
I don't have a garage or lift.
Since the wheel bearings where recent, the axle pulled right out of them.
Driver's side:
CV axle is about 2 feet long. There is a small detent shaped piece to help hold it in the transmission. I couldn't get enough leverage to pull the axle out.
Passenger side:
CV axle is about 3 feet long. It comes out of the transmission, through a bearing mount, then down to the bearing. I knew it would be hard to get out of there. No way to reach it without being underneath, even the slide hammer comes with an extension bar (which could have been a bit longer) to reach it.
Slide hammer tip that worked for me: Take an old bath towel, fold it in half lengthwise until it is 4-6" wide. Fold it in half around the slide hammer. Wrap it tightly, and use that to slide the hammer. It didn't feel like I'd punched a brick wall afterwards.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D2VX9GT4?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_fed_asin_title
-----------
Now, I have a slide hammer, and can try to find a set of hub pullers to go with it. I rented one for the last 4-5 cars I've changed hubs on.
---------------
The Harbor Freight inner tie rod end tool was a bit cumbersome, but it did work when I changed the tie rods.
Quote from: wolf_from_wv on November 11, 2024, 09:40:55 AMNow, I have a slide hammer, and can try to find a set of hub pullers to go with it. I rented one for the last 4-5 cars I've changed hubs on.
---------------
The Harbor Freight inner tie rod end tool was a bit cumbersome, but it did work when I changed the tie rods.
I'll take a picture of mine. Pretty sure i got it from Harbor freight and it wasn't expensive. Hope we're talking about the same thing. But there's another trick I saw after I got that tool, uses a large tow hook and a prybar to pop the ball joint.
I couldn't find that video and I just watched it last week. :smiley_shrug: [its not in my history] But I found this one. the guy uses a chain instead of a big hook but the basic principle is the same.
I don't have a lift either, so jackstands, ramps and jacks.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/lXt5DcR8ivU
Mine has a pinch bolt that holds the ball joint. Once I got the bolt driven out, I was able to just push on it with a pry bar to get it out. It seems that it is built in, so to replace the ball joint, you replace the lower control arm. On the S10 I had, I was able to use my ball joint press to change them.
Inner tie rod tool: https://www.harborfreight.com/inner-tie-rod-tool-set-58391.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=17889101751&campaignid=17889101751&utm_content=168028628048&adsetid=168028628048&product=58391&store=3518&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA88a5BhDPARIsAFj595itdtQv1pjeKRc8QCI-DgUOf5iRcHYvGuyvXxUg7-PZVw7WzCy1h0waArhxEALw_wcB
Put a new battery in the Xterra yesterday, AGM from local place.
When i redid the front axles on my truck, they bolt to the front differential. And fell out of the hub.
(https://i.imgur.com/s8LLWMm.jpg)(https://i.imgur.com/MvZKKw5.jpg)
Diagnosed a bad starter issue on my Jeep. Been having what I thought was a parasitic draw issue that caused the batteries to drain. After disconnecting everything I've added the issue remains. Did a Google search and turns out this is a known bad starter issue.
I think I have found the cause for my hardwired 12V air compressor blowing fuses; a bad ground causing a voltage drop which caused the circuit to draw enough current to blow the 25A fuse.
Testing is promising, so we will see if I am right.
Quote from: airballrad on November 13, 2024, 02:48:00 PMI think I have found the cause for my hardwired 12V air compressor blowing fuses; a bad ground causing a voltage drop which caused the circuit to draw enough current to blow the 25A fuse.
Testing is promising, so we will see if I am right.
Kinda similar to my no crank issue. Turns out Jeep starters rust when the Jeep sits idle outside most of the time (I use it about once a week), this makes it harder and harder to get the starter to turn until, eventually, the battery can't supply enough current. Mine is at the point where even with freshly charged batteries and connected to a charger with 80A boost turned on, all I get is "thunk". To actually get it started I have to jump it with heavy cables (2 gauge) from the wife's Pilot. Going to try getting it to the dealer on Friday.
Hopefully it's as simple as new starter. Any chance they will cover it since it is a known issue?
Incidentally, my recent adventure into amateur radio has caused long-lost knowledge to bubble back to the surface, which is probably the only reason I figured it out.
Quote from: NT2C on November 13, 2024, 04:56:35 PMKinda similar to my no crank issue.
Quote from: airballrad on November 13, 2024, 08:10:54 PMHopefully it's as simple as new starter. Any chance they will cover it since it is a known issue?
Incidentally, my recent adventure into amateur radio has caused long-lost knowledge to bubble back to the surface, which is probably the only reason I figured it out.
Quote from: NT2C on November 13, 2024, 04:56:35 PMKinda similar to my no crank issue.
No issues about it being covered. When we bought the Jeep we opted for the
lifetime "MaxCare" package. Everything on the Jeep is covered, bumper-to-bumper, (except expendables like brakes and wipers) is covered for as long as we own it, with a $200 deductible that my dealer usually waives.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on November 11, 2024, 09:05:46 AM[...snip...] Oh, and put a new battery in the Explorer. I got 5 years out of that one. that's a first. I had used my new $30 battery tester on it and it said it only had 252 CCA and 8v. Went to walmart and they put it on their $3000 tester and I really wanted to see what it would say about it, but another worker there pulled it off before it finished the test. :smiley_shrug: While I was standing 2 feet in front of it watching it run the tests. So I didn't get a comparison to see how accurate this cheap tester is. Maybe next time.
Anyhow, here's my $30 KONNWEI tester results on that bad battery. Forgot I had taken this pic.
(https://i.imgur.com/AEAJXB0.jpg)
Quote from: MacWa77ace on November 21, 2024, 04:04:29 PMQuote from: MacWa77ace on November 11, 2024, 09:05:46 AM[...snip...] Oh, and put a new battery in the Explorer. I got 5 years out of that one. that's a first. I had used my new $30 battery tester on it and it said it only had 252 CCA and 8v. Went to walmart and they put it on their $3000 tester and I really wanted to see what it would say about it, but another worker there pulled it off before it finished the test. :smiley_shrug: While I was standing 2 feet in front of it watching it run the tests. So I didn't get a comparison to see how accurate this cheap tester is. Maybe next time.
Anyhow, here's my $30 KONNWEI tester results on that bad battery. Forgot I had taken this pic.
(https://i.imgur.com/AEAJXB0.jpg)
Damn. Even if that Konnwei tester is only 80% accurate, those results are pretty crystal clear - time for a new battery! And yeah, if you got 5 years out of this one, I'd say you got your money's worth.
Apologies - I haven't been tracking this thread topic too closely. I knew you were doing brake work but were you also having starting issues and that's why you got the battery tested? If not, then this sure was lucky timing - learning about it now before temps got too cold. That's when a marginal battery tends to reveal itself. And by reveal itself, I mean strand you somewhere.
This is a long story but TL:DR yeah that battery was dead and wouldn't take a charge.
The battery is in my Explorer. We're not using that SUV at all really, maybe 2-3 times a month for 20 minutes. And its been like that for the last couple years, so I Keep putting a float charger on it at least once a month until it reads fully charged. [solid green light] And that sparce use is probably why I got 5 years out of it. All my other batteries only last about 4 years in this Florida heat.
NOTE: Walmart batteries changed their warranty to 2 years. I used to always get a prorate, so had to pay full price on this one, and they said two years.
We keep the Explorer in the garage and every time I go out there can see this little red light that is on the dash blinking and if its blinking the battery isn't dead. :smiley_shrug:
I knew the battery was 5 years old and would need to be replaced soon but it always starts the truck right up with no issues. I did buy one of those little USB dongles that you plug into the OBDII to keep all your memory when you change out the battery. When it came in I was like, 'ok, now all set'. [I hate resetting the oil life on that car, its stupid difficult]
Anyhow, A bunch of stuff happened really quickly. I had put the float charger which is 1.5amps on it and left it over night, but it never charged past 80%. The car would still start. So I ordered that Konnwei tester and put my deep cycle charger on the battery, and it never charged. The tester came in and I went out in the garage and that little red light wasn't blinking. I had ran the car two weeks prior. and tried to charge it the week before. Not blinking = dead battery. And then I ran that test and you see the result. Bad Cell.
So I got the USB ODBII battery changing backup and didn't get to use it. I still had to reprogram all the radio stations, the clock and the oil life. :headbang:
Quote from: majorhavoc on November 21, 2024, 05:26:31 PMThat's when a marginal battery tends to reveal itself. And by reveal itself, I mean strand you somewhere.
Yep, this battery started the truck like a champ right up until it stroked out. Did not manifest any weak symptoms. May have shorted out a cell somehow.
The brake job was on the Corolla.
Did a fluids check on the Chimpmobile/Bluehawk today and ended up slicing my left index finger on a hose clamp by the anti-freeze reservoir.
It bled a little and I held my shirt on it for a bit before remembering "I've got a first aid kit in my truck. What the hell am I doing?". :smiley_crocodile:
Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on November 30, 2024, 03:53:15 PMDid a fluids check on the Chimpmobile/Bluehawk today and ended up slicing my left index finger on a hose clamp by the anti-freeze reservoir.
It bled a little and I held my shirt on it for a bit before remembering "I've got a first aid kit in my truck. What the hell am I doing?". :smiley_crocodile:
Okay, that makes me a little teary-eyed. BlueHawk is truly yours now. He's tasted your blood. If you bleed on him you bond with him.
Quote from: NT2C on November 30, 2024, 04:04:42 PMQuote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on November 30, 2024, 03:53:15 PMDid a fluids check on the Chimpmobile/Bluehawk today and ended up slicing my left index finger on a hose clamp by the anti-freeze reservoir.
It bled a little and I held my shirt on it for a bit before remembering "I've got a first aid kit in my truck. What the hell am I doing?". :smiley_crocodile:
Okay, that makes me a little teary-eyed. BlueHawk is truly yours now. He's tasted your blood. If you bleed on him you bond with him.
Oh, BlueHawk isn't going anywhere. He's stuck with me whether he likes it or not. :smiley_clap:
The BMW now has a pair of new front tires and an alignment. :eek1: $755. They tried to sell my wife a front brake job for another $400. ROTFL.
