My blood pressure is through the f*cking roof after reading that last post.

Well then, I've successfully related my feelings and told the story well.

Thanks for reading, one more installment to come in this saga.

Look at that Bod! Fixing the 4Runner

If you missed the first part of this story, you may want to read 4Runner Accident, and the Saga of Repair when you're done reading this.

It was a Monday morning when we showed up at Jim's Body Shop in Seattle. Arriving a few minutes after they opened, they were in the process of assessing where they were on their various projects and one of the guys made an off-hand remark that they might be "overbooked." I wasn't worried though - in my dealings with Umberto, he'd seemed genuinely interested in working on the 4Runner - and a few minutes later we were handing him the key and showing him two things: first, all the parts we'd brought for replacement (turned out I could get them cheaper than he could). And second, that the tailgate wasn't closing quite right after the accident, so that he could make sure to get that working correctly as he straightened the sheet metal.

"No problem, we'll take care of it," said Umberto.


Well, from there it was a lot of "no work" for us. With an estimate of "about a week," until we got the 4Runner back, it was now just a waiting game. Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not a big fan of waiting; I like doing. I'd considered asking if I could come to visit and take photos as they were working on the 4Runner, but decided that I'd probably be a better customer if I just let them do their thing.

Jim's does happen to be reasonably close to where we drop off and pick up @mini.turbodb for school, so each day I wandered by to check in on the progress. In the beginning, it was quick and dramatic - the various bashed bits removed and the quarter panel pulled back out to its original shape, and some filler applied.


Then, it sat for a couple days. Understandable given that there always seems to be a fleet of vehicles in various states of repair at Jim's, and a constant flow of happy customers going in and out.

On Friday, I showed up and the 4Runner - usually parked outside while they were working on other jobs - was nowhere to be found. @mini.turbodb and @mrs.turbodb happened to be there with me this time, and when Umberto noticed us poking around he beckoned us inside - the 4Runner was in the paint room. Painting had not yet begun.

But it was sanded, prepped, and ready to go. And it looked great. I could see after the sanding that places with filler were quite well done - the quarter panel itself had been mostly restored to its original shape. Very cool!


Well, I don't know exactly when it got painted, but when I stopped by on Monday, it was back outside and looking spiffy. Really, that rear quarter panel and door (which had been blended) were the best looking parts of the 4Runner at this point.


The next day @mrs.turbodb got a call from Umberto - the 4Runner was ready. Happy to get it back, I headed down and happily forked over the under-the-original-estimate amount that Umberto told me was the final cost, and thanked everyone in the shop profusely. The truck looks great, and while I lost too many hours of my life arguing with Safeco about it, now it's back in action and ready for it's next adventure!


I can say with no hesitation that I highly recommend Jim's Auto Body. I don't know if Jim is even really around anymore, but as long as Umberto is, you'll be in great hands!

Yep, sure looks totaled to me

Looks fantastic. They did a great job. Always a good feeling to get your truck back after it’s fixed.

You’ve inspired me to look for another 3rd gen. Had 2. A few Taco’s. Most recently a 2018. But never jelled with me.

Search for a 5-sp SR5 begins!

Replacing Rear Brakes on the 4Runner

I've been putting off rear brake shoe replacement on the 4Runner for quite a while. In fact, it's been almost six months to the day since I replaced the rear axle seals, and I've needed to do the job since then - the gear oil that leaked out through the brake drums, having contaminated the rear brake shoes. But, I didn't want to replace the shoes at the same time I replaced the axle seals because it was my first time doing the seal job and I wanted to make sure the new seals were working correctly before I risked ruining a second set of brake shoes. Then, the 4Runner was in an accident, and I wasn't sure if we were going to get to keep it.

All that is now in the rear view mirror, so the only thing keeping me from getting the brakes in (better) working order was my own procrastination. Relying only on information from other sources, I'd somehow worked this up in my head to be a very difficult job - lots of parts to keep track of, difficult springs to remove and install. Trouble waiting around every turn.

But, when we finally got a day of nice weather, I figured there was no better time than the present to just dive in and get it taken care of. And, as it turns out, it was easy!

