Back from paint…
I got Shurfoot back from the paint shop yesterday afternoon. What’s the first thing you should do with a new paint job?
Go wheeling!
I took it out to the ranch to play today. As you can see, I also got the new ARB Brush Bar and Warn 9000lb winch installed last night thanks to some help from my wife and son. That combo weighs nearly 200lbs. I played around with the tranny to engage the center diff lock and was pretty sure I got it locked so I could try some more fun maneuvers. I managed to lift the right rear wheel off of the ground about a foot while testing the truck’s articulation before I found out the diff lock wasn’t engaged as I thought. Now I was stuck, a mile from the nearest house in an area with no cell coverage. Oops. I tried rocking it off. Nope. Pushing. Nope. I was in low range and I put it into reverse and let the tire spin while I went to jump on that corner so it could drive off. As I climbed up, I grabbed the roof support to steady myself.
A black metal support. In 95 degree Texas sun. Ow! The skin fell off the dead center of my palm in a big blister about the size of a quater. Can you say painful? Now I was stuck a mile from the road with a second degree burn to the palm of my left hand and no first aid kit. I finally got myself unstuck after about 20 minutes and resolved to actually hook the winch up to the battery before I head out solo next time.
Now I sit here with a huge bandage around my hand. I can’t grasp anything with it and typing is painful. Putting cold water on it to cool it this afternoon almost made me pass out from the pain. Vicodin only dulls the pain. Sleeping tonite will be fun. Tomorrow, depending on how my hand feels, I’ll finish hooking up the winch to power and install the new fender flares all around. Then it’ll get a full wash and wax it now desperately needs after I threw mud all over it today. I did decide that I don’t get enough articulation in the rear. Time to look into spring disconnects and cones.
: When I Fall (Live) by Barenaked Ladies