WHYDTYTT: What Have You Done To Your Truck Today?

[1986F150Six]

That's a very good point! You would be surprised to know that it was very little. I made templates from paper before cutting, which helped out immensely. Left over pieces were utilized in other areas. I bet I had less than a half sheet of waste.

The finished product [job?] looks great!

[Frank Wyatt]

The finished product [job?] looks great!

I've been absent for a short time due to my wife having to go to Vanderbilt for nine days but she's doing better now. She's currently at Mc Kenzie Health Care receiving rehab to regain some mobility before she comes home. Anyway what I have recently done is replace the fuel sender and float in my rear tank. I have used the plastic float that came with the fuel sender for now due to the one in my tank was split and nobody had one locally but plan on getting a brass one from LMC soon for a back-up in case the plastic one fails. Since I have a bedliner and already have rust holes in the bed anyway, I used the rust holes as a guide for where to cut with my jig saw and had the new unit installed in less than a hour, including removal and re-installing the bedliner.

[Gary Lewis]

I've been absent for a short time due to my wife having to go to Vanderbilt for nine days but she's doing better now. She's currently at Mc Kenzie Health Care receiving rehab to regain some mobility before she comes home. Anyway what I have recently done is replace the fuel sender and float in my rear tank. I have used the plastic float that came with the fuel sender for now due to the one in my tank was split and nobody had one locally but plan on getting a brass one from LMC soon for a back-up in case the plastic one fails. Since I have a bedliner and already have rust holes in the bed anyway, I used the rust holes as a guide for where to cut with my jig saw and had the new unit installed in less than a hour, including removal and re-installing the bedliner.

Frank - Sorry to see that your wife has been in the hospital, but glad she is out and doing better.

As for the sending unit, that's a different approach. I guess as long as you don't put something heavy on that spot the bed liner will support things?

[Frank Wyatt]

Frank - Sorry to see that your wife has been in the hospital, but glad she is out and doing better.

As for the sending unit, that's a different approach. I guess as long as you don't put something heavy on that spot the bed liner will support things?

Thank you, she is doing much better and getting stronger everyday with the daily physical therapy. On the bed, the bed liner is really thick and is much stronger than the floor of my bed to start with. Even with the new hole I cut. The cross sills however are in really good shape and that provides the bedliner really good support. I actually wouldn't think twice about how much weight gets loaded in the bed, up to my trucks actual GVWR of 6100 lbs, as it is only a half ton truck after all. Not that it would ever see that much. Besides that, the original plan was to get a section of bed floor cut a little larger and attach it with short sheet metal screws and that may still get done at a later date. The new project for now though is once it warms up to get my tank switch valve back working as apparently enough stuff got through the filter to get it stuck. I'm sure some carb cleaning spray will take care of that and get it back working again.

[grumpin]

Thank you, she is doing much better and getting stronger everyday with the daily physical therapy. On the bed, the bed liner is really thick and is much stronger than the floor of my bed to start with. Even with the new hole I cut. The cross sills however are in really good shape and that provides the bedliner really good support. I actually wouldn't think twice about how much weight gets loaded in the bed, up to my trucks actual GVWR of 6100 lbs, as it is only a half ton truck after all. Not that it would ever see that much. Besides that, the original plan was to get a section of bed floor cut a little larger and attach it with short sheet metal screws and that may still get done at a later date. The new project for now though is once it warms up to get my tank switch valve back working as apparently enough stuff got through the filter to get it stuck. I'm sure some carb cleaning spray will take care of that and get it back working again.

Somebody cut a bigger hole than that in my bed to get to the front tank. Then put a very thin piece of corrugated steel on it.

I bought a section of floor panel and overlapped it and screwed it down. I was going to have a friend weld it in, but I have my big toolbox above it. And I have a bed mat in there.

[Gary Lewis]

Somebody cut a bigger hole than that in my bed to get to the front tank. Then put a very thin piece of corrugated steel on it.

I bought a section of floor panel and overlapped it and screwed it down. I was going to have a friend weld it in, but I have my big toolbox above it. And I have a bed mat in there.

Frank - Glad she is getting the care she needs. And glad the bed liner is that solid.

Dane - Leaving it just screwed in makes for easier removal. And under the tool box, who cares?

As for what I did with my truck today, I took it to town. But "it" was Blue, the 2015. And I got to play with the driveline a bit as I found some snow-packed spots on the street.

Being a Lariat it has the top-end t-case with not only 2Hi, 4Hi, 4Lo, but also 4Auto. And in that mode the computer apportions the power to the front vs the rear as it sees fit. So I pulled up the Power Distribution display on the dash, found a patch of packed snow, and gave it some throttle. It initially had the majority of the power to the rear and the rear started to walk sideways. But through the magic of electronics it moved more power to the front and the truck straightened up quickly. So quickly that if you weren't watching for it you'd have never known what happened.

But lest you think I'm saying that's the best thing since sliced bread, it is until it doesn't work. A few years ago we took my almost brand new truck to Colorado and found some snice - snow turned into ice. And the truck basically refused to go, even in 4A. Turned out that the Integrated Wheel Ends, the automagic equivalent of our lockouts on the axles, had failed.

So yes, all the conveniences and electronics do wonders - when they work. And today they worked.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Frank - Glad she is getting the care she needs. And glad the bed liner is that solid.

Dane - Leaving it just screwed in makes for easier removal. And under the tool box, who cares?

As for what I did with my truck today, I took it to town. But "it" was Blue, the 2015. And I got to play with the driveline a bit as I found some snow-packed spots on the street.

