Big Red

Finally changed the set point on the low voltage disconnect to address greater voltage drop on the accessory battery from the cold

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Finally changed the set point on the low voltage disconnect to address greater voltage drop on the accessory battery from the cold. 🔋

It was so easy to do, beats having to either start the truck or hit the reset switch constantly in the cold.

Now I don’t like to abuse my batteries but disconnecting a load at 11.9 volts in the cold rather than 12.1 volts in the summer isn’t the biggest thing ever. Probably it’s still about the same level of discharge as the summer.

It’s easy enough to change that after I’m done winter camping this week I’ll reset it to 12.1 volts. I’ll have to keep this in mind for the future.

I forgot I have new 35s on my truck

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I forgot I have new 35s on my truck. Turned the wheel to a full lock and oh boy did they grid against the wheel well! 😲 🛻

I think the BFG AT KOs are true 35s unlike the Nitto Terra Grabbers I previously had on the truck which are more like 34 1/2 when new. Plus the new tires have a lot more tread.

I am thinking about getting rid of the 35s on my truck 🛻

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I am thinking about getting rid of the 35s on my truck 🛻

I was thinking about switching back to the old rims on my truck when I get new tires. I believe that I can run stock rims and tires with the lift kit and fortunately I saved the old wheels at the 31 1/2 inch spare. I almost sold the stock wheels but then I got busy and never got around to selling them. Sometimes being a hoarder helps.

I do need to confirm this is possible from the BDS instructions but I believe it is. The stock 31 1/2 inch tires are 3 inches smaller than the 35s (technically 34 1/2 inch) which means that the truck would ride 1 1/2 lower but the savings would be over $500 and the truck would get better gas mileage, acceleration, breaking and there would be a lot less wear to the suspension components like the ball joints, tie rods and wheel bearings.

Plus if I put the stock wheels and tires on, then I can go to Joe’s Discount Tire Shop and get discount tires. Not cheap ones but decent stock tires that are much more affordable than the 35s. Some kind of basic AT tire that will give me half a dozen years of reliable service.

It really is an attractive idea to me.

I like the Rockstar wheels and they are in good shape. I think they’re kind of cool. I want to save them for a future truck, especially if I get a three quarter ton truck and want better clearance and nicer looking wheels than stock. If I take off the Rockstars I can store them somewhere for future use.
Big Red is great but he’s ten years old and getting long in the tooth. By the time the West Virginia vacation is over, he will have 100,000 miles on him and I really doubt I’ll get the full life out of new tires before the time comes for replacement. I figure realistically I have two or three years left of useful, reliable life left on Big Red before I have to bite the bullet and get a new truck.

Don’t get me wrong, I like the look of the Rockstars and the big tires. The pointy stars are cool on each wheel, and the wide track helps with traction off road. But I hate to loose them when I junk my truck in a few years, and it would probably save a lot of money to go back stock.

I’ll miss not seeing the Rockstars on my truck but truth be told my truck is rapidly becoming an old clunker having been through ten winters with harsh deicing chemicals, and twice to the body shop for repairs.

LOL! I started looking at tires for my truck and my social media feed is full of advertisements for tires ⭕

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LOL! I started looking at tires for my truck and my social media feed is full of advertisements for tires ⭕

It’s so fucking creepy. And hell of it is most of them won’t fit my big jacked up truck. 👹

I went to the shop today and got my oil change done, but they said it wasn’t worth-while to rotate the tires, I just need to bite the buck and get new tires on the old gal sooner rather then later. While they might not be worn down quite to the wear bars, 🤥 (okay, well, some of them are so close) after nearly 6 years of riding on rough roads, the dry rot has set in pretty bad. The cupping — mostly pre-alignment manual alignment after repairs last summer — is the least of tires ‘s problems. And the best tires are on the back traction wheels.

Next week I will start calling around. First I I want to have new tires on and all alignment issues fixed before I go down to West Virginia in mid-October want to get the truck to Watkins Spring to have them do a computer alignment on their big truck computerized alignment rig which my local shop doesn’t have. Then I need to figure if I should go to the off-road shop that installed the lift kit or just an ordinary tire shop to order, balance and install the big tires. Mavis Tire does have Nitto Terras — which I like — but can they order 35s? Not sure. Working downtown full-time will make that easier — as I can just grab a bus to any of those places.

It’s going to be big bucks, but I make good money, and I want to keep this truck on the road for a few more years before throwing it away. I figure $1,500 for the tires when you throw in mounting/balancing and taxes, and $500-$1,000 for the alignment and certain to be found broken hardware, but I like my big truck. I’m glad the oil change is done — should be good for the rest of the year, and I don’t have to worry about trashing the tires anymore by not getting them rotated sooner, as they already are pretty bad.

I want to have new tires on and all alignment issues fixed before I go down to West Virginia in mid-October — maybe Columbus Day Weekend or maybe later.

The Grunt of Big Red on Tan Hollow Road

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Listen to the engine of Big Red on this beautiful summer evening, as I turn onto NY 443. Notice, I wasn't swearing or playing copyrighted music in this clip, so it can have audio. That doesn't happen regularly.