Maybe it’s not all in my head 🤕

Hmm. At least I made it home safely before that wheel bearing failed. I broke my bottle jack when I knocked the truck off it, playing with the rear wheel with all its slop, it’s pretty bad probably won’t make it much beyond the repair shop lol. It’s an excuse to get a proper sized quality jack too that I can use well after Big Red.

Next weekend looks crappy so I might end up postponing summer vacation for another week. Or maybe it will become an autumn trip. I was going to go out to Schoharie today but whatever – it’s going to rain Sunday and I really should clean my kitchen and organize my camping gear before summer vacation – I’ve been busy and the heat knocked me out.

I’ve been noticing the slop since Memorial Day but I thought it was nothing that unusual for a 14 year old lifted truck which has always driven kind of floaty. Steering, acceleration and braking are more of a suggestion then something you are really in control on a lifted truck. I wasn’t sure if it was all in my head. Big Red has long made sketchy noises in parking lot maneuver, though since 4 or 5 years ago I had the replaced the front wheel bearings, tie rods, upper ball joints, and now the front wheels generally point in the same direction and don’t cause toe out wear.

I am planning on replacing Big Red after the winter. I want a smaller, easier to drive truck before I head out to Michigan and Northern Wisconsin next summer. Maybe a Toyota Tacoma truck. Something comfortable but not so difficult to maneuver in traffic. I don’t see doing 8 hour days on the road at 75 mph heading out to Michigan in Big Red. But I’m ready to see more of America, I mean the Finger Lakes, Pennsylvania and West Virginia are fine but there is so much more to see and do. But it’s been a fun nearly decade and half with Red. How fast time goes.

I am sure there are people who drive 20 year old Honda Civics to their job in the suburbs and are happy never leaving city limits. But I like to travel and I want something that is fun to drive and can go neat places. A 20 year old Honda Civic might be fine if you never leave the city, but that’s kind of a pointless. If you’re in the city, why don’t you just take the bus? I like my truck and days in the wilderness.