New state , new truck , who dis

[05Single]

Got my hotel and valet , showed up to the shop next day with my huge wheel well gaps at 8am. (When I bought the truck the keys were turned up level with the rear, so I was basically getting a 4/4 drop). So I knew I was gonna be driving back to Tucson looking good and low!
430 rolls around and I get the call…. It’s not ready to be picked up. Apparently they couldn’t squeeze my truck into the exhaust shop (just now finding out its subbed out to another shop). Also the U-bolts for the blocks are destroyed and can’t be reused. So they can’t finish the drop kit or alignment and would need it fit another day or possibly two because they have to contact another shop that makes U-bolts. The exhaust can be don’t the next day but the U-bolts take 2-3 days to be made.

Hoooollldd up , we talk and scheduled this not 1 , not 2 , but 3 months in advanced and you couldn’t manage to have everything in place for a promise of one day of work? I’m suppose to pay for a hotel and stay here for another day , most likey 2 days while my truck sits in your shop?

The spindles and shackles were installed so I said give me my truck today and I’ll have to schedule and come back in a month. He wasn’t happy but he said ok and sent my truck to the alignment shop real quick so I can pick it up around 530. I show up and it basically has a 2/2 drop sitting even and aligned. The shop manager (different guy) said he was sorry and that when I come back I wouldn’t have to pay for an alignment , just a half hour to install the U-bolts. Half hour I already paid. But if the alignment is on the house at least that’s something.

So I returned home just barely low but noticeable and driving much better than it did before.

 

[Fosscore]

So you are in Tucson? I thought Phx?.... Nevermind too many moving miles between us.... lol

TUS > PHX IMHO...lived there for 4.5 years and a few in PHX

I'm liking this saga ...err not so much hassle and b.s. But interesting read. Other stories to catch up on. BTW those wheels better than the smoothies jussayin.... And the stance is not bad, buuuttt I'm sure there is another part to get it lower coming ....because Dave is picky as fewk and will not leave it alone....keep it coming man.

 

[05Single]

So getting closer to the date to go back to the shop and have them finish the rest of my drop I get an invoice for $70 the price of the u-bolts. I said wait a minute, I paid my 2/4 drop in full. Well he didn’t add the u-bolts to the original invoice. Ok well I shouldn’t have to pay for the half hour to install. Also your shop manager says the alignment is on the house since you guys only barely managed to get 2 of the 5 things I wanted done. He said that he can’t wait the alignment cost because like the exhaust it’s subbed out. I’m wondering what do these guys do at their own shop? They drop trucks everyday and don’t have their own alignment rack? Or welder and pipe bender for exhaust. These guys do huge frame off builds.
He’s trying to charge me for another alignment which was done less than 1000 miles ago , charge me for u-bolts , and also half hour for the u-bolts. I mean I’m still patient waiting for this guy to right his wrong and provide customer service for his mistakes. It was suppose to be a simple 2/4 drop on the easiest and most popular truck on the planet , I’m sure they’ve done hundreds, and s muffler swap. He charged me for a 2/4 drop and I paid everything up front. I’m not paying that half hour or else I’ll have to take the next “legal” step in this process. I can’t believe I have to bargain once again with a reputable shop.
He said don’t worry about the U-bolts which he already paid $70 for , again thinking I’m incompetent, I know he paid $30 for them and he’s charging me $70. He will refund me the half hour out of my payment for the u-bolt install and told me he won’t be doing business with me in the future. Jfc I’m so done with people these days.
So back to doing what I should’ve done in the first place and finish the work myself. I found lift kit u-bolts at autozone and remove the blocks myself.
Took it to a local shop and had them align it once again.
I already wanna go another 1” lower all around. But she rides nice, I’m happy… for now.

Feel like the front needed to settle a little more to match the rear but it’s been about 200 miles and it hasn’t gone down much more than what’s in the last pic taken yesterday. Alignment came back straight so I don’t know if they can turn the keys down an inch or if that’s all I have before the alignment starts to go outa spec.

 

[pwtr02ss]

I like those wheels a lot better!

