Maintaining your rig

[fmnjr]

Just came back from a weekend of scouting and, as I was changing the oil/filter and adding antifreeze and after hand-washing my rig I wondered who in the world might be still be doing such things. With the "I want it now or sooner" mentality that exists I'm really curious. Knowing that a number of folks here are DIYers I'd like to ask who here on hunttalk does this type of stuff? I've been doing it so long I can't do it any other way. It's even got to the point I'll play around with the puters a little, depends on what it is. Who has used used an oil filler of the type shown? We are friends if you have.

 

[buck137]

I do all my own maintenance, it's cheaper and besides that, as my wife puts it, I'm cheap myself. I have issues with what stealerships want to change oil and fuel filters on my '15 Cummins, when I can do it for a 1/3 of the cost.

 

[Pucky Freak]

Tonight’s project was swapping out a leaky old cat. Saved $320 by ordering the part from the Cannucks, and doing the work myself

Junkyard toolbox $40 + $10 for a new lock and key

 

[Dave N]

Just came back from a weekend of scouting and, as I was changing the oil/filter and adding antifreeze and after hand-washing my rig I wondered who in the world might be still be doing such things. With the "I want it now or sooner" mentality that exists I'm really curious. Knowing that a number of folks here are DIYers I'd like to ask who here on hunttalk does this type of stuff? I've been doing it so long I can't do it any other way. It's even got to the point I'll play around with the puters a little, depends on what it is. Who has used used an oil filler of the type shown? We are friends if you have.
View attachment 141714

Have a few of them on the farm. I do everything I can before knowing when to say when. Hate paying someone to do what I can do myself.

 

[fmnjr]

I have a '16 Ram 1500 with V6 that's been throwing a check airbag systems light for months now. Thought I had it figured out at one point, it went away when I messed with the under-seat electrical harness but it's back again and won't go away.

 

[fmnjr]

Have a few of them on the farm. I do everything I can before knowing when to say when. Hate paying someone to do what I can do myself.

You must be old as dirt, too! I didn't think they made those things any longer.

 

[fmnjr]

I do all my own maintenance, it's cheaper and besides that, as my wife puts it, I'm cheap myself. I have issues with what stealerships want to change oil and fuel filters on my '15 Cummins, when I can do it for a 1/3 of the cost.

I'm proud of being cheap! It's a badge I wear well.

 

[fmnjr]

Tonight’s project was swapping out a leaky old cat. Saved $320 by ordering the part from the Cannucks, and doing the work myself
View attachment 141715
Junkyard toolbox $40 + $10 for a new lock and key
View attachment 141716

Great DIY example

 

[The Yetti]

I got a great deal on a 2012 F150 recently. Very solid mechanical, but had a few things needing done. Been doing everything myself, replaced the rear latch on the topper, as well as the locks on the ceiling vault. Straightened out the side steps, and this weekend will be replacing all the shocks. After 20 years of working on Abrams tanks, this kind of work is relaxing and rewarding, lol!

 

[Brandon270]

I'll do all the general maintenance, oil/filter, differential services, general parts changes ( water pump, radiator, mass air flow, spark plugs/wires, brakes, belts , hoses). I don't mess with steering/suspension. I figure the money I save on the stuff I diy covers the cost of the rare occasion one of our vehicles is in the shop.

 

[fmnjr]

I got a great deal on a 2012 F150 recently. Very solid mechanical, but had a few things needing done. Been doing everything myself, replaced the rear latch on the topper, as well as the locks on the ceiling vault. Straightened out the side steps, and this weekend will be replacing all the shocks. After 20 years of working on Abrams tanks, this kind of work is relaxing and rewarding, lol!

I'd love to drive one of those things and shoot the gun on a running bounce, just once would be good enough. Thanks for the all the time you put in.

 

[p_ham]

I refuse to pay anybody to do something I can do myself.

