I'm back... with a new truck!

[CStansbury]

Still waiting for the dealership to tell me what is going to happen with my truck. Last thing the service advisor told me was they were going to have to “send it back to the place that certified it to have it repaired.” He couldn’t tell me when that would happen or how long it would take. In the meantime, I’m driving a 2017 Ram 1500 regular cab hemi loaner.

 

[CStansbury]

Finally heard back from the dealer yesterday. They are going to replace the injectors locally and then go over the whole truck again. It’s supposed to be ready on Tuesday evening. Can’t wait to get it back!

 

[CumminsBu]

Welcome back. I have been off here a while but stayed a member. good to see new faces too.

 

[CStansbury]

Welcome back. I have been off here a while but stayed a member. good to see new faces too.

Thanks! Great to be back!

Finally got my truck back on Wednesday. The dealer pulled all injectors, sent them out for testing, and replaced any that were outside of spec. Everything seems to be working well right now. I’m keeping an eye on the oil and the level is staying steady.

I’m finally getting some work done on the truck now that I’ve been able to keep it for more than a day or two. I put my Husky Liners in on Wednesday afternoon and they look great.

Today, I installed my new 1A Auto 3rd/4th Gen hybrid tow mirrors. I also ended up pulling off the vent visors during the mirror install. They were loose in places and looking kinda crappy. It took me at least an hour to pull off the visors and get all of the adhesive residue off. The rest of the mirror install was easy. I’m really pleased with them overall. They are rock steady and the 4th Gen heads provide a great view.

I also installed some new headlights today. It’s amazing how bright the new lights are compared to the old, hazy units.

Here are some pics!

 

[Northfork]

Are these aftermarket mirrors worth the $ if replacing stock tow mirrors? Mine are OK but wondering if these get you a better picture of the towed vehicle...

 

[DonFitzwater]

I am by no means a fortune teller but......after a recent clash with a high miler truck like yours I thought I’d share my experience. Find out which injectors the dealer replaced and get the others changed out ASAP. Don’t get them from any cheap vendors especially Diesel Logic out of Florida.

Nice truck!

 

[CStansbury]

Are these aftermarket mirrors worth the $ if replacing stock tow mirrors? Mine are OK but wondering if these get you a better picture of the towed vehicle...

I like them because the larger convex spot really helps to eliminate blind spots for lane changes and backing up. Would it be worth it to replace a good set of stock towing mirrors? I guess it would be a matter of personal preference.

I am by no means a fortune teller but......after a recent clash with a high miler truck like yours I thought I’d share my experience. Find out which injectors the dealer replaced and get the others changed out ASAP. Don’t get them from any cheap vendors especially Diesel Logic out of Florida.

Nice truck!

Thanks, Don. I am planning on replacing the remaining injectors as soon as I have some extra cash. It would definitely give me some peace of mind.

 

[RVTRKN]

Nice truck, makes me miss my 04.5. The regular mirrors were common in the early 3rd gens, it was the first thing I did on my 04.5, was to install towing mirrors. Big difference with the tow mirrors.

 

[CStansbury]

Nice truck, makes me miss my 04.5. The regular mirrors were common in the early 3rd gens, it was the first thing I did on my 04.5, was to install towing mirrors. Big difference with the tow mirrors.

Thanks! I bought a new 04.5 in 2004. Sold it in 2005 when we started a new business and have missed it ever since. It’s nice being back in a 3rd Gen truck and rowing gears. The towing mirrors have been my favorite upgrade so far. Next, I have got to do something about the weak reverse lights. The PO put LED bulbs in, but they still suck for backing up. I’m thinking about some sort of hitch mounted light bar.

 

[RVTRKN]

I believe it’s the best combination of engine and transmission to date. The NV5600 is my favorite, and when my G56 fails I’ll convert it to the NV5600.

 

[Michaelsloft]

Great '03 with the NV5600 and long bed. The color is awesome and will look good for many more years. I have had success using Fluid Film for years on my '99 and noticed you mentioned the clutch seems heavy. The clutch in my truck has been on the heavy side since day one and feels about the same after 18 years and 251K miles. When you get everything sorted and to your liking it will run for many years and at least double the miles!
Enjoy every mile....

