It was a gorgeous day, so I decided to take care of some stuff I’ve been ignoring for a loooooong time.
First, I installed the fawnceh LED DRL bulbs. The early GMT800s had a tendency to burn through DRL bulbs just as fast as they burned through gas. Hopefully the LEDs will remedy this issue. Plus, they give off a pretty white light!
Next, I installed the replacement fog light housings that I’ve had kicking around the garage for months. They’re super easy to replace... all you have to do is remove the grill, the headlights, the DRL/corner lights and the entire friggin’ bumper to get to the bolts. I also replaced the burner-out corner lights with LEDs and gave the lenses a quick polish.
Then, it was on to the heavy stuff. I’ve had new Timken wheel bearings kicking around the garage since last July, so it was about time I swapped those out. It appears the old one’s really weren’t as bad as I thought they were and my wheel bearing-ish noises didn’t go away, so I think the noise might be attributed to uneven tire wear due to my alignment being trash. It goes in for an alignment tomorrow.
My final act was to install a set of 4 shiny Bilstein 5100s in place of the rather crusty MOUNTAIN TERRAIN XT shocks. This truck rides like trash, especially if you run the recommended 60 psi front/80 psi rear tire pressure. These shocks are quite stiff, but they really make it feel more stable and help it to recover from road imperfections much better.
The to-do list is getting smaller! The junkyard steering gearbox is still bone dry, too. Next up: replace the totally rotted-away jounce bumpers on the front end, figure out what’s rattling on tip-in as I pull away from a stop, change the rear diff oil, transfer case fluid, do a drain and fill on the trans, and the BIG ONE: replace the slobbering rear main seal. That’ll be fun.
Why do I love this stupid truck so much?