ZMotorsports Shop Projects 2.0

[bugnut]

Mike, thanks for sharing. Like you my faith and the bursar, are and continue to be the wellspring, on which we have built this wonderful life we continue to enjoy.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike, thanks for sharing. Like you my faith and the bursar, are and continue to be the wellspring, on which we have built this wonderful life we continue to enjoy.

Thank you Joel.

Not sure why I've been replaying mine and my wife's life in my mind so much lately, other than counting my blessings at this time of year.

It's strange, I still remember being young and so impressionable just starting out in life and career and asking people I looked up to how they got to where they were so I could model or adopt similar behaviors. I remember looking 20-30 years down the road coming up with a plan to get where we wanted to be and now that we're here I can't believe how fast it has gone by. It doesn't seem like it's been 30+ years, but in the blink of an eye here we are.

 

[545_days]

Mike, don't give up on your videos. None of us will ever know how much impact we have on other people's lives. On a few random occasions I have been fortunate enough to find out that something I said in passing resonated with a young man and changed his direction in life.

Most recently I ran into a general foreman on one of my projects and he introduced himself (I didn't remember previously meeting him.) Back when he was a helper I had stopped him and briefly coached him about an unsafe shortcut he was taking. I told him that while I appreciated his eagerness to prove himself by working quickly; as Project Manager I was much more concerned about him doing the job safely and correctly with a predictable outcome. Apparently that short, respectful interaction made a big impression on him. In his mind that conversation was the point that started him thinking about how he did work that advanced his career in construction.

We are about the same age (actually I'm a couple of years older), but I am still working, mostly because I really enjoy sharing what I have learned with the next generation. I understand that most of the knowledge I impart falls on deaf ears, but the the few who who soak it up and improve both themselves and the industry as a whole are rewarding enough to make up for the knuckleheads.

 

[ntsqd]

When the offer for my current position came thru it was only two weeks of paid vacation. I countered with a salary that was $5k less and three weeks of paid vacation. They took it.

I should have asked for four weeks......

 

[WoodsTruck]

What would you do with all that vacation?
My service calendar runs out at Dec 31 and I won't have all my 2024 vacation burnt by then.
Carry over 5 weeks for '25 and add the 5 weeks for '26.

 

[PugetDude]

What would you do with all that vacation?
My service calendar runs out at Dec 31 and I won't have all my 2024 vacation burnt by then.
Carry over 5 weeks for '25 and add the 5 weeks for '26.

I used to have a wife like that...

 

[bigdave_185]

@zmotorsports, I was super pumped when I got my calendar in the mail as well! Hang your calendar with pride my friend!

 

[ntsqd]

What would you do with all that vacation?
My service calendar runs out at Dec 31 and I won't have all my 2024 vacation burnt by then.
Carry over 5 weeks for '25 and add the 5 weeks for '26.

I'd go on more trips. Most of the group that I go with on "Guy Trips" (as my wife calls them) have recently retired. They're going on a lot more trips than I can.

 

[zmotorsports]

I hope everyone had a great weekend, we had a busy one.


Friday night the kids had a Christmas concert to attend in Salt Lake City, so the wife and I were able to watch our grandson. It was awesome and I just love that little guy so much. My wife bought one of the ginger bread kits so we sat at the dinner table after dinner and assembled the ginger bread house so he could show his mom and dad, then we watched the Grinch and he fell asleep.

Saturday my wife had Christmas tea at our house so I helped her setup in the morning and then hid out in the shop until early afternoon when I went in and helped her clean up and put the house back together. This is a tradition she started with her mom years ago and my wife has continued it after her mother's passing 5 years ago. All of her sisters, SIL's and nieces come over and have brunch, then play games and exchange gifts. It is a LOT of work for my wife and she stresses over it for the entire week before because she wants and expects it to be perfect. It always goes well, but I feel bad because she stresses so much. My DIL was a great help and prepared some food for the brunch as well as came over early to help the wife get things finalized which was greatly appreciated.

We told the kids we didn't want nor need anything for Christmas but they got us tickets to go to the Luminaria light display at Thanksgiving Point, near Lehi on Saturday night. We couldn't have asked for better weather for the drive down nor for the time we spent walking around for a couple of hours looking at all of the lights. While the lights were beautiful and well done, watching our grandson's face and eyes just take them all in was what stole the show. Near the end of the walk there was a display called Fire & Ice, it was a display set to music that had cool colored lights combined with blasts of fire from flameshooters that we could actually feel the heat from as they went off to the timing of the music. My grandson would jump when the flames shot up and then giggle, but watching his eyes and facial expressions was so adorable.






