I used to go all the time, but the largest JK up north where I live won't let you wander the yard.....claim "insurance" issues. I told them that very seldom do I go into a yard and not come out with something.....still not interested in letting me walk the yard.

 

the one I usually go to because they have a good amount of Dodge trucks makes you sign an insurance waiver.

 

Yeah I talked to them about that as well....charge a dollar or two, and sign a waiver, their butts get covered and I/we can cruise the yard for more parts to hoard!

 

Some idiot hurt themselves, then sued the JY, instead of,taking on the responsibility themselves. Same story here for most of the boneyards here. No longer able to walk them

 

There’s just a sign in sheet at the front entrance (I’m usually Pablo Picasso or some lewd name for entertainment) here in California and they charge $3 to get in. 1/2 price sale days are $5. Now if I can get one of Jungle Jim’s shackle flip kits installed with longer springs and get this long arm setup in....and some new, MUCH bigger tires....I keep going to the garage, looking at over $2k worth of shocks and tapping my feet. Best score I’ve ever found.

 

wow, well the spare tire is a PITA on this truck of mine. I had to cut the one long bolt on the drivers side in order to get the bracket off. The PO bent it. I then had to find a replacement. Bolts that size 1/2" 13 dont have threads that far up the shank. So I had to fab one buy welding 2 nuts on one end of a 12" all threat 1/2"
Then had to muscle the tire up in there and hold it in place while getting everything screwed in.
Not easy.

 

and...you just know, it won't be a nice dry sunny day when you get a flat. It'll be cold, rainy/snowing. That's why my spare have been in the bed.

 

Those spare tire carriers might have worked well when they where new, or in the rust free parts of the USA, BUT They are all junk and unusable around here. Even most of my trucks from TX, AZ, Cali, Colo, OR and WA don't have working spare tire holders.
I either run with no spare tire in my rigs if it stays pretty local, or I throw a good spare and a floor jack in the back of my truck for longer road trips.
35-37 inch tires don't fit under there anyway.

 

I am using this truck to haul firewood and having that extra space in the bed not taken up by a tire is helpful. And I didnt realize the spare tire setup was so jenky on these rigs. I suspect in the near future the tire will make it back to the bed.

 

How far are you hauling that firewood, Morsel?
When I haul firewood, it is such a short distance that I could walk home and get the parts I need to fix it, or drive home the mile on a flat. This year my dump truck's old battery didn't have the juice to start after my daughter and I where splitting wood at the log landing.
We walked home through the woods, had lunch, grabbed the jumper cables and headed back to the log landing with another truck. We then fired it up and the girlfriend drove home one truck, we drove the other.

I am sure the spare tire holder could be fixed up on my rigs, but I have no interest in doing it. I don't want to deal with rusted up bolts and the crappy factory jack in the dark and rain when you need them. I want a real 3 ton floor jack and a good spare tire right there in the bed on my road trips.
Have you every tried to swap out a front tire using the factory bottle jack?...I don't recommend it, even less so it you are not on pavement at the time.

 

the wood grounds are 60 miles out one way and quite a ways back in. Leaving the truck overnight or for long periods of time would be unwise out there. I do carry my 3 ton Harbor Freight floor jack with me. I wont cry too bad if that one got ripped off. The risk is wort it. I have done the bottle jack thing more than a few times. Not good. I also bring along my old 64 Honda CT 200 dirt bike should my dodge cause me any grief. I can ride it to an area of service to call a buddy to come help.

 

I clean up and fixed the OEM spare tire carrier, but after an hour or more trying to struggle that tire up under the truck I said F-It! I have a small 3 ton bottle jack I keep in the truck, the OEM one was tossed out years ago. And I carry my spare tire in the bed of the truck as well.

I have thought of doing the cable/chain hoist set-up for the spare...but that is not very high on my project list.

 

Pulled the fuel filter and fuel heater today to replace the seal, well it turns out that I had already replaced it with a larger seal....not sure from what since I didn't even recall changing it. So just cleaned everything up, checked the heater for cracks or broken parts, then re-installed. Primed the system and fired it up.....still running rough and smoking.

I then Noticed that there was some weeping at the copper washers on the fuel inlet line from the LP....so tossed in some decent used ones....better then the ones that were on there. Fired it up again....still running rough and blowing white/blue-ish smoke.

Went to pick my daughter up from her job and after a good 10 min everything seems to clear up and run pretty smooth, with just a hint of white smoke. I will continue to hunt down possible leaks, but wondering if something else might be going on....thoughts?

 

Backflushed the block and radiator for the 1st and 2nd time. Each time it sits for 10 or 15 minutes after flushing clear, a new flush loosens up more gunk, so I'll do it again tomorrow. Then, new water pump, thermostat, upper and lower radiator hoses, repair cracked fan shroud, a new serpentine belt and fresh coolant.

Then, since the air cleaner is off right now anyway, a BHAF gets installed in it's place!

 

Here is a future washing machine at the Home Depot