I feel like writing one of these about my truck's status since I just got back from the parts store after spending $55.

After taking a close look at the right front brakes, I have decided to go ahead and replace all three brake hoses. Now of course because my part's store is a small store, I only have the right front hose at the moment. The other two are being shipped in from a store not too far away.

I also purchased two quarts of cheap automatic transmission fluid, of course stuff matching the factory specs and got a 12 oz bottle of brake fluid, which may not be enough for this job.

I still need some tools and a little time doesn't hurt for this job either. Because of how little this truck has been driven, she's pretty rusty underneath in a number of areas. The rust is still pretty far from being a structural problem, but it's enough to make removing fasteners difficult. In fact it's enough that snapping the fasteners off is a real concern. And if I happen to break one, then I'm fucked. I'll have to spend more money buying brake lines and or wheel cylinders/calipers.

Now I went ahead and started spraying the areas of interest earlier today and made another discovery. This time a little bit more positive, the right front brake caliper has been replaced. It's been some time as there's some rust on the bleeder screw, but it's reassuring none-the-less.

I also still need to check if my caliper on my driver's side is stuck. It's a simple test, jack the truck up and try to rotate the wheel by hand. If it doesn't move well, then I probably need a new caliper, or at least a relube.

Touching upon the mods that I want to do. I've found that I don't really have any room to mount a school bus style switch directly to my dash. Instead I would have to build a box that would sit on top of the dash to hold the switch, or switches if I want. This is a little bit more involved than what I can do at this moment in time.

As for the chains, I'm leaning towards yes but I'm still asking around a bit for opinions. I'm also considering if I should get one set or two. My concern is that if I chain up the rear tires, then go down the road, my front end will want to go all over the place. Though it seems that you're supposed to only use one set anyway.

I've also found out there are cheaper versions that use cables. I think I will go with a more conventional chain link version. Also just realized that although I'm thinking of going through a lot of trouble to get chains, I don't have any other cold weather equipment. Considering I want chains in case I'm caught in a snow storm while far from home, I might want to invest in an ice scraper and a small metal shovel.