 

[CStansbury]

Great '03 with the NV5600 and long bed. The color is awesome and will look good for many more years. I have had success using Fluid Film for years on my '99 and noticed you mentioned the clutch seems heavy. The clutch in my truck has been on the heavy side since day one and feels about the same after 18 years and 251K miles. When you get everything sorted and to your liking it will run for many years and at least double the miles!
Enjoy every mile....

Thanks Michael! I have a Fluid Film gun sitting in my garage waiting for a semi-warm day. I used it on a couple of my previous trucks with good results. The truck was a 1-owner from North Carolina, but there are still a few rust bubbles around the fender lips. They spray salt brine on the roads there in the wintertime, so the rust can still cause issues. I am planning on pulling the tail lights to replace them with new stockers, so I'll spray Fluid Film back into the fender cavities at that point.

 

[Michaelsloft]

Great idea and thanks for the reminder to remove the talilights! Have not had mine out for a while and on the next warm day I will be using some Fluid Film too!!! The Fluid Film will move around, crawl and creep to places where you can't even see small spots of rust....this will keep your truck looking good. Always enjoy going through Charleston, WV when I'm traveling on I-77.

 

[CStansbury]

Great idea and thanks for the reminder to remove the talilights! Have not had mine out for a while and on the next warm day I will be using some Fluid Film too!!! The Fluid Film will move around, crawl and creep to places where you can't even see small spots of rust....this will keep your truck looking good. Always enjoy going through Charleston, WV when I'm traveling on I-77.

Awesome. Love that stuff. Holler at me if you ever need a hand during your travels through our fair state. Have tools, will travel.

 

[Michaelsloft]

Awesome. Love that stuff. Holler at me if you ever need a hand during your travels through our fair state. Have tools, will travel.

Thank you Sir. Likewise if you are North on I-77 and/or in West Central Indiana. Will keep your kind offer in mind when traveling through WV. I spend time camping and traveling around WV every summer. The 1999 is getting older and may need a wrench or two at some point on the road. Thanks again.

 

[CStansbury]

It’s been a while since I’ve posted an update on my truck, and this weekend’s activities reminded me that I need to catch you guys up on what’s been happening. I have mostly just been driving it and enjoying it for the last 9 months. It has been really handy to have around too because we have been doing a massive restoration project on a house we purchased last November.

The truck was basically trouble free for the first 8 months of ownership and then the clutch took a dump while I was driving home from work one evening. I have no idea how many miles were on it, but it just grenaded out of the blue during my normal commute. I replaced it with a Luk HD clutch.

This weekend, I installed a new set of 2” Rough Country leveling springs, 2” sway bar links, an adjustable track bar, and a new set of Bilstein shocks. It was a straightforward project except for shearing off a lower control arm bolt and dealing with lots of rust. Here are some pics of the action. I’ll be sure to get some more when I get the new tires on later this week!

 

[CStansbury]

Dropped my truck off at the tire shop this morning. They’re going to replace the lower control arms, align it, and install 4 new 315/70R17 BFG KM3 mud terrains. Can’t wait to get it back! Pics will follow!

 

[CStansbury]

Well, here it is! I’m loving these new KM3’s. They look extremely aggressive, but they were mild mannered at 70-75 on the interstate. What do you think?!

BEFORE

AFTER

 

[Herman8r]

The tires look nice on your truck. Only issues I had with large tires were stress on the steering linkage. But I went to a larger tire size than yours ..so that was the issue.
Your mirrors & lights look great.
Did you but factory lights and mirrors or get aftermarket?
Nice truck!!

Cheers!

 

[Michaelsloft]

Well, here it is! I’m loving these new KM3’s. They look extremely aggressive, but they were mild mannered at 70-75 on the interstate. What do you think?!

BEFORE
View attachment 108936

AFTER View attachment 108937

Looks Great!
Enjoy the suspension upgrades.
Your truck is continuing to look good and your taking care of details will keep it running for many more years.