They said the pads were down to 2mm. IMO that's 10k-20k miles. Lucky Ms Mac called me. The pads at Advanced are $47 for the set. Also there is an electronic wear sensor on the brakes and they are not indicating they need to be replaced.
I'll inspect them myself, early next year.
I arrived at work Thursday to find that my car door wouldn't open... I had to climb over the center console to get out. Fortunately, I was able to get the door open.
Upon taking the door apart, I found that the cable came loose from my door handle. It was a simple task to put the cable and catch back in the proper slot.
Ok so i'm on vacation this week, getting ready for the move and had time to burn. Going to the dump in my truck, 2 miles from home the red oil light came on. Stooped and shut it down, waited 3 min and check the dipstick. Nothing on it but splash. Got a quart out of the tool box , added it, waited and checked again. Had a little on the dipstick. Limped it home and parked it in the workshop. This morning i did the oil change on it. guessing about 5 quarts came out, black but no metal chunks, not a lot of powered either. Started up no knock, no click, no taps ( got get if i looked at the oil pressure gage in the dash or not).Probably going to order a oil pressure test kit here later to double check stuff and maybe a new sensor.
Just bought a high-end dashcam system for the Jeep.
Power supply (https://a.co/d/0G1opND)
Camera (https://a.co/d/bslAzUu)
Remote (https://a.co/d/1gqXbzV)
Memory card (https://a.co/d/aSWIacC)
Quote from: NT2C on December 21, 2024, 10:57:49 AMJust bought a high-end dashcam system for the Jeep.
Power supply (https://a.co/d/0G1opND)
Camera (https://a.co/d/bslAzUu)
Remote (https://a.co/d/1gqXbzV)
Memory card (https://a.co/d/aSWIacC)
Wow. I've been eyeing cameras that occassionally go on sale on Amazon for $80 or so. I guess like most things, you get what you pay for. Let us know when you capture something to contribute to the Idiots in Cars (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_qBjfq534A) YT channel.
Quote from: majorhavoc on December 21, 2024, 03:09:40 PMQuote from: NT2C on December 21, 2024, 10:57:49 AMJust bought a high-end dashcam system for the Jeep.
Power supply (https://a.co/d/0G1opND)
Camera (https://a.co/d/bslAzUu)
Remote (https://a.co/d/1gqXbzV)
Memory card (https://a.co/d/aSWIacC)
Wow. I've been eyeing cameras that occassionally go on sale on Amazon for $80 or so. I guess like most things, you get what you pay for. Let us know when you capture something to contribute to the Idiots in Cars (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_qBjfq534A) YT channel.
I got spoiled years ago by an app that turned my then Motorola Photon Q cell phone into a very good dashcam with all the bells & whistles like GPS, automatic crash save of the last 15 seconds
and automatic upload of that to an online server. It recorded speed, location, etc. and would even auto-call 911. I had to retire both of those phones years ago, but that's been my standard of an "acceptable" dashcam ever since. This setup is very close to that. (I can add a module to it later allowing it to upload to the cloud)
Quote from: NT2C on December 21, 2024, 10:57:49 AMJust bought a high-end dashcam system for the Jeep.
Power supply (https://a.co/d/0G1opND)
Camera (https://a.co/d/bslAzUu)
Remote (https://a.co/d/1gqXbzV)
Memory card (https://a.co/d/aSWIacC)
:eek1: I just watched a ChrisFix video on how to wire a dashcam [last week] and that was the brand camera he used. He added a rear camera also.
I hadn't had a chance to check the price on it yet but :smiley_shock:
Yeah, it's a pricey setup for sure but since I like off-road adventures it can be used to capture those (along with my GoPro clones) as well as the day-to-day madness that is driving in Northern Virginia. At the very least, I consider it another prep item and a bit of "White Man's Magic" in that by having it I will substantially reduce my chances of being in an accident. And if I still am it may save my bacon from false claims.
Well i just ordered a set of these dash cams for our vehicles. Was going with a Red Tiger one for 160 ish but NT posted his, then i did some more goggle reviews and the same brand he got was popping up better so.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083V6K8RH/ref=pe_386300_440135490_TE_simp_item_image
Quote from: Rednex on December 22, 2024, 01:50:59 PMWell i just ordered a set of these dash cams for our vehicles. Was going with a Red Tiger one for 160 ish but NT posted his, then i did some more goggle reviews and the same brand he got was popping up better so.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083V6K8RH/ref=pe_386300_440135490_TE_simp_item_image
I briefly considered that one but I really wanted one with GPS so I took it up a notch. I hope you used that $50 off coupon!
I did use a $50 off coupon. Just hope i can install them without to much hassle.Looks plug and play, just need to pull trim and lay it down.
Quote from: Rednex on December 22, 2024, 03:06:53 PMI did use a $50 off coupon. Just hope i can install them without to much hassle.Looks plug and play, just need to pull trim and lay it down.
Two bits of advice:
Go under floor trim instead of headliner trim to avoid airbags (if equipped)
If you have power at the rearview mirror see if they make a plug-in tap for it like I bought
Bought a new snow brush for it, and another for my wife's vehicle. These are not your typical short brushes with an ice scraper you see in every hardware store and auto supply in snow areas. This is extendable, has a broom that swivels, and is almost as tall as me!
$20 on Woot. https://tools.woot.com/offers/super-extendable-snow-brush-and-scraper-6 (https://tools.woot.com/offers/super-extendable-snow-brush-and-scraper-6)
I've been having gradually worsening starting issues with my Jeep since last June, most notably when it has sat for a few days. I took it in to the dealer for diagnosis about a month ago and they kept it for a week but couldn't replicate the problem. Odd. (Found out later the tech was starting it every day instead of waiting 4-5 days)
Just before bringing it in I'd heard that some FCA vehicles were having corrosion issues with the starters causing hard cranking, especially in vehicles that aren't used daily. My service writer even said they'd replaced a starter like that just before I brought mine in.
With the "couldn't replicate" response I took it home and we've been watching it worsen to the point that Sunday night I finally managed to get it running (4 cranks and a fully depleted jump pack that also overheated). I left it running until 3 AM then shut it down and left it until about 1 PM when the wife and I took it to the dealer again and dropped it off, telling them it was a no crank and that the remote start was inop.
The service writer texted me around 2 today to say that the main battery was not holding a charge and was replaced under warranty (both batteries were replaced last year). I texted back and asked in the remote start now works (suspecting the starter killed the battery and that the remote start would still not work). Answer came back an hour later that he had the tech check that and "now the starter is malfunctioning and will be replaced under warranty". It will be ready tomorrow.
And that is how our $3,400 Max Care Lifetime bumper-to-bumper warranty just paid for itself, because from the dealer that start (installed) is $2,400+ on top of the $650 battery. I figure we're well past the break-even point now (there have been other minor things handled under the warranty) and the warranty will remain in effect as long as we own the vehicle.
Bought a polarizing filter for the front camera on the Jeep and I'll be bringing it in later to install the rear camera. I also ordered the cameras for the wife's Pilot.
Dug out and prepared the tire chain sets we have for the Jeep and made sure the set for the Pilot was ready. Added better snow brushes and ice scrapers to both vehicles. Found the set we had for BlueHawk and will ship them to Texas if
@12_Gauge_Chimp wants them.
Adjusted tire pressures in all ten tires.
Quote from: NT2C on January 18, 2025, 07:39:50 AMBought a polarizing filter for the front camera on the Jeep and I'll be bringing it in later to install the rear camera. I also ordered the cameras for the wife's Pilot.
Dug out and prepared the tire chain sets we have for the Jeep and made sure the set for the Pilot was ready. Added better snow brushes and ice scrapers to both vehicles. Found the set we had for BlueHawk and will ship them to Texas if @12_Gauge_Chimp wants them.
Adjusted tire pressures in all ten tires.
Go ahead and send them, NT2C.
Installed a dashcam on the wife's Honda Pilot. This one to be precise: https://a.co/d/8nU05eZ
Installation proved to be a royal fucking pain in the arse. Getting the plastic trim off the car to start took far more tools than the one plastic prybar they include (I used several from my professional installers kit) and I still managed to break two tabs on the piece coming off. Fortunately, it's staying off because the dashcam replaces it but Honda engineers did not want that fucker coming off.
The two screws in the sunglasses holder that they make look so easy to take out and put in, took me the better part of an hour to put back in and had a nasty tendency to get wedged in the corners of the glasses holder door, requiring, at one point, a lump of duct seal and a dental pick to fish back out. Running the cables for the camera was a chore and I gave up on the rear camera when I realized they expected you to glue black cable clips to the light beige trim and string the cable like I was doing Christmas lights.
It's in though, seems to be functioning, and I'll order a new replacement piece of trim to have just in case we ever take it out. I may hire a shop to run the cable for the rear camera.
I got a new toy necessary transport vehicle. :smiley_clap:
2F0E19FA-326F-4E13-BD1C-3E84013F1F67.jpeg
Quote from: tirls on March 03, 2025, 10:32:14 AMI got a new toy necessary transport vehicle. :smiley_clap:
2F0E19FA-326F-4E13-BD1C-3E84013F1F67.jpeg
We actually have a very active local unicycle club where I live. Back when we used to have a parade each year, they were usually there to participate, riding a large variety of different types.
Speaking of...
Seriously though, I could never balance well enough to ride one.
I can do two wheels without crashing too often.
Quote from: eugenenine on March 03, 2025, 02:49:32 PMI can do two wheels without crashing too often.
I can do just two wheels touching when I'm rock climbing in my Jeep
The nice thing about unicycles is that there is no handlebar you can fly over head first. Crashing is more like an accelerated stepping off.
Try it if you get the chance. It's so much fun once you get over the falling stage.
I´m currently trying to put a bike together for our planned italy trip. I´m not taking the Brompton, mainly because of all the descending (rim brakes on a 16" wheels get hot!) and replacement not being readily available in shops.
The choice is between upgrading my old Gitane Mixte or an Origami Swift folder. I could potentially try to get a used road or gravel bike for around the same it would take me to get these bikes ready, but I really don´t want another one standing around and I like my bikes.