With such a busy weekend, the wife and I were exhausted by Saturday night so we just eased into our Sunday morning with about 3 or 7 cups of coffee, then with it being so beautiful with about 20 degree above normal temperatures here along the Wasatch Front the last week, we decided to pull the cover off the Camaro and go for a drive. Not sure how much longer this weather will stick around and the wife had a few last minute Christmas gifts and wrapping she wanted to pick up, so we took a drive up to Logan, UT and enjoyed the afternoon.





Thanks for looking.

 

[zmotorsports]

Almost forgot, I picked up a battery Friday on the way home from work for the Wheel Horse tractor and my new tires arrived Friday as well.




I was disappointed in the tires. The ad clearly stated 3-rib but what arrived were 5-rib tires.


I'll go ahead and run them as they were a close second to the 3-rib as far as comments on a couple of the Wheel Horse forums, but I am still quite disappointed that the description was not just misleading, it was completely wrong and the pictures on the ad were terrible. One picture showed a side view and the other was a hard to decern angled picture. The seller still hasn't responded to my email so needless to say, they didn't get a favorable review from me, which is unfortunate. I hate giving poor reviews, but I received no communication all weekend.

 

[signcrafter]

Some good family pictures Mike. Glad you guys had a nice weekend. ***** about the tires, hopefully they work out for you.

 

[zmotorsports]

Some good family pictures Mike. Glad you guys had a nice weekend. ***** about the tires, hopefully they work out for you.

Thanks Scott. It was a great weekend. I'm sure the tires will work just fine for the application, I am just upset that they weren't what I thought I was buying based on the description and even more upset the seller hasn't responded.

 

[ntsqd]

Dig out the tire groover and make them a 3 rib?

 

[PugetDude]

Dig out the tire groover and make them a 3 rib?

Pfffft...
Angle grinder with a diamond wheel in a custom jig machined to 4 decimal places.

 

[XJSuperman]

Those'll be nicer on your yard anyways for the little time it may actually see grass.

 

[zmotorsports]

Those'll be nicer on your yard anyways for the little time it may actually see grass.

The only reason I chose to go with the 3-rib was because it won't see any times on the grass as this will be used solely for snow removal and not mowing the lawn. The 3-rib would give a bit better lateral control vs. the 5-rib, but not quite sure just how much better. I think that's the only reason I am willing to run the 5-rib, as they should still perform well. The rear traction is what I am now having concerns over. I'd like to find a set of wheel weights for the drive axle, but they're a bit harder to locate.

 

[XJSuperman]

Unfortunately wheelweights for a WheelHorse will be harder to find, but blank suitcase weights are easier to get ahold of, and you can hang more of them than wheelweights. Esp with your 3pt hitch.

 

[ntsqd]

Maybe some iron lifting weights modified to bolt into the wheels?

The owner of the Top Alcohol Dragster that I crewed for had a similar problem with his little tractor's rear blade skipping when leveling his gravel driveway. His solution was a junk iron engine block from the scrap pile bolted to the blade. I noticed that it had two wire o-rings per cylinder in the decks. When I asked about that I was told that it was the first iron block big block Chevy to go 200 MPH in the 1/4 mile without some sort of blower.

 

[zmotorsports]

Unfortunately wheelweights for a WheelHorse will be harder to find, but blank suitcase weights are easier to get ahold of, and you can hang more of them than wheelweights. Esp with your 3pt hitch.

That was going to be Plan B because I don't have any implements that will be hooked to the back, I sold the plow that came with the tractor. It's more of an aesthetics thing though and I don't like the looks of things on the 3-point hitch, which is why it was Plan B and not Plan A.

 

[XJSuperman]

While I can't understand why you prefer an empty 3pt, I would think a weightrack/trailer mover would be a practical answer for you in the same ways it is for me. The ability to hang weights for snow removal and slide anything into a 2" receiver is pretty handy. With your two trailers, being able to back up the tractor and grab one to pull it out of the way is easier than wrestling it onto a truck hitch or rolling it on your own.
Just one man's two cents....unless you count the last couple posts, then maybe its getting closer to 10cents...

 

[RickP]

The only reason I chose to go with the 3-rib was because it won't see any times on the grass as this will be used solely for snow removal and not mowing the lawn. The 3-rib would give a bit better lateral control vs. the 5-rib, but not quite sure just how much better. I think that's the only reason I am willing to run the 5-rib, as they should still perform well.

Would it be possible to put chains on your front tires?

I use rear chains on my lawn tractor in the snow, but I never considered front chains before.

 

[WoodsTruck]

Would it be possible to put chains on your front tires?

I use rear chains on my lawn tractor in the snow, but I never considered front chains before.

