Well the tire ordeal is over, got a tire mounted, no damage to the wheel.

Installed a new lugnut stud and all is well again, except for all the damage to the bed...

 

Seems to be one thing after another:

Ordered some new shocks to hopefully cure the tire cupping issue. Not sure if they're shot but after 6 years, why not? I sprung for the new Skyjacker M95 monotube shocks as an upgrade over their Hydro 7000 that came with the lift kit. Hopefully they are an upgrade and not hard to install. Ordered straight from Skyjacker the "scratch/dent" ones at half price. Otherwise I would've just gone new hydros.

 

today i aligned my doors and fenders only to realize i need to do cab mounts before i put my rocker panels in, this week i have made and mounted my hitch rack, spare tire rack, tool box mounts, installed a factory second battery tray, finished taking the bed down to bare metal, and finalized my hidden hitch.

 

Changed the oil and replaced rear shocks.

 

I need to replace my fronts...... (and I am sure the rears are pretty much shot as well....)

I got a pleasant surprise last time I filled my tank..... My gas mileage went up a point and a half...... Seems that pulling around a heavy trailer cleared some of the crap out of the engine. Runs smoother, and burns less gas.... Bizarre.

 

Ah, yes, the old Italian tune up trick. Works great. You're burning some oil, aren't ya?

My mother had a '64 Impala two door coupe with a 327 in it that carboned up something fierce on off-brand fire juice but a hearty romping would clean it up just fine. Or so it seemed -- I hung out with the guy who bought it while he restored it to proper running order and he did the Italian as the last thing before pulling the heads so I could see for myself how clean it wasn't afterward. The lifters were full of tiny black BB's, too. I swore off no-name gas that day. The parents had been running off-brand premium to keep the knock away when name brand regular that would have kept the carbon away was about the same price.

 

Some? That's putting it mildly. When I go to the full service station, I have them check the gas, and fill up the oil. (I haven't seen a full service station around here in decades...... maybe I should move to Jersey, where the government thinks the general public are too stupid to pump their own gas?)

 

Tried to install my new "RAM 200,000 Mile Club" license plate bracket and couldn't do it. The rear plate holder only has holes on the bottom and this bracket only has holes on top. Tried putting it up front but I need 2" long bolts to reach through the bumper as the new bracket adds a 1/4" depth. Ugh. Sure, I can do a clutch and timing chain but license plate bracket? Too hard apparently.

 

So then I guess you should drive in a spirited manner all the time, huh?

Maybe those folks over there just like paying someone dumb enough to do it to inhale the cancer fumes for them?

 

You and me alike... got a faint wheel hop starting to show it's ugly head.
Shocks and tires all round planned for tomorrow.