Dang snow~

[Mark_88]

Bad enough that it was heavy, wet, slush sitting in the driveway Sunday morning, as that plugged up the snowblower so I had to shovel it by hand...took me nearly 4 hours...

I had to go out to get gas for the snowblower and decided I didn't need to clear the end of the driveway since it was only about a foot there from the snowplows...well, aside from getting stuck and having to rock it, the snowbank caught my tailpipe and pushed it down, forcing the connection at the muffler, that was rusty, to snap...I drove to the coffee shop and then the gas station...and while leaving the gas station I heard the unmistakeable growl of a missing muffler...

When I got home to check the damage (after I played with the snowblower for an hour) and finally had cleared the snow I look under the truck...no muffler at all? So I retraced my journey about five hours later and there it was...it was laying in the coffee shop parking lot literally untouched...

I can patch it back up since the muffler is still like new, but I think I'm going to consider shortening the tailpipe just a bit...

Anyone else have any problems like this?

 

[Shran]

Now that you mention it...

The last time I went wheelin I ripped most of the exhaust off of my '86 when I got hung up on a rock. The pipe was cracked anyway and hitting it with the rock broke it. It broke right after the y-pipe and was a blast to fix.

My '88 will need some work soon, too. It's been getting louder for a while due to a pinhole right before the muffler that I expanded with a screwdriver yesterday. It's now big enough that I can stick my pinky through it.

Oh yeah, my camper's entire exhaust system is shot too. It's got 3" true duals that I'm sure are stock. I will be replacing the whole thing with truck headers, 3" pipe and some flowmasters.

 

[Mark_88]

Thanks Shran...now I feel better about having only one to fix...

I just completed the exhaust on my Ranger though...so that's probably why the Zuki needed one...once I fix one thing on one truck the other gets jealous...

 

[97ranger4x4]

Open headers? You wont have a problem with it snagging on any snow!

 

[metalmacguyver]

Woohoo! Snow!!!!!!!!!







Sorry Mark, I still like snow.

 

[BlackBII]

Snow............sux.

Until you get to drive in it! woot woot

 

[Mark_88]

Well, don't get me wrong...I like snow...and I LOVE driving in it (see avatar about coloring)...but this stuff turned to slush on the bottom and that made it about three times as heavy as it normally would be...I had to use a spade because it was hardening and the snow shovel wouldn't break it up...

Anyways...my Zuki may or may not have an open header option...believe me...after spending $2000 to have the whole system replaced just three years ago I've seriously considered that option...if anyone has seen one of these exhaust systems you'd probably ask "why TF did they do it like that"...

 

[pocket-rocket]

Snow is more fun this year because I've got 3.73 vs the old 3.43 and posi vs the old open diff. I hate being outside in it, but it does look nice from indoors, or as stated before, driving in it

 

[Mark_88]

My Ranger has 3.73 gears too and they're pretty good in the snow...the Zuki is positraction though and it has been stuck a few times though not seriously...it needs weight in the back end to make it work better...and maybe bigger tires...and a lift...

I've seen a few nice Sidekicks around my area...might invest in that some day...but for now it can go through quite a bit...as long as I don't try to back through a snow bank...

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Anyone else have any problems like this?

One time when I was mudding I lost everything right after the muffler due to a faulty clamping job, the pipe dropped down and the end got bent up as I couldn't stop right when it happend. When it did that, it also tweeked the first bend that went over the axle. It was a older thin pipe so it wasn't terribly strong.

It was a lot of fun wrestling around in the mud with a hot exhaust pipe to prevent further damage.

Now I have the cat back exhuast off of a 1997 F-150 that is a nice solid welded pipe from my headerpipes (bolted connection) all the way to the clamp on exhaust tip.

 

[pocket-rocket]

My Ranger has 3.73 gears too and they're pretty good in the snow...the Zuki is positraction though and it has been stuck a few times though not seriously...it needs weight in the back end to make it work better...and maybe bigger tires...and a lift...

I've seen a few nice Sidekicks around my area...might invest in that some day...but for now it can go through quite a bit...as long as I don't try to back through a snow bank...

My aunt swore by kitty litter for weight and for grip when stuck in the snow. I used it in my wifes T-bird and got good results Went to Wal-mart and bought the cheapest 25 or 50 lbs bags I could and tossed them in the trunk. I tend to throw snow from my drive in the bed of my truck for weight. Also when spring rolls around I don't have to take it out since it melts and runs right out on its own.

 

[Shran]

I think the best weight is something that you can reuse. Kitty litter if you have cats, water softener salt if you have a water softener, sand for your kids sandbox, etc.

Personally I have a 100lb tractor weight , and my spare swamper probably weighs about 50 pounds so I do alright.

 

[Mark_88]

Hmmmm...I remember a discussion on this not too long ago and what came out of that was an advisory...tie down any weights in the back and keep them at the front of the box instead of over the wheels...I thought that was excellent advice since I've seen the results of something in the back flying forward and either going through the rear of the cab (window) or otherwise becoming a deadly projectile...

Can't remember who brought that point up...probably AllanD...but not sure...

Oh, yeah...I agree with the idea of reuseable weights...I think I tried kitty litter and sand...but I personally wouldn't use kitty litter for traction on my driveway because the stuff is messy trying to clean up...on the road it would do in a pinch and you don't have to deal with the mess...unless, of course, you're a good citizen...