Chains can leave marks on concrete surfaces, something picky people may not be excited about.
Chains on the front either need v-bars, or diagonal cross links to aid in steering, "X's" are better yet. Regular ladder bars turn into skate runners when the tires are turned, especially without drive power to them.
If you are running the blade at a good angle and pushing a good pile of snow, the ladder bar style links will allow the front end to wash in the direction of the blade angle.

 

[RickP]

Chains can leave marks on concrete surfaces, something picky people may not be excited about.
Chains on the front either need v-bars, or diagonal cross links to aid in steering, "X's" are better yet. Regular ladder bars turn into skate runners when the tires are turned, especially without drive power to them.
If you are running the blade at a good angle and pushing a good pile of snow, the ladder bar style links will allow the front end to wash in the direction of the blade angle.

Good point -- my chains are used in snow over gravel or dirt.

 

[zmotorsports]

Would it be possible to put chains on your front tires?

I use rear chains on my lawn tractor in the snow, but I never considered front chains before.

Good point -- my chains are used in snow over gravel or dirt.

Rick, I mentioned a few pages back, there are quite a few people on the Wheel Horse forums that run a roller chain down the middle of their turf tires on their tractors and love the handling the chain provides. It is commonly referred to on the forums as the "roller chain mod", but as @WoodsTruck mentioned, the chains can leave marks on concrete and that is not something I want to see, especially after all of the money I've spent on the concrete around my place. I appreciate the comments though, just not something I want to experience.

 

[zmotorsports]

Last night I was finally able to finish up the PPV valve replacements on the rear air tank on our coach. As much as I hate to admit this, but I have been procrastinating crawling up under there again. There is not much room under these things and it seems like once I get positioned under the coach I have either forgot something or I can't reach what I need so any work under the coach is less than enjoyable. I finally told myself last night that I should be grateful that it is a simple replacement of parts and not something outside of my wheelhouse and just dive in, so I suited up and got after it.

I also prepped the air supply line to cut into it for my supplemental braking system, so the bright green air line at the far right in the picture is nice and clean where I removed the paint and undercoating in preparation to cut and install a T fitting.



I then moved to the front air tank and marked the lines going to the two PPV valves that will get replaced.




Air lines disconnected and PPV removed. After taking this picture, I cleaned the ends of each of the lines back to remove the paint and undercoating a little further back and then cut about 1/4" to 3/8" off each air line to remove the small groove from the previous fittings so they are ready to reconnect once I install the new PPV valves.


I realized that when I bought the fittings for the rear air tank PPV valves, I doubled up on the fittings, but the front has two different fitting configurations and sizes so I need to stop on the way home and exchange a few fittings. Plus I need to purchase a 25' package of 1/4" DOT air line to run my supplemental braking line from the auxiliary air tank that I will be installing back to the hitch area of the coach.



Thanks for looking.

 

[chipdog4]

While I can't understand why you prefer an empty 3pt, I would think a weightrack/trailer mover would be a practical answer for you in the same ways it is for me. The ability to hang weights for snow removal and slide anything into a 2" receiver is pretty handy. With your two trailers, being able to back up the tractor and grab one to pull it out of the way is easier than wrestling it onto a truck hitch or rolling it on your own.
Just one man's two cents....unless you count the last couple posts, then maybe its getting closer to 10cents...

Yeah, it's much handier than hooking up one of the trucks or tractors to drag it inside for maintenance or a wash.

 

[zmotorsports]

While I can't understand why you prefer an empty 3pt, I would think a weightrack/trailer mover would be a practical answer for you in the same ways it is for me. The ability to hang weights for snow removal and slide anything into a 2" receiver is pretty handy. With your two trailers, being able to back up the tractor and grab one to pull it out of the way is easier than wrestling it onto a truck hitch or rolling it on your own.
Just one man's two cents....unless you count the last couple posts, then maybe its getting closer to 10cents...

Yeah, it's much handier than hooking up one of the trucks or tractors to drag it inside for maintenance or a wash.

I'm not gonna lie or pretend that I had thought of that, because I hadn't. I usually have things thought out pretty well in advance, but the thought of using the tractor to move the car trailer around didn't occur to me. Not sure I will because it is so easy and convenient where it is parked to hook up to with the truck where it is located alongside the shop, but it is an option I hadn't thought about. I may have to rig up a ball mount on the tractor just in case.

 

[larry4406]

I built a receiver hitch for our Husky garden tractor.

It now pulls a 4x8 trailer on the property for yard work (tree branch collection).

I will also insert one of those travel extend a hitch storage platforms on it and then it supports the spray rig.

