aloysius80 0 Posted February 8, 2016 Thanks for posting the trip, looks like a good day. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
scottL 169 Posted February 9, 2016 Interesting to see the new route on the backway to crown king. Haven't done that trail for a while. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZMagic97 1 Posted February 9, 2016 Interesting to see the new route on the backway to crown king. Haven't done that trail for a while. Neither had I. It had been close to 3 years between this weekend and the past time, and I honestly thought it was a more mild way that was going to hook into Senator Highway or a similar road just outside of town. Some of the more difficult spots seem more mild, but a lot of the large boulders stick out more and have a steeper drop off. I opted out for the "easy" way on most because I was honestly afraid of hitting the under body of the truck, or something on the drive train. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
OffroaderJohn 2 Posted February 11, 2016 nice looking ride. seems like you had a fun trip at Crown King Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZMagic97 1 Posted February 11, 2016 nice looking ride. seems like you had a fun trip at Crown King Thanks! And yes, it was a great time. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZMagic97 1 Posted March 1, 2016 Looking back on some of my posts, I realize I never put any info up of a small mod I did before the Crown King trip about 2 weeks ago. Being that I love have tools, straps, towing equipment...etc, I need a way for us to carry tools with easy access. I originally was keeping stuff under the back seat, but room was running out and have kids car seats in there doesn't make it quick to access something like 1 small ratchet strap. I had to d ring style tie downs from a mod I was going to do to my old trrailer, so I ended up getting some new hardware and mounted them in the bed, using the ammo cans as tool boxes and the way to measure the spacing. As you can see I, I always carry water as well (especially being a desert dweller). I have a old NATO can style mount I was thinking of putting in the empty space across from the water for the occasional time I may want to carry extra fuel, but I'm not yet sure if I want to bolt that it or not. For the most part, I got the "new" brush guard assembled yesterday. I'll post some photos and info later today. I'm sneaking in this post just before I run out the door to do some wedding planning and fishing. (If I didn't mention it before, when the family went up north for Christmas celebrations, I popped the question, and in front of the GMC as a matter of fact :smiley_drive: ) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZMagic97 1 Posted March 1, 2016 So, last Sunday I actually got the parts for the "new" brush guard set out in the garage and attempted to get it all assembled. There were no instructions and I could only hope it was all there, but I spent $50 so I can't complain. It went pretty well, and figuring out what hardware went where wasn't too difficult. After about and hour I got it all together. The clear packing tape has been on the front rubber "bumpers" for a long time, so I need to scrub the residue off with an adhesive remover. Either way, it is almost all done. I put it in my shed for now until I get time to swap them out. The driver's side light cover isn't attached as I need hardware for it. I'll run to Lowe's and grab it soon. Again, there are no instructions so I have some brackets that I need to figure out where to place. I think I have it figured out, but I may have to use the lower brackets from the old one to get this new one on. Then, I can get new brackets from etrailer and put the old one on my Silverado. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZMagic97 1 Posted March 2, 2016 Well, I finally decided I was done with these M/T. So I finished painting the other rims this weekend. How they looked this morning before getting tires mounted: Before mounting: After! I still have to swap the brush gaurd: that'll be next weekend most likely. As for the tires: I cannot believe how much more pleasant this truck is to drive. No bouncing steering wheel, no more re-aligning every coupole months, and no more noise in the back ground. I feel like I'm driving a 4X4 Bentley in comparison. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
theksmith 3,583 Posted March 3, 2016 wheels look really nice! how did the gloss spray paint turn into semi-gloss though? what tires did you have before that you didn't like (sorry i missed that part somewhere)? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ZMagic97 1 Posted March 3, 2016 wheels look really nice! how did the gloss spray paint turn into semi-gloss though? what tires did you have before that you didn't like (sorry i missed that part somewhere)? Thanks! I'm not sure why the paint became a semi gloss look when it dried. I noticed that on the first rim I sprayed for the test, but I like it! The prior tires I had were Nitto Trail Grapplers in 3512.5/R20 size. They're great performing tires and have no real issues, but I use the truck for more overland type travels so I decided a more road friendly tire would help a lot with that. I'm currently considering changing the gears. I haven't found a shop yet, and more importantly a ratio. It's fitted with 3.73s now, but I hope out of 4th if towing a light load and bounce gears in the mountains a good amount. A lot of people seem to point to 4.56s, but I don't rock crawl, my off road abilities in the truck are fine, and I don't want the RPMs hanging high when I go out of state. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