The Gitane is in good condition. I´d need to update the gear shifter, it still has it´s original lever shifter on the top tube and I´m terrible at reaching it while driving. Definitely also new wheels, they´re quite thin racing wheels without a lot of profile and from the 80s. I think I´d like something a bit sturdier and less slippy, you still get ice and snow in the alps in summer.
I´m not sure how much current standard parts it takes, but at the least brake pads, chain and wheels shouldn´t be a problem.
It´s decently light for a steel framed bike and has great racks, both front and back.
(https://www.derrecyclist.de/cdn/shop/files/DSC00477.jpg?v=1698326168&width=1946) (not mine, but identical)
The other available bike is an Origami Swift folding bike. It´s a 20" with hydraulic disc brakes. It´s a new bike, so I don´t need to update anything on it. I might need to change the gearing, but I´m still testing it out. The real disadvantage is that it is slightly slower and my travel partner will be on a street racing bike. On the other hand I can take it on trains and busses and it might even fit into my tent, depending on which I end up taking.
It´s slightly heavier and definitely needs a different bike rack.
(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6222652957949b13dcac0d3d/1705002385371-VOZISN60BDFZ1UCG24NQ/Swift+White+Transparent.png)(also not mine, but identical apart from the colour)
Decisions! :smiley_chinrub:
I need new lights for both of them and figure something out for my power supply. And get my tool kit in order.
Does anyone have any experience with a good bike computer for navigation?
Quote from: tirls on March 05, 2025, 11:49:40 AMDoes anyone have any experience with a good bike computer for navigation?
Why not an app on your phone and a holder on the bars? With a decent power supply you should be good.
Quote from: NT2C on March 05, 2025, 12:57:49 PMQuote from: tirls on March 05, 2025, 11:49:40 AMDoes anyone have any experience with a good bike computer for navigation?
Why not an app on your phone and a holder on the bars? With a decent power supply you should be good.
I´ve tried a couple of different apps and I don´t like the navigation. It´s nice on public roads, but as soon as you go on dirt paths it´s not very good at notifying you on upcoming turns and sometimes doesn´t know the way. It might be different on apps with monthly payment, but if I use one I can get a bike computer for the price instead.
The vibrations on the handlebar also damage the phone. The display isn´t readable in the sun and you need to constantly charge it which makes the phone get extremely hot.
I´m not sure how much better bike computers are, so I´m still debating. They are really expensive for just trying it out. :gonk:
Or maybe I just need a new phone. Mine´s getting a bit old.
Quote from: tirls on March 05, 2025, 11:49:40 AMI´m currently trying to put a bike together for our planned italy trip. I´m not taking the Brompton, mainly because of all the descending (rim brakes on a 16" wheels get hot!) and replacement not being readily available in shops.
The choice is between upgrading my old Gitane Mixte or an Origami Swift folder. I could potentially try to get a used road or gravel bike for around the same it would take me to get these bikes ready, but I really don´t want another one standing around and I like my bikes.
The Gitane is in good condition. I´d need to update the gear shifter, it still has it´s original lever shifter on the top tube and I´m terrible at reaching it while driving. Definitely also new wheels, they´re quite thin racing wheels without a lot of profile and from the 80s. I think I´d like something a bit sturdier and less slippy, you still get ice and snow in the alps in summer.
I´m not sure how much current standard parts it takes, but at the least brake pads, chain and wheels shouldn´t be a problem.
It´s decently light for a steel framed bike and has great racks, both front and back.
(https://www.derrecyclist.de/cdn/shop/files/DSC00477.jpg?v=1698326168&width=1946) (not mine, but identical)
The other available bike is an Origami Swift folding bike. It´s a 20" with hydraulic disc brakes. It´s a new bike, so I don´t need to update anything on it. I might need to change the gearing, but I´m still testing it out. The real disadvantage is that it is slightly slower and my travel partner will be on a street racing bike. On the other hand I can take it on trains and busses and it might even fit into my tent, depending on which I end up taking.
It´s slightly heavier and definitely needs a different bike rack.
(https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/6222652957949b13dcac0d3d/1705002385371-VOZISN60BDFZ1UCG24NQ/Swift+White+Transparent.png)(also not mine, but identical apart from the colour)
Decisions! :smiley_chinrub:
I need new lights for both of them and figure something out for my power supply. And get my tool kit in order.
Does anyone have any experience with a good bike computer for navigation?
The Gitane certainly looks the part of a proper European bike - such a classy old bike! You mentioned the Italian Alps. What kind of road surfaces will you be riding on? The Gitane would be much better for distances over 10 or 15 miles.
Re: narrow tires. Depending on your rims, you might be able to shod your existing wheels with wider profile tires. I'm assuming they're 700c or maybe 27"? They're probably in the vicinity of 23mm to 25mm width. You might be able to get away with 30mm or even 32mm width, which is a lot more rubber and air volume - that can make a big difference.
Re: power source for lights. You could go old school and install a dynamo on your seat stay or chain stay. It would certainly fit the classic Euro bike theme.
(https://i0.wp.com/restoringvintagebicycles.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2016-05-17-007.jpg?ssl=1)
We´re not entirely set on the route yet.
It´s either going to be Füssen - Lago di Garda. That´s probably the easiest with not a lot of altitude and my mum lives close to Füssen. On the other hand we´d need to get to Bavaria first and Füssen is about the most touristy area you can get in Germany apart from Berlin (castles Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau, and a 9th century monastery).
The streets would be quite decent, mostly gravel and tarmac.
The other option is Basel or lake Constance to Bolzano. Advantages: Ötzi and close to where we live. But a lot of altitude and some not very nice roads.
Mostly gravel starting at the border with some pretty rough ones thrown in.
The Gitane would be the best if we start in Füssen, but I´d need to get in into a train to get there first.
The wheels are 700c, good eye! I don´t think 30mm would fit, old racing bikes have really narrow tires. It´s currently at my friends house so I can´t meassure it. The width is not much of a problem, I´m used to biking on them on some pretty gnarly surfaces. They´re just very old and basically slicks.
On the alp passes in Switzerland maybe not so much. You can have snow and ice at the top even in summer and it goes straight down directly next to the road.
I´m really hesitant to change the bike. They are getting rarer with original components.
If we start in the area around Basel I´m tempted to take the Swift. It can definitely do large distances and some basic mountainbiking, not big jumps but rougher roads and potholes aren´t a problem.
It has a really nice gear shifter with a top and bottom lever, so no awkward up- or downshifting, a 11-40T rear sprocket and a 58T front sprocket. So it´s very capable for the wheel size and surprisingly fast. I can probably get the tires easier than for the Gitane. While the Gitane has the most common sized tires, most modern ones are too wide. Even some racing ones.
20" are really common here, both kid bikes and BMX use them. And small wheels are nice on hill climbs. They´re not as fast, but a lot less tiring.
The Gitane already has a rim dynamo with the lights wired to it. They are just about good enough to make the bike officially road safe. To actually see something not so much. The idea is to use battery powered LED lights and top them up from a powerbank.
I have a AC to DC converter with an USB-C for a dynamo at home that I wan´t to try out. Ideally you have a hub dynamo, but I like the idea of having standard components for the parts that break the most.
I´m going to install the dynamo converter set up and make a test tour to France in the next weeks to see if I can keep a large powerbank topped up for the trip.
Otherwise maybe a small solar panel? Or a tiny wind turbine at the handlebar?
Got new tires and an alignment on the Xterra. Local shop got the cheap never heard of before brand tires.
Looked through my stash of bike parts.
I found my Cinq Plug5 Pure I got on sale a year or so ago. You install it at the bike's headset (I think it's called, the top thingy near the handlebar). It converts 6V AC to 5V DC to charge via USB-C. It has mixed reviews regarding the internal battery dying. There are some other options available by now I can try should that happen.
575E6746-44C6-4143-A5FF-0D6FAFED611E.jpeg
I found an old unused Nordlicht dynamo. They are usually pretty decent. I'm going to upgrade the dynamo wheel with a carrera car tire. They have a tendency to slip on the rim if wet if left unaltered.
BDD30117-209F-410B-AA0D-4AAA35589DDD.jpeg
I also found this beauty: :awesome:
A11C6299-E031-4258-920F-477452894D2D.jpeg
My Swift is fully assembled, the brakes adjusted and the dynamo installed. I need another go at the rear derailleur, it's a bit clunky on the last gear.
The converter is going to be a problem. The handlebar-stem thingy detaches for the folding mechanism. I'm going to look if I can find a pipe with an appropriate diameter and zip tie it to the fork.
Hopefully it's going to work, I'm really bad with electricity.
The bike lights are on their way.
Once everything is working I'm going to do a weekend trip to test it out. If it's not good on long distances I'll start worrying about my Gitane.
Ordered a TCC lockup solenoid and a filter kit including the gasket for the corolla. This will be my first adventure inside a transmission. Fingers crossed. The OE solenoid is $360 to $600 which is totally ridiculous for what it is. So of course I got an aftermarket one from Amazon for $22.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fs.alicdn.com%2F%40sc04%2Fkf%2FH3a01994b24bc43dda74a5b14d3d64a9dt.jpg_720x720q50.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=80cb4a09e6fdd65633d49e311955834a883b1fe2d5c85b3e6c5a82664e64f582&ipo=images)
I will be testing the solenoid for function with 12v input and an ohms reading before even attempting.
Its getting slow shifting into drive or reverse from park, and throwing a P0741 code.
:smiley_shrug: It does have 370k miles and I don't change the fluid for myths and urban legend reasons. Will be doing a drain and fill though, that's roughly 50% fluid change, so hopefully the plates don't need the dirty fluid to function either.
I replaced the transmission speed sensor module (TSSM) on my Mazda a couple of years ago, but that's the only transmission repair that I've ever attempted. And the only reason that I did that one myself, was because it was easy to access. It's just a Hall effect sensor that's right on the top of the transaxle, so pretty easy to swap it out.
Ordered a nice set of rock lights for my Jeep. While a lot of folks think they're just for show, when moving across rough terrain at night being able to light up the area immediately around each wheel can be vital.
The pretty colors are just an extra bonus.
Five new tires.
Currently at the dealership getting yet another new battery and an alignment.
