Anybody else sometimes afraid?

Utopia

Utopia

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To work on their truck? Sometimes I just loathe going out to work on it almost
Afraid to fudge something else up? It's like my LED lights that I have to put I in. I get this pit in my stomach that I am going to break a cover putting them in. My wife says I am just too picky about my ride. It already has to go back to the shop tomorrow for a mystery rattle. That will make the knot in My stomach bigger!
 
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Haha JK its normal. When i was doing my lift i was worried i was going to fudge something up. Just have confidence in yourself
 
When I installed my suspension system I was cautious driving it at first. And a combination of inexperience and bad luck still has me paranoid of my spark plug change but I'll still do it myself next time because I like working on my vehicle and learning about it. Once you start working on it yourself more or have a more experienced buddy along, it gets a lot easier.

Also, I couldn't afford all of these goodies and pay for someone to install them!
 
I usually don't worry about working one my 4runner, I like getting my hands dirty and saving some $$$ doing it myself. What I do fear is working on it at odd hours (all parts stores closed) and having some break, missing part, etc in the middle of a project.
 
lcbjr77 said:
I usually don't worry about working one my 4runner, I like getting my hands dirty and saving some $$$ doing it myself. What I do fear is working on it at odd hours (all parts stores closed) and having some break, missing part, etc in the middle of a project.
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My theory is, if you're going to do a lot of your own work, you definitely need a backup vehicle. I make it a point to only work on one of my 4runners at a time, and don't touch the other one until the first one is all back together and working. That way I'm not stuck without a ride.

That also takes a lot of the fear out of a project, because you know you can take your time and don't have to finish "today" if things don't go well.
 
I worry constantly. Always worried about f-ing something up. That's why I took so long to do my tranny fluid.

And actualky I did screw up and out the wrong screw back into the ac condensor. Cost me $120 and $2.50 for the swear jar. But you know what. It was ok.

Having braved the unknown I feel way better about my trucks now.
 
I too have a back up vehicle and agree with RonJR, it does take some of the apprehension out of the equation. That said, I'm a firefighter and have seen some amazing things done to vehicles in a 24 hour shift. 8 guys all in a project, it's like having a pit crew!
 
It's good to start by fixing something already broken. That way you mostly can't mess it up. Builds confidence. Then move on to other stuff. Resources are your friend. YouTube and Google are your friends. Proper tools, open parts stores, and most importantly, time are your friends. With a little forethought, most projects are fairly easy to moderate.
 
Life is too short to be spent worrying about things. As others have suggested try and play it smart, do your research, have the right tools available, have a backup plan if possible aka spare vehicle, and if something does go wrong don't fret about it, just deal with it.

We can't always predict or prevent what's going to happen to us, we only have control over how we respond.
 
Sometimes I am afraid to work on my own truck... case in point my alignment at the moment. I have a feeling that the tabs will just bend beyond repair this time (they've been hammered and coaxed back to position quite a few times. So I am hesitant to touch anything on the alignment at the moment because I don't have tabs on hand and it's my daily driver so I don't need it being out of commission.

But that just means I need to get around to getting the new LCAs, Tabs, and Cams to replace when I do want to touch-up the alignment. :) So that will be fun!
 
I don't worry about breaking something and screwing up my truck. I do get a knot in my stomach the night before I work on it because it's pretty damn certain that I'm going to break off a rusted bolt and add 5 hours to a 2 hour job. The guys at Ace Hardware know me by sight and know just to waive and say hello as I go straight back to the hardware department and start digging through bins looking for an overpriced hardened bolt to replace the crappy one that I carried in in two pieces.
 
BlackWorksInc said:
Sometimes I am afraid to work on my own truck... case in point my alignment at the moment. I have a feeling that the tabs will just bend beyond repair this time (they've been hammered and coaxed back to position quite a few times. So I am hesitant to touch anything on the alignment at the moment because I don't have tabs on hand and it's my daily driver so I don't need it being out of commission.

But that just means I need to get around to getting the new LCAs, Tabs, and Cams to replace when I do want to touch-up the alignment. :) So that will be fun!
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Ugh. I wish there was a reasonable LCA upgrade. Don't wanna go full Total Chaos, but don't want to spend $800 on OEM LCAs...

After doing my bushings, they're just not right. Lots of constant clicking going over bumps, but the bolts are tight. In fact, they're so tight that they're pulling the mounts inward. Wtf? I'm getting some very minimal axial play, but no radial radial play.
 
The only thing I get nervous about is breaking a bolt in a place that I can't retrieve it.

When I switched my plates (assumably a 5 minute job took about 8 hours start to finish) I broke one of the bolts and couldn't get it out for the life of me. Removed the lift gate panel to access it from the rear and still nothing. Ended up tearing the threaded nut out of the hatch. I couldn't drill through it, couldn't extract it. I'll just have a new one welded in at some point.

My caliper job took forever thanks to seized bolts, stripped fittings etc. If things came out smoothly it would have been done in 4 hours? Instead it took 10 ish hours and 2 or 3 trips to the store with a backup vehicle.

You get to know your vehicle very well doing it yourself though and experience is the best kind of knowledge.

Christ almighty what I would do for a big garage, a lift and a set of air tools.
 
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I wouldn't say afraid but sometimes deeply concerned. Like when I got to the hardest part of my deep Satoshi mod and couldn't get decent results sanding and smoothing the surface. I was using my stock grill so it was going back on one way or another.

That's when taking a break, even sleeping on it, helps me regroup and think more clearly. Went back out and got it done.
 
The key is to

find help if your mechanical skills are limited. One thing ive looked into is using a DIY garage that has mechanics available if needed. After being quoted 500 to 600 bucks to install two assembled coil overs and rear shocks and springs it time to learn how to do the work.
 
dkyleb said:
Ugh. I wish there was a reasonable LCA upgrade. Don't wanna go full Total Chaos, but don't want to spend $800 on OEM LCAs...

After doing my bushings, they're just not right. Lots of constant clicking going over bumps, but the bolts are tight. In fact, they're so tight that they're pulling the mounts inward. Wtf? I'm getting some very minimal axial play, but no radial radial play.
Click to expand...


How about this?
2007 Toyota 4Runner Front Lower Control Arm with Ball Joint Pair at 1A Auto.com
 
jrm said:
find help if your mechanical skills are limited. One thing ive looked into is using a DIY garage that has mechanics available if needed. After being quoted 500 to 600 bucks to install two assembled coil overs and rear shocks and springs it time to learn how to do the work.
Click to expand...

Righto! I have a local indy that picks up my pieces when I screw the pooch. And for even more difficult jobs I have an off the books lexus mech that is awesome and reasonably priced. $750 for a timing belt and water pump in an oem shop with oem parts.
 
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