3/4 Ton Swap IS DONE!
Hi Avery. Hi everyone.
My eyes hurt. That was some of the most intense reading I have ever done. I thought my post was bad. Avery, first off, I want to commend you on several things. First, you have the tenacity to hang in there and keep fighting, despite being barraged by personal attacks which go above and beyond. Secondly I want to commend you for sticking up for your boss. You respect the man, and when felt he was attacked you defended him. That takes courage. Third, I want to encourage you not to get down by the twists this thread has taken. I know you love your truck and after all this, I can see how you could be discouraged. I'm not saying you are, but hang in there kid.
Now, some very key points you need to understand: You are very young. You do have some maturing to do. You also need to understand that if your going to "run with the big dogs, you gotta play like the big dogs, or stay on the porch." What I mean by that is this: Lifted trucks require special attention to many areas where their can be
NO COMPROMISE in how they are addressed. These include, but may not be limited to:
1. BRAKES!
2. STEERING
3. SUSPENSION
4. YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF EACH SYSTEM AND THEIR COMPONENTS
5. YOUR UNDERSTANDING HOW EACH SYSTEM WORKS TOGETHER
6. RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE USAGE AND MAINTENANCE OF SUCH VEHICLE.
By you chosing to own and operate a rig like this, you have taken upon yourself the responsibility to maintain it, and repair it the
RIGHT way, not the
WRONG way. When something with these type of rigs go wrong, the consequences are multiplied by their sheer size and weight. You cannot take shortcuts when doing build-ups. You cannot take shortcuts when doing swaps. You cannot take liberties, and think that everything will be okay. You're gambling with not only your life, but others as well.
I know this is a hard lesson to learn, especially at your age. I was there too, and I was one of the bull-headest kids you'd ever know. You couldn't tell me anything! I knew everything! But my know-it-all 20's cost me almost everything, and now I've turned it around and learned I can't do it all myself, I don't know everything, and I need to communicate, ask questions, and ask for help, and not be ashamed. I'd rather have someone laugh at me, and call me names for asking for help because I don't know, then do and cause harm to myself, or worse, others. I'm not saying be me, but you need to slow down and recognize you have a lot to learn.
In the beginning, the guys here tried to tell you of a very dangerous situation and you were
PERCEIVED as putting them off by your words, and then backed by your actions. You cannot say that CK5 is a great place to get information on everything, then turn around and not listen to what they have to say. That is a double standard and will get you in trouble every time.
You had the responsibility to ground your truck until it was repaired correctly. End of story. The rig may have been your only transportation, but I find it hard to believe you did not have another avenue, ie, friends, parents, or public transportation. By proof of evidence, you were fortunate that that Grade 2 carriage bolt didn't sheer, possibly killing you or others, and then we would have to see it on the 5 o'clock news! You need to recognize what you have in your hands and under your feet. A powerful truck that can easily go awry on you. Take the time to heade warnings from others who have "been there and done that". CK5 is meant to save you time, money and effort/energy and mistakes, because everyone here learns from one another. I learned from you reading this post. Avery, slow down, take the time to understand you rig. Read Chilton and Haynes manuals. If you don't understand, don't do! Ask questions! Come here for assistance, or even
www.pirate4x4.com (read only for God's sake!). Ask for help! If someone tells you to do something,
DO IT! If you don't understand what they told you, ask until you do understand. It might mean your life. That's no joke. Try dude. I'm all for ya, and I'm glad to know you. Hang tough and make some changes and you'll be on the road to success!
For the record:
Had I been reading this post from the beginning I would have been pressing you hard to ground your rig until it was repaired properly. No excuses, No see-sawing.
I want you to know that.
Guys, I know you were only trying to help young Avery, and you were giving good wisdom. I can see how frustrated you were getting because Avery wasn't getting it, or chose
NOT to get it. I applaud you for trying to intervene in preventing a foreseeable accident, but are all these personal harsh attacks against Avery necessary? In retro-spect, he's only 17, and is attempting something that most people in their life never would. He's openly acknowledged his limited automotive skills, but knocking him down, instead of trying to hang in there and teach him is kinda harsh. Okay, it takes some strong pursuation to get him to listen at times, but honestly, what 17 year old is perfectly tuned to a 25+ crowd? Yeah, I know we all like to bust balls. Just please, if nothing else think about this: If Avery hadn't of been who he is, some of these remarks could of drove him right out of the hobby, wounded him and caused problems with fear and denial down the road. Yes, I'm compassionate and I believe in explaining things, letting people do "what they want" and warn them. It's a free choice. Don't confuse that with warning about a life threatening situation. Had I lived near Avery I whoulda went over his house, smacked him upside his head, then
HELPED HIM! HOW COME NO ONE WENT AND HELPED HIM? NO ONE WAS NEAR HIM TO GIVE A HAND?
Everyone made mistakes here, some big, some small. We need to keep this thread open so that it serves as an example of what not to do, what to do, and how not to necessarily treat one another.
Avery, sloooooooooow down and have some fun! Welcome to Texas and I'll be glad to wheel with ya! You always have a wrenchin' bud here.
Manny