 

[05Single]

So you are in Tucson? I thought Phx?.... Nevermind too many moving miles between us.... lol

TUS > PHX IMHO...lived there for 4.5 years and a few in PHX

I'm liking this saga ...err not so much hassle and b.s. But interesting read. Other stories to catch up on. BTW those wheels better than the smoothies jussayin.... And the stance is not bad, buuuttt I'm sure there is another part to get it lower coming ....because Dave is picky as **** and will not leave it alone....keep it coming man.

I’m actually 20 minutes south of Tucson in sahuarita/green valley. It’s nice here. Im still in the planning stages of moving up to phx but not metro , looking at Glendale area.

And the smoothies were growing on me , I really wanted to see how they looked with this thing lowered but oh well, already sold them. Also picked me up another set of oem 20s for an deal I couldn’t pass up. I’m waiting to put them on. I wanna find either brand new or 9/10 used tires first.

 

[05Single]

I like those wheels a lot better!

Me too. Had them on my 03 Tahoe , such a clean and simple wheel . The chrome pops with the arrival blue

 

[05Single]

Also during the past year like I said I got hired up on the oil fields making a good living again. Traveling back and forth from Arizona to Alaska back to Arizona every 2 weeks, sometimes wouldn’t be back in Arizona for a 6-8 weeks. Brandon was pushing companies over 100 workers to mandate vaccines for employees or lose their job, my company was one of them. So I had no choice but to get the shot back in November. I waited and held out till I neared the deadline to get the shot and got it. One week later Brandon lifted the mandate, fml. I knew I should’ve called their bluff. I only had one side effect , I lost my smell and till this day I have no smell. The entire pandemic , 2 years I never got sick , never got Covid. I take the shot and I completely lose my smell. And after all that I ended up getting laid off anyway. So I’m jobless but I can still pay bills and feed myself. Tell you what though this shyts getting old. I need a good steady place to work. I did work for a company driving a street sweeper in Tucson but that was a disaster, some of the most unsafe trucks I’ve ever been in. Like scary unsafe. Like driving down the freeway and the rear brush system drops to the ground and sparks fly up as you lose traction at 60mph. Wipers not working during a monsoon. No AC. Signals don’t work. I had the entire hydraulic system blow on me dumping gallons all over the road.
Starting to really re-evaluate my life. Ill be 40 years young on Friday and I need to find my meaning on this earth.

 

[Tonyrodz]

Also during the past year like I said I got hired up on the oil fields making a good living again. Traveling back and forth from Arizona to Alaska back to Arizona every 2 weeks, sometimes wouldn’t be back in Arizona for a 6-8 weeks. Brandon was pushing companies over 100 workers to mandate vaccines for employees or lose their job, my company was one of them. So I had no choice but to get the shot back in November. I waited and held out till I neared the deadline to get the shot and got it. One week later Brandon lifted the mandate, fml. I knew I should’ve called their bluff. I only had one side effect , I lost my smell and till this day I have no smell. The entire pandemic , 2 years I never got sick , never got Covid. I take the shot and I completely lose my smell. And after all that I ended up getting laid off anyway. So I’m jobless but I can still pay bills and feed myself. Tell you what though this shyts getting old. I need a good steady place to work. I did work for a company driving a street sweeper in Tucson but that was a disaster, some of the most unsafe trucks I’ve ever been in. Like scary unsafe. Like driving down the freeway and the rear brush system drops to the ground and sparks fly up as you lose traction at 60mph. Wipers not working during a monsoon. No AC. Signals don’t work. I had the entire hydraulic system blow on me dumping gallons all over the road.
Starting to really re-evaluate my life. Ill be 40 years young on Friday and I need to find my meaning on this earth.

That sux, but at least you can still pay the bills and aren't homeless. Those shops you dealt with--I swear I deal with the same incompetent a$$holes. They must've come from Jersey and set up business there. I love how your cluster came out. I wanted to get red needles for mine, but the builder said since I had blue leds, the red needles would get washed out. I guess he was full of shit. Great work on the ride--as usual Dave .

 

[Rocket Man]

Well Dave, you’ll be a well rounded individual after all the stuff you’ve been, and are still, going through. Good to see the progress on the truck and even though you went through hell, you got things done the way you wanted. I’m thinking things will get better for you soon, you’ve been through enough it sounds like. Good luck and keep at it, I have faith in you.

