2018 Annual B.S. Thread!
Lead Driver
Joined: Mar 2013
Posts: 7,460
Likes: 85
From: Kent Station, WA
I am interested on how those bull rings work out for you. Been wanting something like this too for my little Ranger since I do a lot of hauling / travel between Seattle and Spokane to work on my daughter's house. Need more than just the corner tie downs that come stock with the truck. Just looked at my Ranger and wonder how strong the bull rings will be with just the sheet metal. Something that popped into my minds was some aluminum box tubing that could drop in (and out) of the pocket with a hole drilled and a carabiner. I don't really know, just wonderin'.
Here ya about cooking and reading ... it is my job to cook dinner nearly every day, something I actually look forward to doing.
I am not a real big sports addict, though I like to watch the occasional game on tv or catch a game or two of Gonzaga basketball ... for the most part I work on projects around the house.
My thoughts ? Hmmm, need to get more local folks to meet up. Not very often, just maybe once every three months. I remember a very, very long time ago (about 12 years ago) meeting with a couple FTE guys for pizza and beer. Great simple and short get together. Still remember it. Somewhere within less than a 20 minute drive. Anything longer for a short meet and greet is too far. From these small meetings can chat about a larger local meeting (sharing info with other small groups) getting together for an afternoon/evening further away ... like an hour drive or so away. Might be nice to share some pics from gatherings to post here.
Gonna think on this some more ...
I am not a real big sports addict, though I like to watch the occasional game on tv or catch a game or two of Gonzaga basketball ... for the most part I work on projects around the house.
My thoughts ? Hmmm, need to get more local folks to meet up. Not very often, just maybe once every three months. I remember a very, very long time ago (about 12 years ago) meeting with a couple FTE guys for pizza and beer. Great simple and short get together. Still remember it. Somewhere within less than a 20 minute drive. Anything longer for a short meet and greet is too far. From these small meetings can chat about a larger local meeting (sharing info with other small groups) getting together for an afternoon/evening further away ... like an hour drive or so away. Might be nice to share some pics from gatherings to post here.
Gonna think on this some more ...
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 27,307
Likes: 549
From: Spanaway
We have so many things to do around here other than BIG sports stuff.
We have water and mountains along with everything in between to go to and
thing to do. It's a wonder that people even show up to anything.
We have water and mountains along with everything in between to go to and
thing to do. It's a wonder that people even show up to anything.
Cargo Master
Joined: Apr 2010
Posts: 3,274
Likes: 4
From: Seattle area
Exactly Sean. I don't get it. We have the ocean, rain forest, mountains, desert ... for the most part free to enjoy. I could never understand paying big money for tickets and parking to fight the crowds, stand in line (food and bathroom) to watch an event that is too far away from me to actually see and enjoy. Guess that is why I cherry pick what events to watch on tv from the comforts of home ... with instant replays and closeups.
Guess I am getting old. I am okay with that.
Guess I am getting old. I am okay with that.
How many post here on even a semi-regular basis? I come and go as well as my time permits...sure seems like we’d have a more active forum with that many people.
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 27,307
Likes: 549
From: Spanaway
I would hazard a guess of about 10.
Sort of sucks. Something you guys can't see but I can is the
number of people that join and post once or twice and that is it.
I did weed out the ones that joined and never posted and had
been on FTE for some time with just a handful of posts in years.
Most had not posted in more than 4 or 5 years plus.
Sort of sucks. Something you guys can't see but I can is the
number of people that join and post once or twice and that is it.
I did weed out the ones that joined and never posted and had
been on FTE for some time with just a handful of posts in years.
Most had not posted in more than 4 or 5 years plus.
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,951
Likes: 7
From: pacific northwest
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Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 965
Likes: 36
From: Greater Seattle area
I gotta do u-joints on the Ex one of these days soon. The big guy is doin' the whole squeak-squeak thing driving down the road. Blasted everything with grease and that got me by a few days, but the squeak is back again. Looks like the rear most u-joint has been replaced, but all the others could totally be the originals for what I can tell with visual inspection.
