Cheap Tricks

[MacGyver72]

Wanna paint wheels with the tires still on? Coat the tire with baby oil then paint away. The overspray will wipe off the tire with ease.

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by VA72C10

Good ideas/info here!

My biggest simple tip is labeling bolts/screws in bags when you take them off the truck....and if you want to paint them before re-installing, stick them through a piece of cardboard and only the heads will be painted.

I'll take this one step further... I write it down on a post-it note and put it in the bag, that way I can re-use the bags. Talk about being cheap!

[RenoKeene]

Bed Sheets. Come in handy for lots of stuff. I use one with fitted corners to cover my short step bed, stretches over the top of the bed and stays there. Keeps every thing off my pretty bed wood while I'm working on the truck.
I'll probably buy a tan one to keep the Florida sun off of the wood when it sits outside all day at work, shows, whatever...wont look bad either.

[Olds-kewl]

Lapping compound on your phillips screwdriver is a good idea, but if you don't have any laying around. Use some scouring powder paste, a little powder (ajax,comet or what ever) with a touch of water works great. Remove minor rust from chrome with tin foil. take piece of tin foil crumple it up dip it in water and rub the rusted area, removes the rust and does not scratch.

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by Olds-kewl

Lapping compound on your phillips screwdriver is a good idea, but if you don't have any laying around. Use some scouring powder paste, a little powder (ajax,comet or what ever) with a touch of water works great. Remove minor rust from chrome with tin foil. take piece of tin foil crumple it up dip it in water and rub the rusted area, removes the rust and does not scratch.

Very kewl, tin foil, I gotta try this...shinny side out? or does it matter.

[Olds-kewl]

doesnt matter

[RenoKeene]

Cardboard.
I save the boxes that parts come in. You can unfold the bigger ones and use them to lay on when your working in the dirt. Make sure you remove those big bronze colored staples...they will cut the crap out of ya in a heartbeat. I also use these in the shop when I'm changing fluids, easier to throw em away then clean the concrete.
You also will need boxes if your going to sell and ship leftover stuff.
Attn LMC: QUIT SHIPPING ME STYROFOAM PEANUTS! My yard looks like it snowed...and I live in Florida!

[magwakeenercew2jh]

Originally Posted by RenoKeene

Cardboard.
Attn LMC: QUIT SHIPPING ME STYROFOAM PEANUTS! My yard looks like it snowed...and I live in Florida!

+ 2,3,4, and 5!!!

[PanelDeland]

Originally Posted by hot trux

drill bit stop. cut apiece of rubber hose a little shorter than the drill bit length. Keeps from going in to far

I usually use copper tubing so it doesn't compress.

[BMERDOC]

Subscribed so I can bookmark this. I've got a good one but I need to take a pic of the tool tomorrow at work.

[BMERDOC]

Ok, I just thought of a good one. Use foamy window cleaner (aerosol) to install rubber parts. I use it for bushings, o-rings, coolant hoses...any rubber parts I wanna install and not use some petroleum based product on. Slides on easy with no residue.

[redmonster]

this is for all of us since we work hard to keep our toys running
if you ever get a good size cut and dont want to spend the better part of the day nursing it clean with soap and water then apply a thin layer of superglue across it and hold for five seconds till it dries works like a champ

[dmartin1]

Originally Posted by MacGyver72

Wanna paint wheels with the tires still on? Coat the tire with baby oil then paint away. The overspray will wipe off the tire with ease.

thats awesome!

definately subscribed to this.i only knew like 3 or 4 of all the above mentioned.

[BMERDOC]

Originally Posted by redmonster

this is for all of us since we work hard to keep our toys running
if you ever get a good size cut and dont want to spend the better part of the day nursing it clean with soap and water then apply a thin layer of superglue across it and hold for five seconds till it dries works like a champ

A good one...use honey as an antibacterial on cuts and cayenne pepper to stop bleeding! Both have been used longer than any one of us has lived and it works! Ask me how I know.

