Between 265 & 485 SQ/FT Made By Miller Studios

[MadeByMiller]

We've been having uncharacteristically warm weather lately, and following the snow we got a couple of weeks ago my Dakota was in dire need of a bath. I decided this afternoon would be a good time, so I got to work. I pulled the topper and bedliner off so I can properly clean them and get new seal on the bottom side of the topper. I also did something that I'm still not 100% sure of - I pulled the wheel arch trim off. This action of course exposed the rust that I knew was lurking beneath the trim on the bed. Fortunately, it was no worse than I was expecting, and the front fenders are very clean.



If it weren't for the rust I would have removed the trim long ago. I don't like the look and it traps dirt and moisture and road salt, worsening the rust. Of course I have to look at rust holes now, but I think I might prefer the rust holes over the trim, and it gives me motivation to fix the rust. A lot of you probably disagree with my decision to leave the trim off, and I get that too. Around here, rust holes are practically a factory option, so it's not too embarrassing.

I cleaned the rust stains with some CLR and the scrubby side of a sponge, and removing those bright orange stains did a lot for me visually.
BEFORE:

AFTER:


There are some spots on the paint where the trim has rubbed against it and worn into the paint, I think I can buff some of that out but I didn't have time to try today. I'm no @D.F.B but I aspire to be even half as skilled (and well outfitted) as he is some day when it comes to detailing.

I'm grateful for the beautiful weather we're having, and even was blessed with a gorgeous sunset tonight as I was cleaning up.

 

[bdbecker]

Thank you! It seems that all of the spaces in my world are a bit smaller than would be ideal, but I enjoy the challenge!

Finding contentment in what you do have is a valuable life skill. From what I've seen on this thread, you seem to be doing really well in that regard. That isn't to say you shouldn't settle and give up on the idea of someday having the shop and house of your dreams, but finding happiness in a small space means that when you do get that dream shop/house someday, you'll appreciate it that much more. Keep up the great work!

 

[fouckhest]

Truck looks really good without the trim! Once the topper is painted I would leave the trim off, nice clean look

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Nice work on the cleanup! I'm pro-fender flare, but I don't disagree with any of the cons you listed. The loss of the splash guards would be a bigger worry to me personally, in my case they keep my rock road from destroying the rockers on my daily commute.

We are going to have a 60* temp swing here today, high of 72* and a low of 12* tonight...45mph+ winds, yuck!

 

[Nolift911]

Truck looks great! I would imagine the quickest way to repair that and likely the most effective is a bed swap - probably can even find a white one? I get the non-repair route also, more cosmetic than anything...

 

[MadeByMiller]

Finding contentment in what you do have is a valuable life skill. From what I've seen on this thread, you seem to be doing really well in that regard. That isn't to say you shouldn't settle and give up on the idea of someday having the shop and house of your dreams, but finding happiness in a small space means that when you do get that dream shop/house someday, you'll appreciate it that much more. Keep up the great work!

Thank you very much, that's a kind observation. I sometimes worry that I'm too content, that I should have more of a drive towards the bigger and better. We have so much to be grateful for though. I appreciate your message.

Truck looks really good without the trim! Once the topper is painted I would leave the trim off, nice clean look

Trim off for life! Every time I see it without the trim I like it more.

Nice work on the cleanup! I'm pro-fender flare, but I don't disagree with any of the cons you listed. The loss of the splash guards would be a bigger worry to me personally, in my case they keep my rock road from destroying the rockers on my daily commute.

We are going to have a 60* temp swing here today, high of 72* and a low of 12* tonight...45mph+ winds, yuck!

Thanks! I could put the mud flaps back on, but there's already so many rock chips on the rockers/bottom of doors it seems the damage is already done. Fortunately almost every road my truck sees is paved too.

Yeah, crazy weather! Woke up to a dusting of snow and a high of 23 today. It's my fault for washing my truck yesterday, it never fails to bring about bad weather.

