Gee, with da gubmint shutdown, who is gonna waste my money?

Thank you all.  More in the pipeline too, my side of the family and hers.  Welcome to middle age.

I'm going to wait for it to get colder.  It's been a hell of a summer.  First the cat died, then the dog died, then my Mom died.  Services this Saturday.  Last time I went riding was with you guys at Mud Muckers, Memorial Day weekend.  But I plan to tear it up this winter.

Hey Kids:

Let me know about H/M if you are going in December when school is out, I may be up for it.

Let me know next time you go to Hastings, I've only been once - but I will stay out of the deep stuff! 

The car show is at the K-Mart the first weekend of every month - I can throw a rock from my house and hit the parking lot; they have some cool stuff there at times. 

I am ready to go next time - new a-arm, new a-arm guards, same old jackass riding it.

On the 4th the wife and I went down to her family lakehouse in Keystone Heights and put the jetski in.  I have been on the Grizzly so much that I forgot what acceleration was.  Of course I managed to get the jetski stuck.  But I tell ya - every time I pull the throttle lever on that ski, I get a thrill.  That is more than I can say for most things at my age.

True.  You would think that some Republican/Libertarian/Center-right Democrat would push for Comprehensive Border Security.  That would sell, and have the advantage of being the right thing to do.

I think 70% of the country wants to close the borders first.  And Republicans need to stop insulting Hispanics by pretending that they are the only immigration problem - anyone who comes in and overstays their visas, then disappears, is a potential problem as well.  Then, of course, there are the terrorists - not that that is a problem, I mean, what's a little bombing at a marathon race?

Insofar as chasing the so-called "Hispanic vote" - as if that is monolithic (it isn't), simple math dictates that if Mitt had captured 70% of that self-identified vote, he would have done no better than tie BO.  The GOP is in an argument with arithmetic and those arguments turn out badly.

Somebody needs to tell the GOP leadership that if they want to win, they must nominate someone who 1)does not side with the center-left on issues that the GOP base finds abhorrent; 2) does not insult their base by calling them racist for wanting the borders closed;  3) is not advancing the ball for the center-left by being tougher on other Republicans than on Democrats; 4) will take the fight to the press by getting ready to go down the throat of every reporter they speak to live for past bias; and 5) does not insult the intelligence of their base by pretending that amnesty is not amnesty, or that gun control is about reducing crime, or that Obamacare is not socialized medicine, or that campaign finance reform is not unilateral disarmament.

When Democrats pull the lever for President, they get an authentic modern Democrat.  When Republicans do the same, they get an authentic old-school Democrat.  And the GOP wonders why their turnout is a problem, and then tries to poach voters who are ardent statists away from the statist party rather than turn out their own base.

You readers on the center left, relax! The GOP leadership will NEVER listen to these ideas. 

Not necessarily:

http://washingtonexaminer.com/morning-examiner-immigration-reform-is-dead-and-obamacare-implementation-killed-it/article/2532768?custom_click=rss

If you start tingling in a grove of pine trees,

1) Quickly pull off to the side;
2) Loosen all restrictive clothing;
3) Place head firmly between legs and kiss your arse goodbye.

Hey Proballer how did that aftermarket power steering disaster work out?  I had the 450 Grizz and was the one loaning all the tools........

I thank your dad for his service.  May God Bless.

It wasn't at Mud Muckers.  I think it happened the last time I went to Ocala National Forest a few months back, 23rd Feb. I was riding the Centennial Trail and going over 20 MPH, and hit a small stump at a fork in the trail that was covered with sand.  Almost threw me off.   

At Mud Muckers I first noticed a slight pull to the left - barely - and when I washed the mud off after I got home, I noticed the A-Arm guard was missing - I lost that at Mud Muckers - and the A-Arm was bent and the strut was bent all to hell.  I can straighten it but I will have to first cut the strut off, then have it re-welded, but I can salvage it for a spare.  Other than ripping out a screw at 5-A that held the green plastic to the black plastic fender, there is no damage to the Grizz in a year and a half - so I haven't been riding it hard enough.

Ok, got it done.  I jacked it up, removed the tire and backed off the castle nut 2 turns, then put the pickle fork on top of the lower a-arm pointing down, and whacked it until it hit the castle nut.  Then repeated 3x.  No doinked threads or seals.  The 4" puller was great for popping out the rubber bushings from the old a-arm and seating them in the new a-arm.  All bolts torqued properly and new cotter pin, took 40 min, then I had a coke and a smile.

