most inexpensive garage shelving (from ikea, etc) comes with bracing rods for the back, and there is inevitably a piece or two of it left over when the shelves are all set up. This usually just sits around in some forgotten corner, until it's eventually thrown out.
With a bit of effort though, this backing rod can be quite useful. Both ends already have been flattened and have holes in them, making it prefect for a number of uses, including a pull-pal. All you need to do is cut it to the desired length, add a couple of bends ( a 90 degree and a~40 degree), and find some thin flat piece of metal to use as the blase - I ended up cutting up the case of an old broken hard drive. Then, just file the end without holes flat,and either drill a couple of holes into it and stick some small bolts through (I used some leftovers from some 1.55 steelies), or braze the blade you made on.
The result? A completely free, and very strong pull-pall that's guaranteed to last for a long time! Mine has been through multiple comps with no damage other than some missing paint:
![Image](http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o552/noll11/2E173411-5EB1-4BC9-BC2E-201050FCD946_zpsirizxpfc.jpg)
![Image](http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o552/noll11/F2DBAA44-4B83-4FE2-BA81-FDDCE2405BD8_zpsqoo7uxn5.jpg)
Tip 2: 3D printing!
Think of a part, scale or functional, that you'd like to have on your truck, but don't have the skills or tools for. Got it? Good. Now imagine if I told you that you could in fact make that part, and quite inexpensively too. Sounds great, right? That's whats so awesome about 3d-printing; If you can think of it, it's highly likely that you can print it!
This can range from fuel cells:
![Image](http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o552/noll11/4A1CD725-978A-4D4D-AB65-EA1DF41E0C33_zpsvvylconb.jpg)
To custom winch mounts:
![Image](http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o552/noll11/5C755257-9EF8-40FD-84B3-C1FEE31DE116_zpsmzfhdqzs.jpg)
and even transfer cases!:
![Image](http://i1147.photobucket.com/albums/o552/noll11/46039601-AAAE-4A0C-8158-B9B0837BAF97_zpswkx2jsl4.jpg)
Even if you don't have a printer of your own, there are many places, both local and online (such as shapeways), that will print your design and ship it to you for a fee. Learning how to create your own model isn't too difficult either, as there are many tutorials out there for a wide variety of programs; both free and paid.