ETA: New battery but no reason found for why this is the second in 45 days and the third in two years. The alignment, both me and the service writer thought the machine they use when you pull in was going bonkers. Tires have absolutely perfect treadwear. The alignment rack agreed with the one at the entrance, and it wasn't just off a little, it was way off. Good now though.
NT2C you commented back in late May that you had just gotten an OBD2 splitter to run your speed turtle stuff for your lights. When you replaced the battery the first time you commented that the issues with it not starting if left to sit for a few days had started in June. I would be very tempted to start unplugging the OBD2 stuff when you turn off the vehicle, for some vehicles they are an always on it. So they could be the slow drain that is running it down and making it take extra cycles/wear to kill the batteries faster.
Quote from: Yogurt on April 02, 2025, 09:06:20 AMNT2C you commented back in late May that you had just gotten an OBD2 splitter to run your speed turtle stuff for your lights. When you replaced the battery the first time you commented that the issues with it not starting if left to sit for a few days had started in June. I would be very tempted to start unplugging the OBD2 stuff when you turn off the vehicle, for some vehicles they are an always on it. So they could be the slow drain that is running it down and making it take extra cycles/wear to kill the batteries faster.
I thought the same thing so I removed all of that and was still having the issues. It turns out to have been a bad starter that killed the batteries back then and I still haven't crawled back under the dash to hook any of it back up
Laid my '04 Corolla to rest. 370K miles. Needed a transmission rebuild, that solenoid and fluid swap I did didn't help the issues. $2500-3500 didn't make sense on a car with a best case KBB private sale value of $700. BUT, did get $700 trade in value from CarMax.
(https://i.imgur.com/ZonTzd5.jpg)
My replacement BOV: '22 Corolla 32K miles. [a lease return, was in the CarMax system since Nov and just had a pricedrop, may have been due to some cosmetic scratches in the side door and front bumper, but they fixed those perfectly at no charge and it looks brand new.]
(https://i.imgur.com/QizoGGp.jpg)
I shall call him 'Oreo' since the interior and exterior are black and white [platinum pearl white paint]. Next is to get it tinted. So far looks like I'm getting between 38 and 41 mpg. The old Corolla was getting 32-33 mpg. [@80 mph highway] Oh, and its a CVT transmission which is a first for me, and it's weird with no shifting.
The main downside is I now have a car payment. I haven't had a car payment since 2013. :rolleyes1:
Wish you luck with it, Mac, but take it easy on that CVT. They're great at low to moderate loads but if you have a heavy foot or like fast acceleration from traffic lights you'll be replacing it sooner, rather than later.
Knowing how I like to drive, I nixed the idea of any vehicle that had a CVT when we shopped for our vehicles because I know that 14 years of ambulance driving habits don't just disappear. I'd have killed the poor thing on the way home from the dealer.
Quote from: NT2C on April 23, 2025, 10:04:56 AMWish you luck with it, Mac, but take it easy on that CVT. They're great at low to moderate loads but if you have a heavy foot or like fast acceleration from traffic lights you'll be replacing it sooner, rather than later.
Knowing how I like to drive, I nixed the idea of any vehicle that had a CVT when we shopped for our vehicles because I know that 14 years of ambulance driving habits don't just disappear. I'd have killed the poor thing on the way home from the dealer.
I was leery, and still am. But I drive for gas milage performance in my commuter car. So smooth acceleration and steady speeds. I have a long commute. And its about 80 % highway miles. Probably how come my other transmission lasted so long. Additionally, this new car has a computer that displays a minute by minute MPG graph, so I'm 'biometrically' linked to the mpg performance [I'm obsessing about that effing thing]. Since I've gotten it, I've been able to get better mileage performance with my own 'touch' than when using the 'radar assisted' cruise control. :eek1:
If it breaks within 5 years or 150k miles of my purchase mileage Carmax will fix or replace the trans [or engine or anything else that is covered] with a $150 deductible on their MaxCare plan. The Toyota dealership had a better warranty plan but didn't have any cars that I liked. And it would have been more expensive if I was able to find an apples to apples comp I'm sure.
I converted from a motorhead horsepower speed freak to a gun nut years ago. So instead of dumping money into my 88 Monte Carlo and FZR100, well, you know, costs about the same, less likely to die. :smiley_shrug:
My Monte Carlo I broke the driveshaft once, broke a rear swaybar bolt, and had a transmission rebuilt twice by the time it was 100k miles old. But that transmission was only about $500 each time.
Replaced the front pads and rotors
Worked on the Jeep for about 5 hours, fixing some wiring issues. Had a wire in the fuse block that fed ACC to the relay box for my lights that got rubbed raw inside the fuse block. Zero chance of it making contact with anything that would cause a problem but I replaced the wire, drilled a hole and inserted a grommet and ran it through that. Much cleaner looking install.
Inside the cabin I needed to deal with the head unit for the lights. It had been held in place with some thermal tape (used to attach heat sinks to computer components) but it came unstuck. I had to do some drilling and rearranging on the unit that holds my ham and GMRS radio heads but I made room for it up top using the bracket it came with. I still need to retape the cable to the plastic trim on the drivers footwell but it's much improved.
After dinner I think I'll clean the inside of the windows.
@NT2C weren't you looking for a suspected battery drain on the jeep a while ago? Just found this tip from scotty on how to locate shorts/drains using a power meter and the car's fusebox.
that part starts around the 5 minute mark in the video. I'm filing this in some some rarely used brain cells for future use myself. :awesome:
Oh, I know how to do it Mac. There's two reasons, no, three, that I'm not. 1) The batteries (pair) are under the front passenger seat and a complete PITA to access. 2) The dealer is treating this as a warranty issue so it isn't costing me a dime. 3) The dealer wants me to remove ALL the electrical things I've added. All the lights, radios, etc., which ain't happening.
And besides, I found and fixed the problem. The module for my strobe headlights and taillights was keeping the CANbus active even while the vehicle was off, with a 1.2A draw, so I added this and that fixes the issue without having to plug/unplug the thing all the time:
(https://f.media-amazon.com/images/I/61Dr1uiZLlL._AC_SL1024_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/7PN8bmF)
So long as I do my part and remember to flip the switch when I'm parking at home then that kills power to that module and only that module. :shades:
Quote from: NT2C on May 01, 2025, 11:24:26 AMSo long as I do my part and remember to flip the switch when I'm parking at home then that kills power to that module and only that module. :shades:
I seemed to remember you fixed it. I thought the fuse thing was much easier than any way I'd try to diagnose a drain and it was a 'new to me' troubleshooting technique.
Don't you have battery jump/charging points somewhere for easier access that you could use for something like this?
That switched connector goes between your harness and the ECU? Where? do you have to open your hood to flip the
tube switch?
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fy.yarn.co%2F3a097cc8-31e2-4352-8f47-671889332d70_text.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=98a65aace00532307bcfdb82b5d1af88f222209428522f102af91287d8809a5d)
This is the only thing I know about Jeeps; If you're a chick, you have to add rubber ducks. :smiley_shrug:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charlotteobserver.com%2Flatest-news%2Fiyc9ru%2Fpicture279380784%2Falternates%2FLANDSCAPE_1140%2Frubber%2520ducks%2520jeep&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=a4381f1516546a5669d49775b7c59363e704846fa47cc07ab154330e51fb3d8e)
Quote from: MacWa77ace on May 01, 2025, 10:19:45 AM@NT2C weren't you looking for a suspected battery drain on the jeep a while ago? Just found this tip from scotty on how to locate shorts/drains using a power meter and the car's fusebox.
that part starts around the 5 minute mark in the video. I'm filing this in some some rarely used brain cells for future use myself. :awesome:
I have an intermittent drain. I can go weeks at a time without a problem but then it will drain the battery in a couple days.
When I disconnect the battery or fuses to put an ampmeter inline it resets whatever was causing the drain so it doesn't do it with the meter connected,
Quote from: MacWa77ace on May 01, 2025, 11:42:36 AMQuote from: NT2C on May 01, 2025, 11:24:26 AMSo long as I do my part and remember to flip the switch when I'm parking at home then that kills power to that module and only that module. :shades:
I seemed to remember you fixed it. I thought the fuse thing was much easier than any way I'd try to diagnose a drain and it was a 'new to me' troubleshooting technique.
Don't you have battery jump/charging points somewhere for easier access that you could use for something like this?
That switched connector goes between your harness and the ECU? Where? do you have to open your hood to flip the tube switch?
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fy.yarn.co%2F3a097cc8-31e2-4352-8f47-671889332d70_text.gif&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=98a65aace00532307bcfdb82b5d1af88f222209428522f102af91287d8809a5d)
This is the only thing I know about Jeeps; If you're a chick, you have to add rubber ducks. :smiley_shrug:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.charlotteobserver.com%2Flatest-news%2Fiyc9ru%2Fpicture279380784%2Falternates%2FLANDSCAPE_1140%2Frubber%2520ducks%2520jeep&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=a4381f1516546a5669d49775b7c59363e704846fa47cc07ab154330e51fb3d8e)
The cord plugs into the OBD-II socket and then the module, which had been in the OBD-II, gets plugged into the other end. It;s a little long for my needs so so I need to figure out how I want to secure it. For now, gaffer tape does the deed.
Ducks have nothing to do with the driver, it's a way of showing appreciation of the Jeep, how it's configured and what it's done. And that picture...I'll just say that those ducks are probably ones the owner bought and stuck there because that grille is called "Angry Eyes" and almost universally loathed amongst "real Jeepsters". You know, the ones who take their rigs further off-road than the grass field parking area at the county fair.
Replaced one rusty cab corner. Thought with it being outside of other layers of metal it would be easy. Caught the interior on fire, now I need to replace a couple more parts.
Ordered a replacement for the roof rails and bars.
The current setup is Jeep OEM and rated at a max of 150 lbs.
The new system is from 6 Monkeys (https://6monkeys.net/shop/ols/products/wk2-low-profile-roof-rack) and is rated 350 lbs. dynamic load (moving) or 300 lbs. per slat static load (roof top tent camping) (I ordered the 4-slat version with 4 LED lights).
