So, you know, I need a vehicle for a fairly purposeful reason, a reason that has reason, has explanation, has budget, and has purpose. Did I mention any of those already? Oh well.
You see, this reason was to haul tools, equipment, you know, things that can make you money. Things that I would be doing for work!
I find said vehicle. I actually like said vehicle. I start to really like said vehicle for said reasons at beginning.
Now, paying off said vehicle with little money is hard. But I can do it because said vehicle will hold all equipment and tools I am using to pay off said vehicle with!
Along comes my peripheral vision. Welcome to this decision that I didn`t know was a decision.
Black.
JEEP?
RUST!
Oh my.
I can pay for that.
Look at the rust.
god thats a lot of rust.
concentrated fairly well to the windshield frame...
oh well there`s a bubble here, a bubble there, that bubble has actually flaked...
Underneath looks the exact shade of rusty dirt! Dirt? Rust? Not sure! Probably rust.
Well now... Look closer.. Poke at it.
So I come back with a screwdriver (minutes later) and start poking... yep, that one on the windshield frame is about the consistency of wet-ish cardboard with a light back-door screen taped on.
But no other holes punch through as easily... And then I check out the frame, body mounts (Yes one is rusty) but all others are NOT.
Hammer the frame. Solid. Lots of dirt falls off... Hammer again, lots more dirt falls off, holy shiz there is a frame under there!!!
So fast forward from October last year when I drove it home (Wheel-bearing was not in the wheelbearing anymore, so I did both)
Park it and inspect.
Inspect for days.
And weeks.
Do not drive.
Replace rear u-joint at yoke because it moves easily. New ujoint doesn`t help because the clamps are worn. Clamps aren`t worn after-all because the Yoke is worn.. Replace yoke, while replacing yoke replace seal in rear end to end leaking. Fixed!!!!!
Get exhaust....replaced due to that driveshaft that swung over, punched a hole and broke off said muffler... New muffler and rear pipe.
Ignore manifold leak for now. Ignore non-existant shocks for now, because sagged suspension and bushings are all garbage and will need replacing, wait until I lift it before I replace shocks.
Drive Jeep once.
Ok... this is good, no more feeling like I`m going to die if I hit 80! Good times!
Good times are friggin had. Holy shi...z... very good times, even the wife LOVES it after enough trips with a BOAT on the ROOF that I could NEVER DO without SAID JEEP.
So, fall in love with Fishing. Again.
Fall in love with Camping. Again.
Jeep is now paying for itself with entertainment, learning, outdoors, and all the great things in life that we should ALL BE DOING ON A NEAR MONTHLY BASIS EXCEPT WINTER because winter is COLD! JEEPS DONT LIKE COLD! Well mine doesn`t, because I don`t. Inside said jeep that is.
Now... I have a Jeep, I love fishing, I love camping, and I love outdoors.
What do you do next?
Well you find buddies! Buddies that also like fishing, camping, outdoors, that have trucks! With boats!
One F150 (2009) and one Tacoma (2009).
You friggin try to keep up with these people!!! Oh my ****ing god these guys drive fast. One is a firefighter and the other raced circuit racing for many many years (second said person is father, yes!)
Well Father is behind me of course.
No, he didn`t see the bumpstop that broke off, I saw it on the way back from the lake.
Clutch is toast. Can`t get it out of reverse at the campground twice. Bad sign. Very bad sign I can feel it..
Suspension is still attached, but thats all... shocks might be attached I haven`t checked cuz don`t care...
Clunking noise when engaging forward or reverse and disengage clutch quickly, ca-thunk-de-chunk. Well that is sloppy... could be rear end?
hehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehehe
Sloppy rear-end.
heheheheheheheheheheheheh
Meh if it is I`ll need a bigger axle anyway.
Wow that clutch is toast.
Drive home from said trip?
Yeah, that clutch is gone.
What did I learn?
Just because it feels good when you drive it 1200km around your city, to and from a lake with your girlfriend many times, quickly.
Does not mean it will make it to and from a lake that your GUY friends want to get to. Quickly.
Come prepared. Come extra prepared. MAKE SURE YOU ARE PREPARED!
If you aren`t prepared? Make sure someone with you is prepared.
I hoped owning a Jeep would make me prepared, and I learn the hard way it does NOT, owning either A) Brand new Jeep Well maintained Jeep will at least help your case.
Onto the pictures!
First, woman and me (neither in picture) at a lake near Kelowna, about 30 minutes from home, awesome lake and lots of fish. Woman = Doors.
Fishing trip without woman? No doors of course!
With boat on roof, truck looks good, got home near dusk... Note wheelgap from story above
Yes, it is listing lazily to the right, that slope is NOT doing it! Yes my springs are worn out THAT MUCH NOW!
Honestly, there is not a thing left in the truck that weighs more than 1lb... seat cushions and a tackle box... and the boat is about 200lbs total, evenly distributed. I can lift it! My god the right side is about 3" lower than left...
But I got that baby good and muddy, and stuck once! Door didn`t see a thing
Hope you enjoyed! I SURE AS HELL DID!!!!!!!!!!!
Even though I now need to spend about $1200 to BEGIN to make this truck able to drive to a lake again.
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