Tonyrodz
Resident Resident
Those Excel shocks are garbage. I threw a set in the garbage, and I don't think they were more then a few months old.
Enjoy the R&R, you've earned it.
02 Base for my son
- Thread starter Snowbound
- Start date
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Enjoy the R&R, you've earned it.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
Made it to the Smokey mountains without issue. I heard a noise in my rear drivers side hub bearing when we were pulling in. I hope it’s nothing major. Gonna check it out in morning. We are a ways from town so I hope I it just needs to be adjusted and it’s not a bad bearing.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
Last night I ordered bearings, races, seal and gear oil. Paid an extra $60 to have it delivered same day. It showed up this morning at the cabin 8am.
Got started on it at 7:30am after only 4-1/2 hrs of sleep. What else is new.
Got the caliper off and pulled the rotor and thankfully the issue was only a broken parking brake spring!!
Back together and off and running. Now I can enjoy my time and so happy I didn’t have to dig into it.
Got started on it at 7:30am after only 4-1/2 hrs of sleep. What else is new.
Got the caliper off and pulled the rotor and thankfully the issue was only a broken parking brake spring!!
Back together and off and running. Now I can enjoy my time and so happy I didn’t have to dig into it.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
Wednesday and Thursday we put on some miles going to and from cabin and town. Run for dinner, back to Gatlinburg from Pigeon Forge, we even went back up the mountain to show Julianna where Jess and I stayed last time we were there.
I can’t believe how crowded it was for October. I seen on the news that Seveirville brought in 3 billion in revenue for the state. Made me realize that post Covid tourism boomed which explains the crowds. 6 years ago September was when we were there last and it wasn’t anywhere near the crowds or traffic as this time. Coming back down the mountain I couldn’t believe how many new houses they are building.
So Friday we left the cabin and went to ride a mountain coaster before we left town and headed toward Cleveland.
After that it was early enough so I decided we would take 441 over the smokies and into North Carolina. Ran thru Cherokee and down 74 to the far end of 129, the very beginning of the Tail of the Dragon.
Near the border of Tennessee and North Carolina is a place called Deals Gap and that marks the beginning of the Tail where it’s 318 curves in 11 miles.
I can’t believe how crowded it was for October. I seen on the news that Seveirville brought in 3 billion in revenue for the state. Made me realize that post Covid tourism boomed which explains the crowds. 6 years ago September was when we were there last and it wasn’t anywhere near the crowds or traffic as this time. Coming back down the mountain I couldn’t believe how many new houses they are building.
So Friday we left the cabin and went to ride a mountain coaster before we left town and headed toward Cleveland.
After that it was early enough so I decided we would take 441 over the smokies and into North Carolina. Ran thru Cherokee and down 74 to the far end of 129, the very beginning of the Tail of the Dragon.
Near the border of Tennessee and North Carolina is a place called Deals Gap and that marks the beginning of the Tail where it’s 318 curves in 11 miles.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
We got some good pics along the way and at the Tail.
And I even looked up a few that they take as you’re driving the tail.
Found a couple when I had my light bar on.
And I even looked up a few that they take as you’re driving the tail.
Found a couple when I had my light bar on.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
I have a dashcam video of the drive on the tail. I downloaded it but I want to speed it up before I finish loading it.
But I know you guys didn’t come here to see how my vacation went. You want updates on what the idiot from Illinois had to deal with this week. I’m sure it makes most of you feel like you don’t have it so bad when you can see what I have going on in my soap opera of a life. Lol. Well, I try not to disappoint.
Right after we came out of the twists and turns of the Tail and are driving along the river, I hear this god awful grinding noise from under the truck! It doesn’t get any worse or better when I swerve or brake so I hit the shoulder along the river and got out and looked under the truck. I don’t see anything. It has to be the front because there is no parking brake in the rear and applying the brake did nothing. Everything looked fine up front. I jump back in and drive forward 10 feet and it’s definitely coming from the rear.
Tools come back out and tire comes back off. Caliper removed and when I pulled the rotor the metal pivot bracket that engages the parking brake fell out in pieces. That was attached to the parking brake cable and I didn’t think it would ever come loose because it was a pain to take off the cable and spring. But it did. That’s how my luck works.
Back together and on the road once more. Ended up not having another issue the rest of the trip to Cleveland and home.
But I know you guys didn’t come here to see how my vacation went. You want updates on what the idiot from Illinois had to deal with this week. I’m sure it makes most of you feel like you don’t have it so bad when you can see what I have going on in my soap opera of a life. Lol. Well, I try not to disappoint.
