So I guess I’m overdue for a big update…
haven’t really been online much the last couple weeks. Work picked up so I was doing 8-10 hour days, then putting in another 6-10 hours every night between side work and things that were broke. Still way, way, way behind.
red Ranger blew up on the highway. Was headed out to the gf’s after work (to do an oil change in her car and work on tractors. Suddenly I had no oil pressure and bam. Tried to get my insurance to tow it but almost two hours later I was still there. Had my buddy bring the tow dolly behind my f-150 to rescue it. Green Ranger is still in pieces m so I have been driving the 150. Of course, the body is to the point that the drivers door is pinched, so I have to climb in the passenger side. My hip is taking a beating from driving that beast daily.
Which leads us to the steering feeling really sloppy and the vibrations getting really bad. Found a crack behind the steering box, so I pulled the box and patched it. Took a big chunk of plate, a little welding, and a lot of torch heat and beating with a hammer to get it done. Then I did wheel bearings and put a new brake hose on. Old one crumbled the fitting when I touched it. Felt a lot better so I decided to take back roads from work out to the gf’s to try and get a tractor fixed for her (hers is down and I patched together my old one, took it out there, mowed just over half the yard and it ate a deck belt. Put a new one on and it promptly ate that.) got almost there and got a wicked vibration. Babied it there, got under, yanked on everything in the front end to no avail. Moved back to find the driveshaft rattling bad. Yup, it ate another u-joint. Fortunately, for working on the tractor, I threw my impact bag in the truck with a couple odds and ends. Which means I had the impact, sockets and hammer needed to make it work, so a trip to the parts store in her car and a bunch of hammering and the new joint was in. Made a couple adjustments to the mower deck, lubed some stuff, and swapped bearings in a spindle, so hopefully the mower is serviceable now.
Tomorrow I’m working on a Ranger. Probably my green one because I need parts for the red one. Really need to get one of those two back on the road right away. I’m open to help or parts or both if anyone is available. I don’t see either getting together this weekend, so there’s always another day if someone can help. Know we are all busy with stuff so I would be willing to return the favor as soon as I can get a Ranger back up.