 

[WoodsTruck]

That apprentice grease-monkey (paint shaker monkey) is going to need to learn how to tow and back a trailer sometime.

 

[XJSuperman]

I'm not gonna lie or pretend that I had thought of that, because I hadn't. I usually have things thought out pretty well in advance, but the thought of using the tractor to move the car trailer around didn't occur to me. Not sure I will because it is so easy and convenient where it is parked to hook up to with the truck where it is located alongside the shop, but it is an option I hadn't thought about. I may have to rig up a ball mount on the tractor just in case.

Here's mine Mike. Don't even need to touch the trailer jack if I have the 3pt height set right. Just back up and lift up, then pull away.

 

[ScepterToad]

Mike are you going with the Air Force One braking system? It's a pretty good system, but the actuator that goes on the brake pedal in the Jeep can get in the way of your foot. I've learned to live with mine, but it takes some getting used to. I've got it mounted up about as high as I could get it and I still hit it with my foot from time to time. Anyone else that drives the Jeep has issues with it.

The other thing that I had trouble with was confirming that when I hit to coach brakes, the brake pedal actually moved. At the slow speed in the parking lot where I tested it, there wasn't much movement. I propped my phone up and recorded a video. To some level, I just had to trust that in a hard braking event that it actuated more than I saw on the video. I will say that I haven't had any events where I felt the Jeep "push" on the back of the coach, so it seems to work well.

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike are you going with the Air Force One braking system? It's a pretty good system, but the actuator that goes on the brake pedal in the Jeep can get in the way of your foot. I've learned to live with mine, but it takes some getting used to. I've got it mounted up about as high as I could get it and I still hit it with my foot from time to time. Anyone else that drives the Jeep has issues with it.

The other thing that I had trouble with was confirming that when I hit to coach brakes, the brake pedal actually moved. At the slow speed in the parking lot where I tested it, there wasn't much movement. I propped my phone up and recorded a video. To some level, I just had to trust that in a hard braking event that it actuated more than I saw on the video. I will say that I haven't had any events where I felt the Jeep "push" on the back of the coach, so it seems to work well.

Thanks Keith, I've installed several of the Air Force One kits on a few different coaches as a couple of the M&G kits over the years. I really like the M&G because it is non-intrusive into the cabin area, but with my configuration it may be too tight in an already tight engine bay so it will be the AFO.

I just don't like the cheap setup that the kit comes with on the coach side. I know most haven't had any issues, but I prefer to use an actual heavy truck brake relay and PPV valve vs. the smaller non-commercial components in the AFO kits, which is why I'm going the route I am to be 100% in compliance with the FMVSS 121 requirements. I'm sure it's overkill, but you know what they say.....

 

[zmotorsports]

Mike are you going with the Air Force One braking system? It's a pretty good system, but the actuator that goes on the brake pedal in the Jeep can get in the way of your foot. I've learned to live with mine, but it takes some getting used to. I've got it mounted up about as high as I could get it and I still hit it with my foot from time to time. Anyone else that drives the Jeep has issues with it.

The other thing that I had trouble with was confirming that when I hit to coach brakes, the brake pedal actually moved. At the slow speed in the parking lot where I tested it, there wasn't much movement. I propped my phone up and recorded a video. To some level, I just had to trust that in a hard braking event that it actuated more than I saw on the video. I will say that I haven't had any events where I felt the Jeep "push" on the back of the coach, so it seems to work well.

Thanks Keith, I've installed several of the Air Force One kits on a few different coaches as a couple of the M&G kits over the years. I really like the M&G because it is non-intrusive into the cabin area, but with my configuration it may be too tight in an already tight engine bay so it will be the AFO.

I just don't like the cheap setup that the kit comes with on the coach side. I know most haven't had any issues, but I prefer to use an actual heavy truck brake relay and PPV valve vs. the smaller non-commercial components in the AFO kits, which is why I'm going the route I am to be 100% in compliance with the FMVSS 121 requirements. I'm sure it's overkill, but you know what they say.....

Keith, I should also add that for the first nearly 30-years I have used the U.S. Gear Unified Braking System and have had zero issues, swapped between all 3 of our coaches. It has worked flawlessly but I wanted to tap into my air brakes. With U.S. Gear no longer making the Unified Braking System and the wife and I gearing up for more travel as we near retirement, I am trying to eliminate as many failure points and related expenses as possible before we retire. Hence the air springs a few years ago, the FASS fuel system and the PPV valve replacements as preventive maintenance and thought I'd throw the supplemental braking system into the mix. I recently removed the U.S. Gear Unified Braking System from both the coach and Jeep and sold it. My thinking was that if I had issues and with parts no longer being available, I would be forced to replace it anyways, may as well do it now while I am working on the air system and remove that from the list of potential issues before retirement.