Right after we came out of the twists and turns of the Tail and are driving along the river, I hear this god awful grinding noise from under the truck! It doesn’t get any worse or better when I swerve or brake so I hit the shoulder along the river and got out and looked under the truck. I don’t see anything. It has to be the front because there is no parking brake in the rear and applying the brake did nothing. Everything looked fine up front. I jump back in and drive forward 10 feet and it’s definitely coming from the rear.
Tools come back out and tire comes back off. Caliper removed and when I pulled the rotor the metal pivot bracket that engages the parking brake fell out in pieces. That was attached to the parking brake cable and I didn’t think it would ever come loose because it was a pain to take off the cable and spring. But it did. That’s how my luck works.
Back together and on the road once more. Ended up not having another issue the rest of the trip to Cleveland and home.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
I did it. I didn’t want to but I’m not shoveling or snow blowing this year.
I have a few wiring harnesses from installing and collecting over the years. I was gonna buy a new truck mount but then realized it’s the same mount that was on my 05 so I removed that and put it on this one.
This is one of the plows we have at work. I put it on just to test the wiring. I had to modify the headlight harness because it wasn’t for this truck but I bought some HB3 and HB11 male and female plugs and hardwired them to the Western harness so it’s still plug and play like it comes from Western.
I have a few wiring harnesses from installing and collecting over the years. I was gonna buy a new truck mount but then realized it’s the same mount that was on my 05 so I removed that and put it on this one.
This is one of the plows we have at work. I put it on just to test the wiring. I had to modify the headlight harness because it wasn’t for this truck but I bought some HB3 and HB11 male and female plugs and hardwired them to the Western harness so it’s still plug and play like it comes from Western.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
I bought a used Western 8’ poly plow from a guy on marketplace. I’ll pick it up Friday after work.
I decided to go poly because the board won’t rust and also I like the way snow and ice just slides off and doesn’t stick to it like steel.
Poly plows are a little heavier. Most think they’d be lighter but there’s more ribs supporting the poly pusher which makes it heavier. Also it’s a pro plow which means it has 4 trip springs and a heavier duty shock and a frame.
Bought new cutting edge, guide sticks and a new pivot support bracket because the one on the plow is rough and there’s an updated part that has grease fittings built in to it. I wanted a plow with these better light housings too. The cheaper ones bounce, have bad light output and need to be adjusted frequently from getting banged around. LED lights will be installed too.
I decided to go poly because the board won’t rust and also I like the way snow and ice just slides off and doesn’t stick to it like steel.
Poly plows are a little heavier. Most think they’d be lighter but there’s more ribs supporting the poly pusher which makes it heavier. Also it’s a pro plow which means it has 4 trip springs and a heavier duty shock and a frame.
Bought new cutting edge, guide sticks and a new pivot support bracket because the one on the plow is rough and there’s an updated part that has grease fittings built in to it. I wanted a plow with these better light housings too. The cheaper ones bounce, have bad light output and need to be adjusted frequently from getting banged around. LED lights will be installed too.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
I’m also seriously thinking about buying another house. With the market the way it’s been I pulled some money out before I lost anymore and I was going to load up on gold and silver. But the price is up pretty high and I think I missed that train by 18 months. Had I jumped in then, it would have been a great investment but I’m afraid it’s gonna taper off. I think I can make some money if I buy another house and sell the Wisconsin house in the spring or rent it out.
I’ll make it quick, I found a 3 bedroom 2-1/2 bath in the you pee of Michigan. They have a longer snowmobile season than Wisconsin and get more snow. I was concerned about driving farther but actually close to the same amount of time, just a different route.
Current Wisconsin house
Michigan house
The house has new water heater, newer furnace, updated electric panels and is on natural gas and city sewer and water. No propane to fill or septic and well to maintain. New metal roof although I hate the color and it’s a 1.4 acre lot that has thousands of acres of state land behind it.
I’ll make it quick, I found a 3 bedroom 2-1/2 bath in the you pee of Michigan. They have a longer snowmobile season than Wisconsin and get more snow. I was concerned about driving farther but actually close to the same amount of time, just a different route.
Current Wisconsin house
Michigan house
The house has new water heater, newer furnace, updated electric panels and is on natural gas and city sewer and water. No propane to fill or septic and well to maintain. New metal roof although I hate the color and it’s a 1.4 acre lot that has thousands of acres of state land behind it.
OP
OP
Snowbound
Jim
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