trbankii
09-25-2013, 08:52
Had to get the truck ready this past week for the annual state inspection. There were a few things I knew I needed and then discovered some others while going over the truck - shocks, front brake pads, muffler (I thought things sounded a bit more throaty), exhaust behind muffler, and wiper blades.
Sounds like a lot of neglect, but it really wasn't that bad. As I mentioned, I figured something in the exhaust needed replacing from the sound. The rear seam of the muffler had rusted out and opened up and the pipes behind it had some holes in them. The front brake pads were down to the point where they wouldn't last another year - technically they would have passed inspection, but better to get them replaced. And the wiper blades were streaking a bit - best to get them replaced before winter.
Shocks are one of those things that I always seem to end up thinking "why the heck didn't I do this sooner?" Crawling around under the truck they were looking fairly shabby. No sign of leakage from them, but with the front tires off for the brakes it was a good time to do them. Plus there's a "Shocktober" promotion (buy three, get the fourth free) on Monroe and Rancho shocks: http://www.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/93612/tenneco-launches-shocktober-promotion-for-ride-control-products
Man! What a difference! Rides like a dream now! Two of the shocks stay compressed without load and the other two take a minute or more to expand from fully compressed to fully extended.
The other thing that really made a difference was that on a whim I put a bottle of Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant and Injector Cleaner in the tank. I run a dose of the Power Service white bottle in each tank, but this was an impulse buy based on a display at the counter. I figure a bit of extra effort to get things running well keeps the inspection station from looking as hard at it. First thing I noticed was that it really quieted down the engine clatter after a few miles. And it seems a bit more responsive too. A new set of injectors is on the list of things to do, but this helps in the meantime.
Just curious if any others use it and what their experiences have been?
Sounds like a lot of neglect, but it really wasn't that bad. As I mentioned, I figured something in the exhaust needed replacing from the sound. The rear seam of the muffler had rusted out and opened up and the pipes behind it had some holes in them. The front brake pads were down to the point where they wouldn't last another year - technically they would have passed inspection, but better to get them replaced. And the wiper blades were streaking a bit - best to get them replaced before winter.
Shocks are one of those things that I always seem to end up thinking "why the heck didn't I do this sooner?" Crawling around under the truck they were looking fairly shabby. No sign of leakage from them, but with the front tires off for the brakes it was a good time to do them. Plus there's a "Shocktober" promotion (buy three, get the fourth free) on Monroe and Rancho shocks: http://www.autoserviceprofessional.com/article/93612/tenneco-launches-shocktober-promotion-for-ride-control-products
Man! What a difference! Rides like a dream now! Two of the shocks stay compressed without load and the other two take a minute or more to expand from fully compressed to fully extended.
The other thing that really made a difference was that on a whim I put a bottle of Lucas Upper Cylinder Lubricant and Injector Cleaner in the tank. I run a dose of the Power Service white bottle in each tank, but this was an impulse buy based on a display at the counter. I figure a bit of extra effort to get things running well keeps the inspection station from looking as hard at it. First thing I noticed was that it really quieted down the engine clatter after a few miles. And it seems a bit more responsive too. A new set of injectors is on the list of things to do, but this helps in the meantime.
Just curious if any others use it and what their experiences have been?