Dilemma. Need some advice.

[durrell]

Need help prioritizing maintenance

So I love my 4Runner, there's no doubting that. However, the previous owners really didn't do much to take care of it and that's pretty obvious. It needs a good bit of mechanical work..not so much on the large scale (the motor, transmission, and transfer case are all great) but more-so on the suspension and steering side of things.

It needs:

New inner and outer TREs and new upper and lower BJs, and I don't even know if that will fix the extreme shaking above 65 MPH.

New brakes, even after a rotor replacement they re-warped and pulse.

New power steering pump. I've tried Lucas Reconditioning, but it still squeals and loses pressure, particularly off-road and when sitting still.

New shocks are a must, possibly new coils.

The roof is leaking above the windshield and around the doors. I think the seals are rotten.

So I'm obviously looking at a few thousand to spend here. If I go OEM on a lot of this stuff, it's going to be outrageously expensive. And when I say this stuff NEEDS to be replaced, it's really not "I want to replace it"; it's a cracked ball joint, a squealing PS pump, leaking seals, etc. Things that make this thing a PAIN (and borderline dangerous) to commute 60-70 miles a day in.

So my first idea is to try to sell it since I think I can get what I owe out of it. Be honest with the people, let them know it's solid, but needs some TLC. Hopefully I can find a Tundra with less than 100k for only a few thousand more than what I owe on the 4Runner. I really want a full-size.

Or, I can drop the cash and have a vehicle I love and drive it for 90-100k more miles since it's only sitting at 168k. But then I'd be REALLY upside down in a vehicle with close to 200k on it.

I hope it's obvious that I'm leaning towards number one. Any advice?

 

[techno]

You said you really want a fullsize.
There's your answer.

 

[zcruiser]

The expense is also in terms of time... Can you take care of things yourself, on your schedule? Or do you have to pay to have things done in a timely and professional manner? If it's the latter, I'd say cut your losses, sell it on the up-and-up, and get something reliable for such a long commute. You may need something with better gas mileage, anyway....

 

[durrell]

Well I get 19.5 MPG so that's a bonus. I can do all maintenance myself with dad's help. I have the tools and the time.

It's the parts that suck.

 

[zcruiser]

Well I get 19.5 MPG so that's a bonus. I can do all maintenance myself with dad's help. I have the tools and the time.

It's the parts that suck.

So the water leaking is just the seals around the doors? Not sure I've ever seen leaks around a windshield, but if so that should be easy enough to run a bead of sealant around the edge. May be your sunroof (or do you have one?)....

Have you looked for a PS pump at a salvage yard? Haven't heard of them going bad so maybe a salvage one will get you another 100K miles? You can try Bob's Auto Salvage in Jacksonville, NC they seem to have a pretty good inventory.

A Tundra brake upgrade might also be a good move.... Thicker rotors will help with the warpage problems.

 

[durrell]

Yeah, the Tundra upgrade would be the plan. And I can get a PS pump new from Advance without the reservoir.

I'm kind of beginning to change my mind, to be honest. I really, really love my 4R..

 

[durrell]

Ok, after talking with my wife and really thinking about it..the 4Runner has a great low payment and the main powertrain components are in great shape. I'm just going to do all the work myself to get it in shape.

So now this thread is less a dilemma and more figuring out how to fix what's wrong.