Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Happiness is bonding with your new old truck.
Did a bunch of chores so I could spend a few quality hours with my Ram this morning. Checked all the fluids and pulled the battery cables and cleaned the battery terminals and cable ends. Put it all back together.
Washed out the bed of the truck to cut back on the old dog smell back there. Simple Green made it have a pleasant light root beer smell with just a hint of old dog. That's better than all old dog.
Pulled out the heat gun and did the heat treatment on the gray plastic above the front bumper that used to be black and now is mostly black again. That's a cool trick. Want to hit the rest of the plastic bits when I'm not standing in the direct hot sun.
Washed the white beast and stared at the left rear panel with the square foot of missing paint and am determined to get that painted as well as the roof and the hood of the truck. Also have other places where the paint has worn such as the door jam on the driver's side where the previous owner slid his feet over the edge. There's bare metal there. Big rust spot inside the door on the bottom of the door jam where water pools up.
Then there's the rust spot under one of the batteries.
But what's really on my mind is the front end of the truck. Had a front end guy look at it yesterday and the verdict is a complete front end rebuild.
Posted this on the new owner board:
Shot lower end ball joints - 221. 26
Drag Link - 196. 00
Track Bar - 363. 47
tax - 65. 39
Labor $540. 00
Total $1386. 12
Thinking any other wear prone parts should be replaced at the same time such as upper ball joints. Do I do it myself, or bite the bullet and pay to have it done? I want the truck to be safe for upcoming summer, boat pulling, and camping trips. That front end is just too wonky and probably dangerous at this point. Contemplating new Bilstein shocks to replace the Edelbrocks that probably have 80k miles on them.
Still, life is mighty good and I sure do like this truck.
GulDam
Did a bunch of chores so I could spend a few quality hours with my Ram this morning. Checked all the fluids and pulled the battery cables and cleaned the battery terminals and cable ends. Put it all back together.
Washed out the bed of the truck to cut back on the old dog smell back there. Simple Green made it have a pleasant light root beer smell with just a hint of old dog. That's better than all old dog.
Pulled out the heat gun and did the heat treatment on the gray plastic above the front bumper that used to be black and now is mostly black again. That's a cool trick. Want to hit the rest of the plastic bits when I'm not standing in the direct hot sun.
Washed the white beast and stared at the left rear panel with the square foot of missing paint and am determined to get that painted as well as the roof and the hood of the truck. Also have other places where the paint has worn such as the door jam on the driver's side where the previous owner slid his feet over the edge. There's bare metal there. Big rust spot inside the door on the bottom of the door jam where water pools up.
Then there's the rust spot under one of the batteries.
But what's really on my mind is the front end of the truck. Had a front end guy look at it yesterday and the verdict is a complete front end rebuild.
Posted this on the new owner board:
Shot lower end ball joints - 221. 26
Drag Link - 196. 00
Track Bar - 363. 47
tax - 65. 39
Labor $540. 00
Total $1386. 12
Thinking any other wear prone parts should be replaced at the same time such as upper ball joints. Do I do it myself, or bite the bullet and pay to have it done? I want the truck to be safe for upcoming summer, boat pulling, and camping trips. That front end is just too wonky and probably dangerous at this point. Contemplating new Bilstein shocks to replace the Edelbrocks that probably have 80k miles on them.
Still, life is mighty good and I sure do like this truck.
GulDam
