Little mods/upgrades/additions that make a big difference

[RedF]

^ I like it! The only improvement I could think of would be an inline switch, so you don't have to unplug it.

 

[kwill]

^ I like it! The only improvement I could think of would be an inline switch, so you don't have to unplug it.

There is one! It just didn't make it into the photo.

 

[riccasey]

FYI hockey pucks make good tire carrier bump stops. But you wouldn't believe what it takes to find them down here.

I always have a couple of pucks on the shelf. I could arrange a group buy if there was enough interest - :hehe:

Wonderful ideas everyone, thanks.

I especially like this one. When it warms up - in about four months - i will get under the truck and install this little fabricated piece of brilliance.

Guide to get the hook in for lowering the spare tire.
Cost me a small piece of sheet metal and some thinking to get the ends flat.




Can't miss now. So easy, a sixteen year old could hit it on his first try.

 

[rich1833]

I have one of these $5.00 lock on air chucks to air down tires.








So I have been using the above to air down for awhile but just found this today at O'Reilly will have to see how they work.

 

[Happy Joe]

If you pull the valve core to air down you had best carry extras...they are sometimes lost in dust/mud or gravel.
Visit the local HVAC supplier and get one of these;

http://www.tooltopia.com/robinair-1...scplp6825347&gclid=CKbSoeSF3skCFYU-aQodg3MISQ

Enjoy!

 

[DIY Guy]

Cheap and bright

Hey guys great thread! Thought Id throw this out there. Eagle Eyes, they are small (18mm or 23mm) round LEDs that mount in a single hole via threaded shaft that the wires run through and pull very little amperage. Super cheap (less than 1.00 each on popular auction sites) small overall size, nearly impervious to shock, vibration, hot/cold, mud/water etc, and at 10w each can produce plenty of light. Also available in lots of colors if you wnted to use them as aux brake/turn signals etc. I have a few mounted both interior and exterior that have worked well for years.

 

[eggman918]

I have been caring a inexpensive H/F IR thermometer to use on trips to keep tabs on hub,U joint gear box....ect. temps it more than paid for it's self when I caught a trailer bearing that was well on its way to failure and recently I found that it can improve your dutch oven results as well:chef:.........Well worth it's space/weight.

 

[rayra]

Just made a nice 7" tablet dash mount out of some scrap plastic. Link in my sig.

Dipped my dash bulbs in clear red acrylic paint

Relocated my low-hanging trailer connector up into my bumper.

total cost for all three mods was effectively $0, my time, a bit of electricity.

 

[ExplorerTom]

Eagle Eyes, they are small (18mm or 23mm) round LEDs

I added a set of those. Great little lights

 

[anickode]

25 bucks for the shackle, paint, and hitch pin. The rest was out of the scrap bin. The hook is 1" A514 steel plate cut on the CNC plasma at 150 amps. The backing plate is ⅜", and the tube is 2"׼" wall. Welded at ~200 amps using spray transfer and metal core wire.

 

[AFBronco235]

25 bucks for the shackle, paint, and hitch pin. The rest was out of the scrap bin. The hook is 1" A514 steel plate cut on the CNC plasma at 150 amps. The backing plate is ⅜", and the tube is 2"׼" wall. Welded at ~200 amps using spray transfer and metal core wire.

Impressive. I want one! Do you plan on selling any?

 

[anickode]

Impressive. I want one! Do you plan on selling any?

Hadn't planned on it... This was just a quick 2 hour project. 15 minutes at the computer, 15 minutes at the plasma table, 15 minutes at the sandblaster, 15 minutes at the welding bench, 15 minutes in the paint Booth with a can of rustoleum, and 45 minutes wandering around Tractor supply with a hitch pin and a shackle in my hand looking at all the other stuff I shouldn't be spending money on.

 

[AFBronco235]

Still, that's a $100 hook you've made there. Just think you could make a little extra spending money for TSC by manufacturing and selling these hooks.

 

[anickode]

Still, that's a $100 hook you've made there. Just think you could make a little extra spending money for TSC by manufacturing and selling these hooks.

That's the main reason I haven't made them to sell. If I had to buy the materials, and clear enough to make my time worthwhile, it'd be considerably more than a $100 tow hook. Plus the liability of it... someone will side-pull an $80,000 crew cab F350 dually with a gigantic hard side truck camper on it that's up to the axles in mud using a 10,000# winch with a snatch block. The hook will break (probably not, but not worth the risk to me), fly through a windshield and smash someone's face in. I'll get sued, and have zero dollars to spend anywhere for the rest of my life. Because that's how the world works these days.

 

[rayra]

That's why you set up a sacrificial corporation as a shield against such things. Big liability suit is against the corporate entity instead of you personally. It doesn't take much to do it right. But it isn't worthwhile if you aren't actively pursuing a business opportunity under its aegis. Could cost as much as ~$1500 in various taxes and licenses for the 1st year of operation, just to see if it would be a profitable enterprise. Rules vary widely from State to state and nation to nation.

But that's not meant to gainsay yoru point, yes it does suck these days, everybody is looking for an angle to make someone else pay their bills, deserved or not.