The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

Welcome back, nick!

 

Crom is back!!!

 

Long time between posts. Lots of life changes in a small time period kept me extremely busy. My job got quite hectic, my wife's work schedule changed, I had to adapt to that, and then she got a new job altogether, with even more scheduling changes.

I took over most all domestic responsibility for the household. I cook / make 10 meals each day, every day, and do all the grocery shopping, kids laundry, assist my oldest with school work, etc. This is on top of my full time day job.

I had to cancel one summer trip, as my wife is new and needs to accrue time off. We have another scheduled trip for late summer before school restarts.

I have not had any time to go anywhere adventurous in the truck. I think I've put 100 miles on her in the last 4 months. Only time I put in working on truck was replacing swing gate spindle bearings, due to dust and water intrusion, cause of a bad seal I got on the cap.

My kids have kept me really busy with their play dates and birthday parties and what not. I've really enjoyed my new role as house cook, and the art of cooking. It's a great way to be creative. When appropriate, I'll offer to my kids to help out in the kitchen, they usually enjoy that. I've learned so much!

@ETAV8R , @nfs257 , @DVexile , @Bman4X5 , @GHOST SHIP All checked in on me at one time or another to make sure I wasn't dead on the side of the road when I had to drop off the internets. lol thanks guys!

Things have calmed down now and I'm feeling more in a groove.

Hoping to do more fun stuff in the truck later this year.

 

Much respect, Nick. That's a lot of effort that you're putting in.

Glad to hear you and yours are doing well during the transition!

 

Glad to see your good, like reading your posts.

 

Great to have you back, Nick! Hope things continue to settle and you get to use the truck more come the pleasant fall months.

 

Glad you're back in action!

 

Be grateful that your children are potty trained! Just guessing.

Looking forward to more of your outdoor adventures (even if they are infrequent).

 

Good to have you back Nick. I hear you on the home duties. My girls are just a bit older than yours and my wife works full time so yea it gets crazy busy around the house. Other than a Joshua Tree trip in April I haven't much fun in the truck either. Here's a few pics in your honor. Hope you don't mind.

 

he's alive!

 

You have sorely tested my ability to mind my own business! Great to hear things are as they should be, and wonderful to see you post up. I still have a brand new Trasharoo in the garage with your name on it. I think, with the summer off, that I'll just drive it on down. Expect a call, brother.

 

Welcome back! Thanks to your postings I decided to tackle drilling my Dakar pack for leaf spring isolators. After knocking out a dozen holes in spring steel I can say without a doubt that the $50 you paid to have it done was a bargain.

 

I'm gearing up for a crom-esque rear suspension installl, so the that's on my list... did you use a drill press?

And, glad you are back, @Crom ! Just got our oldest through high school, so 1/3 of the way to an empty nest... kids are awesome but a lot of hard work!

 

Glad you're back Nick! With 3 young kids and lots of work commitments between my wife I, projects and trips are hard to find time for.

 

@Crom those spindles look amazing! Def gunna go with this over other options.

Did you just take your stock ones off on a weekend and send them over?

 

also @Crom when you say you greased the lowers during the cam tab install what do you mean?

 

My drill press only goes down to 300 rpm and that was still too fast. I ended up drilling the majority of the holes with a corded hand drill spinning the bits super slowly and using copious amounts of oil to keep it cool. If you go this route start with a really small bit then step it up very gradually. That was the method that worked best for me.

 

Hmmm... a $4 cobalt steel bit or two may find it's way to my toolchest... McMaster also sells straight flute carbide-tipped bits just for this purpose, but they're $17 ea!