So simple an idiot like me can do it.  Heh.

Sorry to hear about your Dad.

I scared up a puller today at Goodwill, if you can believe it.  I think it will work.  If not, I will get medieval.

OK, is there a puller that someone knows will work to separate the lower a-arm on a 450 grizz from the ball joint bolt without screwing up the ball joint or the seal?  A pickle fork is out of the question as it will doink the seal, and I do not want to beat on the a-arm.  Will a H-Freight generic puller do?

I plan to loosen the lug nuts, winch mine up, pull the wheel and then remove the A-arm by working on the ball joint with a pickle fork.  Now putting the a-arm back on is where I am in the dark.  Is the threading long enough to catch with the castle nut and just tighten into place?    And I might be able to beat mine into a spare but I will have to cut the strut first, it's bent too.  Will finish up with aluminum a-arm guards.

thingy's Sporting Goods.  Or try Amazon, enter "buff scarf".  Lot's cheaper I think.

After riding this weekend at MudMuckers I noticed that the plastic skid for the left front a-arm was gone - no biggie - but that the a-arm was bent and the supporting strut was bent as well.  Grizz rides fine, never noticed it except that the steering was slightly left of true.

How big a job is this?  I have never done this but it looks do-able with a pickle fork and some sockets, and of course a new a-arm.  Or can it be straightened?

Try a "Buff" (just a spandex tube that fits over your face - expensive but convenient) or a "Wolf Snout" foam mask.  Both work well, both wash well.  Buffs are 25.00 plus and a Wolf Snout is around 20 delivered if I remember correctly.

I am here head due West to the tree line White Old School F250

I will be there around 8:00, ready to ride by 9:00.  Will park out by where you guys were last Memorial Day, by a small tree close to the cow pasture.  Hell the whole things a cow pasture.  This is away from the showers and entrance.

They appear to be EuroWeenies.

I am going to get there early Saturday.  Last Memorial Day I came out and saw where you guys were parked but never hooked up with you and left just ahead of the storm.

CHANGE IN PLANS: ONE DAY TRIP.

Mom was just diagnosed with Leukemia since 24th Feb.  But I will be there early Saturday and leave after dark. 

2008 E CR 90, Bunnell, FL 32110.

http://mudmuckers.com/

FROM THE SOUTH
If you're coming from the south (Daytona Beach) take I-95 north to the US 1 Destination Daytona exit. Continue north on US 1 into Bunnell. Turn right at the 2nd light in Bunnell. Continue west on SR 100. Turn left on to CR 302, which has a turn lane. Continue on CR 302 and turn left on CR 75 which is a dirt road. Continue down CR 75 until it dead ends on CR 90. Mud Muckers is pretty much at the corner of CR 90 & CR 75.

FROM THE NORTH
If you're coming from the north (St. Aug/Jax) take I-95 south to the US 1 Bunnell exit. Continue south on US 1 past Palm Coast and in to Bunnell. Turn left at the 1st light in Bunnell. Continue west on SR 100. Turn left on to CR 302, which has a turn lane. Continue on CR 302 and turn left on CR 75 which is a dirt road. Continue down CR 75 until it dead ends on CR 90. Mud Muckers is pretty much at the corner of CR 90 & CR 75.

FROM THE WEST
If you're coming from the west (Ocala/SR 40) take SR 40 east towards Ormond Beach. Turn left on to SR 11. Continue down SR 11 and then turn left on to CR 304. Continue down CR 304 until it ends at CR 305. Turn right on to CR 305. Continue down CR 305 to CR 90. Turn right on to CR 90 (dirt road) and follow it until you see the entrance on your right Mud Muckers.

FROM THE NORTH WEST
If you're coming from the north west (Palatka) take SR 100 east towards Bunnell. Turn right on to CR 305. Continue down CR 305 through the caution light and past Daytona North. Turn left on to CR 90 (dirt road) and follow it until you see the entrance on your right Mud Muckers.
If you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to email me! info@mudmuckers.com

Looks like I will be there for sure, Sat AM-Sun PM.  Might even get the wife to come down for a day, in which case I will stay over Sun night, with the trailer, but low chance right now.  Count me in!