So unfortunately, this last post was lost when they rebuilt the server so here goes, again. Here is an update/maintenance log since April, I have put a few miles on in a short amount of time.

Not a whole lot has happened to the 4runner other than just getting used. I sold my Whitson Metal works Roof rack, that was sad but its at least getting used rather than collecting dust in the garage. I sold it because I just moved to Norcal from Socal, the extra cash and not having to move it was nice. Plus it killed my MPG and I knew I was going to be putting some miles on.

Then my buddy decided he wanted to get married so we had a bachelor party at pismo. Had to mount up my old LED bar. This mount literally took 20 minutes, start to finish. I need to pull it off, clean it up and paint but it works great.



Next, the weekend we were at pismo happened to be Turf-N-Surf 2018, so that was cool. Tons of really cool rigs and I was very surprised how many people struggled out in the dunes. I think there was lot of not knowing how to drive in the dune. So many people were afraid of the skinny pedal, which is how you have to drive out there. I pulled out a couple people so that was fun. Then, I hit a bowl that a bunch of Toyotas lined up around the lip. One of the guys there got it on video for me.

Video>>>

Next up was our annual Christmas Tree Hunting trip up in the Lassen National Forest. We did some snow wheeling. Always a good time.


Next up Maintenance

So in honor of my 4runner being 16 years old, figured the maturity of a 16 year old needed to come out.


I have been having some strange wandering issues and my tires are wearing pretty strange. I assumed I had worn out LCA bushings thanks to some squeaky bushing noises that i thought was my sway bar, it wasn't. So I decided to swap them out. Here is how bad they were.

Video>>>>>

This job got really fun, really fast when I found out my passenger side alignment Cams were seized nice and tight. Drivers side cam out easy, probably due to the oil that inevitably gets on them from the oil filter. I had the privilege of burning though 7 Sawzaw blades cutting the two Cams free....took 3 hours to get the one LCA out.... So quick PSA. if you have over 200k miles, change your LCA bushings. If you haven't done so, grease them up generously before reinstalling them so you don't have to do what I had to do.

Cut out pieces with new Cams:


Then I got it aligned, I am not real happy with it. I think i am going to take it back and have them take some camber out to see if they can get more caster in it.


While I had the front end all apart, I also changed out the LBJ's just because. I need to look but I think I had ~120k on these last ones. better safe than sorry. I also found that my steering rack bushings needed to be replaced again, so I did that and new sway bar bushings. All of this was done @280,715, just for my notes.

Anyway, all and all she's running great!