Truck looks great! I would imagine the quickest way to repair that and likely the most effective is a bed swap - probably can even find a white one? I get the non-repair route also, more cosmetic than anything...

Thank you! Yes, I agree. I actually almost bought a $500 Dakota last week that appeared to have a rust free bed, but it sold before the lady responded to me on marketplace. That truck was green, so it would have needed paint. Honestly, these first gen Dakotas just aren't all that common anymore, and to find one without rust there is extremely uncommon in my area. I'm always looking. They do sell patch panels for that spot, so I'll probably just end up repairing it.

 

[MadeByMiller]

Well, I went ahead and ordered the patch panels for the bed. Only about $100 for the pair.

 

[Nolift911]

Awesome - so would you just do the arches or the full panel? Tig, Mig? With your welding skills I guess you won't have to worry about warping panels...?

 

[MadeByMiller]

I've had a tough time finding wheels for the Dakota, as their 6x4.5" bolt pattern is not very well supported by the aftermarket. A couple of weeks ago when I was looking for first gen Dakotas with toppers, I stumbled across this absolute gem:




And I fell in love with it! Those 5 spoke steelies and fat rubber really toughen it up and give it an old school vibe. I remembered that I had seen those wheels on marketplace a while back, so I checked to see if they were still there. They were there still, and only $50, with all of the caps and trim rings! I picked them up the next day, and I'm excited to get them powdercoated some time soon. I'm thinking something close to the factory silver color would be best, but let me know what you think would be a good color option.


Speaking of new wheels, I need to get some new tires to mount on them. My tires are good tread-wise, but they're pretty badly weather checked. Any idea what size tires you think are on that red Dakota? I'd love to match them. The wheels are 15" by the way.

 

[MadeByMiller]

Speaking of tires...these Firestone ATX's are some of the coolest looking ATs I've ever seen! Sounds like they have a bad reputation though and aren't being manufactured anymore.

 

[fouckhest]

I am always a fan of the BFG A/T....maybe you could find a 31" in a 15" wheel diameter, I have them on my colorado and they have been good tires, not too loud, look good, havent worn oddly or quickly

 

[OutlawDrifter]

I would bet they are 31/10.5-15s

I had high hopes for those ATXs, but they didn't have a way to let the water out the side of the tread patch.

Do you want a black wall or a RWL/OWL tire?

 

[MadeByMiller]

I am always a fan of the BFG A/T....maybe you could find a 31" in a 15" wheel diameter, I have them on my colorado and they have been good tires, not too loud, look good, havent worn oddly or quickly

I can't stand that sidewall design though!

I would be they are 31/10.5-15s

I had high hopes for those ATXs, but they didn't have a way to let the water out the side of the tread patch.

Do you want a black wall or a RWL/OWL tire?

I think you're right on the tire size, I just wish I knew for sure. That truck was posted on a Dodge Truck forum way back in 2010, I managed to find the guy on Instagram and I sent him a message to see if somehow he could remember what size they were, but he hasn't posted in a few years, so I assume he'll never see my message.

Definitely a black wall tire. We've discussed tire options on here before, I'll have to go back and read what we came up with for options.

 

[bdbecker]

I was very impressed with the Falken A/T3W's I had on my Grand Cherokee. Quiet on the road while still being great in the snow and dirt. Hardly took any weight when balancing. It looks like they've got a decent selection of tires for 15" wheels as well. Price (when I bought mine) was very reasonable.

https://www.falkentire.com/wildpeak/at3w#size-list

EDIT:
Looks like the 4th generation has now been released, with even more 15" wheel options.

https://www.falkentire.com/wildpeak/at4w#size-list

 

[Nolift911]

I have Firestone Destination A/T 2's on my Defender and they are excellent - super quiet and smooth. Excellent in the rain and great on trails.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

My vote is for the Yokohama Geolandar G015 A/T first, followed by the Falken Wildpeak AT3W, and I'd like to try the new Cooper Discoverer Road + Trail AT.

