finally getting my truck, 2,000 mile drive, what tools

[Headshot zod]

Oo. I am finally getting my truck. Oo.



I found one up in Canada (SK). I'll be driving down to Drury Missouri (GREASEL), back up Chicago to see some family and then across to New Jersey. What tools/parts other then my leatherman, should I be bringing? Just in case something happens. Any ideas would be appreciated.....

 

[tugboatphil]

What are you getting and how many miles on it? Are you driving out or flying? If driving:



A jack that is usable, a tire patch kit and one of those plug-in air compressors. A fuel filter wouldn't hurt. If the belt looks iffy, change it before you start (3/8 " breaker bar and 9/16" wrench)



What Exit in Jersey? I spent a year at 14C (Hoboken), in a shipyard.



Oh yeah! Your copy of the TDR Travel Companion!

 

[CDegner]

OK, I'm confused. What is the 9/16" wrench for? I've put on 2 belts on my truck as well as several on others and never needed a wrench.

Originally posted by tugboatphil

If the belt looks iffy, change it before you start (3/8 " breaker bar and 9/16" wrench)

 

[tugboatphil]

Oh yeah! I forgot that I had been doing my belt changes backwards for 10 years. This caused me to break 2 tensioners and start the post about all the mistakes.



Forget the wrench

 

[JLEONARD]

A cell phone and a road atlas. That's all you'll need. Really.

But it wouldn't hurt to change the belt if needed, do a good inspect of the hoses and change anything that's soft feeling... so you'll need the tools to do that in an autozone (or whatever) parking lot. A couple quarts of good 15-40 diesel rated oil (whatever the PO had been using) some antifreeze and water.

Change the fuel filter before you start if possible.

As long as the truck runs ok, brakes work ok, you should be fine. Put the hammer down and make some time.

I run 70 to 75 on the highway, the truck just loves it there... also gives some room when you need a burst.

Make sure the radio plays LOUD... .

 

[Headshot zod]

1992 D250 Diesel Long Box, 2wd, Diesel, 252,964 kms (157,184. 493644 miles) White, 5. 9L, I6 Cummins Turbo Diesel, 5-speed manual, air, tilt, am/fm radio. The only thing additional to make this perfect would have been cruise control and a t-rex suspension



$5,989. 77 as of the Banco De Canadar noontime currency converter.



I was looking for a super basic s-speed truck that wasn't molested for towing or bombed. It had to be a 91. 5-93. Less then 200k miles. What a nightmare trying to find one.



I almost had a similar one in Puyallup, Wa$hington State at Larsen Dodge. But when he found out I was flying in from Jersey. I was told 2 days later it was sold. I then found it for sale on another website with the price jacked from $6,995 to $7,995. He was ready to part with it for $6350. 00. Its not on their website anymore. So I am not sure what the story is.



What exit? DOH! lol... ... clearly Phil you have spent too much time in NJ. 14c I used to work down there. I did 5. 5 months under the Hudson River in the train tunnels to Ground Zero. I Love 14c... ... Although, I live with in 5 miles of route 4, route 17, route 80, NJ Turnpike and the Parkway



Pop-up ad alert... This pic makes a decent desktop for your computer. Especially If you like night construction shots.



Ground Zero pic from last May



I'll be driving, so I am pretty doomed to hand tools. Atlas I have. I haven't needed a cell phone in 7 years. But every time I get within an hour of my family in Naperville I suddenly need one. Must be an Illinois thing.



I never thought about the oil (aside from checking it). Good call.



I'll pray the radio works. I love Nascar Radio, Elwood Blues jazz show and Dee Snyder's Show. I can't get them back here.



In 18 years nobody has ever suggested a tire patch kit, especially if it doesn't have a spare. I'll need too check it. Pity it (spare tire) won't fit in the overhead compartment.....



I was going to try some bio blends on the way back. But it usually clogs up your filter in the first 100 miles as it cleans your system out. What wrench size and where is that thing located?



Already have my TDR companion, which is about the most useful thing I've ever seen. I also recieved my first TDR mag in 9 years yesterday. Damn... ... . I remember when that thing was as big as the Genos catalog. Congrats on the mag improvements.



