Bucket List Trip about to start

[Jim Bathgate]

Left at 6:15 yesterday morning and made it 461 miles from Lakepoint UT to Cheyenne WY which I'm sure is a new record for this truck. Made it over several high passes including the Continental Divide and an 8600 foot pass (in third gear but passing big rigs).

Here is one of the steep walled canyons east of Salt Lake City.

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And here are some snow covered mountains along route 80.

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Very cold today and due to the lack of a headliner, and two holes in the inside door panels where the previous owner had put speakers, I had to run the heater all day and wear my winter gear.

Winds gusting to 40mph made it tough for big rigs, but my truck being fully loaded, didn't seem to be any harder to keep on the road than normal.

Finally made it in to Cheyenne just as it was getting dark. Here's a shot of one of the many trains moving through town as darkness fell.

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[sargentrs]

Good day today! Beautiful scenery!

[Jim Bathgate]

Yesterday toward the end of the day I detected a vibration in the truck that troubled me. I thought that maybe the universal joints on the driveshaft might be going bad. I resolved to have them looked at before I headed off to the next stop in Kearney, NB. Easier said than done, particularly on a Saturday morning in Cheyenne. I was finally directed to a Midas shop where the manager listened to my tale of woe and promptly put the truck up on a rack and ran it in gear with the wheels off the ground. The mechanic also closely examined the universal joints and the center coupling before announcing everything was in great shape and nothing to worry about. He did note that some of the dually rims were bent and that could be causing some vibration.

So off I went and achieved my target goal of arriving in Kearney, NB by the end of the day without mishap. Maybe I'm getting a little paranoid thinking every sound or vibration is a disaster about to happen.

Cold again today. Snow on the ground in Kearney. Makes me pine for San Jose weather. Here's a shot at one of the rest stops along the way.

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Speaking of "shots", it must be first day of hunting season out here. For at least 100 miles, I saw trucks parked along the dirt roads adjacent to the freeway with flourescent hunting vested men heading off to find their prey.

[Idaho Chris]

Are you still planning to get off the Interstate and on the secondary roads, or are you saving that adventure for the return? I'm enjoying following your journey!

[Ranchero50]

Your rims should be coined and use the lugs to center themselves on the hubs, '93 Dodge dually's should be a direct swap.

[Jim Bathgate]

Idaho Chris, due to the unseasonably cold weather, and the issues with the truck a few days ago, I haven't had as much time to get off the beaten path. When I head back across the country via route 40 and Route 66, it should be warmer and more pleasant to take those side trips.

[Jim Bathgate]

Ranchero50, all my rims ARE coined. It's just that some of them are a little bent. When I got the truck, it had split rims on the front and one piece rims on the back. I bought three nice but used coined rims off eBay and when I recently bought all new tires, I had the split rims on front replaced with the new rims, and used the third new rim for the spare. All the back rims stayed in place.

You never notice if your rims are slightly bent because, after all, you are driving the truck and can't see your tires as you go down the road. That's why you need to ask your wife "honey, do these pants make my butt look fat?" You can't tell because you're in the front and can't see the back.

To tell you the truth, I think that it's the varying road conditions that cause the vibrations. Some stretches of roadway are grooved concrete and these seem to give the most vibration.

[Jim Bathgate]

A pretty eventful day. I got into Newton, Iowa around 4PM, then walked to dinner at a local place. I had just finished ordering when I got a phone call from #3 son who informed me that he had just proposed to his girlfriend and she had said yes. Since my truck is full of #3 son's pile of stuff, including a massive amount of childhood toys, it occurred to me that perhaps another generation of kids might get to play with them. Ain't life wonderful?

[Jim Bathgate]

Did 342 miles today from Kearney Nebraska to Newton Iowa and the truck ran fine. Here's a shot out of the windshield of some snowy Nebraska land.

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And here's an Iowa cornfield with the farm in the background.

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[Ranchero50]

Iowa where you can see 15+ barns from any given vantage point because it's so flat...

Have you been keeping track of the mileage? I use my key to "write" the odometer miles on the gas receipt and do the division the next time I fill up.

I've also found with the long wheel base that I should keep out of the right lane because it's about the same as a semi tractor and the truck gets into a rhythmic vibration at speed. Makes my butt go to sleep. I assume that's why semi's have air ride seats.

[DuckRyder]

Cool trip!

[Jim Bathgate]

Ranchero, traveling at 60mph on route 80 means that EVERYBODY is going faster than you except on the steep mountain climbs. So I spend all day in the slow lane with a steady stream of vehicles going by me on my left. I haven't noticed the rocking you allude to though. Perhaps the new Monroe shocks I put on help to smooth out the ride.

Travelled 355 miles today, from Newton, IA to La Porte, IN. Very cold all day and started snowing a little before I got into La Porte. Even with the heater on, it's about 45 degrees in the truck. Three "advantages" of this:

1. I don't get drowsy like I would in a toasty car.
2. When I get to a rest stop, I don't have to put on all my warm clothes to go outside because I am already wearing them.
3. The ear flaps on my hat not only keep my ears warm, they attenuate the engine noise so that I don't need to wear earplugs.

Tomorrow I will tell you of my experience today with the Illinois State Police.

[hdman90]

Jim,
Very cool trip that you are doing, especially in your old Ford! What route do you plan on taking North, will you be going across 80 all the way? Or staying on 90 in OH and just crossing the top corner of Pa?
BJ Bane

[Ranchero50]

A 1/4" hole at speed will freeze your butt off. Find em, plug em with silicone or black tar snake window seals from Napa. For your doors, seal around the hinge bars and duct tape over the old speaker openings. Makes a huge difference and doesn't take long to effect.

[Busboy]

Any numbers on the fuel mileage your getting? Also, a vibration from the driveline will be much faster than one from a wheel or tire.