Those Yokos will take whatever the Black Hills can throw at them and be HT quiet on the paved stuff.

If you don't need an AT, the Falken Wildpeak HT02 is pretty rad.



EDIT: Austin, I went back and looked at my previous tire recommendation in your thread(page 11 has the discussion)....big shocker, it hasn't changed

 

[MadeByMiller]

I was very impressed with the Falken A/T3W's I had on my Grand Cherokee. Quiet on the road while still being great in the snow and dirt. Hardly took any weight when balancing. It looks like they've got a decent selection of tires for 15" wheels as well. Price (when I bought mine) was very reasonable.

https://www.falkentire.com/wildpeak/at3w#size-list

EDIT:
Looks like the 4th generation has now been released, with even more 15" wheel options.

https://www.falkentire.com/wildpeak/at4w#size-list

I have Firestone Destination A/T 2's on my Defender and they are excellent - super quiet and smooth. Excellent in the rain and great on trails.

My vote is for the Yokohama Geolandar G015 A/T first, followed by the Falken Wildpeak AT3W, and I'd like to try the new Cooper Discoverer Road + Trail AT.

Those Yokos will take whatever the Black Hills can throw at them and be HT quiet on the paved stuff.

If you don't need an AT, the Falken Wildpeak HT02 is pretty rad.



EDIT: Austin, I went back and looked at my previous tire recommendation in your thread(page 11 has the discussion)....big shocker, it hasn't changed

Thank you for the suggestions gentlemen! I'm currently just trying to nail down size, then I'll dig back into what specific tire I'm going with.

I'm not so sure that red Dakota is running 31's, they might be 30's. So hard to tell. Stock tires are about 29" (235/75/15)

This truck has 31x10.50's and looks more stuffed and slightly taller sidewalls:

vs

 

[MadeByMiller]

Yesterday I took advantage of our unseasonably warm weather once again and got my topper thoroughly cleaned inside and out, foam seal installed, and clamped back on the truck. Very happy with how it looks, despite it not being paint matched yet.

I really wish I would have taken a before picture, it was quite gross inside from being stored upside down and filling up about 4" with nasty water. You can still see some stains left behind even after thoroughly scrubbing it with Purple Power degreaser, CLR, and dish soap. I prepped the seal surface with the alcohol wipes included with the seal and it was straightforward to apply.

(Yes, I know I'm slacking for still having my Christmas lights up in March...)


Before I could reinstall the topper, I needed to prep the truck. I cleaned the back window and applied some RainX, waxed the bedrails, and pulled back the bulkhead where it had been pushed towards the back of the cab. The c-clamp and ratchet strap trick worked really well, in fact it moved much easier that I thought it would. It's not perfect, but it's better.





Lastly, I tried polishing the glass where there are these weird metallic scuffs. They are on both the D and P side windows of the topper, and I really don't know how they would have got there. I scrubbed on them with 000 steel wool and Brasso for probably 30 minutes each side and barely improved it. Any ideas how I can completely remove them?


The cheap $15 clamps I got off Amazon worked predictably well.


And the big reveal!



I'm very happy with it!

 

[LeonardY]

Nice job!

I really wish I would have taken a before picture

I do that all the time. I just get started and then realize i should have taken a before picture.

Lastly, I tried polishing the glass where there are these weird metallic scuffs. They are on both the D and P side windows of the topper, and I really don't know how they would have got there. I scrubbed on them with 000 steel wool and Brasso for probably 30 minutes each side and barely improved it. Any ideas how I can completely remove them?

I've used plastic polish with success. This is what I use.

https://www.amazon.com/NOVUS-PK1-8OZ-PM-Plastic-Scratch-Remover-Bottles/dp/B0029B518O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I also have used these polish pads too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087J9WFTJ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[MadeByMiller]

Nice job!


I do that all the time. I just get started and then realize i should have taken a before picture.

