MARCH/APRIL 2023 TRUCK OF THE MONTH: JR SCHLEUGER…….LIFETIME NUT COVERS
For our latest Truck of the Month we are taking a 2nd look at a 1980 A-Model KW that was our cover truck back in Nov/Dec of 2019. If anyone happened to miss that print issue or started following GEAR JAMMER Magazine after this feature ran, we hope you’ll agree, this is one of the coolest A-Modes aroundl thanks to the creative rebuild by owner JR Schleuger. JR does a little trucking and a little farming when he has time, but his main focus is running Lifetime Nut Covers, the company his father Dan started back in 1990 when he was a driver for Mercer Transportation. His dad was the originator of plastic lug nut covers, producing them in a shed using a single plastic injection machine, and shipping them to truck stops in empty egg cartons. In fact, one shipment to Bosselman’s actually ended up in the kitchen until they realized the egg boxes had lug nut covers in them and not eggs! Fast forward to 2023, and JR & his team have grown the business, located in Britt, Iowa, to include all types of custom truck accessories that they produce in house in their shop. In fact, they now offer over 960 different parts and ship worldwide – but not in those egg cartons anymore. JR’s awesome A-model was a standard daycab when he found it, but he stretched it out to 295″ and mounted a true 1980 36″ “coffin” bunk behind the cab. He then added a custom rear t-bar, a deck plate to finish the frame rails, and a 22″ Valley Chrome bumper up front. The air cleaners, fuel tanks, and lowrider rear fenders are painted to match the cab and accented by the double stripe that JR came with with for the truck. When he steps out of his fabrication shop at Lifetime Nut Covers, he does stepdeck work for IMT Transportation based in Garner, IA. Power for those heavy stepdeck loads comes from the KTA Cummins 600 that’s paired up with a 15 double over transmission and a set of 3:36 rears. When JR is shifting thru the 15 speeds in his “office” out on the interstate, he’s surrounded by plenty of custom items that were produced in his own shop at Lifetime Nut Covers. The white & blue button tuck upholstery has been accented with custom dash plates, engraved door dill plates, and custom seat bases, and the wood floor makes JR feel like he’s sitting in his living room! One thing’s for sure. JR Schleuger has certainly transformed his A-Model KW into a showstopper! Let JR and Lifetime Nut Covers make your truck stand out with any of their custom accessories, including the best lug nut covers in the industry! Check them out at www.lifetimenutcovers.com or look for their products at most major chrome shops all over the U.S.