I found a U-pull yard near me so I could replace my burned interior parts. Rear defroster and speaker wires burned too so my radio just kept saying protect. Started shopping for replacements and got a $400 android auto 6.8" screen on sale for $300 so I spent a evening rewiring and putting in the new radio. Now I can do all the maps and such without having my phone in my hand.
As I was putting on the covers prior to getting my state inspection, I noticed that the 22" LED light on the bull bar had condensation inside. It's from Auxbeam, so not super high-end, but also not a replacement expense I need right now. Turns out I bought it July 3rd last year, and it has (drumroll) a 12-month warranty. Caught it by just a few days! I'm contacting Auxbeam for a replacement.
And... My new roof rack shipped a day early! :awesome:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJ9dpEAl.jpg&hash=dcd317453e50826347cf3abe3a9508ba484609c2) (https://imgur.com/J9dpEAl)
Yeah, I know Bearwallow is crooked, but once in place, these are permanent.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F7L0XksR.jpg&hash=2bae4a303a16fe6011faad9973efbab338d0d373) (https://imgur.com/7L0XksR)
Auxbeam gave me a full refund so I decided I'm going to take that light off, replace it with *better, and see if I can't fix the leaky one.
*better: https://www.harborfreight.com/6-led-off-road-spotflood-combo-light-59237.html (https://www.harborfreight.com/6-led-off-road-spotflood-combo-light-59237.html) x2
:eek1: :icon_crazy: :awesome:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FGPl1YP1.jpg&hash=ce69f65bd538d2ac456a55115510e47a0da9dfd5) (https://imgur.com/GPl1YP1)
Looks a little different with a bare roof. Need to clean off the crap under the old rails though.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJJBHNVp.jpg&hash=f522b0dca9fa62aa14e8ae9263af22777a22f534) (https://imgur.com/JJBHNVp)
New rack got put on yesterday before the power went out, today I've attached the four lights and will get them wired this afternoon.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJSYzoFQ.jpg&hash=725ae06c078ccdfa48730d009f705bfc72571cb7) (https://imgur.com/JSYzoFQ)
It works!
Quote from: airballrad on July 01, 2025, 07:59:09 PMNice rack! :greenguy:
Quote from: NT2C on July 01, 2025, 04:43:27 PMIt works!
How about a pair of big ones?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FlJ3uqpY.jpg&hash=737d8aba73a84951d5c5ec309945c25940ac1a4a) (https://imgur.com/lJ3uqpY)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F6U3W8fM.jpg&hash=ff40597c58bd26dd67d9e5750fb28a5ee3db406c) (https://imgur.com/6U3W8fM)
*sigh*
No matter how old we get, on the internet we're a couple of 12-year-olds. :icon_crazy:
Quote from: NT2C on July 01, 2025, 08:20:15 PMHow about a pair of big ones?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FlJ3uqpY.jpg&hash=737d8aba73a84951d5c5ec309945c25940ac1a4a) (https://imgur.com/lJ3uqpY)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F6U3W8fM.jpg&hash=ff40597c58bd26dd67d9e5750fb28a5ee3db406c) (https://imgur.com/6U3W8fM)
It's a Jeep thing...
Quote from: NT2C on July 01, 2025, 08:20:15 PMHow about a pair of big ones?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FlJ3uqpY.jpg&hash=737d8aba73a84951d5c5ec309945c25940ac1a4a) (https://imgur.com/lJ3uqpY)
You better holster those puppies. :awesome:
Quote from: MacWa77ace on July 02, 2025, 07:33:40 AMQuote from: NT2C on July 01, 2025, 08:20:15 PMHow about a pair of big ones?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FlJ3uqpY.jpg&hash=737d8aba73a84951d5c5ec309945c25940ac1a4a) (https://imgur.com/lJ3uqpY)
You better holster those puppies. :awesome:
What's this...?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPCQFmHc.jpg&hash=90da9fb8e3ffea45472aa375d72e757a6dda1016) (https://imgur.com/PCQFmHc)
Pasties?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FHXgMROd.jpg&hash=c901622b0f0983fe6434c3f99aaff565f8c2f95f) (https://imgur.com/HXgMROd)
Oh, but they are holstered!
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fi1B4xQu.jpg&hash=2ac66b14d88719a62fdbfcafb80618fb515d553b) (https://imgur.com/i1B4xQu)
See through! :eek1: :awesome:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FgRnAgcj.jpg&hash=538542627aa77eefa109423a580dd9c56234e399) (https://imgur.com/gRnAgcj)
Quote from: NT2C on July 02, 2025, 08:22:33 AMQuote from: MacWa77ace on July 02, 2025, 07:33:40 AMQuote from: NT2C on July 01, 2025, 08:20:15 PMHow about a pair of big ones?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FlJ3uqpY.jpg&hash=737d8aba73a84951d5c5ec309945c25940ac1a4a) (https://imgur.com/lJ3uqpY)
You better holster those puppies. :awesome:
What's this...?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FPCQFmHc.jpg&hash=90da9fb8e3ffea45472aa375d72e757a6dda1016) (https://imgur.com/PCQFmHc)
Pasties?
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FHXgMROd.jpg&hash=c901622b0f0983fe6434c3f99aaff565f8c2f95f) (https://imgur.com/HXgMROd)
Oh, but they are holstered!
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fi1B4xQu.jpg&hash=2ac66b14d88719a62fdbfcafb80618fb515d553b) (https://imgur.com/i1B4xQu)
See through! :eek1: :awesome:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FgRnAgcj.jpg&hash=538542627aa77eefa109423a580dd9c56234e399) (https://imgur.com/gRnAgcj)
PokeYourEyeOut.jpg
Hey, when you have a nice pair of headlights you need to show them off a little. :smiley_shrug:
Quote from: NT2C on July 02, 2025, 08:35:27 AMHey, when you have a nice pair of headlights you need to show them off a little. :smiley_shrug:
Quote from: Benny HillAnd that great big Betty Mavery, and she's got her own avery,
She's got the biggest parakeets I've ever seen.
:panic:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FJJXABpl.jpg&hash=7bc9182e0fda2c2415267d6ad715993790ef3961) (https://imgur.com/JJXABpl)
Always remember to wear a rubber... tire :awesome:
My boy Redhawk is looking pretty spiffy with his new upgrades. What y'all can't see is how much more room I have in the back with about half the stuff I carry now stowed in the trunk that is no longer filled with the tire and jack. (no, the jack is still there, just not in the giant foam holder)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FWOfq7C6.jpg&hash=a6c4ea821d3a985f79b383ea6f787d5c1cec02d5) (https://imgur.com/WOfq7C6)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FgojRXkK.jpg&hash=7aca64f063f3ebc5e92d975e94a5bbad35f31df8) (https://imgur.com/gojRXkK)
The last thing to do is wire up those new lights. I only had 14/4 and the manual calls for 12/4 for the run to the first light, 14/4 after that. The 12/4 will be here tomorrow. I also needed to get creative with a 5 lug relay because HF says not to turn on the high beam and low beam at the same time. What I needed was a SPDT toggle with center off, but my switch panel doesn't support that or have room. Instead, I'm setting it up so the DRLs and highs are on one switch just labeled as power for the lights, and another to energize the relay (which then disconnects the high circuit and energizes the low, with the DRLs still on). It's a kludge until I find a better way, but it should work fine with the waterproof relay and socket I'm using.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FHw5wxan.jpg&hash=6d8a466b08f1eaa818e9e2b06bc0042bcf23b43d) (https://imgur.com/Hw5wxan)
:awesome:
Washed it with the foam cannon and pressure washer. Still pretty dirty, but a lot better than it was. Needs a good hand wash, which it will get next month.
'Merica!
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F4brTnGd.jpg&hash=cb5484d03c4819121b1f0cc34ccb085fec85e914) (https://imgur.com/4brTnGd)
Ordered a maps update for the on-board GPS system. It was last updated with the 2022 edition and we like to do it every two years since maps themselves tend to be two years outdated. (ex: A 2025 edition is going to be based on 2023 data because it takes about 2 years to go from raw data to finished map package)
Since this is the 2024 edition (next edition comes out in November) it will be based on data from 2022 and will replace the 2022 edition I now have installed, which is itself based on 2020 data. So I'm taking a system that's 5 years out of date and updating it to only be 3 years out of date. "Big whoop, use Google", you say? On what? Can't legally use my phone for navigation in many states now (I will in a pinch though, such as when my on-board system has glitched and frozen) and the system predates things like Android Auto. So it's either the built-in system or paper maps (which I do carry in the vehicle).
I replaced the radio in my truck just a month or so ago so I can have android auto to get around having the holding the phone issues.
Registered it for an additional two years.
Ordered a new control panel and relay box to control the lights on the Jeep. The old 6-circuit setup was just too small for my needs with the new Harbor Freight lights on the nudge bar that use three circuits. I picked up a 12-circuit wireless control box during the last of the Prime Days for 15% off and a 10% off coupon on top of that, so I saved a decent chunk of coin. Plus, I have a friend interested in buying the old unit from me, so I'll recoup a little of that cost as well.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FimSj4Er.jpg&hash=937b0a2619de95072078860b45c5ab8c61928723) (https://imgur.com/imSj4Er)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FuA6o8vQ.jpg&hash=02d31e578033b28aa9c24470b9e4e455a0f85bae) (https://imgur.com/uA6o8vQ)
Because 22 is too many.
I've had a problem with the tire mount up on the new roof rack. It's supposed to be compatible with both models of roof rack that 6 Monkeys makes, the bigger and taller rack that's almost $2k, and the low-profile model that I bought. From the start though I had some doubts about the clearance between the bolts and the roof. You can't put the bolts in from the top and put the nuts on the bottom because the bolt is too long and will hit the roof, so you have to finagle them into the strap and then the holes in the mount, all while not busting my glass roof. :smiley_duh:
I got it mounted, with about 1/4" of space between the bolt heads and the roof/glass. That proved insufficient, as a few days of driving and some bumps taught me.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fuy18uO6.jpg&hash=3ae7c32b47bbf5f3fc692248d0e2b3effbdd6c0d) (https://imgur.com/uy18uO6)
I contacted Dan, the owner of 6 Monkeys, yesterday afternoon, and today he's already working on modified brackets for me that will lift the bolt heads up about 5/8" to keep them away from the glass. He'll ship them as soon as they are ready.