I've used plastic polish with success. This is what I use.

https://www.amazon.com/NOVUS-PK1-8OZ-PM-Plastic-Scratch-Remover-Bottles/dp/B0029B518O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I also have used these polish pads too.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087J9WFTJ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I even thought to myself to take the before picture before I got started, I was just too excited to take 3 seconds to pull out my phone and snap a picture I guess. You will all just have to take my word for it!

Thank you for the recommendations!

 

[MadeByMiller]

Another nice day yesterday! I managed to get the plastic bedliner dropped in and nearly finished peeling off the old window tint.

Before I tossed the bedliner in, I wanted to try to mitigate any potential rusting due to moisture being trapped underneath the liner. It can't hurt to try anyways, so I grabbed a full can of Fluid Film and coated it down. As a bonus, my truck smells strongly of Fluid Film now.


Got the liner dropped it. It fits nicely underneath the bedrails, no fasteners needed. The piece on the tailgate does require six self tappers though.


I put a dab of paint on each aforementioned self tapper:


Then I turned to a project that I've been itching to get to since I bought the truck: removing the old faded, bubbled window tint. I've done this exact thing once before way back in high school on my '72 Chevy and I remember it being quite a mess and involving at least one full can of brake clean to remove the stubborn glue. This time I tried to be smarter and I found a trick on YouTube where you spray the tint with soapy water, then cling a trash bag to it, and use a heat gun to warm up the glue on the tint. The water is supposed to turn to steam behind the trash bag and aid in the removal of the tint, leaving little to no glue residue behind.

The purple-turned tint, in all of it's bubbly glory:


The garbage bag in position:


Aaaand it was a fail. Either I didn't have enough patience with the heat gun or the tint was simply too old and baked on, but I ended up just going back to my high school approach of a razor blade scraper and peeling it off. I did use the heat gun to soften the glue though, which made for much less residue. As you can see as I got closer to the center of the window, I developed a technique where I slowly scraped the tint and the glue together while heating with the heat gun, leaving almost no residue. The remaining residue wiped off easily with isopropyl alcohol, which is much more pleasant to use in a truck cab than brake clean ha.


Don't pay any attention to the spot I burned on the headliner with the heat gun...it needs reupholstered anyways


My younger son and I managed to get the passenger door all peeled off before it got too dark. Just have to knock out the driver side today.



So I'll be driving around in a fishbowl for a bit, which doesn't bother me nearly as much as that nasty old tint. Eventually I'll put some fresh tint on, and I'll do it myself.

No pictures, but the patch panels for the bed showed up yesterday. I wasted no time unboxing them and holding them in place on the truck. They seem to be a good fit, and should be large enough to replace the afflicted areas.

 

[MadeByMiller]

It wasn't such a nice day today weather-wise, but I got out this morning and peeled off the remaining tint from the driver side window. The boys came out when I was finished and we went for a drive around the neighborhood, where I snapped a couple of glamor shots. I got a new phone a couple of weeks ago and the camera is a big improvement over my old phone.


It looks like the windows are still tinted, but I think that's just because it's darker in the cab with the topper on and I was parked in a shady area.

Taking things out of the studios, our recent organization bout led me to finally take action on my wife's chaotic spice cabinet in the kitchen. The reason I'm even sharing is because I think you guys would love the spice racks I got from Vertical Spice. They are seriously awesome, from the website with built in cabinet configuration tool, to the fast shipping, to the well thought out packaging, to the construction and functionality - these things are as good as it gets! They have a ton of sizes on their website, I just happened to need three of the same for our cabinet space and contents.

I emptied the cabinet and laid everything out on the counter in imaginary racks as I was deciding what to order. That made sure everything would fit as expected when I got everything put together. I added a cheap metal shelf from Amazon as well to further make use of the space. My wife is very happy with her new spice cabinet.

Oh yeah, the spice racks are made in the USA!!

You can buy the racks disassembled to save a few bucks on the item and a considerable amount on shipping. I really like that detail and it shows that they care about their customers. Assembly is super easy, just 8 screws to attach the acrylic sides to the HDPE (I assume) shelf and base in pre drilled holes.


