I installed some 2" spacers up front:


Then I replaced all my front suspension pieces (minus the ball joints):


The only thing left that I really want to do is replace the steering box and I should be golden. After I finished all the work, I took it for a drive and enjoyed the warm evening air!

 

Such little amount of rust, so jealous! Looks great, just finished up 90% of my front steering and suspension and can't believe the previous owner drove it like it was.

 

I'm very lucky that it was a Texas truck all of it's life, haha! I know how you feel about previous owners and their shady workmanship. The one who had my truck before me had removed all the cotter pins from all of the suspension pieces and the castle nuts were just....there. Some where tight, but some I was able to break free with my fingers. I wasn't planning on changing all the suspension stuff out that day, but when I got under there to put those spacers in and saw how they were being held in place..... I couldn't just let it slide! I swear, if it's not one thing then it's another, haha!

 

I'm glad you found your loose parts before they broke formation! That's scary stuff that you found there.

It might not be universally true, but then again it might be, that a guy who'll halfass one job will halfass every job, given the opportunity. Ya might want to crawl your truck looking for more halfassery that can leave you stranded, wrecked, or dead.

 

I bought a grille guard for my 97 Laramie, primarily to protect it from deer!

 

It doesn't work. Deer have a lotta mass, and the grille guard/brush card will succumb to that...... Sure, they absorb some of the impact, but, sometimes, I have seen the guard do more damage than the deer would have.

 

If you want to protect the front end from animal strikes, buying a thing designed to protect it from twigs is just pissing money away. Hit a deer with it and you'll damage more of your truck with the twig guard than you would have damaged with the deer.

Here's what you want:



That will make venison burger for ya.

 

If you get tired of that thing weighing down the front of your truck you can send it to me. I could use some more scrap iron.

 

The front of my truck won't be weighed down by it -- I'm installing a pair of 1770lb. coils up front right before I hang the bumpers on Friday. Sorry 'bout that.

 

Man, spoiling all my big deams. Lol