Being a Lariat it has the top-end t-case with not only 2Hi, 4Hi, 4Lo, but also 4Auto. And in that mode the computer apportions the power to the front vs the rear as it sees fit. So I pulled up the Power Distribution display on the dash, found a patch of packed snow, and gave it some throttle. It initially had the majority of the power to the rear and the rear started to walk sideways. But through the magic of electronics it moved more power to the front and the truck straightened up quickly. So quickly that if you weren't watching for it you'd have never known what happened.

But lest you think I'm saying that's the best thing since sliced bread, it is until it doesn't work. A few years ago we took my almost brand new truck to Colorado and found some snice - snow turned into ice. And the truck basically refused to go, even in 4A. Turned out that the Integrated Wheel Ends, the automagic equivalent of our lockouts on the axles, had failed.

So yes, all the conveniences and electronics do wonders - when they work. And today they worked.

Driving a flatbed it's amazing how many people get completely stuck with their traction control engaged.

I mean, obviously it isn't going to help if you're on a snowy incline.

I guess the one thing it does do is keep them from side stepping off the crown of the road and into the ditch.

Same with black ice.

Sure, you've got 4wd. But with antilock you've got 0 wheel stop.

Annnnd on that note we've got another three days with snow forecast.

Not much, but just enough for stupid to rear its head.

I want to say the Treadwright Warden 2's are all I could ask for in a cheap tire that's not a dedicated snow.

[Gary Lewis]

Driving a flatbed it's amazing how many people get completely stuck with their traction control engaged.

I mean, obviously it isn't going to help if you're on a snowy incline.

I guess the one thing it does do is keep them from side stepping off the crown of the road and into the ditch.

Same with black ice.

Sure, you've got 4wd. But with antilock you've got 0 wheel stop.

Annnnd on that note we've got another three days with snow forecast.

Not much, but just enough for stupid to rear its head.

I want to say the Treadwright Warden 2's are all I could ask for in a cheap tire that's not a dedicated snow.

Don't think I agree on the antilock brakes. Rolling friction is better than sliding friction, and w/o antilock most people just slam on the brakes and the tires slide. With antilock the tire keeps rolling and provides more friction.

I grew up driving on snow and Dad taught me to pump the brakes to keep the tires rolling some. But I doubt many people know how to do that any more since most vehicles have antilock brakes.

Anyway, sorry you are getting slammed with this storm. We had two rounds, but the last seems to have bypassed us.

Glad your tires are working for you. I'm sure mine would be fine, but I'm not getting BB out in this.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Don't think I agree on the antilock brakes. Rolling friction is better than sliding friction, and w/o antilock most people just slam on the brakes and the tires slide. With antilock the tire keeps rolling and provides more friction.

I grew up driving on snow and Dad taught me to pump the brakes to keep the tires rolling some. But I doubt many people know how to do that any more since most vehicles have antilock brakes.

Anyway, sorry you are getting slammed with this storm. We had two rounds, but the last seems to have bypassed us.

Glad your tires are working for you. I'm sure mine would be fine, but I'm not getting BB out in this.

This is round four, but it's not bad.

Another 4-5" today... it broke into the twenties.

And the same is expected for the next couple of days.

It's February!!!

This is fine. 🐶

Notice I said black ice.

If you can lock a wheel at least you are dragging, and maybe pushing up a little berm of snow.

With 'antistop' people don't get any better than just slamming on the pedal.

If your brakes release every 5* (or however often the cycle is) the vehicle never loses velocity.

These idiots should stay inside.

Look at what happened in Texas....

I've seen it right in front of me!

I have to pull the cars off one another or out of the woods.

You are absolutely correct that people don't know how to drive without their electronic nanny in place.

And it is only going to get worse, as I watch people do crazy things behind the wheel in traffic.

I'm not sure when we should just take everybody's keys away and let the car do it all.

At least the car isn't angry, distracted, drunk, tired, tweaked, unaware, etc...

 

[Gary Lewis]

This is round four, but it's not bad.

Another 4-5" today... it broke into the twenties.

And the same is expected for the next couple of days.

It's February!!!

This is fine. 🐶

Notice I said black ice.

If you can lock a wheel at least you are dragging, and maybe pushing up a little berm of snow.

With 'antistop' people don't get any better than just slamming on the pedal.

If your brakes release every 5* (or however often the cycle is) the vehicle never loses velocity.

These idiots should stay inside.

Look at what happened in Texas....

I've seen it right in front of me!

I have to pull the cars off one another or out of the woods.

You are absolutely correct that people don't know how to drive without their electronic nanny in place.

And it is only going to get worse, as I watch people do crazy things behind the wheel in traffic.

I'm not sure when we should just take everybody's keys away and let the car do it all.

At least the car isn't angry, distracted, drunk, tired, tweaked, unaware, etc...

Yikes! Round 4! Hope it eases off soon.

Black ice. Ok.

Speaking of Texas and ice, I'll never forget a trip I had in Houston going to the airport. We had ice and I was driving a Chevy van. Got down to I-10 and encountered a bit of a delay - for over an hour. The brilliant gendarmes were stopping traffic at the base of an overpass and letting everyone try it by themselves. No chance to get a run at it, you started your run uphill.

The guy ahead of me was then about as old as I am now. He was driving an 80's Olds 88, which for those that don't know had a big engine and rear wheel drive. I don't know that he really floored it, but it had to have been taching 4K and made every shift. How he kept the rear end behind him I don't know, but he went from Jersey barrier to Jersey barrier herding that thing. He finally made it over the overpass, but how I don't know.

My van just putt putted up the hill as I feathered the throttle on the Q-Jet feeding the built 350 with headers.