BEFORE:


THE CONTENTS:


AFTER:


Hope you all had a great weekend!

 

[bdbecker]

...Taking things out of the studios, our recent organization bout led me to finally take action on my wife's chaotic spice cabinet in the kitchen. The reason I'm even sharing is because I think you guys would love the spice racks I got from Vertical Spice...

Thank you for sharing that link! You may have just cost me some money, but also saved me a bunch of time. The rug got pulled out from under my spice rack project when my source for 9mm baltic birch dried up. I went to the store to see what was available, designed the project around 9mm material, figured out my cut sheets, only to find the shelf empty a week later with no intention to restock. I've had a tough time finding motivation to redesign everything around a different material (I know 12mm is too thick and have concerns bout fasteners stripping out over time with 6mm, assuming I could even find that). Those racks might end up being the 'easy' button for me.

The truck is looking great! Also, no shame in still having the lights up provided you aren't turning them on at night.

 

[MadeByMiller]

Thank you for sharing that link! You may have just cost me some money, but also saved me a bunch of time. The rug got pulled out from under my spice rack project when my source for 9mm baltic birch dried up. I went to the store to see what was available, designed the project around 9mm material, figured out my cut sheets, only to find the shelf empty a week later with no intention to restock. I've had a tough time finding motivation to redesign everything around a different material (I know 12mm is too thick and have concerns bout fasteners stripping out over time with 6mm, assuming I could even find that). Those racks might end up being the 'easy' button for me.

The truck is looking great! Also, no shame in still having the lights up provided you aren't turning them on at night.

You're welcome! I don't think you will be disappointed man. The only nitpick I have is that I'm pretty sure the drawer slides are meant to be in the typical drawer side configuration, not mounted underneath like that. So they sag a small amount when pulled out to full extension, but they still operate smoothly.

Thank you! Haha no, the lights have not been turned on since January.

 

[MadeByMiller]

Okay, so now back to the office studio to bring you all up to date on the reorganization project.

It looks mostly the same, but now I have the big 2'x4'x6' cabinet in place and in use and the old printer bench is gone. I've also added a new filament storage system and done quite a bit of organization of the small things that are out of sight. We redid the pantry in the closet of my office as well utilizing the old filament drawer cabinet for canned goods.

 

[MadeByMiller]

The pantry closet is so much better and more condensed now:



And a peek inside the big cabinet. I picked up those large Akro Mils bins to make it easier to access things in the back of the shelves. We're loving it so far, and as you can see there's still a ton of room to add more to the cabinet. All of the clear bins are empty.


I'm so happy with everything so far! We've gained a ton of storage which is a massive relief, and along the way we've gotten rid of things that we no longer need. I think the next step in my office will be outfitting the other half of the closet with the new 3D printer station that I plan to make from 80/20 extrusions.

 

[zanyad]

Looking good!
I am curious about about your monitors:

What size and resolution are they? I have two 22" or 24" monitors at work, but that setup looks very nice!

 

[MadeByMiller]

Looking good!
I am curious about about your monitors:

What size and resolution are they? I have two 22" or 24" monitors at work, but that setup looks very nice!

Thank you!

The main monitor is a 50" 4K Samsung Q80A TV, so 3,840x2,160. At the 50" size and 4K resolution it has a pixel density of 89ppi, so it's still quite good as a computer monitor.

https://www.amazon.com/SAMSUNG-50-Inch-Class-QLED-Built/dp/B09125FVDC?tag=atomicindus08-20

The auxiliary monitor in the vertical orientation is a 32" 4K Samsung M7 monitor. Same 3,840x2,160 resolution, but the pixel density is 137ppi since the screen is physically smaller.

https://www.bestbuy.com/site/samsung-m7b-series-32-smart-tizen-4k-uhd-monitor-with-hdr10-hdmi-usb-c-black/6504337.p?skuId=6504337

I can barely tell a difference between the two when it comes to clarity. I can't imagine working without this setup now, it's totally amazing.

