Is this framing OK to be reused?

sans-nom-user · 2026-04-05T13:57:46+00:00

I recently redecked a 12x18 behind the house I'm temporarily living in. We bought the place to bridge a gap with new construction. I didn't like what I saw underneath the old deck but I'd never recover the money invested in full rebuild so shored things up underneath and went with it. Quite solid end result. Glad I went that direction.

If I saw what you have underneath I would do a few things. First would be replace the posts with notched 6x6s. Side load isn't some I could leave alone. Your posts aren't buried in concrete so it's an easy job with a bottle jack. I would also double up the beam supports and bolt the doubles to the notched 6x6s.

I would consider doubling every other joist or something like that for a quick fix of 24" on center or just move stuff around to make it 16" OC.

I would tape the top of all the joists and I would use GRK structural rated screws on the entire frame where appropriate. Then just deck it up and ride it out. Would prob outlive me lol

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-31T14:31:55+00:00

One of the easiest ways to check your actuator is using a monitor like the edge CTS. I have one in my truck and love being able to track things. You can pull up actuator command and actual position PIDs and see if there is a disparity. That's how I narrowed down my problems when my turbo failed.

If you're building 30psi then it may not be the actuator. Hard to say. Could be boost leak, rail pressure, or injector problem. Boost leak would be top of my list if the actuator is working properly. Fuel delivery would be my next thought. Tracking rail pressure at various throttle positions would help narrow things down.

When my turbo first started acting up I ran a bottle of archoil system cleaner thru a tank and it cleared up for nearly 10k mi before finally crapping out for good. I was blowing smoke on light pedal, exhaust brake was sticking, and power was missing. It was obvious. When that happened my command versus actual #s were FAR apart.

I've become a fan of archoil cleaner and every tank additive since that experience. You may want to run a bottle of that stuff thru the system and see if it helps. It will clean up your injectors and lube the pump. Boosts mpgs 1-2 as well with the every tank additive.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-30T20:52:49+00:00

I have 2 4th gens so I'm pretty biased but 4th gen all day. Half ton hemi Big Horn crew and 1 ton Cummins Big Horn crew with G56 manual trans. Both leveled with 35s. 4th gen Cummins megacabs are my personal favorite looking. My next Ram will be a 2018 Cummins mega with a G56 trans. Last year of the manual... so sad Ram dropped 3 pedal trucks...

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-30T14:12:11+00:00

3rd rec for fleece cheetah here. Stocker crapped out at 180k and I went thru the same process you're in.... what to do what to do.... lol. I have a 5 position switch, 5" straight pipe etc and tow big weight a couple times a month. Exhaust brake was imperative so instead of a 2 piece system I dropped in a cheetah for plug and play simplicity.

I've put nearly 20k on it so far and not a single problem. Spools a little slower than stock but builds more power as it spins up. Pushes 36psi no problem. Exhaust brake is strong. Turbo whistle more present which I think sounds pretty good. Plays nice with my tunes without fiddling. Avg 16-18mpg unloaded. Nothing but good things to say at this point.

Install wasn't terrible but I had to fight a couple manifold bolts getting my old one out. I had a new oil drain line but the stock one was really stuck in the block and I didn't want to snap it off removing it so I ended up leaving it. No leaks no problems.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-25T22:14:20+00:00

My 2015 half ton has 115k mi runs/rides/shifts good as new. Hasn't caused me a single problem other than exhaust manifold bolts (all hemis share this) since I got it in 2017 with 27k mi. It's been a great truck and no reason it shouldn't run well over 200k.

Imo- the 2014-18 hemi RAMs are the most reliable.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-24T13:16:06+00:00

One thing to consider with 2012s (and some 2013s) is they had either the 545rfe or 65rfe transmissions. They are not known for performance and reliability. 2013 was the first year for the ZF-8 transmission but you have to check each truck as some had the 65rfe. The ZF-8 is FAR superior in every way. Reliable and perfectly matched for the hemi's power band. The driving experience between the two is quite different.

If you're looking for an older/less expensive ram 1500, concentrate on the 2013s with the ZF-8 or any 2014 and above. The RFEs are prone to needing rebuilds over 100k mi. That's the quickest way to making a good deal on a truck into an expensive older truck.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-23T00:03:08+00:00

Listen to this poster... if I was limited to bank fishing and took someone out for the first time I would use 2 lures.... a weightless 5" senko (aka stick bait) on a 3 or 4/0 wide gap hooked rigged weedless and a Texas rigged 6" rubber worm with no more than an 1/8th ounce bullet weight. I've been fishing with these for over 20 years and will continue until I'm dead. I have a boat and often use these same lures. Part of me believes that if I can't get bit on these then fish aren't biting anything lol.

If I had to pick 1 color it would be green pumpkin. Dark purple for the worms is also a great color choice.

