[Flipper]

Well last week my lady totaled her truck on the way home from work in an ice storm. She was unhurt but very upset as she just paid it off, and it was her pride and joy. It was a 2004 big black, 3/4Ton, Dodge Ram, 4x4, extended, cab pickup.

So we were down to just my truck a 1997 Ford ranger with over 250,000 miles, and my clutch just all of a sudden let go today. Yesterday I thought I hit a patch of invisible ice on a clear road, and got some spin but thought nothing else of it. Today heading into town in the other direction up a long ice free hill I felt the same thing, and gave it some extra pedal, and that was all she wrote.

I did manage to get it home but with a white knuckle ride of high speed down hill, with passing cars on a back country corner roads to make it to the top of my hill where my driveway road is. :lol:

So I'm just sharing, and venting here all at the same time as we are without transportation, and country living, and privacy is great. But, I think this kinda of living needs a "just in case kinda vehicle", and I'm chaulking this up to another one of those lessons learned. So my big plans are once again on hold. :nod:

It's always something!

 

[Bubbasoffroad2]

That suck's..I alway's have atleast one spare rig hanging around just for something like this

 

[asnowmobiler]

Does her insurance give her a rental car? On a good note,your clutch is very easy to replace and should not be too painful

 

[Flipper]

Nope no rental, and we were relying on the one. She is now on dayshift, and would get home 5 minutes before I had to leave. We'll work it out as we always seem to manage. It just turned into a bummer to live on the outskirts, and so far away from everything all of a sudden, and my only buddy within a few miles of me relies on me to get him around so it really cramps things up.

School vacation puts "the boy" away from home as well off to be with his buds so that makes it the 3rd thing as they always happen is threes.

 

[Flipper]

Well I finally got my truck done today as parts where harder to come by than expected. You'd think a new flywheel for a 1997 4.0 4x4 ford ranger would be easy to come by. Well the 6 holes are but the 8 hole is not. :lol:

It all came together finally, and I'm driving again. $675 for everything ain't bad I don't think for everything new. High millage, but good compression says it was worth it, and it good for another 100,000 :nod:

It was a bigger job that I thought but a heated garage was nice, and two extra sets of hands, and a ride to work each day, and home was a big plus.

 

[highcountryrider]

I keep thinking of getting a new truck. Then I see how much it cost I will stick with my 1990 Chev. 1500 pickup I had bought it new I just fix things and its less cost. Plates and insrance is chep to. It has a little over 100000 miles on it.

 

[Flipper]

Ya I been wanting to get another fullsize Chevy. As I was pulling either two or three wheelers or sleds every time we went riding. But, after something like 10yrs. my buddy finally got his license back so now he can tow.

My last fullsize was a 1978 3/4, 4x4, stepside. It of coarse had a lift, and the big stupid tires, and a bunch of extra ponies under the hood. But even after doing the transfer over, and putting in lock out hubs it still only got about 6mpg.

I loved that truck but couldn't afford to feed it anymore. But, pull...wouldn't that thing pull! :unibrow:

The guy I sold it to totaled it the first week he had it. He was a young fella, and was doing a smoke show, and racing in it, and it got away from him.

Wrong application I told him, better luck next time, and I hoped he was upset as I was.

 

[highcountryrider]

I have a six in it 4.3. Going over the mountains with camper and two quads I am in 1st and going about 20 miles a hour and people pass me. But I am in no rush getting there is a lot of fun to. On the flats it will go 80 miles a hour and I pass all the people how passed me going up the mountain.

 

[Flipper]

Yep my 78 was a camper special with the 8ft bed, and dual tanks.

That 4.3 does good then. My brother had a 1990 2wheel drive it had a W/T on the rear or the bed. I thought it was a 1 ton until I saw it go. His had a six, and it had all it could do to haul a load of stone dust. Then he said it stands for "work truck". It had a short life.

Glad to hear yours is holding up