Thanks for the great info.



Phil ever go to the Tugboat festival here in NYC... .

 

[MMiller]

Fuel filter is behind the injection pump on the side of the engine, partially hidden by the master cylinder and cruise control thingy.



At least check the oil level in the rear diff, and the transmission, they are gonna get some miles. Has the truck been sitting, or been somebodies daily driver??



When you drive through IOWA swing in and Ill show you some secret tuning tricks to have fun with on the way home. Where in heck in missery are you going? I live in the southeastern part of Iowa. I'd pm you my cell number if you want it for insurance. I have a first gen, a trailer and will travel for a fellow TDR memeber(within limits) I have to hold down a job ya know!



Good luck on the new ride. Is it gonna be a tow vehicle or ya gonna make it fit in the ram charger in your signature?



Serously though, stop in if you get a chance, might throw some iowa fed t-bones on the grill for dinner.



Michael

 

[Headshot zod]

MMiller thanks... I'm going down to Mo. to get a rather large aux tank. I hope to have it squared away tomorrow



Southeastern Iowa... . How far are ya from Ainsworth? I know Iowa has great local steaks... ... ... .



Daily driver/veg oil conversion here after known as the "BIO-BOMBer"

 

[bgilbert]

Hz, welcome to the clan. It's good to see more members with the old power wagons and ram chargers. Why is your 73 deceased? Surprising you couldn't find one closer to you, you were checking the TDR classified werent you?

Serously though, stop in if you get a chance, might throw some iowa fed t-bones on the grill for dinner.

Hear that guys, looks like we need to have a rally of some sorts at Michael's house

 

[MMiller]

Ainsworth is about 40 miles from my place. I live a couple miles outside of Fairfield.



Bill, the only thing bad about a rally at my house is I won't have enough steaks for everybody. If you guys just slide by every so often then the steaks will last longer!!! You come on out for steaks, then maybe I can stay at your house for shied's show later this year!!



How do I get on the travel companion. I did not get on it the last time because I knew I was moving. I have moved and want to get on the list. Anybody know???



Michael

 

[Headshot zod]

Thanks bgilbert... ...



Finding rust free cars back here is hard. I was using EBAY, BuySELL.com, autotrader, carfax, cartrader, TDR classifieds and every online search I could find. Figure 15+ pages deep on each google search. Lots of automatics. Or if I found a manual it didn't have ac. There were a couple here that were close, in fact one that was a beautiful blue in Fla that I would have paid to put ac in but I was waiting for my refund check.



I had the 73 for two weeks and took the front bumper off to put a warn bumper on. I had to go to a hospital that day to replace a battery on my brothers truck. To make a long story short when I pulled in a rather aged seasoned citizen put her 1980 Gran Marquis into drive. She thought it her foot was on the brake so she floored it frantically trying to stop it... ... ... and continued to do so for the minute or two.



Try to imagine that the following is somewhere in between the "ramming speed" scene in Spartacus and the old Star Trek episode with the Planet Killer where the Captain of the Constution says "Jim... I'm going to ram this thing down its throat".



(add cheesey Star trek music here)



I saw her coming right at me so I grabbed my steering and and just floored it. She caught my rear bumper and peeled her hood off as she continued past. She jumped the next curb and landed in the doctor's lot. Well... she used a Land Cruiser, Benz, BMW and Porsche 911 to slow down with. I proceed to hit somebody's brand new Lincoln Intercontinental Retirement Barge so hard into the curb it ripped the tire off the rim. I had minor cosmetic damage under my headlight and a small wrinkle near my back bumper. So thank goodness I wasn't driving my '89 Audi 4000 CS quattro. I would have most certainly taken the full impact in my drivers door.



