Learned three things: sway bar links, soft open tailgate, bare feet

[ftwhite]

I learned three things working on my 2018 Silverado LTZ with 53k miles:

 

1) when replacing the Tailgate Assist spring, you do it from inside the tail light, not the tailgate side. I took off my tailgate (not that hard, but risks scratches), and found a bushing to replace, but not the spring. Turns out if I had checked the web better, I would have seen that by removing the tail light, the Assist spring is mounted in there for easy replacement. New one works much better.

 

2) there was a clunk in my front end that for some reason my brain told me was the sway bar links (because it was on my Jeep, so...). It wasn't, but they were rusty and corroded. Here in the NW, we only have water on the roads, so I imagine in some necks of the woods, these get much worse, much faster. Easy replacement, so I'll call it preventative.

 

 

 

3) when it is hotter that normal, I need to watch out if I try to work on the truck in bare feet. Also applies to touching body panels.