 

[rharman]

I like how you have the expiration date on the food. We typically put the date of purchase as the expiration is already there.

Looks like you must have a feline office assistant... I have one as well.

 

[MadeByMiller]

I like how you have the expiration date on the food. We typically put the date of purchase as the expiration is already there.

Looks like you must have a feline office assistant... I have one as well.

That's a much better idea to write the date of purchase, we will do that from now on. When we reorganized the pantry and put the canned items in the drawers we decided to write on the top what they were and the exp. date so you don't have to pull the cans out. So all of those cans were already in the pantry and of course we didn't have a way of knowing when they were purchased. As you said, date of purchase makes much more sense so we will be doing that as we buy from now on, thank you!

Yes, our cat likes to hang out in my office most of the time to escape our four crazy kids haha

 

[bugnut]

I like how you have the expiration date on the food. We typically put the date of purchase as the expiration is already there.

Looks like you must have a feline office assistant... I have one as well.

That's a much better idea to write the date of purchase, we will do that from now on. When we reorganized the pantry and put the canned items in the drawers we decided to write on the top what they were and the exp. date so you don't have to pull the cans out. So all of those cans were already in the pantry and of course we didn't have a way of knowing when they were purchased. As you said, date of purchase makes much more sense so we will be doing that as we buy from now on, thank you!

Yes, our cat likes to hang out in my office most of the time to escape our four crazy kids haha

I too buy in quantity and on sale. Write the date of purchase so things are consumed FIFO. I like the new organization. If you have room lying cans image up allows easier selection and with your printing capability a wedge under them would be even more helpful providing a gripping surface to get hold on.

My only issues, albeit small, is the bursar dates and just shoves it in the front, failing to rotate to the back the new stuff! Ugh,

 

[zanyad]

My only issues, albeit small, is the bursar dates and just shoves it in the front, failing to rotate to the back the new stuff! Ugh,

Same here. I try for FIFO, Mrs Z does random access.

 

[loganb]

Know a couple people who got the labels pulled off all their canned goods while they were away on honeymoon....they also now write in sharpie on everything as they got tired of 9 months of "canned food surprise" lol

Love the setup...and never would've guessed the monitors were that big.....excellent work as always

 

[MadeByMiller]

I too buy in quantity and on sale. Write the date of purchase so things are consumed FIFO. I like the new organization. If you have room lying cans image up allows easier selection and with your printing capability a wedge under them would be even more helpful providing a gripping surface to get hold on.

My only issues, albeit small, is the bursar dates and just shoves it in the front, failing to rotate to the back the new stuff! Ugh,

Definitely have to have them standing up to make the most out of the drawer space.

I think my wife would be good about using them up in the correct order.

Know a couple people who got the labels pulled off all their canned goods while they were away on honeymoon....they also now write in sharpie on everything as they got tired of 9 months of "canned food surprise" lol

Love the setup...and never would've guessed the monitors were that big.....excellent work as always

 

[rharman]

I too buy in quantity and on sale. Write the date of purchase so things are consumed FIFO. I like the new organization. If you have room lying cans image up allows easier selection and with your printing capability a wedge under them would be even more helpful providing a gripping surface to get hold on.

My only issues, albeit small, is the bursar dates and just shoves it in the front, failing to rotate to the back the new stuff! Ugh,

Same here. I try for FIFO, Mrs Z does random access.

 

[MadeByMiller]

Cat in position:

 

[MadeByMiller]

Been a bit! I don't have a ton to update here, but here's a post anyways.

I was lucky enough to purchase a massive 8" Athol 618 vise from a really great man in Spearfish for $200:


We struck up a bit of a friendship, and after explaining to him some of what I do, he sent me home with this old trafficator to model and 3D print a new lens for. Here is the final lens:


I did a thorough spring cleaning in my shop, documented in a video on my Instagram HERE

Gave the family hauler a much needed hand wash:


I purchased some 22" wheels off of a later model Expedition sight unseen from Marketplace. My friend picked them up for me and brought them out from the other side of the state. The seller stated that the wheels were perfect...not the case. The wheels were pretty dirty so that hid the defects in the listing photos. I cleaned them really thoroughly, but of course I didn't take any photos. All I have is a screenshot of an IG story.


