Recent content by scottm

The old ball joints weren't bad, and I'm at 145k now. There is still a slight clunk from the front end I can't identify, but at least now I know I won't lose a wheel on the highway. I did this more as preventative, knowing this is one of the very few weak points on the vehicle, and I plan on...

Check for corrosion on the battery post under the clamp. If the connection is bad it might support enough current to run most things, but the load of the starter cuts voltage to zero. If you have a multi-tester you can get good voltage everywhere, but when someone hits the starter you will...

Me too. I used the remote start, had the defroster set to high when I parked it. When I went out to the truck the crack was there. This was a gradual warmup from dead-cold, with no snow on the windshield. I have windshield coverage, nice to get a new windshield I guess.

I took a few pics of my caliper swap when I did my ball joints, in this writeup. Not sure if I should re-post them here or just a link? http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/189899-moog-greasable-ball-joint-install-brake-calipers-lossa-pictures.html Official brake line plugs are one of...

Is that where you hit the start button then pull your key out and it keeps running? Mine worked when I first had in installed, but I had some trouble with remote starting, it would start then shut down repeatedly until the battery died. Not good in an O'Hare employee lot. My installer changed...

My 4th-gen writeup, could be helpful here http://www.toyota-4runner.org/4th-gen-t4rs/189899-moog-greasable-ball-joint-install-brake-calipers-lossa-pictures.html

I tried installing my Viper, ended up not sure enough about a couple things, and bartered for a guy to finish it. He said I'd need to add a module to run the rear window with my remote, meh. My Viper works from inside a steel building at least 1000 feet, and from a bus at O'Hare well over...

I'm running Nokian WRG2. I just replaced the WRG2 on my wife's Land Cruiser with WRG3, and I'll do the same on my 4R next year. Best damn tire I've ever run for both heavy snow/ice, and hot-dry pavement. It is by far the best all-season in ice and snow, and is a performance-rated tire for...

That is a weird function, what is the purpose? My '73 Capri could turn on only one side or the other parking lights, something more common in Europe. A lot of cars can turn off their day-running-lights by pulling the emergency brake up one notch, handy for entering military bases where you are...

Use a Dremel with a thin cutoff wheel to make a slot for a screwdriver. Tap a prick-punch into the bolt near the edge, then angle it and try to drive the broken piece around to rotate it out. Mark the center with a punch, then drill and use an easy-out.

I like it! I usually go at it with a prick punch near the edge like that. Once I've got a hole started, I angle the punch to rotate the fastener. Anything that heats or vibrates the fastener will help free it, sometimes just whacking it with a hammer helps. Another option is to grind a slot...

I did a careful rattle-can job on my Land Cruiser wheels years back, they looked like new several winters later when I sold it. I'm planning on doing the same with my 4R and current Land Cruiser when Michigan weather gets better, a long time from now. On the old cruiser I had a mix of polished...

I just posted a writeup of installing Moog ball-joints in my '03. I think the writeup is now on page three. Lots of pics and some half-ass explanations. They seem to fit in my stock suspension arms...

So shiny. I put copper anti-seize under the brake caliper. I used silicone grease on brake parts, dielectric grease. Threaded fasteners got thread-locker, more to keep out corrosion than anything else. After a drive around the block all the lugnuts were loose, probably because of the anti-seize...

Brake line plugs from Autozone, they work most of the time.