=20 [none]
Well it seems I just can't catch a break with this trip. After=
crushing the oil pan on Christine, I resigned myself to the fact that
trus= k just was bound and determined not to go to Colorado, and that
I was force= d to take the Ram. I worked 12+ hour shifts all week and
had not done any = packing or prepping. I needed to change the oil on
the Ram and I decided I= would swap in a new steering damper to see if
that would help on the highw= ay. What started out looking like a fast
job turned into a several hour lo= ng nightmare. I got the oil drained
and started unbolting the damper, and = couldn't break the stud free
from the tierod. I busted a tierod end puller= trying to get it off.
While I was laying under the truck in utter fruster= ation, I looked
up and noticed the lower radiator hose was touching the fra= me. Me
thought "this no good". Sure enough it had almost rubbed through th= e
hose. @#$%^&*!! It was also pretty spongey and I knew it had to be
chan= ged. As it turned out it was splitting and cracked in another
place too, th= at I had not originally seen. I doubt that lower hose
would have made the = trip without blowing. I checked the upper hose
and it wasn't much better...= so off to the store to get two hoses,
more coolant, and a pitman arm pulle= r for the steering damper.
Now... here is a word or 20 about the factory O= E springy hose
clamps. I ended up reusing all but one of them, because I w= anted to
save a few bucks and they seemed to still be tight enough. I want= to
melt them all down, cast them into bullets, track down the Sombich who
= invented them, and then shoot him with the bullets!
I was in tea= rs just about, trying to put the hoses back on with
those clamps. I ended u= p having to remove the serp. belt, and the
alternator in order to get them = all back in. Bolted the damper up,
refilled the radiator with coolant (by = the way - the cooling system
was JUST flushed about a week ago and I'm very= not happy about having
to replace brand new freaking coolant), throw in so= me engine oil and
the Ram was done. I also decided to get a bed cover inst= alled today.
$420 and change installed for some-other-brand-or-whatever sof= t
folding bed cover. Its a real nice one and I really like it. Lifetime
w= arrantyso ya can't beat that. It has tension ajustments, no snaps,
and a r= eally neat clip lock system that latches it in place. I
figured there was = no better time than now to get one installed than
for a long road trip.
Anyway -I'm half packed, I still have some last minute stuff I need=
to pick up at the store, and I should be set to leave some time
tomarrow. = I'll be stopping overnight some place - depends how far
out west I get, I = don't feel like rolling into lone duck at 4 am.
I'll let everyon= e know when I leave. I gotta say I hope this trip is
worth it, because I re= ally need a vacation, this month has been
nothing but Bull-S and problems f= or me... at home, at work, and in
general.
--
Posted by TerribleTom to National DML Meet at 7/13/20= 06 11:50:00 PM
.
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| Make your plans NOW to attend the National DML Meet in Colorado! |
| Date: July 15-23, 2006 - More info: http://meet.dakota-truck.net |
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