cmattj wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2024 9:22 pm
NautiGirl wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2024 8:21 pm
As someone who has overloaded their F150 towing I am here for this!
Let me know when class starts.
As always Matt you have demonstrated you have forgotten more about many items that I could ever hope to know.
Unless we are talking Computers / IT / Bourbon or Turtles, then I may win? Maybe?

You win. Although we do see turtles that find the Neighbors pool instead of the Delta this time of year .
Your F150 is great, along with its GM and Ram buddies.
BBP Durango works.
The discussion will be how we go past the MFG design in angles that create shudders and unknown vibrations.
As the truck goes down in the rear.
The angle or direction of pinion stays in a close setting ( iE 2 degrees down).
But only to a point as leaf springs have determined pre angle to follow the angle as the truck sags.
Then it gets a launch shudder or slight vibration that is usually ignored at freeway speeds.
The loaded vibration is an issue on most light trucks as pinion bearings without a front housing support suffer.
Transmission output shafts are absorbing the vibration and creating wear and shortening shelf life on support bearings.
They days of burnt rear end covers aren’t there with synthetic fluids but the gear noise and movement in thrust is there.
We have a lot of hills here in the San Joaquin valley and the 1/2 ton is awesome in towing.
But the overloaded tongue drop combined with a 4-5 percent grade kills a lot of things no matter what they say it can pull.
5000 lb boat is 10,000 pounds on a 5 percent grade.
Ok so tomorrow we discuss how HD trucks rule in braking as the sensitivity of a 1/2 ton will abs engage you in most max loaded stops and send you in the worst possible moment.
I would also like to discuss Scotch vs Whiskey and why the blend????
Scotch vs Bourbon vs Whisky or Whiskey if you prefer.
Solid Topic.
Almost like Ford vs Dodge, or IFS vs Solid Axle, not really....but almost....and in some ways easier...let me explain....
You see unlike the truck wars its really pretty straight forward. All Bourbon and Scotch are Whisky but not all Whisky is Bourbon or Scotch. Like all Fords and Doges are trucks but not all trucks are Fords? Ok Maybe the analogy broke down there.
Confused yet?
Look at Jack Daniels - its a whisky but its not bourbon. Why you ask? Not because its made in TN - common rookie mistake - but because its charcoal filtered.
To quality as Bourbon Whisky we need:
A Mash Bill that is at least 51% Corn. The other 49% is generally a combo of Malted Barley / Rye / Wheat. Rye results in a spicier whiskey - think Knob Creek - Wheat produces a sweeter product think Makers or Weller.
It needs to age in a new charred oak barrel. Such a important requirement that Buffalo Trace is actually planting an oak tree forest. Most of the flavor comes from the oak and its where it gets its brown color so wood is important. Some distilleries are experimenting with oak varieties - the requirements are oak not a specific type of oak. For example Makers 46 is Makers Mark aged in French Oak barrels. Most stick to White Oak however.
It must be distilled to a max of 160 proof
It must be Barreled at a max of 125 proof
It must be bottled at a minimum of 80 proof.
Bourbon does not need to be made in Kentucky - however most is. It does have to be made in the US. The reason for Kentucky is our water. Since Bourbon cant be filtered you need to start with very clean water. Kentucky sits on a limestone aquifer - which produces great race horses with strong bones, and also very clean naturally filtered water.
It also must be aged for a minimum of 2 years. 2 years is super short - even the Beam White label I drank as a poor college kid is aged 4, most good bourbon's are 6 minimum to 10 - 12 maximum.
Finally, it can't be filtered and nothing can be added to it. So sorry, fireball, screwball peanut butter bourbon and even angels evny - which is very popular - are not really bourbon.
Now why the blend? Consistency. Aging bourbon is a science, so much so that some distilleries heat and cool the rick houses they age the barrels in. Others rely on natural temperature swings of the seasons. As the liquid heats and cools it is forced in and out of the oak barrels which is how it gets its flavor.
It's a natural process, so after 6 years a barrel at the top of the rick house will taste different than one at the bottom. Some distilleries rotate barrels, which is a huge PITA as each is holding 55 gallons of bourbon. Others dump say 25 barrels together some from the top some from the bottom and get a consistent flavor profile.
This is why things like small batch or single barrel bourbon are more expensive, its legit just one barrel that was aged to a flavor profile the master distiller liked.
I cant speak to Scotch, thats a YT thing, I will let him Chime in.