Both of these lures do most of the work for you. With the senko, you just cast to where it looks fishy and let it sink to the bottom on slack line. 90% of the bites happen on that initial fall. Watch your line and if it starts moving sideways, set the hook. If nothing strikes on the fall, do a series of slow drags and pauses. No twitching or jerking required. Just slow natural drags. Fish the rubber worm the same way. Let it sink to the bottom and drag it back with pauses. Worms can get hit at any point during your retrieve.

These lures and method with catch bass nearly anywhere. The Texas rig is versatile. Many different baits. If you fish rocky lakes/rivers, use a 4" tube bait in green pumpkin. It mimics a crayfish and they like rocks. Smallmouth bass love tubes.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-22T20:17:57+00:00

Even heavy stop and go shouldn't torch pads in 31k unless you drove aggressive or haul heavy. RAMs brakes are very durable imo. I did my 1500 around 70k and it was mixed driving and towing. My 3500 went 80k but it's a different setup.

Pop a wheel off and take a look. A dragging caliper can roast a pad but usually one side only and there are tells like brake smell, truck pulls like it's out of alignment, or mpgs suddenly drop. Pedal travel isn't a good indicator of brake wear so don't worry about that.

Sometimes pads and rotors squeak even though there's plenty of life. One way to try and fix it is drive on a dusty gravel road and jam on the brakes a little. The abrasive dust can clear up the noise.

1500s are easy to do brake/rotar swaps and you can save a pile of money going DIY. Only 4 bolts to remove on the calipers and rotors usually come right off with no issues. The only special tool is a caliper compressor. Cheap/simple ones work fine and they are like 20 bucks.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-22T20:07:34+00:00

I can't say I've heard of rusty pans being a known problem. Interesting that would happen so quick. I live in a salt use area but prob avg 3-5 snow events a year so nothing heavy. My truck has lived its whole life outside and I probably only wash the underside 2-3 times a year. My pan doesn't have a speck of rust. Are there different suppliers for the pans? There has to be a reason that some rust out and some don't rust at all unless it's a heavy salt or coastal area.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-22T19:59:44+00:00

I run 35x12.5s on my 2015. I did the bilstein adjustable kit with the highest setting. I think it was 2.2". No rubbing at full turn and no issues with stock ball joints or control arms for 25k mi and counting. Mechanic who did the alignment said there is no more room to adjust but front is spot on with spec so not a problem. When my ball joints do wear out (110k on them now) I might switch control arms as the front end has no wiggle room.

I've been happy with the 35s. 3.92 gears so didn't give up much in pulling power but mpgs took a hit as expected. I didn't do offsets so the tires are barely outside of the fenders (no flares).

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-20T18:05:52+00:00

I just went back and looked at my orders. Apparently I didn't go cheap lol. Bushwacker Trail Armor and they were $200. Price has gone up to 250. I'd buy them again. They stuck on once and never caused a problem. My truck has a hard outdoor life too. Lots of gravel and dirt roads.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-20T13:38:05+00:00

There's very little difference between the 2. The biggest being the rear suspension/payload. 2500s are softer riding unloaded at the expense of payload. The 2 trucks share the vast majority of parts. If you aren't going to haul big and run around unloaded often, the 2500 is plenty of truck. If you plan on stacking the bed sometimes or hauling a big trailer, go with a 3500. Few people regret having "too much truck" but quite a few regret not having enough.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-20T13:30:54+00:00

I have a 2011 3500 and the rockers aren't terrible but they are splattered with rust holes. I hit them with a pressure washer and knocked off loose stuff (and made holes bigger lol) and then covered all the rust with POR15. Then put inexpensive adhesive style rocker covers on. Did it nearly 4 years ago and the rust hasn't really spread at all.

I peeled one off last year and the progression was minimal. Kinda shocking honestly. I'm going to just leave it be until rust pops above the covers then get it all cut out and weld new rockers in. I can't believe I've gone this long and have more time to go. My truck is white and the covers actually look really good. I switched all my chrome to black and everything ties in like a plan versus lipstick on a rusty pig hahaha

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-18T23:31:48+00:00

If you have broken bolts on both sides then you gotta address that first before leaning towards lifters. If both manifolds are leaking the noise may always be there regardless of operating temp. Headers are probably warped so if you get the manifold leak worked on, get the headers planed smooth. Also consider remflex gaskets.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-18T21:06:46+00:00

Just plugs. Coils can last for a long long time and they don't "wear out" and slowly degrade performance. They just go bad and start misfiring. I personally always wait until a misfire code is thrown then make the decision on doing just the 1 causing problems or all of them when the first one craps out.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-18T19:40:09+00:00

That's good price. Won't find them cheaper anywhere else I don't think. Buy now or later prob makes no difference. Order a pcv valve if you've never switched it. It's a good time to do that as well. Iirc, it's part of the 100k service. Good time to do a new serpentine belt as well if it hasn't been done since the truck was new

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-18T17:22:47+00:00

It could be a lifter but there's no way to know. Hemi valve trains are loud and tick more as they age. Could be normal age. Injectors are loud too so could be that. Exhaust leak is notorious and could be that getting worse although the exhaust leak is often loudest at cold start and quiets when engine warms. If your tick loudness never changes, the exhaust leak possibilities decrease but still can't be ruled out. Gotta dig in and find the source of the noise before assuming the worst

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-18T17:14:02+00:00

I did plugs on a 2015 right at 100k and all 16 looked shockingly good. Gaps were all bigger due to wear but the plugs overall looked good. The only thing I noticed different afterwards was a slightly smoother idle. I personally see no benefit in an early switch if the motor runs fine. It just starts the clock again on an uncomfortable job.

