Recent content by lehiguy

I have had (in a 4th Gen) two sources of a growl, not a quite a vibration. One was a rear axle bearing, the other from the front left differential bearing that supports the CV shaft. I understand this to be very common. It's easy to verify this by going into 4 high. If the the problem goes...

The OEM system, including the muffler, is stainless steel. The aftermarket systems will not last any longer than the OEM, but will likely sound worse. I have tried several different mufflers, ended up back with the OEM.

Ok, I have spent more time and money playing with exhaust parts on my '22 TRD Off Road than I care to admit. Here is what I learned. The first contestant was the Magnaflow Overland system. Well designed, fit nicely, but it was too loud for my taste. One drive from St George, UT to Phoenix...

I just installed a TRD intake. I bought the parts individually, cheaper that way by about $100. There has been a raging debate for decades about the effectiveness of aftermarket intakes. Many people claim they make no difference other than noise. So here's my take: It cost all total with...

V6 appellation is from a time when a V6 was a new development (1988), and it was the carrier, not the gears that were different. Spline count usually has reference to the axle spline, but there are now two different pinion flange spline counts. After market gear sets all utilize the old...

I would put it on if I needed it, which I do not.

The front is a "clam shell" 8" reverse rotation gear set. Nitro Gear has some ratio options and ARB makes an air locker for it. The rear is super ubiquitous Toyota 8" which happens to be a 30-spline. You can get virtually any ratio and any type of traction device for the rear. I went with...

Could also be transmission fluid. Not what you want, but a possibility.

I've done it. There is cutting to do on the housing and some drilling and tapping of new holes for a couple of the longer studs near the actuator. There is ample info already available on the web, so I won't regurgitate it here, but it is somewhat involved. Beats traction control though, no...

The Daystar cannot "compress" in the front because of the way the hardware works. You basically compress it when you install it by tightening the upper strut mounts until the stud extensions are metal to metal with the frame bracket and the rubber spacer is clamped in between the two parts.

That was the closest thing to porn I have ever seen. What a fantastic car, and from the year of my birth too.

The stiffer FJ Cruiser coils make this doable. I think I would have found the body roll excessive with the stock springs. Been off for some time now, I love the feel.

Just try it, you'll see. It has a "softer" feel to the steering but the ride is so vastly improved, I can hardly believe it.

I have FJ Cruiser springs all around and a Daystar spacer lift. I could feel a very slight clunking in my front end, so I found that I needed sway bar links, no big surprise. So I removed the whole "articulation prevention mechanism" and went for a drive. I was shocked at how much better the...

200k I will hit 200K within days of this post. Absolutely rock solid. It has received a new rear wheel bearing and an interior bulb other than maintenance. Here's a pic of the dirty girl.