Well Tuesday the straps that hold the gas tank up on my truck rusted through and snapped, orderer a set from Amazon. Of course the bolts for them were rusted into nothing too. So no one in town had any long enough to use, tried to cheat it but no go. Ordered 100 mm long bolt of correct thread to cut to length. Thursday driving the Xterra brakes went out, hard line blew. No one has 4.5mm brake line so got 3/16" line to make a patch. Got truck up and running Friday, Xterra well patch aint working. Looks like i need some 10mm X1 fittings to make a new brake line.
Today was just taking my Suburban to Krown Rustproofing for the yearly treatment. So far it seems to be working, even the guys there complimented me on the condition of the truck (winter time road salt here in Michigan is a car killer). I tried a different location this time and it was much better than the one I went to last year. Plus, it's closer to get to and since I used to live right around the corner (probably 1/2 mile away) I know the area really well!
I forgot to post earlier this week when I installed a dash cam in my truck. It's a Rove R2-4k Pro (https://a.co/d/8EKE10C) single camera (which is still on-sale at Amazon right now). I still need to buy a tap to get power from the rear-view mirror, but at least it's set up. What I haven't done yet is to go through and optimize all of the little things, like changing the brightness, adjusting the glare filter, etc. I've looked at some of the footage and it's pretty nice - a lot better than the old camera in my car. Interestingly, during the install, I found that the previous owner had a dash came in the same location on the windshield, as the clear mounting sticker is still there!
The reason for buying just the single camera version, and not getting a rear camera, is just that the hatch on my Suburban moves so far out when you open it that I would have had to either leave a bunch of slack in the cord, or tear all the trim apart and try to feed the power cable through the wiring loom out to the hatch. I didn't like the idea of having a bunch of cord hanging down where it could get snagged on things and pulling everything apart to try to feed the wiring sounded like too much work!
Completed (for now) the installation of the new switchbox and rerouting of the wires and cables that ensued. I say "for now" because I still have eight amber strobe pods to find homes for. Mounting them to the roof rack seems the best option, but they'll require the use of one switch I have reserved for another use, or their own switch panel.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FrIBt32T.gif&hash=20efc947ec789fbda80f82ebcc84e9b8902b21e8) (https://imgur.com/rIBt32T)
(click image)
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Well i replaced the rusted through gas tank straps on my truck. Made a quick fix for the brake line on the Xterra. Then later on got the Xterra to a shop to have the service engine light checked. My code reader is acting up so had them do an oil change,and brake line plus air temp sensor, replace the mass air flow i already replaced a year ago( cheap amazon part), to get the light off.
I kinda want my old 84 or 87 trucks back.
Put his name back on
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKs3frXQ.jpg&hash=810377c92f8e3ef359791ed6aa93589e07e7fab4) (https://imgur.com/Ks3frXQ)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FLbEBhm4.jpg&hash=63777d11e627320ee3acfce87e9635d38fce1ff3) (https://imgur.com/LbEBhm4)
That looks great
@NT2C Update on 'Oreo'
Got the windows tinted a couple months ago. 20% on all the sides and rear, and 45% on the entire windshield[windscreen]. Need that for the Florida sun. 'The Tint Man' came out and did it at my work location.
IMG_2447[1].JPG
(https://i.imgur.com/8ZYTbM2.jpg)
Then ordered a liner for under the hood[bonnet]. I could have sworn that was on there when I bought it, but for sure it wasn't after they fixed the scratch on the front passenger side. :smiley_shrug:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71uNDlsVqDL.jpg)
And then a couple of weeks ago did an oil change at 5000 miles. When I got the car i figured the dealer did an oilchange and reset the system maintenance computer, but I also keep track of that using the trip odometer B. So I reset that when I drove off the lot. I knew it was coming up, I got to about 4500 miles on OD B and then the system check reminder said 'system maintenance soon' or something like that. And when I hit about 4900 miles it said 'system maintenance required, take car to dealer' or something like that.
If I didn't know, or have a scan tool, or tracked that 5000 miles, I'd have to take it in to find out what maintenance its talking about and then pay dealer prices for whatever. What a ripoff system.
Anyhow, I had to use a different procedure from my old Corolla to change the oil. This new car has that full underbody splashguard, so I drove it up on my ramps instead of jacking the front end up like I used to. [the old corolla had a center jack point under the engine that was pretty handy] Then just removed the 'door' that covers the drain plug and oil filter which are right next to each other. Also the oil filter is oriented sideways in the new Corolla and not behind anything so that is a much better design. The old corolla had it upside down and hard to reach so I always got oil on my gloves, with it sides ways I didn't get any hot oil on my gloves taking it off. Overall I'd say it is an easier process than the old car. Yaaayy. :smiley_clap:
And then YTubed how to reset the system maintenance alert which was pretty simple too.
There's a bunch of PPF on this car, I'm going to eventually take that off the sideview mirrors, the hood, the door edges, and the trunk lip [boot]. I have a steamer and some adhesive remover for that job already. That stuff is ok at first I guess but mine is already getting dirt under the edges at 3 years old, and in the long run its terrible to try to get off and cracks and looks horrible. IMO remove PPF as soon as you can.
IMG_2833[1].JPGIMG_2834[1].JPG
Put my roof rack back together and remounted the spare with new brackets that won't tap the glass roof. I also did some short vids with minimal editing showing the lights. https://www.youtube.com/@life_with_bernie
Caught a decent sale and bought this: https://a.co/d/9tsRADc
Discovered I needed special brackets made to mount that light to my roof rack, so I ordered them. While I was there, I took advantage of a sale price and my military discount to knock $100 off the MSRP and bought a rear ladder for my Jeep. Then I wandered over to my shopping basket on Amazon and picked up a tire octopus (inflator/deflator for 4 at once) for 23% off, as well as the heavier gauge (12 ga) wire I'll need to wire up that light bar.
Expensive morning but that's how it goes. The Jeep gets things to make it better and my bank card gets a little workout.
Not today, but "recently", I made a few changes and upgrades to Redhawk:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FRgHxvoN.jpg&hash=1439a9d7892a42451f4d587f45ec3cf8137277cc) (https://imgur.com/RgHxvoN)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FDBC03kj.jpg&hash=e397929864f41e65f872e114a5cecb754d74f947) (https://imgur.com/DBC03kj)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FDst0tlm.jpg&hash=24030f2f8dec85274fca5d3b3bbddef84c4d2bc8) (https://imgur.com/Dst0tlm)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F6u6lWho.jpg&hash=5bdffafad449bedbfdbf0bc0d3c695fd6b34fd09) (https://imgur.com/6u6lWho)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FW1STpd1.jpg&hash=2ecfbbf4ac8fe73b669e585cc1ad37e4b0623dc2) (https://imgur.com/W1STpd1)
New ladder, tire mounted back on the roof rack, new Harbor Freight lights on the nudge bar, new lightbar on the front of the roof rack, added some graphics.
@NT2C Looks awesome, what's left? Maybe a spare tire cover? and a radar unit?
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scanstrut.com%2Ffile%2Fimage%2Fupload%2FArticle_images%2FAPT-250-01-Aluminium-PowerTower_8.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=26fb8503fc263078a568f04e361172dec54f91d3aa4a39edcbdc13f05b83b8db)
Dumb questions; does that ladder on the rear click/tilt open so you can open the hatch window?
How come I don't see a hundred antennae?
How close is the color match to the trailer?
Quote from: MacWa77ace on September 09, 2025, 09:01:34 AM@NT2C Looks awesome, what's left? Maybe a spare tire cover? and a radar unit?
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.scanstrut.com%2Ffile%2Fimage%2Fupload%2FArticle_images%2FAPT-250-01-Aluminium-PowerTower_8.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=26fb8503fc263078a568f04e361172dec54f91d3aa4a39edcbdc13f05b83b8db)
Dumb questions; does that ladder on the rear click/tilt open so you can open the hatch window?
How come I don't see a hundred antennae?
How close is the color match to the trailer?
The ladder is solely attached with the hatch and moves with it. The rear window does not open on Jeep Grand Cherokees.
The antennas are there, they're just flat black and hard to see. Dual bander on the side glass, another on the driver's side ditch light, and a GMRS antenna on the passenger side.
Trailer color match is close enough that I've had state troopers pass me through fire lines with the fire crews. :eek1: :panic:
Not getting a tire cover as there's none that would stay on up there and they look dopey. This time next year I plan to replace all 5 tires (and possibly the set of rims if I can find 18" true beadlock rims that will fit). I'm also adding some better backup lighting, attached to the ladder sides.
Bought a pair of beefed up subframes to stiffen the frame, and a steel shield for the rear differential.
After several weeks of using my Suburban to haul around a lot of stuff (to the point where I had removed both the 3rd and 2nd row seats to make more room), today I re-set it. I cleaned it, reinstalled the seats and finally reorganized the gear. The biggest thing was that I finally put all of the lesser used tools (air compressor / tire repair / lug nut sockets / breaker bar, recovery straps / soft shackles / etc, jumper cables, pry bar, ratchet straps, and an extension cord) into a tote. It doesn't save any space, but it helps a bunch when I need to move things around since it reduces a dozen different items into just one.
When I was reinstalling the seats in the 2nd row (which requires bolts) I used a new tool that I've gotten to put in my truck - a cheap impact wrench. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one, since there's always the possibility that it'll be stolen, so I got another Seesii (https://a.co/d/gM2zn5A) (the same company as my mini-chainsaw) during a recent sale. It's heavier than my Milwaukee, but from testing it recently, it's got some power! Happily, the bolts for the 2nd row seats were 19mm, which is one of the included lug nut sockets in the Seesii kit. So no need to get out my Milwaukee tools to do this in the future, as I'll have everything that I need right there in the truck!
All nicely packed once more! The new impact wrench is in the case on the left, which is right in front of the newly-packed tote.
Suburban_gear.jpg
I want to get one of those off brand inexpensive ones. I'm just reluctant because i keep thinking that in 4 or so years when the batteries die i wont be able to find a replacement battery.
