10-4 Magazine July 2024

56 10-4 Magazine / July 2024 the time I did, winter had taken its toll (that and the effects of salt/deicer biting into the brake drums and shoes). All it takes is a good breeze along with half of an inch of snow to create ground effect conditions that pack the wheel ends full of ice and snow. Then, add to that, cold temperatures well below freezing, and you get a recipe for TROUBLE. A cool night up there is around -5 degrees, and they don’t consider it “cold” until the mercury reaches -25 degrees. Brrrrrrr! Oh, and that slight breeze, which is anything under 25 mph, can really get going and reach 40, 50, or more miles per hour. The day I hooked to my frozen trailer it was anything but pleasant. I planned to get everything done over the coming weekend and be back under my flatbed by Monday. Some days it just doesn’t pay to try and hurry. I had already worked under the trailer for a considerable time, beating on brake drums, using airline antifreeze to thaw things out, backing off the brakes, and freezing my fingers to the bone, but I wasn’t making much progress. With three wheels free, I decided to give it one last try, my Hail Mary pass, and the Devil be damned, I dumped the clutch and went for it. Yes, the trailer broke free, but so did one of the trailing arms. I crushed and cracked the bushing on the forward axle, as that “Minnesota mud” is a fierce opponent. Needless to say, I was mighty careful coming home 800 miles with an axle floating back there. Yes, I took safety precautions, like caging the brakes on that axle and checking regularly that nothing had come apart. For those of you who are wondering, yes, I did feel foolish. Fast forward to a couple weeks ago and I decided I needed to get the trailer ready in case there is any local produce work this summer. Getting replacement parts wasn’t any trouble this time. Thank goodness Covid is over and most of the supply systems are back to normal. With parts in hand, I ripped into the repair. Disassembly was no problem since I had the right tools. I grabbed my port-a-power and ten minutes later I was done. I spent some time cleaning the old eyelet on the trailing arm, then prepared to reassemble everything. Well, that’s where the train ran off the tracks. I found the new bushing was 1.5 inches larger than the hole to receive it. After attempting to force it using everything I had in the shop, not only was that “Minnesota mud” a formidable opponent, but this trailing arm bushing was, as well. When “Plan A” doesn’t work you only have two options – “Plan B” or RTFB! For those of you who are not familiar with that acronym, it stands for Read The Friggin’ Book. In this case, the directions explicitly stated to use the proper reduction tool to install the oversized bushings. I’m not one to give up easily, so I researched the tool and tried to replicate it using parts and pieces I already had. Well, that didn’t go as planned, so I decided to order the correct tool. There were many options available, so I settled on a model “Made in America” and hit the purchase button. A mere $625 later, I am now the proud new owner of said tool. I have to admit, the installation tool I received is very well made, and the instructions on proper use were easy to follow. I was reluctant to purchase a tool this expensive, considering I have never had the need for one before. I made local inquiries as to labor pricing to have the new parts installed at a couple shops, and the average price was $200 per single bushing, or $800 for both axles, and that didn’t include the cost of the bushing kits. That $625 didn’t look so expensive after that, not to mention I will have the proper tool should someone else ever need my services. You might guess I would rip open the package and go at replacing the parts. Not so fast, RTFB is appropriate here, considering the investment I have in parts, time, andmy new tool. Fortunately, there were numerous videos available online to aid in research before doing this project. When I was confident to begin installing the new parts, I couldn’t believe how simple and fast I finished the job. Maybe two minutes to install the actual part, and then another 15 minutes to finish up the installation of all the bolts and washers. Looking back on this whole repair experience, I feel kind of foolish to have wasted so much time and energy on a project that could have (and should have) been completed in just one afternoon. Live and learn. Summer is the time for family, friends, and of course relaxing in the shade. I hope each of our readers get the opportunity to take in a parade, watch some fireworks, spend more time doing the things liberty and freedom allow. I know I will, now that I have most of the repairs done around here. Who knows, I may polish up my new installation kit and display it in the trophy case. I should probably have a plaque made for it too that says “Tools For Fools” – but the next time will be different, right? That is always the goal, 10-4! n