Saturday I installed the new radiator and Sunday tried to install new rear brake pads, only to find the rear pads don't fit!! my guess is they are for a D2 (??) so I had to re-order another set. Good news is the pads on the truck are not completely worn out, but do squeal a lot.
Time will tell if the radiator helps the 'running hot' issue.

Oh yeah, I went to Walmart for an oil change ($25) and they were unable to remove the drain plug. They did not have a large enough wrench!! They sucked the oil out and replaced it. Good enough for this change I guess. Next is the trans oil change.....

 

Last week the brakes started squeaking and when applied, they would quit. (rear brakes) I ordered new pads, which ended up being the wrong ones, and re-ordered the right ones along with the hardware set. The pads showed up a few days ago. I started to hear a grinding nose so I pulled them this morning (in the rain) I found the anti-rattle springs had corroded and were pushing the inboard pad onto the rotor, wearing the pad out in 30K miles.I was able to bend the springs and make them work temporarily. Just after everything was back together and cleaned up, the new hardware showed up, and it quit raining. but I had to head out to work.

Lug nuts are 'swelled' so they need replacing too. I ordered a set of RR ones which are solid and do not use the covers.

Update on Radiator replacement; After 5 days of driving to work and back monitoring temps, I have concluded the radiator was the problem. Temps are between 192-196.F which is what I would expect to see with a 195 thermostat. Next I will add using the A/C on hot days!

 

*** UPDATE ***
This week has been a nasty one for weather ., thunderstorms and heavy rains, etc..
I was able to take it for a long road trip today, just over 300 miles, in 80 degree weather and a 7 mile traffic jam so it sat idling for quite some time. highest temp it hit was 196F. lots of driving at 70+ MPH... and it was averaging 18 mpg!!

 

driving home the other night, mid 30's temp and the temp gauge shot up again. I stopped and added some antifreeze (about a quart) and it went the rest of the way home. next night it did it again! I bumped the gas and it wend down immediately, fine the rest of the way home...Thermostat sticking?? air bubbles? I would think an air bubble would have shown up before this?

I did have the trans fluid changed and it sat idling for about an hour, but no temp problems. it was at 195 the whole time (I watched it)

 

This thing is really pissing me off!! Took today off work because I fought this thing all the way home. Upper 30's out so it shouldn't be getting close to being hot... temp gauge and OBDII scanner both were in the upper 207-235 intermittently whenever I went over 55 MPH..when I slowed down, it would drop to 207-205...did not smell 'hot', and when I got it home, I used a thermal temp on the radiator which was at 167 or so.

Today I gathered up parts and replaced both temp sending units, the small single wire one had a bunch of corrosion in the connector (which i cleaned out) and installed a 180 thermostat I had from last year. Got everything filled up and 'burped' and went for a test drive. temp bounced between 178-183 on various terrain, and various speeds up to 70 mph. 1 hour of driving. I better have this thing fixed or I am gonna get the fire torch out....

 

A good long drive tonight up to Bloomington and back. (54 miles each way)Gauge still acts like a piece of crap. gets up to the top of the thermometer and temp reads 183, down to just below 1/2 and it reads 178. I guess I will keep the OBDII scanner on hand to check temps and ignore the dash temp gauge.

 

The gauge on the dash is worthless.

 

I have a perfect fix for it... Duct Tape!!!

 

Here's a new one...Dash light came on driving home last night... Service Engine... reading on here I found it is an Emission Reminder to have the dealership take some more of your money to short out some pins inside the module and reset it for another 50K miles. Per suggestions, it is now riding comfortably in the back end...

 

Find Brown Service Reminder box, unplug, toss in the trash, and then go enjoy a cold one

Should be on passenger side behind the lower trim kick panel (brown trim piece) not the black paper board piece under the glove box.