Snowy's 3-Linked 98 Xtra Cab

Now onto the wheeling pictures

 

It was a blast! Trailer doesn't smell awful so no harm! Also glad to hear it lasted the rest of the week. Katie and I were curious if it did. Also how is Brian's transmission?

 

For anyone keeping score at home. Here’s how the full set of old rods and mains looked. Definitely had to be replaced.

 

I have a feeling my neighbors across the street with $300k townhomes and an HOA aren’t going to miss my driveway and yard shenanigans when I move next week

 

Shenanigans

 

It’s official now! Can’t wait to get moved in and do something with the blank canvas of a shop

 

That shop though... jealous.

 

It makes up for years of working in apartment parking lots and single car apartment garages lol

 

Congrats, man! That shop is amazing!

 

Man that's a sweet shop!

 

I talked myself out of spending $10k on a compact utility tractor for grass cutting and general property duties and settled on an 86 JD 318 for $800. It needs deck bearings but runs great so I took a flyer on it at nearly half price of most other 318’s. It’s perfectly imperfect where purists wouldn't want it but still seems to be a great runner. I’ll throw a 3 point hitch and box blade on it for gravel duty and a snow blade for clearing the drive and road this winter. I’ve got major nostalgia for these things since I still remember getting pulled around in a wagon by one as a kid by my grandfather at the farm growing up

Way back when...



And the new to me one

 

I want a bigger property just so i can have a tractor currently looking at land in CO but some of the new laws they just passed affect my work and not sure where to go now. GF doesn't want to do UT but thats the ultimate pick. Minimum 5 acres of land and want more of a log/cabin home is my requirements lol

 

UT would be sweet! I think that's about the only place I would move to out west besides idaho at this point. Damn californians are ruining evreywhere!

 

Yeah we are looking at Colorado and Arizona right now till I can convince her to go back to Utah haha

 

Sweet shop!

 

Congratulations man! One day, I tell myself, I’ll have a nice shop like that, very cool!

...and you can buy a lift with all the money you saved not getting that compact utility tractor

 

Thanks! That's the plan probably late next year to finish out the shop with concrete, heat and AC.

In actual Tacoma news I've been doing some pondering...

I need to do some maintenance in the front end with a LF spring that is starting to sag really bad (2-3" bro lean all the time). They are Rancho 44044's from 2006 so I can't complain about that service life. The U-bolt plates are also starting to warp a little downwards from tension on the u-bolts.

My approach angle has never been great with the long-ish 44044's so I started pondering a shorter spring to replace them, then I remembered that my steering box position keeps me from moving the axle any more forward... So then I pondered moving the box forward to get the tires out of the firewall too... Then I remembered I've got the most expensive part of a 3-link with my coilover shocks already...

Long story short, I'm going to cut the front end off and 3-link the truck this winter. Between buying new leaf springs, u-bolts/plates, etc, it was going to be close enough on cost to make sense to just rip the bandaid off and make my hat bill a little flatter and bro'er.

 

Kind of where I’m at right now. I’ll either use the money to get some custom leaf springs for a smoother more progressive spring rate with some bypass shocks or cut the frame off and 3 link the front.

 

As per usual, nothing new on the Tacoma aside from me driving it for the first time in 2 weeks yesterday.

Finally got an awning installed on the trailer. Beats the hell out of setting up and tearing down my 20’ canopy at the track and camping. Should be great in crappy rainy weather or Africa heat in the sun

 

Party central