Not sure if that is sound reasoning or not, but that was my thinking.

 

[SilverJimmy]

Might be too late but did you see these tires?

18x8.50-8 Hartford 3-Rib Front Tractor Tire 6 Ply

18x8.50-8 Hartford 3-Rib Front Lawn & Garden Tractor Tire for sale online, 300-850

www.millertire.com

 

[ntsqd]

After reading some of this about moving trailers around with the WheelHorse or similar small tractor I suggested the option to the neighbor 2 doors down. He was contemplating getting an old fork-lift to do that job and possibly pulling & resetting engines. Except that he doesn't want to be pulling & resetting engines all that often and he wasn't sure that he wanted a fork-lift sitting around the rest of the time.
He does rent out two of his trailers thru some sort of "AirBnB" kind of deal*, so he's moving trailers around fairly often but a fork-lift just to that seemed like overkill in the wrong way.


*Seems like more headache than it's worth, and I like my trailers too much to do that to them!

 

[Mr.zippy]

Last night I was finally able to finish up the PPV valve replacements on the rear air tank on our coach. As much as I hate to admit this, but I have been procrastinating crawling up under there again. There is not much room under these things and it seems like once I get positioned under the coach I have either forgot something or I can't reach what I need so any work under the coach is less than enjoyable. I finally told myself last night that I should be grateful that it is a simple replacement of parts and not something outside of my wheelhouse and just dive in, so I suited up and got after it.

I also prepped the air supply line to cut into it for my supplemental braking system, so the bright green air line at the far right in the picture is nice and clean where I removed the paint and undercoating in preparation to cut and install a T fitting.



I then moved to the front air tank and marked the lines going to the two PPV valves that will get replaced.




Air lines disconnected and PPV removed. After taking this picture, I cleaned the ends of each of the lines back to remove the paint and undercoating a little further back and then cut about 1/4" to 3/8" off each air line to remove the small groove from the previous fittings so they are ready to reconnect once I install the new PPV valves.


I realized that when I bought the fittings for the rear air tank PPV valves, I doubled up on the fittings, but the front has two different fitting configurations and sizes so I need to stop on the way home and exchange a few fittings. Plus I need to purchase a 25' package of 1/4" DOT air line to run my supplemental braking line from the auxiliary air tank that I will be installing back to the hitch area of the coach.



Thanks for looking.

One of those projects that is best in the "done" column!


(All my zip ties are the same color....I feel so inadequate)

 

[zmotorsports]

Might be too late but did you see these tires?

18x8.50-8 Hartford 3-Rib Front Tractor Tire 6 Ply

18x8.50-8 Hartford 3-Rib Front Lawn & Garden Tractor Tire for sale online, 300-850

www.millertire.com

I saw those Sterling, they were the ones that actually first popped up in my search. Several people on the Wheel Horse forums are running them and they had good reviews. However, they are more than double the cost of what I wanted to spend and then the shipping was as much as the tires.

 

[PugetDude]

(All my zip ties are the same color....I feel so inadequate)

This is definitely not a thread for those with feelings of DIY inadequacy.
May I suggest you spend some time in the "Fixing your car with masking tape" or " What is the best Dogbone wrench? " threads before slinking back in here...

 

[zmotorsports]

One of those projects that is best in the "done" column!


(All my zip ties are the same color....I feel so inadequate)

Trust me, I will be very happy to move this to the done column and put a check mark next to the project on my "to do" list. I am usually not a procrastinator, but I am so damn sore by the time I crawl out from under the coach from positioning and repositioning and then crawling back out to grab another tool or something that I feel it the next day, I'm not as young as I used to be and I have been dealing with a rotator cuff issue for nearly two years that I am reluctant to have surgery on so that compounds my frustrations. My wife suggested I take this job to another shop, but I told her two things; first, I will not let someone else touch my coach and second, when I can't perform the repairs or maintenance on our coach any longer it's time to sell it........and I sure as hell am NOT ready to get rid of it yet. I'm afraid that day will come soon enough.

As for the zip-ties, I actually bought these from HF for jobs exactly like this as they stay put a little better than tape, but thankfully I don't grab them out of the drawer very often. They just work well for identification purposes, I don't know that I would trust them for anything more than that.

 

[madison069]

. They just work well for identification purposes, I don't know that I would trust them for anything more than that.

Have faith in them! This robber did!
https://www.cbsnews.com/pittsburgh/news/man-arrested-in-connection-with-monroeville-armed-robbery/