@ $149 thats not the least expensive
Quote from: EBuff75 on October 11, 2025, 12:02:32 PMAfter several weeks of using my Suburban to haul around a lot of stuff (to the point where I had removed both the 3rd and 2nd row seats to make more room), today I re-set it. I cleaned it, reinstalled the seats and finally reorganized the gear. The biggest thing was that I finally put all of the lesser used tools (air compressor / tire repair / lug nut sockets / breaker bar, recovery straps / soft shackles / etc, jumper cables, pry bar, ratchet straps, and an extension cord) into a tote. It doesn't save any space, but it helps a bunch when I need to move things around since it reduces a dozen different items into just one.
When I was reinstalling the seats in the 2nd row (which requires bolts) I used a new tool that I've gotten to put in my truck - a cheap impact wrench. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on one, since there's always the possibility that it'll be stolen, so I got another Seesii (https://a.co/d/gM2zn5A) (the same company as my mini-chainsaw) during a recent sale. It's heavier than my Milwaukee, but from testing it recently, it's got some power! Happily, the bolts for the 2nd row seats were 19mm, which is one of the included lug nut sockets in the Seesii kit. So no need to get out my Milwaukee tools to do this in the future, as I'll have everything that I need right there in the truck!
All nicely packed once more! The new impact wrench is in the case on the left, which is right in front of the newly-packed tote.
Suburban_gear.jpg
May I suggest tossing a dark blanket over that pile? I use two moving blankets in the Jeep, one side black, the other dark blue, just to block things from curious eyes, especially at night, parked in my driveway or a hotel lot.
Quote from: MacWa77ace on October 11, 2025, 04:15:45 PMI want to get one of those off brand inexpensive ones. I'm just reluctant because i keep thinking that in 4 or so years when the batteries die i wont be able to find a replacement battery.
@ $149 thats not the least expensive
It was $90 when I got it, and that was for the entire kit including two 4Ah batteries. The advantage to a lot of the Chinese companies (including this one) is that they actually use the Makita battery pattern, so getting replacements shouldn't be an issue.
I have the Milwaukee M12 impact, its under the back seat of my truck so you can't see it looking in.
Want a cordless impact gun times 2 for in the vehicles but just to expensive for limited funds right now. Went through both suv and truck, checked/topped off all fluids. Checked and inflated tires if needed. Checked the stock of extra/emergency fluids, tools gear, added where low. Made a list of fluids ( extra, back up, refill ) for the garage.
We rely on our road service plans (one we pay annually for, the other from our insurance company) for flats and such. However, the Jeep has a full set of tools in it.
Quote from: NT2C on October 12, 2025, 01:56:58 PMWe rely on our road service plans (one we pay annually for, the other from our insurance company) for flats and such. However, the Jeep has a full set of tools in it.
Did that when we first got married, because the in-laws told us we should. First time ever calling it took two hours for someone to arrive. Sometime before that the in-laws had called for a jump and the AAA truck hooked up the cables backwards resulting in them being in a rental car for weeks.
Quote from: eugenenine on October 12, 2025, 06:22:32 PMQuote from: NT2C on October 12, 2025, 01:56:58 PMWe rely on our road service plans (one we pay annually for, the other from our insurance company) for flats and such. However, the Jeep has a full set of tools in it.
Did that when we first got married, because the in-laws told us we should. First time ever calling it took two hours for someone to arrive. Sometime before that the in-laws had called for a jump and the AAA truck hooked up the cables backwards resulting in them being in a rental car for weeks.
At one time in my life, I was ASE certified as a master mechanic, but that was many decades ago. I still retain a lot of the knowledge, just not the physical ability, so I rely on others for the heavy lifting but can spot and correct them when they're about to screw up.
As for the time it takes them to get there, you need to look at the factors involved before you call, and adjust your expectations accordingly. Christmas Eve in a blizzard, out in the deep, dark boonies, it might take a while, so have alternate plans, like a jump pack (two in my Jeep), plug kit (including sidewall patches and replacement valve stems), spare fuses, jumper cables, and at least one actual recovery point on each end of the vehicle (if possible). In northern climes, during the snow season, I'd add strap-on tire chains and at least one tube of a salt/sand/gravel mixture (often sold pre-mixed in "socks").
I also have more than one group I can call, thus improving the odds of getting a faster response.
Thats in part the reason for the battery powered impact wrench. I can change a tire without breaking a sweat now. No ore tugging on the lug wrench until I'm dirty, tired and sore.
Quote from: eugenenine on October 13, 2025, 01:58:34 PMThats in part the reason for the battery powered impact wrench. I can change a tire without breaking a sweat now. No ore tugging on the lug wrench until I'm dirty, tired and sore.
The lug wrench is the easy part for me. It's the getting down on the ground to deal with the jack part that's a hard "no".
I dropped my HD Road Glide off at the dealer for new tires. When I purchased it in 2021 the deal was free tires for life, so long as I owned the vehicle and took it to the dealer for the tire replacement. Anyone who buys motorcycle tires knows this is a very good perk deal.
What I didn't consider was that the tires have to be completely worn out and not have to be replaced due to damage. Anyway, apparently I have been driving around with a nail in my rear tire unknowningly for some time. Motorcycle tires of course can't be safely patched so I think the dealership thought they would be replaced before wear out, which should have happened but didn't.
So I guess I will be inspecting more carefully now forward.
The bikes are second stage vehicles in case of evacuation and the roads become difficult or impossible to traverse with a four wheel vehicle or even (very remote possibility) of a break down of the truck. Although with either bike I can carry about a week's worth of supplies
For secondary I go to human powered.
20251011_152549574.jpg
Quote from: eugenenine on October 13, 2025, 06:55:45 PMFor secondary I go to human powered.
20251011_152549574.jpg
Please start a separate thread and tell us more! Equipment choices, thought process, use case/bugout scenarios etc. :D
I always wanted a packraft, but they are so expensive. :gonk:
I can't seem to start a dedicated thread because every time I try the forum says its exceeded the length, even with a small picture.
This is their cheapest model and I caught an end of season sale so it was under $500
https://kokopelli.com/products/xpd-2024
only issue with being the lowest model its a little bigger and heavier when packed than others.
Quote from: eugenenine on October 14, 2025, 12:45:06 PMI can't seem to start a dedicated thread because every time I try the forum says its exceeded the length, even with a small picture.
This is their cheapest model and I caught an end of season sale so it was under $500
https://kokopelli.com/products/xpd-2024
only issue with being the lowest model its a little bigger and heavier when packed than others.
This is a whole product category that I wasn't aware of. I mean, I guess I vaguely knew that there must be some sort of higher-quality alternative to those vinyl inflatable boats I knew as a kid (scarcely more than pool toys).
But the idea of a durable, ultra-compact means of water transport opens up a world of bugout possibilities. Combining it with a bicycle for a truly go-anywhere, self propelled bugout capability is fascinating. The ability to get yourself across a large water obstacle in an emergency situation when highways and bridges would be gridlocked by the fleeing masses could be a lifesaver depending on the geography and road infrastructure in your AO.
https://alpackaraft.com/collections/packrafts are really nice.
https://kokopelli.com/pages/bikepacking gives some info.
So I live in Ohio and my farm is in WV. For a bugout I'd have to cross the ohio river.
Its 250 miles. I've biked 50 miles before https://connect.garmin.com/modern/activity/5601100638 but that was five years ago, I've improved my fitness a lot since. Mountain biking the 1.5mile green (beginner) trail would wear me out to where I had to stop half way around and then come home and lay on the floor an hour to rest. By the end of that summer I could do that 15m green trail twice. Then tried the six mile blue trail next to it and took two hours. Started alternating between the two the next summer and got the blue trail down to around an hour. Next summer tried the blue/black and took like 1.5 hours the first time around and by the end of summer could make it in 45 minutes. I'll do another 50+ mile trip again soon to see how much I've improved. Its a common thing in the biking world to ride a half century (50 miles) or a century (100 miles). So I'm pretty confident I can do it.
I either need to get a smaller compressing packraft like the Alpacka or improve my rack and tie down, its just a little wobbly.
I don't use Kokopelli's big backpack, rather just rolled the raft up around the paddles and wrapped it with my life preserver/fishing vest and made my own handelbar bag for the pump and small accessories. Then my regular camelbak I wear on me.
Bought a new farm jack to replace the one a friend borrowed 6 years ago and moved to another state with.
See, thats why I don't have any friends :P
I went to the ATV dealership and picked up an oil change kit and a gallon of antifreeze. The oil was last changed around 2021 and the antifreeze was completely empty.
The machine was automatically shutting off due to no coolant as soon as it would get warm. I will try to get it sorted this week. When it snows around here most people switch to ATVs and other off road vehicles to get around because the county has no snow plows.
In the past I would put snow cables on my FJ Cruiser but I sold it because I live alone and had six vehicles at the time, not including the ATV. Now I have four vehicles but don't want to drive my Nissan 4x4 around in the snow.
Quote from: eugenenine on October 20, 2025, 05:09:38 PMSee, thats why I don't have any friends :P
I saw him while I was down in Texas this year. Told him I wanted it back, and he said it's in his van parked in the driveway. Then I forgot to grab it when I left. :rolleyes1:
The tonneau cover on my truck was getting so thin its leaking. I found I preferred having a cap anyway so I picked up an old used on this weekend. Its a little taller than cab height so it gives a little more headroom.
I need to sand off the flaking clear coat and paint it to match.
Okay, a 60" farm jack is a little heavy and awkward. :gonk: :eek1:
Edit: Ordered a mount for it that will attach it to my roof rack.
I found my traction boards and put them in the back.
Working on mounting the farm jack to my roof rack and protecting it from the elements. Added a neoprene boot over the mechanicals that should help. The mounts came with plain wingnuts to hold the jack on; I got some black chrome stainless stop nuts and washers to do away with the wingnuts. I'll be drilling a hole in one of the mounts to put a padlock through.
I also bought this to lift the Jeep from a wheel if needed:
(https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71nGLXoCryL._AC_SL1500_.jpg) (https://a.co/d/dtVgh6V)
When I went to tighten the bolt in the strap though I had flashbacks to working on GM vehicles back in my shop in the 90s. The bolt is threaded 7/16-14 (confirmed with a thread gauge) and has a head that takes a 5/8" wrench.
