[BillsDuster]

Thanks man, I like to make things work good but not too over the top I guess(plus I'm to poor for over the top, or I have TOO many toys haha). Ive been debating what I'm going to do with my 2wd, do I keep the LT kit when I sell it or just let it go with the truck. I ask myself if I want to go through all the work to pull my front end and swap in stock arms, really that doesn't sound fun lol. In the future I'd like to build another sand truck, but just a toy not a DD next time... I should probably build a ranger if I do, the I beam suspension is far and away better then the A-arms and even my LT kit.

Heck I could just run links and coils on my blazer, set up right itd be able to comfortably bomb the dunes like a wanna be prerunner and still be able to crawl and run trail rides with the whole family. Hey I think I just solved my problem lol!

 

[crewcab rabbit]

We'll you better get to it and help me decide if it's worth the time and work over trust flexy leaf springs

 

[BillsDuster]

Ive been doing a little reading. Kind of thinking about mimicking the super10 kit. I'm not totally understanding the triangulated stuff yet.

Went out cutting wood again yesterday and recorded a couple videos. I found that my saw toolbox works perfect to hold my phone.

The trail is getting packed down, but these two small humps up by the road were slick with the warmer weather.
http://youtu.be/UTWwxtAc_A4

I HAVE to find out what is squeaking, that is really bothering me lol

 

[terry10]

that looks like a lot of fun, still yet you can keep all that snow

 

[TokoDragon]

Blazers look mean when lifted, Jealous!


Looked like a fun snow trek

 

[crewcab rabbit]

The squeak sounds a lot like a u joint

 

[BillsDuster]

I agree, but I haven't heard it in a while. If we can get a warmer day around here I'm going to take a closer look.

Found some new shoes, coming soon! With the baby coming soon, Ive been thinking that this is the perfect opportunity to get new tires. Now I reason these with the wife 100% on a safety aspect. The Thornbirds are showing some dry rot cracking on the sidewalls, they always have, but it's not going to just be me cruising soon. She also knows how FUN the birds are to drive on the icy roads with lol I wonder if the weight loss will help mileage any?

Sigma Mud Claw, I'm going 35's with these as well on my aluminum turbine wheels. Ive been tossing around BFG AT's/MT's, Coopers, Generals, ect and none have an aggressive tread for even close to the same price. Interco's have gone way up since I last priced tires!! I was thinking Truxus MT or STS, but nope I'm not paying that kind of price. I can get these and a winch for the cost of a set of them lol.

 

[TokoDragon]

^ well those tires just look swell!

Probably not as street friendly as the BFG KM2, how much are the mud claws?

The cheapest place I found the BFG KM2 tires for was from 4wheelparts.com

 

[BillsDuster]

I was just at the tire place getting tires mounted up for the wife's Jimmy. I did double check on those mud claws, $171 each for 35x12.5x15s. Roughly 780 out the door mounted and balanced for four. Like that picture, the tread is deep on them! I guess cooper tires owns sigma, so I'm pretty confident they should be decent tires.

 

[crewcab rabbit]

Looks a lot like the new wild county mtx

 

[bravadabr]

My brother inlaw has them on his dodge. Awesome in the sand and he does a lot of heavy towing but they seem to have wore quick. I think you'll like them and they may last longer in the s10

 

[BillsDuster]

Good to know man. I'm sure I'll get better life out of them vs a full size. Heavy towing can be hell on tires for sure.

Rabbit, I think there is another tire that basicly the same with a different sidewall. Probably Coopers way to steal market share from the other brands.

Im really hoping to get these in a couple weeks, at least before the snow starts melting, I'm really interested to see how they compare to the birds in the deep snow at our property. I was pushing snow with the axles today when I got off the trail, and another few inches are on the way...so ready for spring!

 

[BillsDuster]

Mud Claws are back ordered, with a maybe date 2 to 3 weeks out. I know what that means, all the other tires shops have people wanting them too, and I'm not that patient lol. Two weeks turns into four weeks in to six weeks...

So I'm getting these... Was expecting them by the end of this week, but I got a message while at work today that they are in and ready for me to pick up. I'll be interested to see if they ride better and get better mileage vs the heavy ass thornbirds, these are a lot lighter and are going on aluminum wheels.

Hope to have pics tomorrow on the truck. I will be testing these in the snow this week before it is all melted out of the woods. I haven't been down my trail at the property in a month, should be fun!

In other news, I passed my qualifications test at the new job last month. I am officially in and got a pretty nice raise to boot!!

AND

I posted a while back, we were having a baby...well its a BOY!! I'll be looking for a power wheels jeep or truck pretty soon to build his first wheeler!

 

[stevenadamski]

Congratulations on the little one

 

[BillsDuster]

Thanks!

My lug nuts have been "out for delivery" "by the end of the day" all day. Thanks UPS I really wanted them at 8pm... Got to listen to some coyotes carry on while I mounted the last tire, they must of found some dinner at the end of my road. Oh well, pics tomorrow then. I mounted the tires up and went to the gas station. All I can say is wow they are smooth, and holy bat shit they are quiet!! Feels like a new truck!

 

[TokoDragon]

from what I heard, thornbirds are some of the roughest riding tires you can find lol

 

[BillsDuster]

Yeah the sidewalls are really stiff, and being bias ply, to get them to wear evenly I could only run about 18 pounds in them. Had them in the dunes aired down to 4 or 5 psi, they looked like I never aired down lol. They are balanced surprisingly, my buddy used to work at a tire shop, he spent about half a shift on a slow day getting them to balance out. Only took 3.5 tons of wheel weights...

 

[BillsDuster]

Very impressed with the tires. They roll down the highway as smooth as can be, soak up bumps in the road that were pretty harsh before, and are barely audible at 80 mph. It really feels like there is a lot less rolling resistance, when I was on the highway it felt like I had a tail wind pushing me along even though there was no wind at all. And a couple small hills that normally it would of down shift on, it didnt.

I had to test them out in the snow first thing to compare to those thornbirds. The snow was deep, wet, heavy, slushy, and they had no problem clawing through virgin snow where the front axle was plowing snow off my path. I really should of had my buddy video my entrance into the property, the plow trucks pushed the bank up as high as my front bumper, I had to bust it down to get in. Also hit a sloppy soft muddy dirt road today.

Now that its warming up I can finally finish that bumper






And one shot of the tread pattern while I was waiting on UPS last night

 

[crewcab rabbit]

You will be way happier with them for a all purports tire and help put the power down better

 

[crewcab rabbit]

On and now you just need some center caps to finish off the wheels