Shocking...

Gauntlet

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Well, "re-shocking".

Several days ago I was driving home, hit a patched spot in the road (I was familiar with, no holes in it to worry about), all the sudden I heard a bang, and my truck jumped. Fortunately I was only a couple miles from home, in the event it was something "serious", and from what I'd just felt, it wasn't good :lol:

As I slowed, I could hear something scraping, or dragging, it slowed as I slowed. I thought maybe something in a rear brake had let loose, but truck stopped fine.

I get out, and do a walk-around, and spot the problem on the right rear of the truck. Shocks on my truck are staggered, left rear top of shock attaches to frame aft of rear axle, whereas the right rear top of shock bolts forward of rear axle.

What had happened was the upper shock mount on the frame had simply rotted away where the shock attaches to it. When it let-loose, the top of the shock dropped to the road, caught and lifted the rear of the truck enough to let the shock flop to the rear side of the axle....enough to make one pucker.

So I got home, removed the shock, and ordered new shocks and the correct upper mount from RockAuto. Today I had the joy of installing them. Took me about 2 hours, naturally the worst part being removing the old mount, but with an angle grinder and cut-off wheels, sawzall, and trusty hammer and chisels. mission accomplished.

Fortunately it was a fair bit cooler today, plus I got an early start. I wasn't thinking or I'd have ordered front shocks while I was at it, bit those can wait. I don't quite enjoy working on vehicles, like I used to.

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I don't quite enjoy working on vehicles, like I used to.

I've never enjoyed it, but I've always done all my own work, cost too much for someone else to do it lol.. Some of my most frustrated, pissed off, could kill someone, times in my life, were usually with a ratchet in hand. But when all is said and done, there's a feeling of accomplishment, most people would never know..

Nice work, crazy how it all happened..

Congrats, your all set now!

<°)))>{
 
I try to do what I can in working on my own vehicles in order to save money from high labor costs but it used to be a lot easier with the older vehicles, with these newer cars there are a few things you just can't do (mostly engine work) without expensive tools/equipment which is not worth buying just for extremely occasional use.

I've had older raggedy cars in the past that were not worth putting much money into where I'd actually use coat hangers and duct tape for repairs for things that would not jeopardize safety :lol:
 
I've never enjoyed it, but I've always done all my own work, cost too much for someone else to do it lol.. Some of my most frustrated, pissed off, could kill someone, times in my life, were usually with a ratchet in hand. But when all is said and done, there's a feeling of accomplishment, most people would never know..

Nice work, crazy how it all happened..:laughing:

Congrats, your all set now!

<°)))>{

I've restored several vehicles, of different sorts (cars, trucks, bikes, boats), and actually enjoyed it. Now I dread the thought of it, so I make sure to take care of things as much as possible. Oh, I'm sure I let a couple good ones out today...:laughing:

Agreed, I'm grateful to be able to do my own repairs, and not have to pay someone else, and deal with all the relates hassles.

Thanks!


I try to do what I can in working on my own vehicles in order to save money from high labor costs but it used to be a lot easier with the older vehicles, with these newer cars there are a few things you just can't do (mostly engine work) without expensive tools/equipment which is not worth buying just for extremely occasional use.

I've had older raggedy cars in the past that were not worth putting much money into where I'd actually use coat hangers and duct tape for repairs for things that would not jeopardize safety :lol:

That's by design Gary, they don't want us repairing out own vehicles.

I've got more in this truck than it's worth, '97 Chev C2500 (with HD suspension) regular cab, 5.7 Vortec, it was the exact truck I wanted.

I've since replaced the intake gaskets (notorious for leaking on these) and while I was "in there", replaced the entire spider injection system, I've completely replaced the brake system, including lines and park brake cables, new gas tank and fuel pump, and some ignition components.

So counting what I'd paid for the truck, I've got well-over $6K in a vehicle worth half that. :roll::lol:
 
I enjoy restoring, on my free time...

Forced repairs on my free time are another thing...:yes:

<°)))>{
 
I won't buy a new vehicle and never have bought one, I would rather keep what I have in top condition.

No car payment is a wonderful thing. Our system though will allow, encourage, and approve a $40,000 auto loan for a young person just starting out, finance their student debt, and happily approve a new home loan but won't loan them a dime to repair a used auto of a particular vintage.

Then for the next 30 years they try to figure out how to pay those loans off hoping someday to be free of the burden. Yep, I know. It's how things work. Don't get me started.
 
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Nice repair work! It does my heart good to see this kind of post...!

The amount of money a guy can save by fixing things and maintaining vehicles and households over a typical Life equates to several hundred thousands of dollars that a guy woulda otherwise had to earn twice the amount to afford to pay somebody else to do it...

General maintenance/repair skills are seriously lacking in the youth nowadays....A person develops an 'analytical mind' early in Life I think...how to take things apart and fix them...Theres youtube nowadays where a guy can easily pull up a video of an old man repairing something and do it themselves!....Its one heck of a handy tool for this!
 