[Ackattack]

done with spray paint? turn the can over and spray to clear out the tube/tip

I thought I was the only one to use nails to fill trim holes

I used this one once. Broken exhaust manifold stud? Take a small C-clamp, cut off the "handle" and weld on a nut. Clamp the exhaust to the manifold and then you can tighten it down with a ratchet. Fix when you get a chance.

Used this one once too: Break a panhard bar off the axle while on a trail? (in a jeep fyi) use motorcycle ratchet straps to locate the axle. Got me to the closest 4x4 shop.

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by BMERDOC

Ok, I just thought of a good one. Use foamy window cleaner (aerosol) to install rubber parts. I use it for bushings, o-rings, coolant hoses...any rubber parts I wanna install and not use some petroleum based product on. Slides on easy with no residue.

Very smart...I've been using dishwashing soap. I saved a windex spray bottle that I keep water in...a couple squirts and the soaps gone.

[RenoKeene]

I keep a small notebook handy, the kind with a hard cover, mostly for writing installation steps down...like starter, then trans lines, then flywheel cover, then the headers! Took a few trys to get that right.

I'm going to buy another notebook just for writing these tricks in, this stuff is priceless! Here in FL you can buy school supplies right before school starts and don't have to pay sales tax either.

I hope you youngsters are paying attention to this thread, you'll be way ahead of your buds

[RenoKeene]

Todays Cheap Trick:
I use drywall screws to fix broken emblem studs. Grind the break flat, drill a small pilot hole, drill a larger hole, grind the point off of the screw, gently thread the screw into the emblem then cut the head off. A dab of JB weld at the base and you are done. The one below was my first attempt and I didn't have any JB....but it worked and like the picture says "Guaranteed to work or your money back".

[flashed]

Lots of good ideas ,great thread .

[waybad]

sweet!

[grayharville]

I've got one. Have a pesky ground out wire that's draining your battery and you can't find it? I can narrow it down.

1.With the key OFF, remove the POSITIVE battery cable.
2. Place a test light in line with the cable, ie. Positive side touching battery post and negative side touching battery cable terminal.
3. If you have a direct short the light should be dimly lit, since the positive circuit is being grounded somewhere.
4. Have a buddy watch the test light while you begin pulling fuses from the fuse block.
5. Pull fuses and replace one at a time until the light goes off.
6. Note which fuse caused the light to go out. That will be the circuit draining your battery.
7. Inspect wires in that circuit till you find a melted or shorted wire.
8. Repair and feel better.

I ran across this recently while trying to find why my battery was draining, after realizing it was in the radio circuit I found a cut wire grounding out.
I saved alot of time as this only took 5-10 minutes.

I credit this to my dad. Hope it works for anyone who needs it
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[Lippyp]

Baby oil on tyres is a bad idea, baby oil attacks and perishes rubber, this is the reason you should never let it get near a condom as they just disintegrate!

[72 tigger]

If I'm removing all the electrical & other stuff from an area like the cab dash, I like to shoot a video from a few different angles. It's a cheap & easy way to be sure to get everything routed the same way the factory did.

[RenoKeene]

Originally Posted by Lippyp

Baby oil on tyres is a bad idea, baby oil attacks and perishes rubber, this is the reason you should never let it get near a condom as they just disintegrate!

You can also make a paste out of comet and water, coat the tires real good, paint then wash the paste off.

[RenoKeene]

Thanks for posting guys...I know this stuff is going to help if we can get folks to read it. I thought we would get some tips from some of the heavy hitters on here but maybe they havn't found it yet. Maybe if I add some color it will be easier to find what your looking for. Yea, thats better.

Girls have some tricks too:
Nail polish works pretty good for re-doing emblems, comes in every color you can think of...and they have clear coat too.
If you run a points dist. keep a nail file or emery board in your glove box. You can clean those points up real quick and be on your way.

Come on girls...help us out.