TRUCK STUFF! (actually its just a passat)

[A//// Guy]

Rack for skis or bikes or more hauling of building material? Haha

Looks good

[scheides]

I started with a universal ski/snowboard rack and will use the crossbars to hold my dads 'roof rocket' Sarris box for long/full trips.

Asking for REI gift cards for Xmas to put towards a pair of bike mounts, this stuff adds up fast!

[TkrPerformance]

Very nice.

[cmspaz]

Torn CV boot on the driver's side of a VW you own? NEVER.

[polishmafia]

You can replace the whole axle, or you can buy a new boot and slap it on. That shouldn't be too difficult for someone with your experience. Stop beating on the truck and you won't rip open axle boots! ;)

[scheides]

Last update for 2013 on this hog?

Got the roof rails mounted, easy peasy. In case anyone cares, the factory rails are narrower at the back than the front, so you need a Thule 7502 for the front and a 7501 for the rear. These are the aeroblade rails so they don't make a fairing that fits them, sigh. Oh well, saved some cash :D

http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Photo_1_006.sized.jpg

Thanksgiving marked the first official ski trip for this thing...I'll post the full-size pic so you can see what I was actually carrying...it's a 200cm 5-banger shotski! :)

http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Photo_8_003.jpg

Ordered a boot to fix my little oopsie I made when installing the springs....what a PITA but I did it with the axle still in the trans:

http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Photo_4_006.sized.jpg

http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Photo_3_007.sized.jpg

Once I got it 99% back together I couldn't get the axle back into the hub, just like the first time...so instead of pounding on it I decided to get clever...all I needed was a M16x1.5-90mm bolt with a big washer on it to pull it through w/o pounding. I looked at Fleet Farm, Menards, Home Depot, and all the local Fastenall dealers and NOBODY has one even close. What a PITA. So, I ordered from fastenall.com and $30 later a few different lengths showed up 2 days later and voila the car was back together :D

original axle bolt on the left, 80 and 90mm on the right:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Photo_9_003.sized.jpg

Then of course the snow and cold-as-eff temps hit, and I've been enjoying this car even more...with the bald-ass tires and FWD I got to experience first-hand what I am sure a LOT of other drivers experience on the road...pure terror from complete lack of traction! This was topped off by sitting in the drive-through of Popeye's on West Broadway (hell yes ghetto style) for 30 minutes last night in pure comfort and the nuclear-heated front seats are perfect for keeping the food warm on the ride home.

So this morning I loaded up the Generals I ordered a few weeks ago and visited Jeff The Alignment Guy today. As always, there was no shortage of entertainment and lickity split I was set to rock for many snow days to come :D

http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Photo_5_006.sized.jpg

I got 205/60R-16's so the sidewalls are good and donaughty....perfect for more TRUCK STUFF!
http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Photo_7_004.sized.jpg

[cmspaz]

Nice! I was still on the HTR ZIIIs the morning of that first snow, so I know exactly how you felt. Shit was nuts.

[scheides]

Shyte haven't updated this in a while! I've just been driving this thing through this frigid cold-ass winter we've been having. The heated seats in this thing are absolutely fantastic, they warm up before the engine does when its super cold and keep me comfy.

Zero issues through any of the snowstorms we've had or the weeks and weeks of hardened-ice roadways we've had lately. Even with FWD the thing does fine. It's not AWD awesome but with these General snow tires the thing can scoot just dandy. It's plowed its way in/out of my alley with 6-8" of snow no problem and hauled more stuff than I really should share...here's some highlights:

Found an 'umbrella cubby' in the back edge of the door...so many sekret hiding spots on this car, its nuts:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/7OIzVL1.sized.jpg

Ski trip, 4 so far this year:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/ojnkRT1.sized.jpg

Xmas haul, first big road trip...3 people, 2 dogs, week of luggage + xmas presents:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/u2GwYbK.sized.jpg

Inside nice & comfy for long haul, my brother chillin with Turbo in the back seat:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/bMCgkug.sized.jpg

My dad has a roof-top box, fitted it to my Thule rack just fine! Will be going to Montana with 4 people (total) in the car in a month just like this:
http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/Rbu2EoV.sized.jpg




And now, more truck stuff! I ordered a set of Alzor 18x8" wheels online...these things are usually on backorder around this time of year since they look nice and are SO cheap...but ordered Thursday and voila they show up at my house Saturday....only like 6 weeks early for spring, LOL. I honestly thought I'd be waiting a month for them!

http://www.scheides.com/albums/passat-wagon/kIFzNOt.sized.jpg
(Cameo by Jilly--she's 14.5 now)

I have some 245/40-18 Fuzion ZRi tires off of project Black ValentNine to put on here, or I also have two used-but-not-too-abused Sumitomo HTR ZIII's off of my X (fronts wore out prematurely due to alignment issues a few years ago) that I might order matching tires for....anyone have two used tires in this size?

[turbotalon1g]

dem wheels!

[A//// Guy]

Pimp wheels that will look great!