I love going to Seahawks games - I make it down to 2-4 games a season (I'm in Blue Pride, the waitlist for season tickets, so I get deals on face-value tickets). I've got parking lots south of the stadium figured out, so I have no problem getting the big rig down there and parked, just gotta be willing to shell out approximately $50 a game. The wife is also a die-hard, so it is great fun for us to be there together whoopin' and hollerin' with everybody else. Traffic-wise, it's no different to me than my daily Redmond work commute or towing out of town on Memorial Day Weekend, so I can put up with it. I'm just not the type of guy that makes it out to get-togethers in general. I'm either at work, behind a computer, or with immediate family that keeps me very busy. Getting out for anything else is very difficult. =P
I love going to Seahawks games - I make it down to 2-4 games a season (I'm in Blue Pride, the waitlist for season tickets, so I get deals on face-value tickets). I've got parking lots south of the stadium figured out, so I have no problem getting the big rig down there and parked, just gotta be willing to shell out approximately $50 a game. The wife is also a die-hard, so it is great fun for us to be there together whoopin' and hollerin' with everybody else. Traffic-wise, it's no different to me than my daily Redmond work commute or towing out of town on Memorial Day Weekend, so I can put up with it. I'm just not the type of guy that makes it out to get-togethers in general. I'm either at work, behind a computer, or with immediate family that keeps me very busy. Getting out for anything else is very difficult. =P
Posting Guru
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 1,951
Likes: 7
From: pacific northwest
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 27,307
Likes: 549
From: Spanaway
I was told by a parts guy never use the greasable U-joints in the rear of a diesel do to all the torque.
He also told me he was not making more money by telling me that. The greasable ones cost more
and fail more often. When I do U-joints I have not used any with grease fittings for years do to that
fact and the fact that the cross passages always seem to have one that has plugged up. So it I have
to disassemble the stupid thing to clean out a plug I may as well replace it. With the diesels it come
in handy to have a bal joint press to remove and install the U-joints. And if your well stocked for tools
you may have the U-joint tool to use with the balljoint press that helps to keep you from bending the
ears of the yokes.
He also told me he was not making more money by telling me that. The greasable ones cost more
and fail more often. When I do U-joints I have not used any with grease fittings for years do to that
fact and the fact that the cross passages always seem to have one that has plugged up. So it I have
to disassemble the stupid thing to clean out a plug I may as well replace it. With the diesels it come
in handy to have a bal joint press to remove and install the U-joints. And if your well stocked for tools
you may have the U-joint tool to use with the balljoint press that helps to keep you from bending the
ears of the yokes.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 27,307
Likes: 549
From: Spanaway
The weight of the vehicle and the load it pulls has a lot to do with life span.
Also the grade of part that you put in adds to that. Also if it;s a boat and you
are backing into the water. Salt water being the worst.
Also the grade of part that you put in adds to that. Also if it;s a boat and you
are backing into the water. Salt water being the worst.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 965
Likes: 36
From: Greater Seattle area
Yup, we've got a u-joint press already. Between Turbo (lurker brother-in-law), a buddy in Monroe, and I we have a plethora of tools and a Harbor Freight or Amazon Prime order usually resolves cases of missing tools pretty quick with us =P
My Ex is almost ready to clock 222K and from what I've researched that's reasonable lifespan to expect potential U-Joint failure. Agreed with Yahiko about the type of U-Joint to buy, I'd lean toward the super-strength sealed greased components, probably Moog, instead of the injectable ones. They've been shown to be more durable simply because the construction is simpler, more solid, and contains fewer failure points. Looks like all my u-joints are sealed on my Ex currently, when I said I greased them I simply blasted a grease gun at them from under the rig while rotating the drivelines fully expecting it to only quiet the rig for a day or two, which is exactly what it did. Allowed me to drive down into downtown Seattle last Friday night without squeaking all the way down 2nd street for all to see. I mean, if I'm gonna drive this loud beast downtown, I want it to sound good, not like it's gonna throw a part out the bottom any minute =P
My Ex is almost ready to clock 222K and from what I've researched that's reasonable lifespan to expect potential U-Joint failure. Agreed with Yahiko about the type of U-Joint to buy, I'd lean toward the super-strength sealed greased components, probably Moog, instead of the injectable ones. They've been shown to be more durable simply because the construction is simpler, more solid, and contains fewer failure points. Looks like all my u-joints are sealed on my Ex currently, when I said I greased them I simply blasted a grease gun at them from under the rig while rotating the drivelines fully expecting it to only quiet the rig for a day or two, which is exactly what it did. Allowed me to drive down into downtown Seattle last Friday night without squeaking all the way down 2nd street for all to see. I mean, if I'm gonna drive this loud beast downtown, I want it to sound good, not like it's gonna throw a part out the bottom any minute =P