 

[05Single]

That sux, but at least you can still pay the bills and aren't homeless. Those shops you dealt with--I swear I deal with the same incompetent a$$holes. They must've come from Jersey and set up business there. I love how your cluster came out. I wanted to get red needles for mine, but the builder said since I had blue leds, the red needles would get washed out. I guess he was full of shit. Great work on the ride--as usual Dave .

I don’t know if it’s bad shops or just my luck. Had the same issues in Alaska , shops overcharging me for things out of my control, had a tire shop gouge my wife’s brand new tires and didn’t say anything. Had a shop put on my directional tires on my 22s backwards. Had a shop put a small dent in my wife’s car, they fixed it very poorly. It was winter so I didn’t notice it till I did the annual spring exterior detail.
I’m a very patient man, way more than the average guy. But I’m also very unlucky with a lot of things in life. If there is a god he tests me everyday for his enjoyment.

 

[05Single]

Well Dave, you’ll be a well rounded individual after all the stuff you’ve been, and are still, going through. Good to see the progress on the truck and even though you went through hell, you got things done the way you wanted. I’m thinking things will get better for you soon, you’ve been through enough it sounds like. Good luck and keep at it, I have faith in you.

I’m already a well rounded individual, I’m as round as they get, I deal with this stuff all the time. It’s not new and at this point even before recent events I always expect something to mess up. If one things not messed up I’m amazed and I prepare myself for the next 5 things to become a disaster.
In the end as long as I have my health and my lady then I’m good.

 

[05Single]

Some more shots of the glow gauges . Man I loved that look.

Added cheap Bluetooth led rgb footwell strips.

 

[05Single]

I’ll be going back and posting some other little miscellaneous mods , bouncing around at different time frames so don’t be alarmed when you see the truck in different random stages. I just wanted to get the drop and led cluster fiasco posted and done with.
Added built in led door lights . These suckers are crazy bright

Led unit on drivers side vs 194 bulb on passenger side

 

[05Single]

Got tired of just the door speakers so I needed some bass in my life. Kicker comp C in a super slim box with a kicker cxa 400.1 . Sounded decent, I miss having the room like the Tahoe with the 12” mtx 9500 that shook the whole truck. I could’ve got a bigger shallow sub in a deeper box but I wasn’t about to sacrifice leg room for me or even for the passenger.

Also tinted my reverse light part , idk y , just looks better. I do have a reverse camera, I’ll get yo that in a bit.

 

[05Single]

Also used some blue form on the clear corners. Matched the paint almost perfectly. Was cool for a bit but ended up taking it off. Maybe once I color match the front I’ll redo it.
Plastidipped the jdmastar switchbacks, including the rear led bulbs also. Had an issue with the previous switchbacks and at one point was only running one pair. But now I’m back to two pair.

 

[05Single]

Took a chance and bought some 03-06 w/t center caps with oem lugs. These are mock ups pics, this was right before I sold them so I never got to run them like this. But I have to admit the looked pretty slick. Gave it that oem look plus the appearance of a deeper dish wheel. Would’ve been the only set I’ve ever seen like this. Oh well

 

[05Single]

You know I can’t be basic with the lighting on any of my vehicles. This was a - just cause I was bored mod . The hids took a crap so I replaced the highs and lows with 2in1 Auxbeam led 5000k headlights with built in Bluetooth rgb leds. So I have acrisp headlights but at meets I can change colors, strobe, fade, cross colors, all sorts of modes. Easy install except I had to cut up the core support to allow room for the bulb fans.
The led driving part is crazy bright, I get flashed at least once a night. The rgb part is also super bright, could almost use them as headlights.

 

[05Single]

Lol They’re rice, but I don’t care I love them and people always compliment them.
Last pic you can see the yellow led in the headlights vs the lamin-x film over white led in the fog lights
Also I did get rid of the billet grille, just wasn’t feelin the look.

 

[05Single]

Plastidipped the bowties on the center caps using blaze blue

Give you an idea how bright these rgb leds are

 

[05Single]

I was getting tired of being flashed and I’m sure other drivers were tired of my headlights, so I put on some light smoke air release tint from vivvid over the low beam section. Toned down the glare and I can still see plenty. It’s a bandaid and it’s fine for now. I know what you’re thinking, but I’m the same Dave from before, I already have a set of lights opened up with brackets and I’m just deciding on projectors and design I want for a retrofit, including matching signals. Until then bare with me and my lame headlight set up lol.