Yeah, yeah, yeah.... I bring a wireless inspection camera with recording capability for show and tell, and Ken brings a light. Everybody mobbed to the light... like moths.

 

Truck looks good Ken. I like your shop also, especially how clean it is. Mine is 48x56, with a 12x24 spray booth and a 12x24 bay for the dually. My problem is the main section is always covered in dust. Its a wood shop.

 

Ken's shop is a wood shop as well, hence "woodnthings". I believe that central shop vac with an outlet to every power tool keeps the dust way down. You can see the big white pipe for the vac conduit in the background of one of his shop pictures. He even has one pipe to the ground with a scoop opening - this is used with a valve and he sweeps the floor into the vacuum. No picking up and dumping - really cool.

 

Truck looks awesome Ken. Any special tools needed to put the lift on?

 

Thanks! The only special tool was the pitman arm puller. It's not even a special tool IMO. They are available for under $30 and can be rented at most auto parts stores for free. You will need some bigger wrenches for the pitman arm nut.

I did "document" the whole process with pictures, so I will put together a "how to" to share. As many people who have done lifts know, the instructions are pretty basic with no extra details. Anyone with a good mechanical aptitude can do this.

 

hmmmm........nice fishing poles

 

And did you see the RC plane?? Only thing I don't like is those rakes and shovels. Those sort of things are not allowed in my garage.

 

There is a wide variety of "stuff" in my shop! I can pretty much amuse "all ages" in my shop!

 

Your right Rich, dust collectors due help. I have one on each side of the shop connected to all the machines, but cutting MDF and the vinyl products creates dust as if a flour bomb went off. I open the overhead door and place a 48in. fan in the opening and blow the dust out with a leaf blower. Standing outside, it looks like the place is on fire, and its still dusty!

 

New shoes looking great! Attractive combo and Goldilocks size, juuust right.

Garage envy too, lots of space. Is that Peter (Duck Fan) on the right? I've never seen him without a wrench in his hand.

 

No, that's not Peter. He hasn't been able to make the two state drive for a tech day at my house. We have worked side by side before and your right about his wrenching ability. He's a great guy to have around when the tools are slinging.

 

So how are those big tires in the snow? I always thought they were more like ski's.

 

Wider tires with more contact can be helpful in the snow. The more surface area you have, the better you are to spread the weight out. Tread pattern seems to be the best deal for snow/mud. That helps with traction on it. So far there isn't much good for ice and an 8500# truck trying to stop!

 

Yeah... we just had an ice storm warning. My master plan was to stick with the Prius because FWD is better than RWD or 4WD - but AWD is about the best on ice (I don't have a vehicle with that). Without studded tires, I figured it would be less of a mess on some of the hills around here (inertia can be a bugger). Of course... there's always the aspect of being in a tank (Superduty) and protected from those less experienced with ice driving.