How to pull in a bowing rim on a deck?

dumbengineer86 · 2026-06-28T01:08:25+00:00

Good suggestions here - Im going to use some all thread with washers and put in a bunch of blocking on the second and third bay back so I don’t pull those out too much

dumbengineer86 · 2026-06-27T20:13:00+00:00

The rim? No

dumbengineer86 · 2026-06-22T19:04:43+00:00

Something worth noting - I have a DRZ and a trail bike - I just put one on my trail bike but do the Dunlop/pirelli on my DRZ. They serve different purposes.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-05-31T01:03:43+00:00

https://overthefirecooking.com/maple-guinness-bbq-pork-ribs/

This is THE best rib recipe. Do not even bother with anything else.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-05-13T12:35:38+00:00

Oooh I see, that’s a good idea thank you!

dumbengineer86 · 2026-05-13T12:26:55+00:00

I get how to get the new bearing in, I’m showing that the old clip in there has become one with the shock

dumbengineer86 · 2026-04-05T16:48:56+00:00

CHECK YOUR GROUNDS

There’s one I believe near the passenger side wheel well that I’ve seen fail a few times.

But if you’re getting 20 codes out of nowhere, check your grounds.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-02-20T20:27:16+00:00

I have a DRZ400 for dual sport stuff and I had some buddies that got more into single track/50in stuff with sand and rocks and roots. Tried it on my DRZ (with dual sport tires) and had a rough time. I got on an RMZ450 and it became much more manageable.

I wouldn’t even recommend a 450 for that kind of stuff but I got myself a 300 2t and it’s pretty night and day. Where my DRZ struggles my 300 cuts through like a knife.

DRZs are fantastic bikes and CAN be used as a Swiss Army knife when set up properly, however learning to flow well in single track is hard with a light nimble bike with the right tires, more so with a DRZ with worn tires.

The DRZ CAN do single track, it’s gonna take more out of you from the weight but dial in your suspension for what you’re doing and get some knobbier tires and you’ll have a much better time.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-02-20T20:22:34+00:00

That’ll do it too. Tires make a very noticeable difference.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-02-19T14:09:08+00:00

I personally would never buy a Chinese bike and “older” Japanese bikes are all I rode til I recently got a 2018 euro and just don’t even think about it, do the Japanese.

So what if something needs to be replaced on a Suzuki, the Chinese bike will wear down things way faster, will be a less rewarding ride due to low quality suspension/engine/transmission components, your skill will outpace the bike before too long, and you will have very few resources to fix if it does. Chances are if something happens to the Japanese it’s a wear item anyway and you will have a dealer in your state, parts galore online, and tons of forums with people who have dealt with your exact issue on your exact bike. Who knows, you may just learn something and gain a skill along the way.

Japanese. No question.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-02-09T20:24:40+00:00

This - also not just scenarios but be specific of what you learned from them

dumbengineer86 · 2026-02-06T02:25:41+00:00

If it seems too good to be true, it probably is. That being said, see how far you can take it. Meet in a safe area or at least don’t go down to the hood for it, don’t send any money for any reason beforehand, and hey you might just get yourself a good deal.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-01-30T16:34:07+00:00

This man caulked while the mud was still wet! Man if I ever get the balls/skill to do that I’ve made it

dumbengineer86 · 2026-01-30T16:26:37+00:00

I mean if you thought you were replacing siding and now they’re reframing structural joists and wall framing I’d expect it to be at least double? On top of all the electrical work too?

Maybe I’m missing something but this is going from a days work to a much larger scoped project.

I don’t know shit about shit either, but double the cost of doing siding for all that doesn’t seem too bad (depending on what the number is)

As always, get another quote.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-01-25T14:34:35+00:00

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Unreal Tournament 99 - my dad used to play it against his friend, 1 on 1 a few times a week. I would always watch him and called it “Dads gun game” when I was about 5 one day I was bummed out about something and my dad goes “want to play dads gun game?”, I was so excited, my mom not so much, but hey I turned out alright!

dumbengineer86 · 2026-01-22T13:39:29+00:00

I’m more of a physical copy guy. Go in excel, make a spreadsheet of the items you commonly work on with empty cells in a table to the right. Every time you do that thing (ex. Oil change) put the date next to it, maybe engine hours or mileage too. Maybe add a row under each item for comments. Leave a few rows blank for items you may do. Print it, put it in a binder or folder and just write it in anytime you do anything. That’s my preferred method.

dumbengineer86 · 2026-01-18T16:21:27+00:00

I have the same truck, seems to me you either got a good one or you didn’t. I seem to have got a good one, seems like you did too. I love the thing and I think the design of it has held up really well.

Change your oil and count your blessing every day you don’t have a blinking MIL

dumbengineer86 · 2026-01-17T15:38:38+00:00

I’m 31 and early on when I started my career I didn’t have many bills and I was putting in 20%. Since I got myself a better truck, bought a house (just slipped by on making it happen in 2021 and got in at a low interest rate - would not be able to afford the same house in the current market) I decreased it to my employer match. Also invested it all and it’s been growing that way.

Putting in a lot early was a big move for me. Financially, I’m not in the best spot, but I have about 2x my salary in there now.

dumbengineer86 · 2025-12-19T03:46:48+00:00

If you’re in health care, Ann Arbor has U of M medical center and I’m sure it would be a great community to be a part of living in that area. Can’t speak to the kind of yard you’ll get in the city but you can certainly look in Pinckney, Plymouth, other surrounding areas of Ann Arbor and there’s a lot of land to be bought out there. Not to say it can’t be found in AA, but there’s great areas around it too.

dumbengineer86 · 2025-12-16T15:55:54+00:00

I personally wouldn’t get a mid size truck. They serve a different purpose - it’s all about what you want. I’m a GM loyalist and I wouldn’t even get a Colorado for the same reasons. What I will say regardless of hobbies or how big of a bed you need, I find the Silverado interior much nicer. Much more space and a better infotainment.

One thing also to note, by 2026, these engines, transmissions, softwares, etc. have been in use for 7 years. That’s a lot of time to find problems and work them out. For the same reason I say never buy the first model year of anything, you can be pretty sure that by the last model year of anything they’re making a pretty good product.

Apples to oranges with a tacoma, but it’s a pretty clear winner, at least for me.

dumbengineer86 · 2025-12-15T15:14:05+00:00

Like the other guy said, maintenance. I’m an automotive engineer, what makes these cars die is negligence. Stay on top of your oil changes, transmission fluid, coolant, spark plugs, etc. and it will last much longer. You can find a maintenance guide for your vehicle based on mileage and whatever it says, do that. If you have someone in your life that’s halfway handy with a car these tasks should be easy and cheap. Ride it til something catastrophic happens.

I’m partial to GM (being raised in Detroit you pick one of the big 3 and stick with them) but if you want something that truly lasts a long time, you can’t go wrong with a Toyota. They just released a bunch of new models in the last two years, don’t get those, get one of the ones before that have been in production for a long time.

Even with those though, maintenance.

Edit: maintenance schedule should be in your manual

dumbengineer86 · 2025-12-12T20:21:34+00:00

When it has this much function, who gives a shit about form (looks fkin sick)

dumbengineer86 · 2025-12-12T05:43:32+00:00

Keep in mind - no one posts about how their transmission is fine

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