If you're here just looking for a step-by-step guide on the process, I've written that up along with the parts and tools you'll need to do the job: Step by Step Tacoma Rear Drum Brake Shoe Replacement (also 4Runner). Or, for a bit more *story* keep reading below.

The first thing of course was to grab the parts that'd I'd purchased six months ago. This was easy since all the parts - to do both sides - come in one convenient box: Toyota Drum Brake Shoe Kit (04495-35230).


Tools also turned out to be quite simple - as projects go. In addition to jacking up the truck and removing the rear wheel, the only tools I needed for the brake job were:

• Two slot/flat screwdrivers
• A pair of needle nose pliers
• One medium-size (approx. 10-inch) vise grip pliers
• Brake cleaner (probably optional)
• A small amount of high quality grease (probably optional)

I got started by lifting the rear end of the 4Runner off the ground and removing the wheel. I decided to do only one side at a time so I could reference the other side if something went terribly wrong, and because I wasn't sure if it was going to start raining and I'd need to pack everything up as quickly as possible.


Removing the brake drums - the big metal bits that cover all the guts - was easy, and I knew it would be. I'd left the brake shoes - the guts inside the drum - relatively loose when I'd done the rear axle seals, and so in no time I was to the part of the process that worried me the most - removing the upper spring that pulls the shoes together.

From everything I'd heard, this was a major pain in the keester - sometimes a pain enough to require a special pair of pliers that are designed specifically for this operation. Armed with just a pair of vise grips, I grabbed onto the spring and voila, it released.

Really easily as far as I was concerned.


The rest of the disassembly went just as smoothly as the first step (for lots of photos and detail, check out Step by Step Tacoma Rear Drum Brake Shoe Replacement) and it took mere minutes to have all the parts laid out and cleaned up. And that was with me taking photos and trading phones since my Google Pixel battery seems to be the weakest battery ever to exist, turning itself off when the ambient temperature dips below 47°F.


Removal of all the parts having been easy, I wasn't all that concerned about reassembly. There aren't really that many parts, and everything seemed reasonably self-explanatory given that I'd paid even a little bit of attention as things were removed. Probably the most complex bit was knowing which holes held the ends of various springs, and there was a pattern to that as well.


Soon enough, all the parts were greased up and reassembled; I was ready for the fitting of the drum and final adjusting of the shoes. This was the second element that I'd heard was hard to get right, but again I seemed to get lucky or something because I pulled it off without a hitch. All I had to do was:

1. Initially, push the brake shoes towards each other as far as possible, compressing the cylinder.
2. Fit the drum over the shoes to check fit.
3. Remove the drum, use the brake shoe adjuster to push the shoes apart slightly and then check the drum fit again.
4. Repeat step 3 until the drum fit snugly - but not tight/forced in any way - on the shoes as it is installed.
5. Use the emergency brake in the cab to do the final adjustment of the shoes.

The first side of the 4Runner took me something like 45 minutes or an hour, the second side half that at most. In fact, having done this only twice now, I'd say that this was one of the easier jobs - at least assuming the rear brakes aren't rusted away - that I've done from the perspective of having to be meticulous and pay close attention.

And boy, is the braking ever better! My old shoes were quite obviously full of gear oil and not doing the job they should have been.

Love this thread. Lots of helpful information, and good commentary paired with it!
Looking forward to seeing more!

Into the Forest
Any other year, a trip to Icicle Creek near Leavenworth, WA in early June would be our second or third visit of the season. But with everything going on this year, the Forest Service delayed opening of the road - generally used to access campgrounds and trailheads until after Memorial Day weekend. In fact, even as we visited, all of the developed campgrounds and several of the trailhead parking lots were still closed to encourage social distancing and prevent the spread of the virus.

Still, as we drove up Icicle Creek Road, we found ourselves happy to be able to get out. We had our fingers crossed - hoping that the site where we usually camp would be open and available, its status of "developed" or "undeveloped" in a grey area as far as we were concerned.


The first site we checked - closer to the river and where we'd previously done some safety maintenance, with a nice beach right next to camp - was occupied. More than a bit surprised given that it was a Monday afternoon, a quick look at the site (as we turned around) provided a bit of relief - at this particular time, it wasn't an ideal spot to camp - large puddles of water filled much of the camp area, and the entire beach was submerged under a river bursting at its banks.