Theres youtube nowadays where a guy can easily pull up a video of an old man repairing something and do it themselves!....Its one heck of a handy tool for this!

Yes, I use Youtube all the time for that. Mainly minor stuff. I had a 2005 Dodge caravan where the power side door stopped working. Looked on youtube and there was a video for that exact problem. Easy ten minute fix. Scotty Kilmer is also a good youtube channel for this.
 
Yes, I use Youtube all the time for that. Mainly minor stuff. I had a 2005 Dodge caravan where the power side door stopped working. Looked on youtube and there was a video for that exact problem. Easy ten minute fix. Scotty Kilmer is also a good youtube channel for this.

:laughing::laughing: Scotty Kilmer is the Youtube vehicle repair maestro! Fast and concise! Fuss me..everytime I blow a headlight bulb out of my 2001 Prism, I still google up the easy youtube vids on the easy bulb replacement and tools required...So I dont have to remember how to do it, I just up and google it again! I got other things I need to be remembering...:laughing:

A guy used to have to know all this stuff..a Lifetime of mechanic knowledge! Now all a guy has to do is up and youtube google it!

Hell, I just did my own in home heart bypass proceedure this morning with nothing other than some super glue, a fifth of whiskey, a mirror, some dental floss, and an exacto blade kit!:laughing:
 
Yep you're right Mud, an interesting turn around on the news with pundits expounding upon the mysterious loss of skilled labor in the US today.

In the old days such skills were gained by either OJT or trade schools (vocational). The gap is so wide today that skilled trade graduates now earn more than college grads often without the need to pay back a monster student loan.

How many 18 year old boys today know anything about maintaining a vehicle or anything else for that matter? not many.

Let's see, Parents bought the car, I live at home free, haven't found a job that I'd like to have yet and I'm wondering what the folks will get me for my upcoming 30th birthday?? (it's always something good).

All the while illegal immigrants are filling those vacancies and laughing all the way to the bank of Mexico.
 
Ive worked on many of the 30 or so vehicles I’ve owned since my first car, ‘57 chevy I bought when I was 16 in 1979. Today I have three newer rides and two classics. In my mid-50’s now and have ‘disposable’:lol:income...I can afford to pay someone else to work on ‘em. Not that I don’t want to, just don’t have the time!
 
Yep you're right Mud, an interesting turn around on the news with pundits expounding on the mysterious loss of skilled labor in the US today.

Yeah, lamenting here with you Norm...damndest thing I've ever seen, the tribal knowledge and Human skills lost in such a short time period!...Sad to say, I know guys my age that cant find their way home from work without the GPS in their car telling them when to turn...this is very troubling...Modern technology is great, but not when it erodes the basic fundamental survival and paying attention skills a Human must have to survive..

The modern Day Society illusion is a very fragile structure......Power go out for a week or more?..Yeah...OK....see ya....a guy has to always have a knife and a lighter on hand at all times...at the VERY basics...just to make it through the night...

Folks dont realize what a tough Planet this can be, especially with other People afoot and desperate...the weather dont ever help either, not in a situation, the weather dont ever seem to help...
 
Yeah, lamenting here with you Norm...damndest thing I've ever seen, the tribal knowledge and Human skills lost in such a short time period!...Sad to say, I know guys my age that cant find their way home from work without the GPS in their car telling them when to turn...this is very troubling...Modern technology is great, but not when it erodes the basic fundamental survival and paying attention skills a Human must have to survive..

The modern Day Society illusion is a very fragile structure......Power go out for a week or more?..Yeah...OK....see ya....a guy has to always have a knife and a lighter on hand at all times...at the VERY basics...just to make it through the night...

Folks dont realize what a tough Planet this can be, especially with other People afoot and desperate...the weather dont ever help either, not in a situation, the weather dont ever seem to help...





A very fragile structure indeed .:( Nice going on fixing your vehicle Gauntlet .
 
I won't buy a new vehicle and never have bought one, I would rather keep what I have in top condition.

No car payment is a wonderful thing. Our system though will allow, encourage, and approve a $40,000 auto loan for a young person just starting out, finance their student debt, and happily approve a new home loan but won't loan them a dime to repair a used auto of certain vintage.

Then for the next 30 years they try to figure out how to pay those loans off hoping someday to be free of the burden. Yep, I know. It's how things work. Don't get me started.

When I was in the Army I had just got married and wanted a decent car to drive back and forth from my home to the Army base. I had to replace my Mustang because my new wife couldn't drive a stick and I was stationed in Colorado with a lot of hills. On my pay I just wanted someting basic but they wouldn't give me a loan on that. However they would loan me money on a deluxe model that cost a thousand dollars more with a lot of features I didn't need.
 
A large number of car dealers are the reason birth control should be retroactive:D
 
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