*Waves to everyone...

[RhainyC]

Just wanted to pop in and let folks know (not like anyone really missed me ) that I am still alive. Between my promotion and only having the one drivable vehicle, life has been OH SO HECTIC!

Hope all are doing well...and hope to be back and posting soon, once the schedule settles down a bit, as I have SOOOOO Much to learn about my poor truck.

 

[metalmacguyver]

i was wondering how you made out with your truck. has it been fixed yet?

 

[RhainyC]

Actually, on the way is a steering gear box, which _Hopefully_ will get her drivable at least. At this point I don't dare drive her because in just 4 miles, she spewed out the whole contents on the reseviour....not good. So, I parked her...til the box gets here, and we see if it works.

 

[JoshT]

Hope that steering box gets you fixed up right. I know what you mean about only having one drivable vehicle. The 84 is recovering from a heart transplant, and the Shadow is in dire need of a new battery. Currently my 99 is the only drivable one and it's leaking coolant, has a rough idle and is hard to start. It needs a new freeze plug, and hopefully the MAF is just dirty causing the off idle, but I dread the hard start cause as I believe it's the FPR. Fortunately for me all I have to do is give the 84 a tune up and get a battery for the Shadow (should be today) and I'll have 2 more drivable vehicles.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

Just wanted to pop in and let folks know (not like anyone really missed me ) that I am still alive. Between my promotion and only having the one drivable vehicle, life has been OH SO HECTIC!

Hope all are doing well...and hope to be back and posting soon, once the schedule settles down a bit, as I have SOOOOO Much to learn about my poor truck.

Hope you get back on the road soon!!

How much did the steering box set you back, out of curiosity?

 

[RhainyC]

Hope you get back on the road soon!!

How much did the steering box set you back, out of curiosity?

Well the finer details are still being worked out...a new one is about $200 but I am hoping this used one will do the trick. If not, well, we will see. You might want to check out the Parts For Sale forum, as there were a few folks offering up used ones. Of course, _IF_ you live near a wrecking yard, unlike me, you can probably get one there for not a whole lot...probable btwn $25-50 bucks if I am not missing my guess...but then you have to take the chance it is bad as well.

 

[RhainyC]

Hope that steering box gets you fixed up right. I know what you mean about only having one drivable vehicle. The 84 is recovering from a heart transplant, and the Shadow is in dire need of a new battery. Currently my 99 is the only drivable one and it's leaking coolant, has a rough idle and is hard to start. It needs a new freeze plug, and hopefully the MAF is just dirty causing the off idle, but I dread the hard start cause as I believe it's the FPR. Fortunately for me all I have to do is give the 84 a tune up and get a battery for the Shadow (should be today) and I'll have 2 more drivable vehicles.

Hopefully Josh, you are not having to do what we are...here is a typical day, and how we get to work...

645am: hubby drives 5 miles to the Park N Ride and catches the bus to work.

800am: hubby arrives at work

1100am: I wait in the weather, for btwn 10-30 mins for a *special Flex Pick-up* by our local transit service as they have very limited bus routes/times here, to get to the same Park n Ride (it is in the mall I work at) to get to work, I get car, and drive to my section of the mall and go to work usually by about 1230pm arrival time. ( I am scheduled in at 130pm)

445pm: hubby leaves work early, to walk 1/2 mile to nearest bus stop, to ride bus for about 1 hr to get back to Park n Ride, walks over to the *other* end of the mall, which is about at 545pm by this time to wait for me to close the store, which takes about 30mins.

630pm: we both leave, drive 10 miles to the northern town (not where he works which is south) and make the bank deposit, then drive home, arriving at about...oh, 710pm or so...

So one car SUCKS!!!

 

[MAKG]

It could be worse. My wife used to have to commute through three states to get to work.

We lived in College Park, MD. I worked in Greenbelt (5 miles, more than 30 minutes driving, about the same on a bicycle IF I risked my life driving through the Metro station parking lot, more than an hour on those ridiculous MD busses), and my wife worked in Reston, VA. Commuted on the Metro every day through DC, and then caught an airport-bound bus (Reston is near Dulles Airport).

 

[RhainyC]

It could be worse. My wife used to have to commute through three states to get to work.

Oh I am just DAMN thankful we can manage without excess driving...and that a bus pass and what we are doing is saving us about $200 per month in gas costs. However, having said that, I have to turn down work or going in early etc, due to not having my own wheels at present...which I will be thankful to be have back, once Shady's fixed.

 

[4x4RangerGuy]

Well the finer details are still being worked out...a new one is about $200 but I am hoping this used one will do the trick. If not, well, we will see. You might want to check out the Parts For Sale forum, as there were a few folks offering up used ones. Of course, _IF_ you live near a wrecking yard, unlike me, you can probably get one there for not a whole lot...probable btwn $25-50 bucks if I am not missing my guess...but then you have to take the chance it is bad as well.

I was just wondering...I have a 98 so I have rack and pinion, no steering box per se. My local yards want about $90 for a used one.

Keep us updated!

 

[RhainyC]

4x4RG I will keep ya posted...have to have sympathetic folks to grumble with!

I do hope to have her sorted out at least with the steering box part, this coming weekend, weather (we have no garage or carport...and being in Washington, our front yard and driveway literally become Lake Carter permitting.

 

[JoshT]

Hopefully Josh, you are not having to do what we are...here is a typical day, and how we get to work...

645am: hubby drives 5 miles to the Park N Ride and catches the bus to work.

800am: hubby arrives at work

1100am: I wait in the weather, for btwn 10-30 mins for a *special Flex Pick-up* by our local transit service as they have very limited bus routes/times here, to get to the same Park n Ride (it is in the mall I work at) to get to work, I get car, and drive to my section of the mall and go to work usually by about 1230pm arrival time. ( I am scheduled in at 130pm)

445pm: hubby leaves work early, to walk 1/2 mile to nearest bus stop, to ride bus for about 1 hr to get back to Park n Ride, walks over to the *other* end of the mall, which is about at 545pm by this time to wait for me to close the store, which takes about 30mins.

630pm: we both leave, drive 10 miles to the northern town (not where he works which is south) and make the bank deposit, then drive home, arriving at about...oh, 710pm or so...

So one car SUCKS!!!

Yikes, yeah mine doesn't compare to that. To be honest I don't think I ment to type all of that last night, sure as heck wasn't meaning to take over the thread. That's what I get for posting so early in the morning (when I should be sleeping, like now). Sorry about that. Your situation reminds me of when I lost my license and my mother carried me to work and school (that was hell on both of us), only your situation sounds much worse. At least we've got 4 drivers and 4 working vehicles (the three in my sig are all mine my parents also have 2 trucks and a car).

 

[RhainyC]

Josh, No worries...
I don't mind at all the typing It has been a challenge but the plus side of it is, hubby has learned that it is saving him/us about $100 per month by him taking the bus vs the Tracker...so he might actually continue, even once Shady is back up and drivable. The rough part for me is with my disability, it is hard being out in the elements for any length of time...I stiffen up in the cold. LOL Getting old is hell!

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

:wave:

The steering box made its way to just outside the garage now....lol. I'll take it out tomorrow and get a shipping weight on it, really sorry about holding you up like this.