Colorado B.S. Thread

Haven't seen any updates, I wasn't on FB much today. If you're interested you can ask to join, most of the group is in springs

 

Drinking buddies in Nuggies colors

 

Such cute pups

 

I still don't have sliders or skids. The stock plates are gravel guards, not skids, @steve2267 I'd recommend going out on a few runs with us without your truck loaded to get ideas on how you want to go. After we used a winch to help out a Jeep and @YamaDirtrider self-rescued, I'm thinking more about a winch since I tend to go on long road trips on my own and don't have other vehicles to help recover. I will probably get sliders this year but I'm still undecided on that. I have driven some sketchy trails with "no protection" and no spotters, including Schofield Pass and have zero body damage. I drive carefully and am very aware of the size of my truck

 

Exhaust, shocks, & welding...

Has anyone with a lifted Gen 1 who chopped the exhaust off under the bed... had any issues with AirCareColorado when it comes time to get emissions done?

That snooty shock snob (@Squeaky Penguin) prompted me to go look at King, Fox, & Icon rear shocks for a Gen 1. I was surprised to find that Fox and Icon rear shocks only run $100 additional over OME Nitrocharger rear shocks. King didn't have any that inexpensive. BUT, both Fox 2.0 & Icon VS 2.0 shocks appear too short for a 3" lift? What's up with that? What's good a "better" shock if it's not long enough? If the Fox & Icon cost the same, which is better? (Ford vs Chevy?)

How hard is it to learn to weld well enough to weld one's own sliders? How long would it take practicing on scrap? I presume this is done via MIG welding? How large a welding unit is required? Do they show up on eBay or Craigslist often / easy enough? Would you only trust Miller or Lincoln? Which is better? Miller or Lincoln? (Is that like Ford and Chevy?)

 

Since this has been in the conversation recently: I've been considering taking a Wilderness First Aid course (since my CPR training is out-of date anyway); any recommendations on what entity to go with? I was leaning towards NOLS but for Colorado it looks like that ship has sailed for this year (wait-lists).

 

Don't you get that in the SERE course?

 

I was looking at Colorado Mountain College. Supposed to be a good program

 

Unless you're this dude who failed out of SERE and thought the AF was too hard haha
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhMoAkjcEO4&t=2s

 

I've done some training through NOLS and I was very happy with it. You can do the NOLS training through REI if the courses directly through NOLS are full (same course, same instructors, its just setup by REI). Looks like there is one in Ft Collins April 20th and on in the springs on May 18th. Note that the wilderness first aid does not include CPR. So you would have to do your CPR refresh through red cross or something.
https://www.rei.com/events/46423/wilderness-first-aid-with-nols-and-rei/210598
https://www.rei.com/events/46423/wilderness-first-aid-with-nols-and-rei/210603

Another benefit if NOLS is you become a NOLS alumni, which gets you discounts on a bunch of stuff. So I can now walk into La Sportiva in boulder and get 40% off everything. After a few pairs of climbing shoes that alone pays for the course.

 

Wouldn't know...didn't go through it. I was trained on how to adjust my office chair for maximum comfort.

Just kidding. I was a glorified aircraft mechanic. I wanted to be in a combat and/or pilot role, but my eyesight nixed that. So I thought I'd try to do something cool, like work on cutting-edge tech.



It was not cool, and it was not cutting-edge.

Great info, I appreciate it.

 

Depends on your skill set. Can be easy. Or will take a lot of practice
If you goal is to weld on sliders it’s easier/cheeper to pay a local guy (not a shop) than to invest in the machine/ gear/ scrap.

 

Fair enough.

How much should I figure it will cost to have a local guy weld sliders on my '04 DC? (Before welding, does the surface have to be cleaned / prepped? What does that entail? Time with an angle grinder or wire wheel on a drill?)

And, out of curiosity, would this typically be done with a MIG welder?

 

If only we had a local weld guy

 

I can do it for ya. Somthing like that would proably be ~100-150 depending on how much prep and welding.
Defiantly have the frame clean, don’t need to take off paint unless you have the exact spots known. Either tool, I’m more partial to a flap wheel on angle grinder.

Yes, it would be mig welded with shielding gas.

 

Still need to get your truck down here for its cmc

 

Pay someone. I suck at welding and did my own. Turned out ok, but laying under the truck welding overhead when you suck at it isnt fun.

 

I could burn them on for you one weekend

 

This is what I miss about Colorado. People helping people out. Asked about welding in the Montana BS thread and a guy responded with I will do it for $150 for the sliders. @Squeaky Penguin hop in your truck and head up here!