The nut is also threaded 7/16-14, but takes an 18mm wrench. :smiley_shrug:
Attempted to fix Momma Chimp's Explorer, but come to find out I had the wrong battery cable splice thing.
So back to O'Reilly's it goes and I guess the truck will sit in my driveway for a bit longer until I can get it fixed.
Probably will have to replace the entire battery cable set which'll run me about 60 bucks per cable. :gonk:
Bought a cheapish battery impact gun to take when I'm off-roading, to make flats easier to deal with. I have a plug kit, spare replacement valves and stems, even a sidewall repair kit, this will just make things easier.
I took off a bunch of the PPF from Oreo. Did it over a couple of weekends. What a PITA.
Got the handle wells, door edges and trunk lip off.
PPFDoorEdgeHandle.jpg
PPFTrunkBumper.jpg
Still have to do the hood.
PPFHoodBefore.jpg
Then immediately put some PF stickers back on for seasonal effect.
IMG_3132[1].JPG
I took the Pan America in for service and software update. They changed the oil, brake line flush and new brake fluid and updated the software.
When I returned home I installed this on the rear.
https://www.vevor.com/top-boxes-tail-bags-c_13459/55l-motorcycle-top-case-universal-motorbike-tail-box-with-leather-lining-p_010361222541
I am not 100% pleased with the case. It appears sturdy but it is made from a plastic of some kind and I will just have to wait and see how it holds up. I should have gotten the 45 liter case instead, the 55 liter case is quite large.
Quote from: Uomo Senza Nome on November 02, 2025, 07:15:36 PMI am not 100% pleased with the case. It appears sturdy but it is made from a plastic of some kind and I will just have to wait and see how it holds up. I should have gotten the 45 liter case instead, the 55 liter case is quite large.
is it plastic plastic or polymer like Apache/Pelican?
Paid the kid (mid-20s young adult) next door $100 to install the subframe brackets and the rear diff shield. Fortunately, I did too, because one of the OEM subframe stamped sheet steel brackets was bent and folded over on itself from a boulder I hit in Moab years ago. Had no idea it compromised that bracket.
Got the brackets mounted for my farm jack, and it doesn't fit. The studs on the brackets are 1/4" off, and they don't line up with the holes in the jack. I think I can get them to line up if I loosen the mounts, but then another issue arises. The normal way of putting the jack on is with the "hook" up and the handle down. If I do that, the handle covers my side lights and strobes. I can maybe flip it, but I think then the hook is gonna hit the Jeep. I'll have to see in a bit when my arms stop shaking from lifting that fucking 5' long cast-iron jack to head height and holding it there trying to get studs lined up.
:gonk:
Sent off an email to the owner of the shop that makes the brackets, with pictures, asking for a price on some taller ones.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2F3L3NPkh.jpg&hash=ca7966e0c95a21c44fcaff7b66f8f5685003835d) (https://imgur.com/3L3NPkh)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FqcFApgw.jpg&hash=40b2fe05521dc421592c16379b4a3ed8da629bea) (https://imgur.com/qcFApgw)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FNvALZya.jpg&hash=4e7029fdfcfdcdd46ebbd1581e070f93ebc6cd6b) (https://imgur.com/NvALZya)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2Fv9BeKV6.jpg&hash=d792424eaf3aa84cd6338bc50c58897022039dab) (https://imgur.com/v9BeKV6)
Just need the studs about 2" higher, maybe 2.5"
What if you rotated it so the studs are facing upward instead of out to the side
Quote from: eugenenine on November 08, 2025, 04:42:49 PMWhat if you rotated it so the studs are facing upward instead of out to the side
The mount is two pieces that sandwich onto the roof rack slats. No way to do that. I already contacted Dan at 6 Monkeys, and he's going to get started on them Monday. He's usually pretty quick, so they should ship by Friday.
Edit to add pics:
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FEG13WYD.jpg&hash=c5d751bb84c674ed6dd1175e53f174d82ac8ae2a) (https://imgur.com/EG13WYD)
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FIJHRJjB.jpg&hash=9101c64002ea7395f4d5675282541083b8e6c9c6) (https://imgur.com/IJHRJjB)
Cut the corner of the L, drill a third hole then put the bolt in it.
Quote from: eugenenine on November 09, 2025, 07:05:15 AMCut the corner of the L, drill a third hole then put the bolt in it.
It's welded
weld a new on in. What i'm meaning is there is no need to make new brackets and lift it higher, you could just change the existing a little. If you look at the jack its a rectangle and your putting it in portrait, just turn it landscape. That way it won't be sticking up to high.
Quote from: eugenenine on November 09, 2025, 01:43:42 PMweld a new on in. What i'm meaning is there is no need to make new brackets and lift it higher, you could just change the existing a little. If you look at the jack its a rectangle and your putting it in portrait, just turn it landscape. That way it won't be sticking up to high.
I don't have a welder, nor any way to bend that. These are made of 1/4" rolled plate.
longer bolt with a spacer? Or longer bolts but put a nut at the height you need it at and then the bracket then the hold on nut.
(https://ufozs.com/smf/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FIJHRJjB.jpg&hash=9101c64002ea7395f4d5675282541083b8e6c9c6)
NT2C rack.jpg
You'd probably want to put a sleeve around the bolt too, metal of course.
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.quickmeme.com%2Fimg%2F91%2F91e3629ffd3f2123cff2bccb0096027a9d35af68bea7c887a1799f1bbf9e93c2.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=8a8ed4a890f75fdb0ad9be7f09fb73929d03dafc8d25eb414077c630908bb8fb)
The shop already made me a new set. I'll have them Friday
Edit: They're out for delivery via UPS
Bought an iCar Pro OBDII scanner for the Jeep, and a subscription to the JScan app.
My "bug out vehicle" is also my "DD", and "hunting truck", etc. Checked fluids today (usual Saturday thing, but the last couple weeks were. . . chaotic), as usual nothing needed.
Three weeks ago, the master cylinder was dry: turned out the only remaining 35 year-old brake line had rusted through). I got to pull the line, learn to bend the new brake line, and replace it. Then bleeding the brakes took longer than everything else.
Went to pick up dinner tonight and realized my left turn signal was out, while checking that out I discovered the brake lights were out. Argh. On an old truck, replacing those little bulbs can sometimes take as long as a serious repair. Will be adding a weekly check of the lights to my usual Saturday checks.
Quote from: Habu on November 15, 2025, 08:31:39 PMWent to pick up dinner tonight and realized my left turn signal was out, while checking that out I discovered the brake lights were out. Argh. On an old truck, replacing those little bulbs can sometimes take as long as a serious repair. Will be adding a weekly check of the lights to my usual Saturday checks.
Not just old trucks. My 2006 Mazda is still on the original headlight bulbs (they're HID) which are getting dimmer over time. I'd like to replace them with newer ones, but replacing the bulbs requires removing the entire bumper cover to get the headlight housings out. The issue: this car has been in Michigan for it's entire 20 year life, and every one of the 15-20 bolts and screws that hold the bumper cover on are completely bonded to their (formerly captive) nuts so that everything just spins and doesn't loosen.
My mechanic quoted me $500+ just to install the bulbs that I provided him, as every single one of those bolts and screws are going to have to be drilled out and then replaced (he's not screwing me over either - he's very good and has the best rates in my area, plus he routinely gives me breaks on stuff because I'm a good customer). It's not hard, but it's really tedious and on a low-slung car like that, it's a lot easier to do on a lift than it is in my driveway. Needless to say, I'm holding off on doing it until one of the bulbs actually fails, or I end up getting a new car (which is more and more likely as the rust on mine is getting pretty bad).
Quote from: EBuff75 on November 16, 2025, 12:11:58 AMNot just old trucks. My 2006 Mazda is still on the original headlight bulbs (they're HID) which are getting dimmer over time. I'd like to replace them with newer ones, but replacing the bulbs requires removing the entire bumper cover to get the headlight housings out. The issue: this car has been in Michigan for it's entire 20 year life, and every one of the 15-20 bolts and screws that hold the bumper cover on are completely bonded to their (formerly captive) nuts so that everything just spins and doesn't loosen.
I had to do something similar on a car I drove some years back. Couldn't afford to pay someone else so it became a "Saturday driveway" project, done in the summer time--I would have hated to do it in January.
Got the lights replaced on my truck. This is an old farm truck, PO was an old farmer: the screws holding the housings for the lights are held on by screws, in this case with 4 different heads (when you lose a screw, find something that fits and get back to work).
Snow tires, brakes and a new alternator... my wallet hurts...
Replaced Front and rear swaybar linkages on the explorer. Also checked the trans fluid level which is a pain. Think I'm going to do a drain and fill on it.
I keep getting an intermittent 'wrench' warning light which is a vague 'drive train' issue. I have no codes on my OBD scanner. :smiley_shrug:
(https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fbryansgarage.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F05%2Fford-fiesta-wrench-light.jpg&f=1&ipt=f3de9e2ac8944a0eeb55c40f5a1dee8555f78071e0dae34b39945afad6adbe85)
I fixed my reverse lights, the sockets are getting loose so I bent the terminals out.
I'm going to replace the sockets when I get a chance.
I found my OBD-II scanner with a cracked LCD, will have to replace that now.
Quote from: eugenenine on December 01, 2025, 01:30:26 PMI fixed my reverse lights, the sockets are getting loose so I bent the terminals out.
I'm going to replace the sockets when I get a chance.
I found my OBD-II scanner with a cracked LCD, will have to replace that now.
I recently picked up one of these for use on my Jeep: https://a.co/d/5W60Imq
Combined with a Jeep specific scanner app it gives me bi-directional control over everything the dealer's scantool has.
Very cost-efficient bit of gear.
Being 35+ years old, my DD/BEV needs a little more attention than newer vehicles. The blower motor has finally died. I didn't mind only having a low-speed fan in the summer--seldom run the AC anyhow--but when I run the windshield defroster, I'd like it to actually do something.
So this month's Saturday repair is going to be replacing the blower motor and cleaning out the ductwork. That will probably gut the morning, but fortunately the weather is supposed to be decent tomorrow. . . I'm too damn old to be doing contortions in/on/under the dash when temps are below zero.