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MongooseGA said:
Slick top FTW!!

For the road noise... Might I suggest a set of Michelins! 😉
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Topless!!!! Always topless. and yea, Dad shoes FTW! Your family and back will thank you. Also, thanks for not getting shot on the shore.
 
Nothing major happening lately. Did receive my Rad Rubber Designed fender skirts, install is fairly straightforward. Buying the additional clips at the same time was a good idea!

Also, added a little led light to the back to make it easier to see in cargo area. My attic pretty much blocks the original rear dome light!

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Always good to have rubbers close by sir. And are those baby wipes blocking the light? I prefer to keep mine floating around the back somewhere where I cannot find them. Doesn't block the light and makes for a fun dirt and grime-spreading exercise that I get to clean up with said wipes! I am glad they worked out for you. Looks good.
 
Went out to explore some trails in the Langlade county forest. Mostly mild stuff with a few a few challenging climbs and off camber descents mixed in. We also found a few deeper muddy pools as well. Pretty fun day!
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Picked up some used 20" Tundra wheels and had new 275/65/20 Bridgestone Blizzaks installed for the winter. So far I am liking the looks, haven't had a chance to put any miles on it to tell the difference with Nitto Ridge Grapplers, but I am hoping for a quieter and smoother ride.


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ClassyJalopy said:
Picked up some used 20" Tundra wheels and had new 275/65/20 Bridgestone Blizzaks installed for the winter. So far I am liking the looks, haven't had a chance to put any miles on it to tell the difference with Nitto Ridge Grapplers, but I am hoping for a quieter and smoother ride.
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Hats off to you for actually using yours in the winter. im to scared of all the excessive brine/salt use here, Mine spends the winter hibernating. I'll let the the daily duty mazda rust out first:rofl:. the 20's look suprisingly good on it, ive always thought that was too big of a wheel for a 100 but on yours it just works :beer:
 
TRDdrew said:
Hats off to you for actually using yours in the winter. im to scared of all the excessive brine/salt use here, Mine spends the winter hibernating. I'll let the the daily duty mazda rust out first:rofl:. the 20's look suprisingly good on it, ive always thought that was too big of a wheel for a 100 but on yours it just works :beer:
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My summer/off road tires are 34.5" on 18" rims. They have plenty of side wall but do get slightly squirmy at highway speeds! So I decided to get 34.1" with 20" rims to get a smaller sidewall and more responsive steering. And yes I love to drive my truck year round!
Parking my favorite cars in winter would mean not being able to drive what I enjoy for about half of my life!
 
ClassyJalopy said:
My summer/off road tires are 34.5" on 18" rims. They have plenty of side wall but do get slightly squirmy at highway speeds! So I decided to get 34.1" with 20" rims to get a smaller sidewall and more responsive steering. And yes I love to drive my truck year round!
Parking my favorite cars in winter would mean not being able to drive what I enjoy for about half of my life!
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you make valid points that i don't want to hear lmao :flipoff2:. In WI do they still salt in the winter? i know a lot of state that get heavy snow use sand or other alternatives
 
TRDdrew said:
you make valid points that i don't want to hear lmao :flipoff2:. In WI do they still salt in the winter? i know a lot of state that get heavy snow use sand or other alternatives
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They salt like crazy and it get's into every crevice. Every car rusts here, some rust quicker than others.
 
Madison wasn't cold enough so we went on a 1400 mile trip to go further north, in fact as north as you can get in the mainland US. Visited the Lake Superior north shore and then went exploring into the Superior National Forest. Even crossed into the frozen Canada to visit Thunder Bay and Kakabeka Falls, ON.

This was the first trip with the roof rack removed - the interior was noticeably quieter and fuel economy is improved too! I even saw 17.8 mpg once while cruising right at 60 mph.
The Bridgestone Blizzaks were the unsung hero of this trip - they are impressively sure footed even on icy surfaces! At least twice I stepped out of the truck directly on the black ice and immediately proceeded to trip rather unceremoniously. The Blizzak made the ice all but unnoticeable from the driver's seat!

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Lake Superior was as feisty as ever!
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One moonless night, when it was pitch dark outside, our GPS guided us through a route in Superior National Forest right through some service roads that are no longer maintained. To say the trail was gnarly is an understatement. I am so thankful for the big honking lights on the front of the truck - I was able to see up to half a mile ahead of me! Shifted to 4L, switch AHC to high, locked center and rear diff and drove through there with my heart racing!

We were loaded to the gills, had three tired kids in the back and the narrow trail would some times have trees on either sides and some times a drop of a couple of feet on either side. Some sections of the trail were actually a foot deep ponds with ice on the top and then covered by 2 feet of powder snow. So you can't tell it from the top but when you drive over it, the whole truck drops in with sickening crushing noise. Once we almost went off the trail in deep snow but was able to pull back and correct course.

I had street-oriented snow tires running at full 40 psi. Had we bogged down somewhere, it would have been at least a couple of miles walk in sub-freezing temps, with three young kids, in a wolf populated forest. In fact, the very next morning we saw a pack of wolfs not too far from there. I was sweating bullets by the time we emerged from the trail! I am so proud of the truck and feel lucky to have it as our ride!
Of course I have no pictures of the trail or forest that night - was too busy making sure we make it safe and sound.

Some other pics from the trip:
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ClassyJalopy said:
Madison wasn't cold enough so we went on a 1400 mile trip to go further north, in fact as north as you can get in the mainland US. Visited the Lake Superior north shore and then went exploring into the Superior National Forest. Even crossed into the frozen Canada to visit Thunder Bay and Kakabeka Falls, ON.

This was the first trip with the roof rack removed - the interior was noticeably quieter and fuel economy is improved too! I even saw 17.8 mpg once while cruising right at 60 mph.
The Bridgestone Blizzaks were the unsung hero of this trip - they are impressively sure footed even on icy surfaces! At least twice I stepped out of the truck directly on the black ice and immediately proceeded to trip rather unceremoniously. The Blizzak made the ice all but unnoticeable from the driver's seat!

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Lake Superior was as feisty as ever!
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Awesome trip! I love the drive up 61 along Lake Superior. I was up there this past May and can't wait to return.
 
94SRUNNER said:
Awesome trip! I love the drive up 61 along Lake Superior. I was up there this past May and can't wait to return.
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Having been there in summer before, I can tell you it is something else entirely in the winter. Especially, if you go off on CR-12 Gunflint Trail which takes you to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area where you can see Canadian side too! Thankfully that area is still very pristine!
 
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