What Have You Done To Your 3rd Gen Today?

Awesome, thank you. Im probably most nervous about leaks and creasing the headliner.

 

What mirror is that!?!?!

 

Oil change and Tire Rotation

 

Here’s a picture of the new front hitch

 

Your truck looks really nice. Not overdone, just right.

 

Thanks! I appreciate it!

 

FINALLY found the noise.

So, I had my serpentine belt replaced at 86K around 2 weeks ago. A day later, I noticed this metallic rattle sound coming from the front of my truck periodically at very low speed, usually when accelerating from a complete stop. The noise was very inconsistent and I could not find a pattern to reproduce. I naturally thought it must be related to the belt change since I had not heard the sound before. I checked the belt, and everything looked normal, no weird vibration I could detect, no change in how the engine sounded at any speed, truck was running completely normal. Thought maybe something in the suspension, got under the truck and check the usual things, everything look good, nothing cracked, no play in the wheel. Banged around on skid plates, nothing obvious. Again, I could not reproduce the noise, just seemed to happen randomly, and it was hard to tell from listening exactly where it was originating. Finally, driving down the alley behind my house with the windows down I heard it again...this time definitely could tell it was more towards drivers side. So I took off the skid plates, they did have some very minor damage from prior off-roading, and I was thinking maybe somehow they were making contact with the frame or support bars or something. Drove it around for awhile and again, noise occurred. Aha moment! Got under the truck to check my cat shields and rock sliders - maybe bolt loose or something similar, but everything was tight. Got out my hammer and started tapping around on the driver side cat shield - BINGO - it would vibrate just for a second and make the noise. I checked for any loose bolts but all where fine - however, the way this shield is installed this front section isn't attached to anything. Just has a rubber grommet on the back side which acts as a spacer between the shield and the frame. Not sure what changed recently but there was enough play in this section where the spacer isn't providing enough gap/pressure against the frame allowing it to vibrate slightly where the highlighted edge would contact the frame. So I just put another rubber grommet between the old one and the frame - problem solved. I guess long term I'll need to have a few extras on hand as the original grommets deteriorate from wear.

 

Installed the Suma Performance mirrors. It is going to take me awhile to adjust to them.

 

They have a Kevlar sidewall layer now too, so hopefully these are even better.

 

My lord, thats a beauty. What are the wheel specs and what size tire are you running?

 

i have it and the cable washers..... seems to be a well designed product

 

use the quote when replying ......and he was talking about another type of lock

 

anything can be defeated

 

being cheap with a tailgate lock will get you robbed.......you need more than one deterrent

 

I worry about them little bastards crawling up my hinder parts! Has not happened so far, but...... ;-)

 

Are you still alive? That's a potent dose of stuff that kills/

On the bright side, worms will shy away from your corpse. ;-)

 

Don't even try it. Good luck if you try anyway.