 

[SFC B]

I got a great deal on a 2012 F150 recently. Very solid mechanical, but had a few things needing done. Been doing everything myself, replaced the rear latch on the topper, as well as the locks on the ceiling vault. Straightened out the side steps, and this weekend will be replacing all the shocks. After 20 years of working on Abrams tanks, this kind of work is relaxing and rewarding, lol!

Aaaww, I only got to shoot em a couple of times....never had to break track My nephew is now 2 years into being a track mechanic though.....

Doug is simple enough that I can do some stuff now that I have time. Throw out bearing went out a couple of weeks ago and I had to take that in....OUCH on that one. But, in three years of owning a truck closing in on 30 years old that is all I have had to do so far. I am at peace with slowly doing what is going to be basically a mechanical restoration. Changed oil, pcv valve and grommet last week. This next week I'll be doing the fuel filter (got a bit of a chug in acceleration currently).

 

[JLS]

I refuse to pay anybody to do something I can do myself.

Same. I do as much of it as I can. When it gets beyond my pay grade, I happily take it to the garage down the street.

 

[.270]

I have an 03' f250 that I do all the maintenance and parts changing myself. I have changed out the front end and all the normal wear part including the normal puking of a spark plug. I dont mind the dents and scratches it gets while out wheeling. Does the gas mileage suck? Yup. Does my 19' F250 company truck only get 5 mpg gallon better? Yup. Not worth the 60k for a new truck to me.

 

[fmnjr]

Same. I do as much of it as I can. When it gets beyond my pay grade, I happily take it to the garage down the street.

Pretty much

 

[fmnjr]

I love the expression on the guy’s face at auotzone when I come in to dump oil. “You again?” Yep pretty cheap.

 

[Wildabeest]

I do a lot of stuff myself, but basic oil changes and car washes I leave to the services. Just too much of a hassle to deal with used oil disposal, and for the price, it’s hard to justify the time it takes to do those more routine things myself.

I tore the front end off my rig and added a heavy duty winch bumper, winch and light kit (with dash mounted switches), changed all the interior and exterior lights out to LEDs, added rock sliders, added a ladder on the rear lift gate, installed an aftermarket head unit and probably a few other things that I don’t recall right now. Did all that myself. Only thing I had done was installing beefier lift shocks on the front to level it out and better handle the weight of the new bumper and winch. But now I have a banging in the front suspension, and determined today that the cause is a sway bar bushing that the guy who installed the new shocks didn’t reinstall properly. So replacing those busimgs will be my weekend project. Should have just bought a spring compressor and did it myself to begin with!

I also replaced the A-arms on my side by side myself to accommodate larger tires. Required disassembling the whole whole wheel assemblY and putting it back together.

I mostly do all this myself so that I can swear a lot. And to have an excuse to buy tools.

 

[Scrappy]

Cant stand to have someone else touch my vehicle. If you look closely at the pic you will see a t-post driver. Cant remember why I needed it to work on my vehicle but sometimes I get carried away.

 

[The Yetti]

Aaaww, I only got to shoot em a couple of times....never had to break track My nephew is now 2 years into being a track mechanic though.....

Doug is simple enough that I can do some stuff now that I have time. Throw out bearing went out a couple of weeks ago and I had to take that in....OUCH on that one. But, in three years of owning a truck closing in on 30 years old that is all I have had to do so far. I am at peace with slowly doing what is going to be basically a mechanical restoration. Changed oil, pcv valve and grommet last week. This next week I'll be doing the fuel filter (got a bit of a chug in acceleration currently).

Breaking track was no fun, in fact, everything involving the suspension is just stupid heavy. Being in Iraq at the beginning of the war got me very good at all things suspension.
As long as you have that mind set on owning an older vehicle, things work great. On anything mechanical, there is always something about to need to be done, lol. I don't mind newer vehicles as much, since I am comfortable with electronics and using a code reader makes troubleshooting way easier.

I do have to say that Doug is one of my favorite body style trucks!