Share with us what YOU"VE learned the hard way...

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1) Do not tow a trailer carrying a 3/4 ton truck with a 1/2 ton truck. No matter how tough you think your truck is -- when you come up to a stop sign and hit the brakes you'll just keep on going.

2) When 4-wheeling in the dry river bed -- at night -- at 50 mph -- keep your eyes open for well casings protruding up out of the sand. They do terrible things to your undercarriage.

3) When 4-wheeling in the same river -- at night -- in 2" of water -- do not try to come back in your same tire tracks you made going. The river might look 2" deep but in reality it's 15' deep under the sand. When you step out of your truck in your new Tony Lamas, with your exhaust under water going blub-blub-blub, and watch your tires spin slowly while your axles rest on the sand, you'll know why.

4) When you FINALLY flag down someone willing to go to town and bring back help after getting stuck in the 2" deep river (6 other trucks to be exact - it was a very boring town) don't let them venture into the same river to pull you out. No matter if they do drive a "built to the hilt Chevy", they'll eventually be stuck right along with you. (5 of my buddies managed to get their Chevy’s stuck before the last guy, in a Ford, pulled us out from the bank. Me first of course).

5) And finally -- when you don't listen to the above advice and DO get stuck in the 2" deep river do yourself a favor -- do it with people you like. When I did it, it was with my girlfriend (now wife), my buddy Dennis and his "girlfriend from hell" Barbara. It's a good thing my buddies came around to help when they did because if I had to hear Barbara whine, "I'm cold - I'm tired – I want to go home" one more time...................

 

When cleaning something with a wire wheel DON'T wear gloves. Loose wires sticking off the side of wheel = dislocated thumb.

When loosening a REALLY tight lug nut, be sure none of your fingers are wrapped around the side of the lug wrench that will soon be moving downward at a VERY high rate of speed, with A LOT of body weight behind it. Once again = broken finger.

Whenever working on an older Ford P/U where the hood latch is part of the hood, said latch will always be immediately behind your head every time you stand up. Always. This = headache/possible bleeding/possible concussion if standing is closely preceded by grabbing the coil wire of a running truck.

Don't grab the coil wire of a running vehicle. This is an especially bad idea with an older Ford truck (see previous).

When your heater is stuck "ON" it's a bad idea to drive your truck during the summer. This = heat sickness.

If one of your friends asks to borrow your truck and they say they can drive a stick, expect to put a clutch in it the next day. (He was actually pretty good driving a 5 speed car. I guess only having 3 speeds to choose from was too much for him to handle). This = said friend lying on the ground with a wrench in his hand as you tell him what bolts to undo.

Be sure the jack you have in your truck will fit under the front I-beam of your truck with a flat tire. The one that came with my truck was great for rear tires, but when the front tire went flat the jack was too tall to lift the truck by the I-beam and at full extension was too short to get the truck high enough to put the wheel back on. This = an hour of jacking, stacking rocks, lowering, jacking, stacking rocks, lowering, to change ONE FRIGGIN' TIRE.

Whenever your manual choke truck has to go into a shop BE SURE they know that it's a manual choke. It had to go in for a safety inspection. This = sump full of gas/melted starter solenoid/dead battery/huge argument with the owner/multiple complaints being filed with the BBB.

Whenever you take your truck with a granny gear in to be emissions tested BE SURE the guy that'll be running it on the dyno knows not to use first gear. This = me almost strangling the emissions tester when the over-rev light on my tach came on and he kept pushing the gas further ("But the speedo didn't even say 10 mph. I thought the tach was off").

Those are my lessons for today, I'm sure I'll have more. I just need to remember them.

 

When dove hunting with a friend in your Dad's brand new '77 F-250, make sure your friend, who has the barrel of a 12 gauge pump nosed into the floor board, doesn't have a shell in the chamber while going over a bump. I can tell you from experience, it's really hard to effectively explain why there's a silver dollar sized hole in the floorboard and the truck is sitting on the spare -- especially when you "borrowed" your Dad's new truck while he was at work.

Oh ya, just for future reference, 1 3/4 ounces of bird shot at point blank range is REALLY hard on a tire.

 

Some things I just keep on learning the hard way. Like this weekend.

IF IT AIN'T BROKE -- DON'T FIX IT.

I decided to clean the MAF sensor on my car that was working fine thank you. Sprayed the element with Blue Shower, an electronic component cleaner that leaves no residue.

Car started running rough.... and got worse. About $225 for rebuilt MAF and it runs great... again.

 

1. Never drive fast on an abondoned logging road when it's rainy. I decided to play Rallye Racing on this road when I slid into a ditch.

I could have sworn that I passed a fishing lodge a few miles back, so I took a banana and a beer and walked. Yea right. 12 miles later, there it was (Spruce Grove Lodge). The owner drove me to my truck and pulled me out. He only charged me $25.00. Rented a cabin for the night.

At least I got to see the Kamloops area in that part of British Columbia.


