1st Gen. Lunch Table - General Discussion

Won’t buy moog again after this.
Pulled truck into tire shop for alignment……one of the moog inner tire rod ends already going bad at about 2500 miles.
He took me in and I saw it. Lot of slack in it!! That’s crazy!!

 

My Mevotech OTRE made it one month. The Moog replacements made it 6 years. I’m back on OEM for stuff like this. Not worth saving a few bucks for poor performance and having to replace more often. You end up paying more, and never enjoying them.

 

I feel like a damn broken record on here, and I know a lot of newbies think I'm either a purist, elitist, or plumb crazy, but ... I'll say it again.

Aftermarket parts these are complete and utter fucking shit on quality. They are all outsourced, often from the same warehouses in China or India or other south/pan Asian countries, by multiple different brands, and the warehouse making them is doing it as cheaply as possible with the cheapest materials possible (including recycled rubbers and plastics), with little to no quality control or testing (b/c that that costs money, obviously, and they're making things on a shoestring), then being passed off to the consumer at only marginally lower prices sometimes. The lifespan, if you're lucky, is 1-5 years.

They know all damn well the quality is subpar, and there are defects in the parts. This is why they put a lifetime warranty on them. "Lifetime warranty" doesn't mean "good for the remainder of your life" anymore, it means "we will replace it for the lifetime of the part, but only if you maintain proof of purchase", and sometimes even requiring the original box (read the fine print). They know you will be OK if their part is defective, because you get a new part, which is great, right? You are their new quality assurance/quality control department, the one they didn't want to pay for. And the parts are made so cheaply that, if you pay half what the OEM part would cost, they're building it for 5% of what the OEM part cost to manufacture due to their skimpy manufacturing process, so they can afford to give you 20 free parts during its lifetime before they lose money on that part.

The whole system is fucked. I'd rather buy OEM. Buy once, cry once. OEM lasted 15-20 years, it's gonna last another 15-20 years. Will I bitch about the price being higher? Sure, I will. Do I trust the part implicitly, assuming I bought from a genuine source? Hell yes.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGNiXGX2nLU

 

I'm with you. If I get 15, I'm a happy camper. It's a V8 with a lift and oversized tires. I took any aerodynamics this truck had and threw them out the window.

Speaking of V8, I went on a work trip last weekend to Utah. I had to rent a car last minute because the one I had booked fell thru. I got a 2023 or 2024 mitsubishi mirage. Get this - 78 horsepower. I didn't even think that was a thing. It was so woefully underpowered it was almost frightening. It's a good reminder that a 240 hp V8 is way more than a lot of vehicles out there. It was the least power I think I've ever felt. Good reminder to count my displacement blessings...

It was my first time to Utah, and it was awesome. The Rockies are truly such an amazing treasure.

 

I think we need to get this guy and @JakeJake together for a front end swap.

 

I think i finally found a front end shop today I’ll be using from now on.
This makes the 3rd alignment.
First time wasn’t right because tech never told me rack bushings were gone, and aligned it without saying anything.
So i replaced the bushings, and LBJ’s and took it back.
Seemed okay. I just thought the amount of pressure it took to move steering wheel, and to hold it in place on a sloped road was just the truck, and maybe worn out rack gears.

Decided to try out the only other shop we have in town today to have it checked after installing springs, and see what they found…..holy
Best alignment I’ve had on a vehicle in years.
I honestly didn’t know these could be steered so easily. I can turn wheel with one finger, and hold it in place on those same roads with one finger now.
Also the first shop in ages That hasn’t gotten steering wheel out of center doing an alignment

Tech at usual shop should have caught the bad inner tie rod end doing previous alignment.

 

Or this guy, and start an "exclusive" club.

 

Are red (purple) trucks our designated parts trucks?

 

What are yall smoking this weekend?
A little before of the gator andouille…

 

I was gonna ask if it was white boudin! Then I saw what you said it was. Natural casings too nice!

Got a little blowout there though, hopefully it doesn't drip too much on the coals and cause flare-ups!

 

The casings were rather poor from the start. That one opened up after it was done when it went into a large bowl. There are so many short sausages because of holes in the casings. It is not going to drip on the coals. I am only putting 7-8 in at a time on the far side. Lots of pecan wood wedges being added to keep the smoke up.
I loves me some boudin.. Do you have a tried and true recipe?

 

I don't have a tried and true recipe. There are two butchers in town I can trust for good boudin, black and white. I personally prefer black boudin, but I know some folks don't like the flavor. I grew up eating weird shit (Grandpa and his coonass "If it moves, eat it!" way of living), and things like black boudin remind me of better days, spending time on his back forty.

 

Same thing I smoke every weekend.

 

Gator boudin sounds awesome.

 

So is black beef or venison?

 

Never had black boudin. Always had a white version with rice and pork liver.
I wish we had a local, skilled butcher. At best we have a couple of processors that can disassemble a beef, pig or deer and semi package them. I refuse to pay for their "service".
I have everything I need to do my own except for a walk in... I can see your Grandpa's coonass ways..

 

Blood

 

Interesting. I've never had that as far as I know.

I have had axis boudin and fallow boudin.
Best boudin I've ever had.

 

Spotted Trotter -- https://www.thespottedtrotter.com/ and some more info on the owner @ https://www.bristolfarms.com/founders/mtf-kevin-ouzts-spotted-trotter
Evergreen Butcher + Baker -- https://www.evergreenbutcherandbaker.com/

I went to high school w/Kevin for a short stint, long story. Solid dude. I rarely ever see him in the shop since they moved to Moreland Ave, though. I know they had kid(s), that may have more to do with it, dunno?

Don't walk in expecting them to have boudin in the cases, merguez always, boudin sometimes. They rotate through stuff. You can call in advance and ask if or when they plan to have things in. But generally speaking, it's fun to go in and shop. Evergreen is a great place to take the missus for fresh baked stuff, it's a cafe also.

Spotted Trotter has the best f'n hanger steaks in town FYI, and what I feel are reasonable prices (compared to Whole Foods or similar). If you want a recipe for the perfect hanger marinade, holler. My hanger steak and my beef jerky are two of the things people hound me to holler at them any time I make.

 

PS - if you go to Spotted Trotter, be sure to grab some Nduja (en-doo-ya). Trust me. Especially if you've never had it. This isn't a gag or joke. Think "pepperoni butter". You're welcome.

 

Thats what the stepside trucks are for.

 

Great info on both. I am 100% intrigued on that Nduja. I'll have to make a stop!

 

Goes good on crackers, pizza, fry your eggs in it, use it as a condiment in your sandwich, sauce for your pasta mixed in with some capers for salty zing...

This SE search may help with ideas and more info if you need to understand what it is. Note, it is spicy. Not nearly as hot as a proper raw jalapeno or serrano, just a little zing, like mortadella or spicy salami. https://www.seriouseats.com/search?q=Nduja

 

Progress report, 1st time tile layer.

 

Heavenly

 

Great job on the DIY... Your attention to detail far exceeds that of those you would hire..

 

Man, isn’t this the case for everything these days…. I hate letting anyone touch my stuff anymore.