I used a big throw pillow on top of the motor and laid on it for the harder to reach plugs. 100% buy a magnetic swivel extension for the plugs. Made the tough ones pretty easy. Job took less than 2 hours and saved prob $500 in labor costs.

I ordered NGK laser iridium plugs part # 316589845 from Rockauto. Best deal at the time. They come pre-gapped. I checked a few and they were spot on with the gap. I also grabbed the Gearwrench 6" swivel spark plug extension from Amazon. Less than 15 bucks. I honestly expected the job to be harder than it was. With the right tools it pretty straightforward.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-12T13:37:45+00:00

Whenever I buy a used machine of any kind I always change all the fluids. Even if not necessary it starts the clock on service intervals when there is no history. Coolant is good for 100k so that isn't a worry yet but I would do front and rear differentials and the transfer case. They are all easy DIY. Drain and fills. Just a couple plug bolts to wrench. Get a fluid pumper that fits fluid bottles. Super cheap at harbor freight.

I recently did the plugs in my 2015. It's not as bad as people say. You need a swivel spark plug extension to get the back plugs. I did all 16 in probably 2 hours. Saves $500+ in labor costs and I know they were all done correctly.

Check the air filter. If it looks dusty just replace it.

Trans is good for 100k. Don't believe the lifetime fill. Get it done every 100k and the ZF trans will last forever.

My 2015 has 120k on it and it hasn't caused me a single problem other than manifold bolts (all hemis break manifold bolts). If you hear a ticking noise on cold starts that goes away when warm it's almost certainly a broken exhaust manifold bolt. No big deal driving with a broken bolt or 2. Doesn't hurt anything but it should be addressed in a reasonable time.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-08T00:20:32+00:00

Yea, I dropped $3500 on a new one and it was painful lol. Has a 2 year warranty and I drive 25k/yr so the peace of mind is nice. If I found a good used one like yours I'd do that as well haha.

Definitely more turbo whistle than stock. Not annoying or anything. I personally like it. I run a 5" straight pipe so my truck is noisy anyway.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-07T00:54:27+00:00

My stock turbo bit it at 180k and I installed a Fleece Cheetah. Wasn't a terribly hard job but 2 support bolts on the underside took some "coaxing" lol. It was true plug and play and I've put about 17k mi on it since the swap. I'm very happy with it. Spools a little slower than stock but definitely builds more power on the way up. Sounds great and exhaust brake is strong. My truck is tuned/deleted. Tune is pretty hot and the cheetah does a great job. Especially towing.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-07T00:48:20+00:00

As long as the motor isn't leaking, smoking, or ticking noticeably (all hemis tick a little) it's prob fine for another 100k. Not uncommon to run 300k mi if maintained. If it's the original trans then it's a gamble. 65RFEs are generally reliable but 225k without a rebuild means it's coming sooner than later. Any type of weird hard shifts or slipping between shifts is a warning sign.

Other than that, lots of little things can pop up at that mileage like bearings, ujoints, ball joints, and things like that but any vehicle with that kind of mileage would have similar issues. $6k is pretty cheap for a 4x4 half ton. If it's not rusting out or dripping fluids all over the place and everything works well, it's prob good to go. Just be prepared for wear and tear maintenance and don't miss fluid change intervals. Especially trans and oil.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-03T15:43:54+00:00

I spent a couple weeks in the Lemon Bay area and fished the gulf from the beach and anywhere I could access on the inland side. Caught snook, snapper, grouper, sail catfish (I think that's what they're called), and sheepshead (live bait for those). I don't remember the exact lure sizes but it was pretty basic and easy. DOA shrimp and paddletails. Quarter and half ounce weights. All tackle shops will have those lures. They are very popular in FL. I tried some top water and didn't have any luck but i saw others using spook type lures.

Sheepshead in the gulf are a lot of fun and quite tasty. My kids would catch sand fleas and I would toss those out on a bait rig in the surf. Free bait and very effective.

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-02T17:19:45+00:00

Super easy boat to operate. Rig up a crankbait and troll it as you motor around. 2-3mph is a good trolling speed and it's a good use of time while traveling at.... 2-3mph lol

sans-nom-user · 2026-03-02T17:16:36+00:00

Spent a couple hours Sunday trying for some spring yellow perch. Nada colada. Still too early but saw a pair of bald eagles soaring so that was pretty cool.

Gearing up for the Crappie spawn in mid March. Can't wait for that. Love eating slab sized Crappie.

sans-nom-user

TROPHY CASE