2. Never pop the clutch at a busy crosswalk thinking it's in neutral. People get agitated when your bumper taps them.

 

When the safety rules says "no loose clothing while operating lathe", it means exactly that, and that includes gloves where the finger tips extent a little past your finger. I'm talking about a machine shop lathe but the rules apply to any size lathe or machinery.

While cleaning up a piece of 1" tubing in a lathe with a strip of emery cloth, that little extra length of glove on the tip of the right thumb will get caught between the cloth and the tube if you let your hand get to close to your work. With the lathe set at high speed, it will grab that piece of leather in the blink of an eye and pull you in so fast, slaming you up against the lathe, while wraping your thumb backward around the tube and with your wrist bent almost backwards. If you're lucky the drive belts from the motor are just loose enough to start slipping as you pull back and hold fast against the pain. The lathe as bogged down and stoped turning and the drive belts squeal against the motor pully. You realize in an instant that before your thumb breaks and your wrists snaps in two, further pulling you in as your arm is jerked out of its socket, and if your luck holds out, you can still reach the shut off button with your left hand, since no one else knows the bad situation you've gotten yourself into to help you.

After killing the power, slowly turn the lathe backwards with your good hand to unwrap the glove with your thumb inside from the tubing. Gently remove glove and check thumb for signs of breakage, knuckles, thumbnail and wrist movement. After several minutes your realize nothing looks broken. You may have to go sit down as you feel a little nausea. Keep checking, everything is starting to work now, thumb moves, wrist moves, thumbnail intact.

As you sit there the realization of what just happen sinks in and and the realization of what could have happen sinks in deeper. You take a deep breath. You say a little prayer, thanking God for that little miracle and keeping you safe from your stupidity. Because you knew better. You thought you wouldn't let your hand with that glove get close enought to get caught, then BAM! You'll be back to work tomorrow.

 

Always wear safety goggles.

Almost lost an eye. Using a nail gun when I pulled the trigger twice in the same location. That nail hit my eyebrow.

Sat for a minute and contemplated if that nail had hit my eye, I'd be driving/walking with my head turned slightly to one side to see where I was heading to.

I'm amazed when I watch some of these home improvement shows where they're using these nail guns and no eye protection.

 

You know...that old, weathered wooden extension ladder that was in your garage when you moved-in? The one that was probably stored outside when your grandfather was a kid? The one that you've used a couple of times through the years, but didn't really like it because it gave you slivers? The one that was just like the one you saw the Azteks using to build their temples on the History Channel? Yea...THAT one. About every other garage on the block has one. Take my advice...BURN IT.
It could break out from under you, while you're half-way up, carrying a sheet of OSB...resulting in a shattered heel, and messed-up sub-taylor joint. This would require surgery, time in a wheel chair, months in a cast, and a life of foot pain. Take it from me.

MR

 

Be awake and aware of your suroundings and wear the proper safety equipment. I was using a nail gun to put up a board above me and a 1 1/2 inch nail went all but 1/16 through 4 inches of wood. If it had gone through, who knows what it would have come down on. The first time I used a nail gun, the nail hit a knot and bent, and shot out just barely touching my knee (not even enough to draw blood). Mother works for an eye surgeon and would freak out if she knew that my father and I have nail/brad guns, as the story she told us about the guy who came in and the nail gun had shot through the glasses. They had to remove the eye, nail, plastic fragments, and rebuild the socket. I learned the reasons they stoped selling the double firing guns.

 

If you can afford the few extra bucks, buy composite handled shovels, axes, rakes, etc.

If I had a dime for every wood handle I've replaced......

 

*Good real estate deals; you snooze you loose

*Not buying into well researched stock/mutual fund picks; again, you snooze you loose

*Not walking away from a car deal when I was young and not as knowledgeable/agressive as I am now (paid a bit too much)

*Not asking a few of the right questions along with not getting honest answers on job interviews

 

This did not happen to me but I watched as it took place.

If you see a guy peeing by what looks like an electric fence, DO NOT startel him by placing your hand on his shoulder (ladies). If you do he will jump, thus directing his urine onto the wire, effectivly shocking him through an orphis he did not want to be shock through. Also while your hand is on his shoulder you will be shocked, but the worst part is that he will be in so much pain he will probably try and turn away from the fence and the starteler will most likely get urinated on.

 

If you live on top of a really big hill, and you have a serious ice storm in the winter...don't stomp around the street to see if you're really breaking the ice up with your pickup. It could cause a compound spiral fracture, lay you up for...oh, about six months...cause you to surf the net a lot and find places like FTE. It could also have lasting effects, like having to travel on airplanes with a release slip explaining why your titanium rod is lighting up the metal detectors.

Skip the first part and just pour yourself another hot-buttered rum, crank up the furnace, and then surf the net.

 

Skip the first part and just pour yourself another hot-buttered rum, crank up the furnace, and then surf the net.
Well only because you said so...

 

Dont tow a 8x50 mobile home with a Bronco. It will tow it, but it won't stop or steer very well down a muddy dirt road hill.

When you dont make the corner and side over the edge of the road the mobile home hitch will support a Bronco long enough for you get out.