Even with the first site occupied, we were reasonably sure that we'd have our second - and what has become our primary over the years - site all to ourselves. Especially early in the season, access to this site is limited to those willing to cross a relatively deep water body - but one that we've had enough experience with to know that what lies beyond is worth it!


Into camp - and by the looks of it, as the first visitors of the season - I hadn't even turned the engine off before @mini.turbodb flung open her door and bolted out into the forest!

After months of seclusion at home, it was time to explore, and great to be out!


@mrs.turbodb and I pulled a few things out of the 4Runner and then set off in search of the small one. We knew we'd find her down by the river, and sure enough that's just where she was - just sitting there on a log, as happy as could be.


As she heard the click of the camera, she turned, a huge smile on her face. "I'm so glad we could come here, it's so nice to go camping!" Funny how it's often such a struggle to get her into the truck to go - the couple-hour ride, so horrible - and yet once we're out, @mini.turbodb has the time of her life.


The river - as we'd noted at the first camp site - was bursting. Perhaps the highest we've ever seen it, none of the gravel bars that we often spend hours reading on while skipping rocks and playing in the shallow water, were above the water line. Interestingly, this also resulted in a much quieter experience - turbulence and rapids now completely submerged under the flow.


Eager to explore some of her favorite places, @mini.turbodb informed us that we needed to go check out the waterfall. "Want to run with me?" she asked?


There was much running on this trip - likely a combination of the freedom and desire to take advantage of every minute possible.

We arrived at the waterfall to find it nearly non-existent. There was - to be sure - an indication that some anomaly existed in this part of the river, but a fall of water, there was not.

No matter, this was still a spot to soak in the sweet spring air and listen to the crashing water.


We explored several areas around camp over the next hour or so - some of them together, and some of them solo excursions by @mini.turbodb while we got camp and the tent setup on the 4Runner. This situation really does work well - adults upstairs in the tent, and the kiddo downstairs on the storage area sleeping platform (shameless plug - also available for 5th gen (2010+) 4Runners here).


With a few more hours of daylight, @mrs.turbodb suggested that we go for a bit of a walk - back along Icicle Road - to a bridge affording a splendtacular-but-usually-too-crowded view of the creek. Her hope was - today - that things would be different with generally fewer people around - a side effect of our weekday visit and the lack of open campgrounds.

Along the way, more play for smalls.


The bridge wasn't all that far away, and even with several distractions on the way, we arrived in less than half an hour, with zero complaints about distance from @mini.turbodb. That - looking back on it - was a missed opportunity, we should have capitalized on that situation and continued our hike! :wink:


Just as we'd hoped, the usually-crawling-with-people rapids and swimming hole were devoid of other humans, and after watching the water rush by for a few minutes from atop the bridge, @mini.turbodb scooted herself down near the water and perched herself on yet another overlook.


Water really is one of @mini's favorite things - it's one of the reasons I think we keep coming back to this spot - and no matter the time of year, she's always playing in or around the creek, still young enough to enjoy getting wet and dirty, not at all worried what her clothes might look like when she's done...



Don't miss the rest of the story, and all the remaining photos that don't fit here (due to max post size). Hopefully that can change in the future, but until then...




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Olympic-Sized Views to Obstruction Point
Summer is a great time in the state of Washington. While much of the rest of the year might be dreary and gray, the long days and clear air between mid-July and September are nothing short of perfection for getting out to enjoy the mountainous terrain in the western part of the state.

And this time, we were headed as far west as we could go - all the way to the Olympic Peninsula, for an epic hike along one of the highest ridges around.

Keen to get the trip off to a good start, we made a quick stop at Family Donut - a new shop we'd recently found - for some of the best donuts I've ever eaten. It's a good thing too, because about 15 minutes later we were parked - the engine off - waiting for a ferry to take us across the Puget Sound.


It turns out that someone the-opposite-of-smarter than me had made the decision to reduce the number of ferries running on the weekends in the middle of summer. We ended up waiting over three hours for our ferry to arrive.


One can't complain too much on a ferry however - the views are always so nice as you glide across the water.