They look pretty good here, but one of the wheels had a small section of curb rash and one of them had the factory clear coat peeling off everywhere. Not perfect, but at least I only paid $400 for them. I decided to have the wheels stripped and powder coated with a powder called Polished Aluminum, here's an example:


I also need new tires, and after a lengthy hijacking over on @OutlawDrifter 's thread, I decided to go with Yokohama Geolander G015 A/T's. I had my local service/tire shop give me a quote, and as seen in the conversation on Marc's thread, I was having a hard time coping with the price tag of about $1,650 (mounted/balanced). After a lot of thought and research, I decided to order the tires through Amazon, who had the best price by far at $295/ea vs an estimated $350/ea from the local tire shop. I was also able to order all new Gorilla one piece lug nuts to replace the infamous two piece factory nuts, and a lug nut socket set for about $350 less than the tire shop quote.


I found a local company that offers mobile tire mounting/balancing as @Bob Heine suggested. They will charge about $30/tire to come to my house and mount/balance the new tires on my freshly refinished wheels, so that will bring my total cost for tires up to about $1,430 - still over $200 cheaper than the local tire shop and I will have brand new lug nuts. I would like to give the money to the small local shop, but financially I have to make the smartest choice for our current situation.

 

[Nolift911]

Been a bit! I don't have a ton to update here, but here's a post anyways.

I was lucky enough to purchase a massive 8" Athol 618 vise from a really great man in Spearfish for $200:


We struck up a bit of a friendship, and after explaining to him some of what I do, he sent me home with this old trafficator to model and 3D print a new lens for. Here is the final lens:


I did a thorough spring cleaning in my shop, documented in a video on my Instagram HERE

Gave the family hauler a much needed hand wash:


I purchased some 22" wheels of a later model Expedition sight unseen from Marketplace. My friend picked them up for me and brought them out from the other side of the state. The seller stated that the wheels were perfect...not the case. The wheels were pretty dirty so that hid the defects in the listing photos. I cleaned them really thoroughly, but of course I didn't take any photos. All I have is a screenshot of an IG story.


They look pretty good here, but one of the wheels had a small section of curb rash and one of them had the factory clear coat peeling off everywhere. Not perfect, but at least I only paid $400 for them. I decided to have the wheels stripped and powder coated with a powder called Polished Aluminum, here's an example:


I also need new tires, and after a lengthy hijacking over on @OutlawDrifter 's thread, I decided to go with Yokohama Geolander G015 A/T's. I had my local service/tire shop give me a quote, and as seen in the conversation on Marc's thread, I was having a hard time coping with the price tag of about $1,650 (mounted/balanced). After a lot of thought and research, I decided to order the tires through Amazon, who had the best price by far at $295/ea vs an estimated $350/ea from the local tire shop. I was also able to order all new Gorilla one piece lug nuts to replace the infamous two piece factory nuts, and a lug nut socket set for about $350 less than the tire shop quote.


I found a local company that offers mobile tire mounting/balancing as @Bob Heine suggested. They will charge about $30/tire to come to my house and mount/balance the new tires on my freshly refinished wheels, so that will bring my total cost for tires up to about $1,430 - still over $200 cheaper than the local tire shop and I will have brand new lug nuts. I would like to give the money to the small local shop, but financially I have to make the smartest choice for our current situation.

Nice vice!!

Having an installer at your house to mount and balance tires is where its at...!!!

 

[MadeByMiller]

Nice vice!!

Having an installer at your house to mount and balance tires is where its at...!!!

It's a monster of a vise!

Yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing how that goes. They have a big Sprinter van that they have their equipment in.

 

[OutlawDrifter]

Cool vise!

Expedition looks good!