Zero Knievel

Well, thankfully I should not need to do the front ones. The load on the front wheels is constant, and the rear wasn't sagging UNLESS it was loaded with a few hundred pounds. When I saw how much my RS + ramps made it sag, I knew the springs weren't doing their job. I only saw that happen before when I REALLY loaded down the truck. Now a few hundred pounds was enough.

The debate between helper springs, new springs, etc. came down to the issue that if the OEM springs were shot, it would be better to replace them with good springs than patch with helpers or supplemental parts. Cost-wise, the money wasn’t that different. I’m replacing with the strongest springs compatible with my truck. As far as shipping goes, you take what they offer. I don’t know why some items got discounts and not others, but considering my employer pays $16 to ship a half-pound mailer to Richmond from Bristol via UPS, I’d expect two four-leaf springs plus all parts to be a significant amount of weight to ship. Maybe a business would get discounted or free shipping, but residential addresses didn’t. I am also dealing with a company that came recommended by others on the Ford enthusiast forum. I could try to shop around to save a few bucks, but since I can do the work myself, I’d rather trust the recommendations.

With “new” meaning $40K minimum, some work will be money well-invested as it’ll be a few years before I’m ready to actually sign papers.

I’ll take a look, then.

FYI, I just dropped $800+ for new rear springs and hardware. Shipping was about $150. https://www.sdtrucksprings.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=7587

Nissans have had consistently bad reviews of late. Don’t know of anyone who has been happy with theirs lately. Maybe their trucks fare better. Last time I looked at one, it was nice, but didn’t fit right.

Toyota will supposedly have a new small truck next year…similar to the Maverick. Good thing I’m in no rush….

15.

Maybe the better question is what sources do you trust for reliable data on makes, models, features of a vehicle you are considering. The most I know of it to find a forum for the vehicle and see what current owners and enthusiasts have to say…however, that does come with the risk of getting opinions skewed to the favorable side.

Okay....so if YOU were considering a vehicle that used turbochargers, what questions would YOU ask before buying and what answers would make you take a hard pass? For the Prius, if I had found out the big battery would die by 100K and there wouldn't be aftermarket options, it would be a no-go for me....but they are quite reliable, there's a maintenance hack to maximize life, and aftermarket batteries were already coming out before I bought it. I've been fortunate to never own a lemon, but it's not luck...a lot of research is needed to know if a platform is good or sketchy, and everything goes out the window if the manufacturer does a whole redesign of the product.

http://www.truckinsiders.com/truck-blog/3-5l-ecoboost-problems/ Granted, this all applied to the first generation, but for what these trucks go for new, I'd like to know up front if I need to do mods to prevent issues still existing because Ford hasn't corrected for it. Keep in mind that it is frequently more difficult to get honest and unbiased reviews of things online. Most sources shill for one party or another.

Yes, and I've heard that many, many models of them wind up crapping up, require modification, or end up being a maintenance headache. I know efforts were made to improve the quality and eliminate the need for complex and frequent maintenance, but there are still horror stories at how they wind up being more trouble than they are worth. I'd like to think that if Ford "owner proofed" the ecoboost technology, they'd employ it on all motors and platforms, but there I go being silly and assuming auto makers use common sense. By contrast, I didn't even consider buying a Prius until the 3rd Generation (they were generally good from day one, but lots of improvements were made by the 3rd Generation models), AND Toyota insisted that all Prius are made in Japan under strict quality control because it's a flagship product. Consider that Toyota (last I heard) is starting to have their trucks assembled in Mexico...and the quality is being similarly impacted. If a Turbo was drop-dead reliable needing nothing more than regular fluid changes I could do myself, I'd consider it. I buy vehicles to keep for 10+ years and 100K+ miles. I don't want to get a maintenance/repair nightmare.

No, but I didn't want to do it when it was so cold I'd need a coat.

Bought the supplies months ago but just now finished once the weather cooperated and I could whittle away at it a bit at a time. Added four 100 watt (equivalent) LED floods to the attic so I don’t need a flashlight. Also added a power outlet.

Yep…so I have to fabricate a solution? 🥺

Geez....ever making the case to put a few thousand $$$ into fixing up my '98 Mazda.

The ceiling vents in my house, frankly, weren't well-installed. The vent metal isn't always square, and in removing some to clean them of mold, I was amazed I was able to get them back in. Do they make a "vent housing" that would fit in the ceiling hole and provide a sturdy base for the vent to be attached when the installer did a sloppy job in the vent shape/hole in ceiling. I don't know what such things would be called.

Looking about at new trucks, many are employing some form of turbo booster (EcoBoost or otherwise) to get more power from smaller engines and better MPG. Clearly, any such hardware is just one more thing that can go wrong. So, what do people know about these things? Things to look for? Versions to avoid? Regular maintenance needed to ensure no trouble during lifetime of vehicle? Mods suggested to prevent mechanical problems as the vehicle ages?

Does the insert terminate before the end of the hole? If so, try anything long enough with a lip (think nail head). Catch the edge and see if you can gently work it back out enough...hopefully enough to grip something on your end to more effectively pry.

I have that in my textile suit. Not bad…not great. Hope to never test it. The back armor was split from shipping with the jacket…which makes me wonder how “good” it is in a crash.

Anyone else disgusted by how great deals pop up just after you no longer need (or can afford) them? 🥺

If the formula is different, can it still be called WD-40?

Well, you could also go into an unfinished attic...whichever is a shorter distance to the air handler.

I think it’s more where you want the air handler installed. For units installed in drop ceilings, the return is usually in the ceiling. Ours is in the garage (under the house), so a return vent in a wall above the unit was the ideal spot. I suppose it could go either way if the unit is installed in a closet on the main floor.

My return is horizontal, but the lip is there to prevent the filter being sucked into they return vent.