Two years later I got hit by a tiny and rather impatient Asian chick in a an full size SUV. She was in the "I can make it mode" well... ... funny how rewarding life is... ... ... she couldn't. And promptly raced out in front of me after blowing through the stop sign. Her front end hit my passenger front wheel hard enough that my rear end came around and slammed the side of her SUV (suicidal utilitarian vehicle). I landed in the opposing lane and cruised up on the sidewalk. She hit it hard enough the front axle moved up a few inches and bent everything underneath. So I got a car for the summer care of the insurance company and an $1800 check.



In between those accidents. I got rear ended about 100ft from the above accident. Rochelle Park NJ has an average of 3 accidents a day... ... That time was a late 80's 560 Black Lord Vadar styled Benz driven by a younger girl. I felt a small nudge and hopped out. With my 4" lift her daddy's baby's grill had been pushed in and red and green fluids were dumping out. Dang-it!! she scraped the dirt off my bumper and now I had some chrome showing again My truck had a nice black and yellow paint job. You couldn't miss this thing (and they didn't) it looked like a giant Dewalt drill. I'll post a pic of it when my scanner is fixed.



So the moral of the story is this..... old dodges are inexpensive to buy, cheap to insure, easy to work on. And more importantly safe to drive, will take heavy hits and give their lives for ya and protect you from women drivers... ... ...



So I avoid driving cars anymore. You see, when you say to God... ... "God, it would be so cool if women took me out" be more specific and add "out on dates". You gotta word the wish correctly. Because he'll throw his whole staff on it and find some loopholes before he grants it.



I had a number of other accidents where women rammed me. In fact I think that subset of the species is obessed with it due to the frequency that it happens. I always made it through my mopars not always. Steel is real... .

 

[tugboatphil]

HZ,



You should be submitting articles to the magazine. Loved your accident play-by-play!!



I used to secure vacant properties for mortgage companys. It required hooking up a small air tank at the washer faucets and blowing the water out of the pipes. I got used to having my air tank with me, and a small compressor to fill it between jobs. With a jack and a patch kit, I never even take a tire off to fix it.



Looked you up on the atlas. I went up your way several times, but my stompin grounds were from Union Co. south to the Iselin/ Colonia area, where Rt 1 & 9 split. Jersey jokes aside, it was a great year up there. That was from fall 83 to summer 84.



Never been to the Tugboat Festival before. Sounds like it would be a good show. Let me echo checking the axle oil. Just went through a repair due to losing oil out the axle seal and cooking the wheel bearing.



Good luck and have a great time on the trip!! Please keep a log and let us know how it goes.

 

[bgilbert]

Wow sorry to hear about all those accidents. Must be an east coast thing. Everybody in a hurry these days.

 

[Headshot zod]

Its an east coast thing... ... ... everybody is in a hurry to die back here... .



Unfortunately, they are trying to take me with them. And quite honestly, I really don't want to go with them



:--)

 

[MrWinkey]

Since it's got a 5 speed get an hand oil pump or be prepared to take off the shifter tower.



Like they said check the rear diff level and pack an extra belt and fuel filter and let'er rip.

 

[Headshot zod]

OF thanks... . the truck is at a dodge dealer. So I'll just have him order up a few parts for the trip. Thats a heck of a place to put a fuel filter.



Speaking of which... ... ... ... . I am already dreading the dowel pin, couldn't have Cummins just mounted that on the back bumper. .

 

[Headshot zod]

Ugh!!! it is going to take a week to Fedex my check up to Kamsack, SK so I have some time on my hands. To go stereo shopping. This looks like the only speaker thread here.



Ist Gen. Speaker thread



I can't imagine its much better then my '73. Any clever speaker/stereo combos, from the standard cab folks.

 

[JLEONARD]

Nothing fancy... just decent speakers to replace the ones in the door.

Crutchfield sells a kit that mounts a modern unit into the factory space that looks good. They sell a wiring kit that actually works correctly.

 

[Headshot zod]

Thank-you. .



I was figuring there wasn't much. I'll check out the crutchfield... .

 

[boatpuller]

Can't remember what brands but there are a couple manufacturers making higher quality 4X10's they still aren't up to the quality of better 6X9's but they aren't bad.

That's what I put in the rear and then I put some 6X9's in the doors, sounds OK but need to get a subwoofer of some type.