Hungry again, we made a quick stop for lunch before heading up Deer Park Road towards the campground and trailhead that we'd call home for the next couple of days. Already, things were looking up - literally - as the mountains we'd be exploring rose in the distance!


Now, one of the reasons we'd made an early start was that the campground we were going to - Deer Park - is a no reservation location with only about 20 spots. With amazing views, it fills up quickly, even on a Sunday night. And, perhaps predictably as we pulled in just before 5:00pm, everything was full.

Dang.

Bummed, we pulled into an overflow parking spot and weighed our options: we could head back down the eight mile dirt road and find a wide spot in the road to set up (a dusty) camp; we could head home and try again some other time; or we could see if someone with a spot would let us share.

A bit awkwardly, and with my face covered in a mask, I approached the folks staying in what is arguably the best spot in the campground. A quick look at their reservation ticket showed that they'd been there for a couple nights, and this was going to be their final night before heading home.

Well, it turns out that Carol and Rick (of Edmonds, WA) couldn't have been nicer. After a brief chat, they were happy to let us park in front of their car and open up the tent on our 4Runner. They even invited us to join them around their camp fire (we didn't, since we didn't want to intrude), and to put a tag on the site marker reserving it beyond the end of the their stay!


As @mini.turbodb scampered off to explore, @mrs.turbodb and I unfolded our chairs in the shade and pulled out our Kindles for a couple hours of relaxation, with a pretty nice view.


Having eaten a very late lunch just before heading up to camp, we all decided that dinner wasn't really necessary, and as the sun started to get lower on the horizon, we figured we should gain a little elevation to take it all in. The road behind camp wound up Blue Mountain - a perfect place to enjoy the display.


With the sun below the horizon we made our way back to camp just as a heavy rain shower started! We'd checked the weather prior to the trip and there was no precipitation predicted, but hey, at least we hadn't deployed the tent yet!

The rain didn't last long at all - perhaps 5 minutes - and in the end, it significantly reduced the dust, which was perfect. We just hung out in the 4Runner, @mini.turbodb already in her cozy little bed.

With hugs goodnight, we climbed out of the truck to set up the CVT, and were immediately distracted by the main storm, a distant several miles to the north. Lightning - and plenty of it - illuminating the sky as the storm tracked eastward.


The dozen or so other folks around us also noticed, and it was a bit humorous to see all of them packing up and talking in hushed tones about the safety of being "out in the open" when the storm was so far away. We chuckled as we unfolded the tent on the roof of the 4Runner and confidently climbed in, as other campers considered the "safest" place to go in these dangerous times.

We knew, the safest place to go was "to sleep."

The Hike

The next morning we were up bright and early - our alarm set for 5:50am, so we could pack up and roll out of camp by 6:15am. We did this as quietly as possible so as not to wake Carol and Rick, and we left a couple chairs and our kitchen box to hold camp while we completed our trek.

The trailhead was less than a mile away, and after a quick breakfast, lunch making, and setting up of todo(link)the solar panel to keep the fridge running through the day, it was time to set off for Obstruction Point.


This is no short hike. At a little over 15 miles round trip, it was going to be a trek for all of us, and I'd warned the small one about this several times in the preceding week.

"I'm going to need you to do your best complaining," I told her. "I'll be sure to point out the most difficult sections as we come to them, so that you can strive for overachievement in those sections. Don't disappoint me!"

Of course, we'd also promised amazing sights, and even as we started down through the forest, the morning moisture in the air made for great views.


"Hey kiddo," I called as she ran ahead, "I just want to point out to you that this part is downhill now, but when we're all tired and ready to be done, this last section is going to be uphill and steep! I need you to whine as much as possible at that point, OK?"

That got a good laugh.

The first mile and a half of the trail makes its way along a forested ridge, and in the cool morning air we found plenty to keep ourselves entertained. A toad, hopping along, found its way from my hands to those of the child, squeals of joy escaping her lips as it sat for a moment before hopping off into the brush.



Don't miss the rest of the story, and all the remaining photos that don't fit here (due to max post size). Hopefully that can change in the future, but until then...




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Looks like you are having some good adventures so far.

And... Family Donut is AMAZING. The family that runs that shop is super nice too. Those are some of the best donuts in Seattle.